Recommendations for first dual-sport rig.

[AUTO360]

Reread DwH. He said exactly what I would say. Start small and start used. America is about having everything right now....but experience is something that you can't get in a day. Small will give you confidence. Used will help feel not so bad when you drop it. Learning on the dirt will greatly improve your on-road skills. You don't even need to spend all $5000 right away. Plus, having an adventure ride on a small bike makes it feel more like an adventure!! Here is an idea. Spend $2500-3000 on a used bike, and while learning the fine art of riding save more money and buy a 2nd bike and still keep the 1st one. For instance...an XT225-250...then save a little more and buy a V-Strom 650 later. IMHO, 2 good used bikes are better than one new bike.

Mighty Dodge Ram- I have a WR250R also and it is a superb bike....and I have had many bikes to compare it to!! Think you will agree.

 

[hilligan]

My vote is for the KLR 650. Huge aftermarket support, dirt cheap and reliable. I looked at the BMW but got to thinking if I dropped a $11,000 bike I'd cry. If I run a $2,000 KLR over a cliff I'll just get another one.

You ARE going to bruise it if you take it off the road.

Try to avoid the '08s and early '09s as they have oil burning issues.

I've seen pre-'08s with 2k miles go for less than a thousand bucks. That leaves lots of cash for farkles and upgrades.

If "bang-for-your-buck" is a consideration, go with the KLR.

On the other hand, if you are well heeled, get the BMW.

And a Multistrada.

And a Tiger 800XS

And a Yamaha 1200 Tenere.

And and and and and.......

Then go see the world.:victory:

 

[deminimis]

For a simple, reliable, capable bike, I'd say go with a KLR. Just talked my retired dad into one (the first bike he has ever owned (although he putted on my enduros back in the late 70's/early 80's)). They aren't glitzy, fancy, or otherwise. Just simple and reliable. If down the road you want to upgrade to something with better suspension/whatever, its easy to sell a KLR. Lots of aftermarket goodies for a KLR too.

 

[jl8088]

If you like the dirt more than the pavement, check out the EXC line of motorcycles from KTM. $5000 can get you one 3 years old or so. They're sold in 2 engine displacements (450 & 525) and factory street legal.

 

[WU7X]

A little history

I started riding the beginning of Oct., 2009, when I was 61 y.o. I bought a '02 F650GS Dakar for $4,100, spent ~$1,000 on riding gear, including a Nolan N103 helmet (you can probably do much better than that), Olympia Motosports neon yellow AST jacket and Ranger II pants (highly recommended), and a pair of Sidi Canyon boots. I'm 6'1" tall with a 34" inseam and initially found the seat height a bit intimidating. Now, after a little over one year and 5,000 miles later, the height doesn't bother me at all. The bike also felt heavy to me initially. I don't notice that either. Since buying the bike I've added all kinds of farkles - most of which I bought used on ADVrider.com. SE-Motech Engine guard and center stand, Michelin T-63's, Barkbuster handguards, Wolfman tankbag, Happy Trail metal panniers, Sargent seat, PN40 GPS and RAM mount, etc. They all add up to another couple grand.

I'm telling you this first to let you know that you can start riding at any age and have a blast. Second, when you budget for that first bike, plan on spending a LOT on the best helmet and ATGATT riding gear you can afford. They can save your life! I like my neon yellow jacket because as a nOObie rider, I WANT to be seen! Finally, bikes are worse than trucks when it comes to "farkling" them up to fit your personal needs. Everything you add to your bike increases it's weight. But some of the farkles will make the bike much better for your needs.

The bikes mentioned; BLM F650, KLM KLR, and DR650, all will be great commuters and work well down to forest two tracks. But in my mind they are all a bit heavy to do any serious single tracking on. Especially if they are loaded up.

Hope this helps! oh, one last thing; my Dakar will get me an average of 62 mpg. I think this is much better than the other bikes on the list. Have fun, ride safe, ride often!

Dale, the Old Fart :bike_rider:

 

[weatherm]

ktm 640 adventure

 

[goodtimes]

. . . Second, when you budget for that first bike, plan on spending a LOT on the best helmet and ATGATT riding gear you can afford. They can save your life!

This is a really good point. Sliding down the pavement at 50mph will chew through a pair of denim jeans in about a second, and road rash hurts. Spend a bit of $$$ on quality riding gear (plenty of used but serviceable gear out there). Don't be afraid of dropping a couple hundred bucks on a helmet. Get one that fits and that you will wear. The first time it keeps your head from smacking the pavement, you will realize that it was worth every penny spent.

 

[cobblecrazy]

Thanks for the feedback guys...

More info...

I'm 5'-9" and 200#
Living in Denver and hope to use the bike for equal parts forest-road exploring and commuting. I will probably not be toting any passengers around but might end-up loading the bike up for 3-4 trips to the mountains. I'd also like the idea of being able to put the bike on a hitch-mounted carrier and being able to take it places with my 4-Runner...

I like the thought about buying a bike that appeals to me. I've always wanted a BMW but realize my money might go further buying a KLR or Strom.
Have also budgeted money for good gear to keep me safe and comfortable.

