BMW? Yamaha? Kawasaki? Suzuki?

[goodtimes]

how much difference do boots make when I'm wearing Solomon high top hiking boots? they're made of leather

Leather boots, even hiking boots, provide a terrific amount of abrasion resistance -- but that's about it. They offer very little ankle support - which, depending on your style of riding and where you ride, will range from 'important', to 'critical'. They often times don't have a very rigid sole either. When you are standing on the pegs all day, a rigid sole cuts down on the fatigue.

Foot and ankle protection is just as important as knee, hip, elbow, shoulder and back protection (all of which are trumped by head protection, IMO).

Personally, when I'm on the street (commuting), I'm usually in a relatively inexpensive Olympia Airglide jacket/pants, hi-top work boots (leather, steel toe), helmet and gloves. When I'm out on the trail (or wide open ranch roads, etc) I step the gear up a notch -- including the boots.

 

[UK4X4]

"I'm wearing Solomon high top hiking boots? they're made of leather"

Boots make a huge diference once you get used to the lack of feel,
in stand up off road - huge diference -your calves would be complaining after a few miles

in a sit down commute not that much, but for the lack of protection.

Cordura - gortex riding jacket with CE armor

The whole idea with motorcycle gear - is to avoid road rash........think meat grinder when you leg is trapped under the bike sliding down the road

The impact armor is more to stop your component linkages being abraded on the road, so the docs have all the component parts to rebuild you.

For a commute I'd just bring my work pants and shoes in a back pack, and wear the proper gear there and back.

Helmet- pay the money and get a good one, they last longer too

 

[Acorn]

well, my hikers do have a ton of ankle support, since they come well above the ankle. I'll try on some riding boots and compare the two.

As for sole support my boots are a full steel shank that helps with foot stability on rough surfaces, I don't know what it would do on a bike though. Like I said, I think I should try on some riding boots and compare them.

I ordered a pair of gloves from a company called Five, they've got some really nice protection for summer riding, not so awesome for cold riding since they're vented and not waterproof, but for a starter pair, I kinda like them.

 

[grahamfitter]

how much difference do boots make when I'm wearing Solomon high top hiking boots? they're made of leather

Its surprisingly easy to drop the bike and end up lying on the ground with the bike on top of your leg with pointy bits sticking painfully into it. Thicker boots with ankle protection would make that experience significantly more enjoyable. :ylsmoke:

Cheers,
Graham

 

[CoastalDefender]

Its surprisingly easy to drop the bike and end up lying on the ground with the bike on top of your leg with pointy bits sticking painfully into it. Thicker boots with ankle protection would make that experience significantly more enjoyable. :ylsmoke:

Cheers,
Graham

Yup, I crashed in traffic a few months ago and had the entire rear weight of my bike directly on my ankle. I was wearing O'Neal MX boots and I fully believe they saved me ankle. If I were wearing my work boots I would have probably shattered my lower leg and foot.

I never ride without all my gear anymore. Not worth the risk and 5min it takes to don the gear.

 

[MarcFJ60]

Get what you can afford or what you are comfortable riding with knowing the risks involved. For some people that means riding without a helmet - it's an individual choice.

If I can throw out some free advice . . .

Helmet - Just get one that fits and feels comfortable. There is no evidence a $600 protects better than a $150. More expensive helmets are generally lighter, quieter, and higher quality. But I haven't seen anybody prove they are safer. There are some VERY highly rated moderately priced helmets out there by Scorpian and HJC to name a couple. But if the only thing that really fits your head is a $500 Arai then I say it's a worthwhile investment.

Jacket - Check the closeout deals at the major vendors. You can get a very good mid-range jacket for under $150 on sale. A jacket is primarily abrasion resistance, but it covers a whole lot of you. I won't ride without one. Good ones can be worn through a wide variety of temps. My $170 Firstgear Ranier can be worn easily from 40 degrees to 90 degrees.

Gloves - This is another must for me. Some people just wear Mechanix gloves or ropers. Whatever, just gets something with strong palms.

Pants - I have to admit I wear jeans or Carhartt type pants. To each his own. I imagine someday I'll get something better. Frogg Toggs over them when it rains. I figure a road rashed *** is at the lower end of the risks so I can accept it.

