Small Used Lite Weight Motorcycle Suggestions.

[Alloy]

I've been thinking of picking up a dirt bike we can use to explore as well as hide/lock in the bush so we have something to shuttle back to the start point after canoeing.

We've used a bicycle for a couple of day trips but it is too (dark by the time we were loading the canoes) slow so we want something faster.

What's out there for small used street legal bikes that are reliable/easy to maintain?

 

[jkam]

Kawasaki Super Sherpa. Not the easiest to find, but air cooled, has a carb and is extremely reliable.
250 cc, which is enough to do what you want, street legal and can be had for about $2500.
Always my top choice, but Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki all make something similar.

 

[IdaSHO]

How light would you like to go?

I built this little guy up for peanuts, made it street legal, and it weights less than 150#
Its a 140cc manual shift chinese bike (SSR)
Upgeared fitted with the largest sprocket I could squeeze in there without clearancing the case, it has plenty of low end grunt for slow stuff, but will also do 60+ (not advised )

 

[BritKLR]

I've been thinking of picking up a dirt bike we can use to explore as well as hide/lock in the bush so we have something to shuttle back to the start point after canoeing.

We've used a bicycle for a couple of day trips but it is too (dark by the time we were loading the canoes) slow so we want something faster.

What's out there for small used street legal bikes that are reliable/easy to maintain?

Really any of the brands make a small cc dual sport type bike that you can license and use as described. We use our Sherpa for our run about but, I seen everything from a coleman mini bike to ratty old ninjas (very cheap when old and used) with knobbies on them as portage bikes. Good luck!

And, if you weld......add a rack to the moto to carry your canoe!

 

[tatanka48]

the Kamakazi Super Sherpa

Suzuki DR-350(99 or earlier)

Yamaha TW-200

Yamaha XT250

all anvil simple

the TW-200 has the shortest seat height then comes the Kamakazi then the XT250 and the DR-350 is the tallest

though as mentioned above sometimes/most always hard to locate

may end up having to drive several hours to pick up a good one

get a good hardened chain and bullet proof lock since they are all light enuff to haul off in a moment

BON CHANCE

"T"

 

[Alloy]

How light would you like to go?

I built this little guy up for peanuts, made it street legal, and it weights less than 150#
Its a 140cc manual shift chinese bike (SSR)
Upgeared fitted with the largest sprocket I could squeeze in there without clearancing the case, it has plenty of low end grunt for slow stuff, but will also do 60+ (not advised )

My experience with stuff from China is you need to have 3 or 4 for spare parts. Also we can't license anything unless it was streel leagal from the factory.

 

[dreadlocks]

I've got a 93 Suzuki DR350 I paid $1k for, street legal.. its about 250lbs, does great for basic travel on everything from highways to trails.. bit too small/light for interstates (but it'll do 70mph+ if your brave enough), and a bit too big for high speed, high air trail running so its a compromise size between a street bike and a dirt bike.. I commuted to work on it for a while during the week and then went and slowly cruised down bike trails on the weekend, its good for that but I want something more trail-oriented nowadays that wont be bottoming out the suspension every time I get a couple feet of air, so I'm going to step down to a 250 Enduro

How tall are you and what do you weigh? I'm 6'4" and 160lbs, a good bike for me would be a terrible bike for a shorter or heavier person, I gravitate to taller bikes for my frame, but that doesn't really change the CG much because I'm light for my height.

 

[IdaSHO]

My experience with stuff from China is you need to have 3 or 4 for spare parts. Also we can't license anything unless it was streel leagal from the factory.

You have to know what you are getting into.
The SSR is pretty standard stuff, with a proven YX140 engine.

The rest sounds like an excuse to move to another state.
We can make essentially anything street legal here.
This little bike was no exception, and was very easy to do.

 

[billiebob]

I've been thinking of picking up a dirt bike we can use to explore as well as hide/lock in the bush so we have something to shuttle back to the start point after canoeing.

We've used a bicycle for a couple of day trips but it is too (dark by the time we were loading the canoes) slow so we want something faster.

