BMW? Yamaha? Kawasaki? Suzuki?

[Acorn]

So I've been looking at getting a real Enduro bike these days as I've actually just been driving around with my dad's cruiser lately xD

I've been learning a lot about the capabilities of certain bikes, and the ups and downs of evyerthing. It seems a lot of guys here like the KLR 650 for expedition trips, I personally am leaning toward the Suzuki DR650 due to its smaller size, but its massive downfall is the 13L tank, which is very minimal.

how about a little input here? my biggest reason for avoiding a KLR is its lack of offroad performance compared to a DR, and sketchy load driving habits (I've heard they get unstable)

for a little background information: My bike is probably going to end up being my daily driver, while I get a truck or SUV for expeditions (Been eying the nissan Xterra/Fronteir/toyota tacoma) Though I wouldn't mind getting into bike trips, I imagine they'd be a touch cheaper on fuel, and a lot more fun in the ride.

I love riding offroad, I have a quad at home but getting it to the trails is sometimes a pain. I've always wanted a dirtbike but never been able to bring myself to get one.

Again, the bike would mostly be a bomber around town and on the trails around town... I think, it might change, I really don't know as I'm new to the enduro scene


also should briefly mention I found a nice F650 (BMW) in my price range! I've decided to more or less avoid it due to its lack of offroad driving potential and aftermarket doo-dads though I'm sure it would fit the bill in a way.

I know nothing about the yamaha dual sport bikes. Nor do I know anything about which tires I should buy.

terrain around here is rough pavement with muddy offroad. Very little sand and dust, a lot of gravel though

 

[J*C*M]

You didn't mention your price range, judging by the bikes you named, i'd imagine you're looking some somewhere around the $5,000 mark.

A lot of people fall in to the trap it looks like you're headed toward right now; worrying too much about off road ability when most dual sports aren't going to make it much further off road then gravel roads. Also it's important to keep in mind how capible even a touring bike is off road.

A good buddy of mine has logged more miles riding then almost anyone i have ever met (two 6+ month european / middle eastern tours, and one year long north american tour, not to mention little stuff here and there). He did the overseas tours on a honda africa twin (not available in the US, but most closely comparable to the F650), and the North American tour on a 1981 Honda CB750C. That crazy ****er pushed that CB to it's limits across large stretches of desert in nevada, arizona, and new mexico. In Virginia a couple of years back we found ourselves crusing up muddy rutted gravel roads, he on his CB and me on a '79 BMW R100RT.

That being said if you really think you're going to be doing many creek crossings, or a lot of mud you might want to lean towards a more off road oriented bike, but in general those are things to avoid on anything but a dirt bike. In the course of traveling on my Ninja 650R I haven't found a road in the normal course of travel down here in texas that has made me turn around.

In my opinion i would focus a litte more on the Suzuki V-Strom, Kawi Versus, and BMW F650 if you want to stay around the $5k mark. If you really want to ride baja (and other seriously rough terrain) then just buy a Honda XR650L or maybe a Kawi KLR 650.

If you want to up the price range a bit then the BMW 800 and some of the KTMs would make a good arguement as well.

 

[Hayduke950]

Sounds like you're after a mid to large dualsport, since you are already considering the DR or KLR. There are aftermarket big tanks available for the DR I believe. I've never heard of load carrying problems with the KLR- most KLR riders I know take waaaaay too much stuff with them. LOL

I've owned an older KLR and really liked it- great fuel range, reliable, ok off road. I've heard alot of positive things about the DR too, but I've ridden them and the KLR just "fit" me better at the time. I'd say try to get a test ride on both and go with whatever is more comfortable for you.

 

[Acorn]

I'd be a little iffy on buying a KTM or BMW up this far north as we have no dealerships or shops that I can get parts from.

I'm not really worried about not being able to find enough offroad for it, if I drive 5 minutes I'm out of town, which is already small... I'm up in Northern BC, so theres plenty to do with an enduro, I'm just wondering if I would vs. taking a quad.

I'm a little iffy about taking a bike across a river, as we've found that even the lighter quads get pushed around by the current. I can defenitly make due by just using the quads like I always have offroad.

If I were to buy a more normal bike and not an enduro and simply hit gravel roads, do I need anything more than standard street tires to do that? I'd think I need at least something with a little more grip.

as for price range, pretty much anything under 10 grand, but I am looking more in the 5 grand range, yes. The hardest riding I'll be doing is quad trails with deep water and mud and maybe a couple small fallen trees. These are the kinds of trails on the hunting track and I wouldn't mind getting a bike that I can take with me hunting or even just playing in the bush. But again, I'm not entierly sure its a great idea to buy a bike and use it for both offroad and street use.


That said, the Versys looks a lot like the SV650 from Suzuki

 

[J*C*M]

The versus shares a motor with the Ninja 650R and the KLR 650 although they each are tuned a bit different.

The SV650 shares a motor with the V-Strom.

They are direct competitors.

 

[J*C*M]

If you're willing to go closer to $10k you can pick up a used BMW GS 1150, these are the predecessor to the GS 1200. These are the choice bikes for touring around the world, trips across africa or south america. The boxer motors have gone down in history for nearly 40 years as easy to work on and ultra reliable.

http://www.longwayround.com/lwr.php

For more argument then you can handle about what the best bike for your purpose is you might want to visit http://www.advrider.com/

 

[J*C*M]

As for tires. During the total control advanced rider course i watched one of the instructors drag a knee on a set of knobbies....

