american urban exploration

[toyrunner95]

ok guys, i am just getting out of college and gas is going to be 5 bucks by december if it isnt already. and i was thinking about getting a truck. well after much debate i may have to put those plans on hold. i just cant afford to buy the gas for it. i thought to myself. what would be fun, cheap, and more fuel efficient than a truck..... A BIKE!

i have been looking at different types, obviously a chopper is out, draws too much attention. and a crotch rocket has the same problem. i dont like the style of the fat boys, they are... well... for the older generations. so i thought about a harley sporster! they are small, one person, and efficient! a three gallon tank gets me about 150 miles. not bad.

i thought about a dual sport, but they are way out of my price range and i just cant justify buying a 10 or 15k on a bike. a sporster is 7k brand new from the factory. a used one is probably about 6k. not a bad starter bike. plus i could do some urban photography.

what do you guys think about a cross country adventure going from small town to small town taking pics and camping along the way. easy rider style.

 

[Dave Bennett]

Not a bad idea, but whats the price on one of those HD's?

I bought a Kawasaki KLR650... MSRP is $5,300 on a new 2008 and it can go EVERYWHERE, urban or otherwise.

 

[bj70_guy]

what do you guys think about a cross country adventure going from small town to small town taking pics and camping along the way. easy rider style.

As long as I don't have to get my head smashed in by rednecks on the outskirts of town while I sleep, I'm all for it :elkgrin:

Personally I'd rather do it on a proper touring bike, but I'm old (and I like touring bikes...)
If you want to do it on a Sportster go for it. I would consider a lightly used one (there are plenty of them out there) and shoot for an '04 or newer. They rubber mounted the engine in '03 or '04, sorry, can't remember exactly, and it makes a huge difference in how you feel at the end of the day. Get one with mid mount controls and highway pegs, grab a windshield and some throw-over saddlebags and go.

 

[rathackman]

Hi...I concur with the KLR choice. I am old and grey and on a 5K/month or so summer trip on my 1983 Goldwing/Ural sidecar. I have a limited fixed income and camp nearly all the time (check out Hennessy hammocks for a simple, comfy, dry camp). I think anything at all works, you just have to do it. There is something about a dual-sport ride and the fact that you just don't have to turn around when the road poops out.....of course a good rider can ride anything anywhere...read Dave Barr's Harley books or follow Emilio Scotto's "The Longest Ride" on the Goldwing Aspencade around the world....It ain't what you ride but how good a rider you are.
All that said, the KLR has a raft of aftermarket farkles and is cheep to buy. Many have ridden it huge distances with limited fixes.
Enjoy while you are a youngun',:jumping:

Brian in NM

 

[Blair G]

Not a bad idea, but whats the price on one of those HD's?

I bought a Kawasaki KLR650... MSRP is $5,300 on a new 2008 and it can go EVERYWHERE, urban or otherwise.

:iagree: Get an older one to even draw less attention.



Blair

 

[toyrunner95]

the HD sportster is 7k brand new.

i got a couple friends with bikes and they love to do poker runs and whatnot. and with gas the way it is, we could go for a weekend on a tank, insetad of worrying about where the next fill up is. of course this wont get me to baja, but it would let me see america. as a 25yo history major, this could be fun.

 

[Hltoppr]

$3,000 will get you a perfectly good used dual sport, whether it be a KLR, Honda XR650, V-Strom 650 or the like. If you yearn for dirt roads, and want to plonk around in town commuting whilst dealing with potholes and other road debris....go dual sport.

You'll also find that the seating position on a dual sport gives you a much better view of traffic than a cruiser....

The most important thing about a bike purchase is that the bike "just does it" for you; makes you smile when you look at it...and one you enjoy riding.

-H-

 

[bj70_guy]

Great thread from a couple riding a sporty 2 up through central and south america :Wow1:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248187

 

[Lynn]

Very limited experience here, but...

