Stumpalump
Expedition Leader
XR 250L or street legal XR 250R are great bikes that are built to last forever and will run out on the interstate if needed.
Dirtbike Reccomendations for Hitch Mount Knockin About!
- Thread starter YosarianRem
- Start date
Stumpalump
Expedition Leader
I just bumped a XR 400 with a street title in the bikes for sale section. I forgot I had it when I mentioned the 250. The best things about XRs is they are bulletproof reliable and super easy to ride. I'm north of Phoenix if you want to take it for a spin.
SWbySWesty
Fauxverland Extraodinaire
I'll chime in on my experience with my drz400sm and hitch carrier. It's light enough to be on the hitch at just over 300lbs wet. It'll do highway two-up, but just note that you'll definitely know she's back there no matter how light she is. Also note that it's a dirtbike, so the seat is narrow - and gets narrower for the passenger.
-Able to carry two adults (350 lbs. combined weight) for heading into town for groceries (6 miles) CHECK
-Reliable CHECK
-Reasonably quiet CHECK (KEEP THE STOCK EXHAUST FOR QUIET)
-Fast enough for occasional use on pavement with speeds around 55-60mph It's great for cruising around, grabbing groceries, exploring trails. Are you looking for more pavement or offroad use? I actually find that with my gearing (for the track), it cruises better at 50-60mph than 75mph.
-Available used in the $2K to $4K range. CHECK - although depending on if you get a dirt drz or the supermoto depends on how much dirt you plan to do.
-Able to carry two adults (350 lbs. combined weight) for heading into town for groceries (6 miles) CHECK
-Reliable CHECK
-Reasonably quiet CHECK (KEEP THE STOCK EXHAUST FOR QUIET)
-Fast enough for occasional use on pavement with speeds around 55-60mph It's great for cruising around, grabbing groceries, exploring trails. Are you looking for more pavement or offroad use? I actually find that with my gearing (for the track), it cruises better at 50-60mph than 75mph.
-Available used in the $2K to $4K range. CHECK - although depending on if you get a dirt drz or the supermoto depends on how much dirt you plan to do.
jkam
nomadic man
I carry a Super Sherpa on the back of my Lazy Daze with a custom rack.
The Sherpa is an awesome bike for just about everything. It will run all day at 65 mph on the highway, is geared low enough for off road use and is fine 2 up as long as you don't plan on getting anywhere fast. Plenty or racks available for adding a top case, I use a small Actionpacker and a Polar Bear soft cooler to do my grocery getting and laundry.
If you can find one, they usually are in the $2000 range as they hold their value rather nicely. Kawasaki brought it back for 2009 but for some reason stopped selling it again and I've seen the 2009's selling for about 3,400 new from dealers wanting to get rid of it.
If I were looking at new bikes this size, I'd look at the 2013 Yamaha xt 250, it is now fuel injected which can be nice.
The Sherpa is an awesome bike for just about everything. It will run all day at 65 mph on the highway, is geared low enough for off road use and is fine 2 up as long as you don't plan on getting anywhere fast. Plenty or racks available for adding a top case, I use a small Actionpacker and a Polar Bear soft cooler to do my grocery getting and laundry.
If you can find one, they usually are in the $2000 range as they hold their value rather nicely. Kawasaki brought it back for 2009 but for some reason stopped selling it again and I've seen the 2009's selling for about 3,400 new from dealers wanting to get rid of it.
If I were looking at new bikes this size, I'd look at the 2013 Yamaha xt 250, it is now fuel injected which can be nice.
My vote would be for a DRz SM or a KTM LC4 SM 400/640. The KTM is a more expensive to operate, but you won't want for power like you might on a stock DRz.
And I would get an SM. they are generally geared for steet use right out of the box. But, with the right tires (Distanzia, Scorpion), can handle miles and miles of fire roads and even single track. The TKC80 is soon to be available in a 120/70-17 for the front of an SM.
I would also go with a KTM because of weight. They are lighter than most anything of comparable displacement. And they are orange...
Bill
And I would get an SM. they are generally geared for steet use right out of the box. But, with the right tires (Distanzia, Scorpion), can handle miles and miles of fire roads and even single track. The TKC80 is soon to be available in a 120/70-17 for the front of an SM.
I would also go with a KTM because of weight. They are lighter than most anything of comparable displacement. And they are orange...
Bill