I would start with whatever comes on the bike, then replace them with tires suited for whatever conditions you find yourself riding in the most.

 

[Owyhee H]

I have had the Dr and KLR and preferred the DR, but it just fit me better. The Dr is super smooth, simple, and fun to ride. With an aftermarket tank you get 5+ gallons and that is good for a long ride. I think that you should look for a good deal on a bike in good condition regardless of the two you will be happy.:bike_rider:

Idaho85

 

[Dave Bennett]

V-Strom for what you describe

 

[Acorn]

I like the idea of all these bikes, I think I need to book some test drives to see what fits me best.

Top on my list so far:
BMW F650 since its easy to get and the guy's asking $3700 for a '99 with 28000 km's
found a nice KLR too
and a DR is within my price range from the factory, technically so is a KLR

KTM's I can get in town, but KTM dual sports I simply can't get up here. Let alone service for one.

But ultimately I would say similar about the BMW. If price were a little less important I would love a GS series bike, but something simple is all I really need.

I'm a little hesitant on the Vstrom since it really does look like a street bike, but it looks comfy and worth a look I suppose. The lack of skid plate and engine protection worries me a little, but I can always change my driving style to cope with that.

On previous vehicles I've driven offroad the skid plate certainly takes a lot of hits, mostly coming out of mudholes on the trails. This would be a little different on a bike mind you.


For argument's sake, has anyone done anything with a Yamaha TW200? its a small bike I know, but I'm kinda curious about this little thing. It was the first Enduro I really wanted, though I know its highway capabilities are nearly non-existant

edit: upon quick investigation, I found that I can get skid plates for a V-strom. Question is, why should I get a V-strom and not a DR?

 

[gregneedham]

My quick 2 cents. Took a BMW 1150 GS across the country on the TAT. Great bike and you can't get much simpler. The engine, electrics, fuel injection is all very basic. Slightly more complicated than an old VW. Prices for parts, however, are kinda expensive, but Bimmerboneyard is a great source for used parts. Offroad can be done, but it's not the ideal bike for dirt or gravel. When I sold mine, it had 125,000 miles on it and is going strong.

I currently own a 02 KTM 640 Adventure and can highly recommend it. Lighter, built like a brick, and pretty dead simple. If you look at the forums on ADV from the last 6 years or so, you can see that very very little goes wrong with these bikes.

You can pick up the KTM in the $3500 range (my mint 02 was $3200) and I just sold my 1150 for $3500, which is a bit below market. But I see them often for $5000-6000.

 

[J*C*M]

I guess i should have gotten in to this right up front, i guess i kinda assumed given the forum...

But

Do you expect do to any long rides?
Or would an out right dirt bike with lights keep you happy? You can't really beat a CRF450 with a baja lights kit for out right fun with very very little highway riding...

 

[Acorn]

I guess i should have gotten in to this right up front, i guess i kinda assumed given the forum...

But

Do you expect do to any long rides?
Or would an out right dirt bike with lights keep you happy? You can't really beat a CRF450 with a baja lights kit for out right fun with very very little highway riding...

No, you assumed correctly. This is an expedition forum and later on I do plan on longer camping trips with a bike

also, to reply to another post. I found several KTM adventure's available and I really like them.

Ultimately I agree that anything within my range that I find the best deal on I'll be happy with.

The only thing that bugs me about the suzuki still is tank size, even the large version is only 19 litres, good for maybe 400 km's which isn't terribly far.

does anyone know how bit the tank on a KTM adventure 640 is? the new adventure 900 is a 19 litre as well. Perhaps my tank size expectations are a little unreasonable?

I would love to be able to go 800 km's on a tank, but I know that's a lot of fuel and would require a 30+ litre tank, creating a lot of weight and size

 

[Owyhee H]

The 99 GS650 is the funduro, the predecessor to the more common f650gs that had the dakar version. The funduro is a good bike but there is not as much following and parts. The DR is a fantastic bike but if you are looking at trails it is pretty big.

Now for the TW....I love it. I have had KLR650, DR350, DR650, DRZ400, F650GS Dakar, and now the TW. The TW is not a freeway beast but does highway speed (55-60) comfortably and are really fun. It is super stable, super light, easy to work on, and much more fun in town and on the trails. The TW200 fanatics will tell you is is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow and they are pretty much right. I do long for a big bike that I can take at 80MPH down the freeway and go to mexico on but realistically I am not doing those things and so the tw200 is perfect for me right now. The tank is very small but Clarke just came out with a tank that should make the TW's range around 200 miles. The TW is very reliable and cheap to own but is not for everyone....find what you are realistically doing with the bike and purchase accordingly.

Idaho85

 

[Owyhee H]

There is a tank for the DR from safari tanks??? that is MUCH bigger. THey are out of Australia and are really $$$$. Here is the link..

http://www.safaritanks.com.au/home/vmchk/8-Suzuki/View-all-products.html

They also have tanks for other bikes you may be looking at.....or buy.

Idaho85