Very limited experience here, but I have to give my $.02.

I started out on a Kawasaki 44LTD (bought it at 13 1/2 and polished it for 6 months 'til I got my license), then after I had completely worn it out I traded it for a Yamaha 650 Turbo, and proceeded to put a ton of miles on it.

I know that you are talking about different bikes altogether, but I think that there are some similarities. The 440LTD had a riding position much like the Sportster you are considering, and the 650 had a more upright riding position, which I think would compare to the dual sport.

Anyway, I found the more upright position of the 650 to be a lot more comfortable on long rides, and it had a lot better steering response in traffic. Even though it was a much heavier bike (with full fairings), it was much more nimble.

I haven't ridden a bike in several years, but if I were to get another, it wouldn't be a cruiser. It also wouldn't be a huggin-the-front-wheel rocket...

Try to get some long rides on each bike if you can, but my guess is that you will enjoy the miles more on the dual sport.

 

[toyrunner95]

on the sportster you sit fairly upright slightly hunched. I like the ww2 bobber style. They just feel right. If I dont like it I can always sell it. But I have to try it first.

 

[dirtysouth]

$7K will get you alot of different bikes, brand new OTD but if you insist on a sporster, then by all means go for it. I took a trip back in 07 for 2 weeks and went across country and back and budgeted $100 a day, including splitting a motel room with a buddy and it cost me that. I have another buddy who just recently took off for 11 days and camped the whole time and spent about $40 a day. It all depends on you and how you want to "live" while on the road. In my opinion, you can get alot more bike than a sportster 883 for the $7k though, but that's just me.

 

[brice]

This is my first post on this forum, but I think I can offer some advice. I have rode and owned a lot of bikes and currently have a Buell in the garage. It has the 1200 Sportster engine. For a cross country trip or your first bike I would recommend something else. The KLR 650 mentioned above is a great choice and will be cheap to repair when you drop it. The Suzuki V-Strom 650 would be another great choice. The Harley motor and controls are just not very refined, the suspension is not that great, and if you ever drop it it will be much more expensive to fix. I also think you will quickly want more power if you go with the 883. If you haven't already you should check out advrider dot com. After saying all of this, passion is important and if you want the Harley, go for it.

 

[Martinjmpr]

If this is your first bike I would definitely recommend you buy something used.

My current bike cost me all of $800 on Craigslist and has been running strong for almost a year. I've put about $500 into it but I'm still at way less than $1500 even if you include insurance and license plates.

Also take the MSF course.

Personally I wouldn't even consider paying over $3000 for a first bike and there are tens of thousands of decent, low-mileage bikes in that price range. Check out Craigslist or Cycletrader and you'll see what I mean.

Sportsters are very top heavy. Definitely not a good learner's bike.

 

[dirtysouth]

One of the biggest drawbacks to the Sportster 883 is you won't be able to sell it if you tire of it quickly. They're a dime a dozen and no one wants the 883. It's something to think about before dropping $7k on one. Like MartinJumper said, you can get some really good bikes for somewhere in the $3k range.

 

[toyrunner95]

wow i should have listened to you guys.

i went and looked at bikes today, just to sit on a few and look at prices and you guys were right. i didnt like the harley. the sportster was way too small. i felt really cramped.

i sat on a soft tail and a dyna and the price scared the bejesus out of me. 17k eek!

so i went around to yamaha, honda, bmw, and victory.

victories are ugly and expensive, i dont like them.

the bmws are really nice and they ahve some decent dual sports. little pricey at the moment for me.

the yamahas are a very nice bike but the seats arent thet comfy. i like the 1100s. and they are in the price range i like, about 6-7k

i sat on a few hondas, and wow, i think i found a winner. the shadows are a really nice bike. great milage, good sound, shaft driven. very nice. i cant say that i have made up my mind, but i am definatly leaning toward a honda or a used bmw or honda dual sport. not too old. i want something from the 2000s.