Boots - I only recently got MC specific boots. Boots generally aren't cheap so they were down the list relative to a helmet, gloves and jacket. BUT MC specific boots do more than protect you from abrasions. As noted, they offer crush protection, impact protection, and prevent the ankle from twisting. Plus, even waterproof hiking boots won't keep you dry because water comes in over the top. On a group ride on gravel roads one of the guys went down - looked like nothing. But the spiral break above his ankle certainly wasn't nothing. Before the ride he decided to switch from his MX boots to hiking boots because we were just doing gravel roads. Even if the bike doesn't land on your ankle, there's a lot of forces working as you roll down the road. The L shape your foot/leg makes doesn't roll too well. You can get decent boots for $150.

Like used motorcycles, used gear can be had in like new shape for cheap. Sold by people who realized riding wasn't for them.

 

[T.Low]

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.

He did start out by saying he wanted a real enduro, not a dual sport. "The bike would mostly be used as a daily commuter and on the trails around home..."

IF those are the two main criteria for a bike, it's got to be the DRZ 400. The DR650 would be better on long trips, but much worse on local trails. You were right to begin with thinking that the KLR was too lazy for trails.

I don't know anybody that regularly rides "trails" on a KLR or anything bigger. The DRZ, however, is pretty popular around here because of it's decent manners on the trails and it's a lot better than my bike on the asphalt. Although, it is still a bit heavy, under powerred, and under sprung (read sluggish) for a real enduro[/. But some of the local guys can certainly ride them well on single track, let a lone jeep track.


Am I missing something? Does the fairing on the Ninja double as a skid plate? The skid plate on my enduro is beat to **** and I'm on my second one. I'm just asking...:sombrero:



Of course you've posted this same question on http://www.dualsportbc.com/ , right?



Edit: As far as the gear goes, I ride All The Gear, All The Time. It's too easy for something to happen and too unforgiving when it does. Gloves and MC boots, at the very least. I wear Alpinestar Tech 8 MX boots because I place a very high value on my feet and legs. Enduro riding can take out a foot or leg in the blink of an eye.

 

[Acorn]

I actually didn't know of the existence of Dualsportbc's website, I believe I mentioned I'm just getting into the sport, so I'm rather new.

I'm getting a pretty strong feeling regarding gear and what I need to get.

One of the local dealerships has jackets that can zip from insulated to waterproof to mesh for rain for like $390

I'd much rather just get a mesh jacket and a rain coat to put over it and save myself a couple hundred bucks...

My single concern for a bike smaller than a 650 is how well will it handle highway speeds? I ask because most of the places I go are off along the highway, to get anywhere around here you have to really go somewhere, even if I'm commuting to work or school I still have to hit a highway.

 

[CoastalDefender]

One of the local dealerships has jackets that can zip from insulated to waterproof to mesh for rain for like $390

:Wow1:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/39/10312/ITEM/Tour-Master-Transition-Series-2-Jacket.aspx


I have that one, and it will STILL be cheaper than what you were quoted after duties/tax/shipping...

Comes with a zip liner, has mesh (hasn't been warm enough this year for me to crack my mesh vents yet), and is waterproof. Excellent for our area.

Also comes in Tall sizes for dudes like me with monkey arms.

 

[T.Low]

My single concern for a bike smaller than a 650 is how well will it handle highway speeds? I ask because most of the places I go are off along the highway, to get anywhere around here you have to really go somewhere, even if I'm commuting to work or school I still have to hit a highway[/I].

There in lies the rub, as they say. A 650 or larger will definitely be better on the highway, but much worse on the trails. Much worse. You will suffer on the trails and probably end up not riding them anymore because of the bike.

My bike is the opposite. I suffer on the highhway, so i tend to truck my bike to trails anything farther than 15 to 20 minutes away.

The DRZ 400 is ok at highway speeds, and ok at trails; a rare combination.

The key is that the DRZ 400 is better at the highway (do-able) than the KLR is at the trails (not so do able, although it may bring an arguement). I think if you do more research, it will confirm that.

I 2nd the motorcyclesuperstore and add www.rockymountainatv.com .


Here is the sub forum "Thumpers" on AdventureRider. ADVRider is 145,000 members world wide, a great resource. Search here and I'm sure you'll find this same question has been posted. http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=15

Looking forward to hearing what you end up on, your experiences with it, and ultimately how it works for you. Good luck.

 

[dirtysouth]

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.

The Versys may share the same motor with the Ninja 650R but it doesn't share the same as the KLR, as it has one more cylinder than the KLR, which makes a big difference.