Hope that helps.......and thanks again.

Nate

I would suggest looking at the "Adventure Motorcycling Handbook" by Chris Scott - his website: http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com/ (it can be found at most bookstores as well). A few years ago he and two others did a trip across the Tenere desert called "Desert Riders".

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WoE5Kj_vg0&feature=player_detailpage"]YouTube - Desert Riders DVD by Chris Scott (Sahara)[/ame]

They used the Honda XR650L. I've had the XR650R, and a XR400, in the past, and they are fairly bullet proof. The XR400 used to be one of the main bikes of choice for the amature Dakar guys (and some of the "outfitters" who would supply a built up bike) just because of the cost and reliability. There are many websites out there specifically for the XR ( www.xrsonly.com for one). The machine is fairly simple in design, and is forgiving as well for newer riders.

I have had a BMW 650GS Dakar, and its a great bike, but not sure if its what your looking for. I noticed you talked about having the possibility of putting the bike on a tray on the back of your 4-Runner. The beemer is not exactly the bike of choice for that. I would say if your looking at doing more road miles, then the beemer/v-strom (or the like) would not be bad, but they might suffer for the off-roading you might want to do. I would say the XR, DR/Z, KLR, would be the better choice up on a carrier of some type and for the off-roading in Colorado (wish I would have had mine along when I was in Telluride last year).

The KLR is a great bike as well for the money. I think the new styles were a little overrun with plastic, but you see them everywhere. A nice small fairing for the road miles, and lots of extras out there. If you want to see some in action I would also go back to Chris Scott who did a trip up in Canada with a few other guys (all on KLRs) called "Call of the Wild".

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUQjdooEQRM&feature=player_detailpage"]YouTube - Call of the Wild DVD by Chris Scott (Canada)[/ame]

I currently own a 800GS and KTM 530 EXC. A good combination. Just my opinion, but the KTM's along this line are not really "Adventure" bikes in the sense of putting panniers/stuff on them and going (you can do some). I can put on a backpack, and maybe a tail pack, on my EXC, and go out for a long day trip, or an overnighter, but a multi day trip might not be exactly its cup of tea. There are a few in the KTM line that are good for this 640, 690, 990, but you might be getting past your price range for that.

Check out this site www.bikefinds.com Go to the main page, and you can click on whatever model you're looking at, and it will pull up all the listings it can find out on the web for that specific model of bike. Then you can either follow a link, or pull up whatever local craigslist it has for the listing to check out the bike.

just my .02 worth...

 

[cobblecrazy]

Also, if your serious about learning to ride you might want to check out Jimmy Lewis' off-road school http://www.jimmylewisoffroad.com/ I think the last time I looked into it, they wanted $600.00 for the 2 day school in Southern Nevada (just outside Las Vegas). Might be included in a cool trip....:bike_rider:

I had a chance to meet him when BMW had their 80th celebration in Squaw Valley, and I did a little 30 minute training thing with him. I probably learned more in that 30 minutes than I had in the previous 30+ years of riding.

I'm 5'9" w/a 31" inseam, and I've ridden a 1150GSA, 1200GSA, and all my other bikes off road without a problem. A thing which always stuck with me from Jimmy Lewis was to just slide your butt off the saddle a little, and you can plant one foot firmly on the ground for support. His wife also teaches at the school, and he said she rode the 1150GSA without any problems...

There are many other schools out there, but I really liked Jimmy Lewis' philosophy, and his riding history (dakar guy, etc.).

 

[cobblecrazy]

You might check out this listing on Denver's Craigslist http://denver.craigslist.org/mcy/2092293669.html

not a bad looking bike, a little bit older, but a fairly good price...For a new rider that might have a few drops along the way, you definitely won't be crying the blues if the plastic gets a little dinged up.

 

[NeverEnough]

Also, if your serious about learning to ride you might want to check out Jimmy Lewis' off-road school http://www.jimmylewisoffroad.com/ I think the last time I looked into it, they wanted $600.00 for the 2 day school in Southern Nevada (just outside Las Vegas). Might be included in a cool trip....:bike_rider:

I had a chance to meet him when BMW had their 80th celebration in Squaw Valley, and I did a little 30 minute training thing with him. I probably learned more in that 30 minutes than I had in the previous 30+ years of riding.

I'm 5'9" w/a 31" inseam, and I've ridden a 1150GSA, 1200GSA, and all my other bikes off road without a problem. A thing which always stuck with me from Jimmy Lewis was to just slide your butt off the saddle a little, and you can plant one foot firmly on the ground for support. His wife also teaches at the school, and he said she rode the 1150GSA without any problems...

There are many other schools out there, but I really liked Jimmy Lewis' philosophy, and his riding history (dakar guy, etc.).

X2

Jimmy Lewis courses are great. I wouldn't stress too much about which DS bike to get. It's likely you'll end up with more than one anyway! IMHO, the biggest mistake you can make is to exhaust your whole budget on the bike and not set aside enough for your riding gear. It will help keep you allive and make riding any DS, especiallly one that doubles for the commute, more comfortable and enjoyable.