If you want to ride trails and not dirt roads, disregard any posts referring you to a GS, Vstrom, Versys, etc...

Go with a single cylinder bike like the DR or DRZ. I've had a lot of the different models people are referring you to
(including a DL650, R100GS, 650 Dakar, KLR, DR, DRZ), and in my opinion the DRZ is a lot better on the trails than the DR or KLR. It makes the same power as the DR and KLR but it is lighter and the suspension is better suited for the true trails. I put 13k miles on a DRZ in a years time, switching the gearing out depending on whether or not I was running on the interstate or offroad.

If you wanted something to handle run the interstate with and dirt roads, the KLR is going to be a better buy although I would go with on the the older versions. It is a packmule and will handle loads better in stock form than any of the other single cylinder bikes.

The DR is probably the closest to a 50/50 bike between the KLR, DR, DRZ. It will handle interstate speeds no problem and eat up a dirt road. The suspension on it isn't as good as the DRZ but that can be changed pretty cheap, along with the small gas tank. I did a 1700 mile weekend on a stock DR and other than stopping every 100 miles for fuel, I had no problems whatsoever with the bike.

If buying one of the three today, I would go back with a DR as it is the most versatile out of the 3 and can be modified to go either way (Street/Dirt), cheaply.

 

[T.Low]

The Versys may share the same motor with the Ninja 650R but it doesn't share the same as the KLR, as it has one more cylinder than the KLR, which makes a big difference.

If you want to ride trails and not dirt roads, disregard any posts referring you to a GS, Vstrom, Versys, etc...

Go with a single cylinder bike like the DR or DRZ. I've had a lot of the different models people are referring you to
(including a DL650, R100GS, 650 Dakar, KLR, DR, DRZ), and in my opinion the DRZ is a lot better on the trails than the DR or KLR. It makes the same power as the DR and KLR but it is lighter and the suspension is better suited for the true trails. I put 13k miles on a DRZ in a years time, switching the gearing out depending on whether or not I was running on the interstate or offroad.

If you wanted something to handle run the interstate with and dirt roads, the KLR is going to be a better buy although I would go with on the the older versions. It is a packmule and will handle loads better in stock form than any of the other single cylinder bikes.

The DR is probably the closest to a 50/50 bike between the KLR, DR, DRZ. It will handle interstate speeds no problem and eat up a dirt road. The suspension on it isn't as good as the DRZ but that can be changed pretty cheap, along with the small gas tank. I did a 1700 mile weekend on a stock DR and other than stopping every 100 miles for fuel, I had no problems whatsoever with the bike.

If buying one of the three today, I would go back with a DR as it is the most versatile out of the 3 and can be modified to go either way (Street/Dirt), cheaply.

I agree...if you want to do it all with an emphasis on trail over interstate go with the DRZ. In other words, if you want your bike to excell more on trail and are willing to except the incrementle compromise on interstate, go the DRZ.

If you want to do it all with it more important to excell on interstate and are willing to accept that it will be a bigger compromise on the trail, go for the DR.

 

[J*C*M]

The Versys may share the same motor with the Ninja 650R but it doesn't share the same as the KLR, as it has one more cylinder than the KLR, which makes a big difference.

Good catch

 

[Acorn]

I'm kinda lost between the DRZ400 and the DR650, the weight difference is about 60 lbs, 10 hp, and 4 mpg

is that difference really worth it? will I be saving much if I buy a DRZ? they're a little harder to find in a street legal version around my area

 

[billy bee]

If you plan on real Adventure Touring, I'd look at the load capacity of the DRZ. I doubt it can carry 1/4th of what the KLR or DR can carry. But it is a better bike in every other way. Lighter, nimbler, better suspension...

The other thing I considered when shopping for a similar bike was air- or water-cooled engine. I wanted an air-cooled engine for simplicity...one less thing to go wrong. So, I bought the KTM and also bought an ATK 605 DSES. That 605 was an amazing bike. But the ATK had the potential to overheat if ridden too slowly in warm temps. Wish I'd kept it. It was a beautiful machine. Anyway, I'm not sure how well a DR or a Honda XL650 does in extreme heat at low speeds. ATKs do not like it.

I think you are missing the opportunity to own the perfect bike: KTM LC4 640E or Adventure. They are selling in the $3k range now and are better bikes than the DRZ and have the load carrying capacity. My LC4 weighs a smidge over 300#.

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