What's out there for small used street legal bikes that are reliable/easy to maintain?

On the older bike front, the Honda Trail 90 is bulletproof.



And the Honda Super Cub is the best selling fossil fueled "vehicle" ever. 64 years later you can still buy a new one.
And this year they brought back the Honda Trail with 125cc.

SuperCub - Mini Motorcycle - Honda

The Super Cub may be a small motorbike, but it’s a giant when it comes to how it’s mobilized the world. One ride and you'll see why.

powersports.honda.com

Either one will do everything that bicycle did.
Trail 90s even had trailer hitch options.

This bike literally changed the world.

 

[IdaSHO]

I still have one of the little CT90s I built up years ago.
I built two of them. Complete tear-downs to raw metal.

This one was resto-modded to 100% new condition.
Also traveled with us for more than 50K

Fun little bike. The Lifan 125 swap made it actually useable in town.
Yet the SSR we run now has MUCH more power, real brakes, real suspension, and weighs considerably less.

'

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

I did the research in Oz about 20 years ago and found that the Yamaha DT100 ag bike was the lightest road registered bike available with good dirt capability.
Pretty old now, but simple.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[Alloy]

You have to know what you are getting into.
The SSR is pretty standard stuff, with a proven YX140 engine.

The rest sounds like an excuse to move to another state.
We can make essentially anything street legal here.
This little bike was no exception, and was very easy to do.

I'm in BC Canada .....while we can't modify a motorcycle on the otherhand I think it is the only place in North America that still allows people to legally change (with engineer and mechanical inspections) the GVWR of a vehicle.

 

[cdthiker]

The Kawi Super Sherpa or ther very near twin the baby klr 250 are both excellent choices. The Sherpa has eletric start and is air cooled, the baby KLR aka the AKwi KLR 250 is kick start only and liquid cooled.

I have had the KLR 250 for a number of years now. They basically made the bike unchanged for decades just like the big KLR. It was a super popular police bike down south.

Fairly light ( I carry it on a hitch rack on the back of my regular cab tacoma ) and hard to kill as long as you keep the valves in spec.
I have close to 20k miles on mine ( an 03) and it has been abused more than I would care to admit. Just keeps going. Parts are cheap and easy to find used on FleaBay ( I replaced the forks from a much older unit and the radiators again off a much older unit). There is some limited aftermarket support if you are into farkleing it up but really the appeal is dead nuts simplicity and reliability. the PO of my bike removed a lot of stuff and it still goes. AKA the battery has been totally fried for years, it has no horn, he hardwired an aux cooling fan to the rad that dosent work but it just goes on.
I have played around with the gearing a bit. it has a sixth gear which is sorta worthless but she is good for 55-60 all day long. Will push up to 70 if you totally wind it out and will hold 65 on the flats in top gear if there is not a head wind.


it is of a size and weight that make it easy for people with even poor off road riding skills to have a decent time in the dirt and allows you to snake it through, up, and over some stuff that might surprise you. being carbed and underpowered, and undergeared it starts to get limited at high elevation on the steep stuff but I have had it up to 7,000 feet and it still preforms good enough.

Also easy to work on for those of us like I who are piss poor wrenchers. A cold beverage, some used parts, and enough time has allowed me to fix anything that has gone wrong with it in my driveway with basic handtools.


What part of BC are you in? I have family in Mission and richmond/ vancouver Had been planning a trip up there in march. but then you know... covid. Been trying to get up there ever since to see them and sill plan on it when the border opens back up. Had planned on taking my bike with me to mission as they live off in the woods and there is a lot of pretty stuff to check out. When I make it back up there, you are more than welcome to take it for a spin if you are close to that part of BC.

 

[Christian P.]

We bought a Yamaha XT225 and CR230L to explore around the house and teach people how to ride. Both great choices.

 

[FlipperFla]

I still have one of the little CT90s I built up years ago.
I built two of them. Complete tear-downs to raw metal.

This one was resto-modded to 100% new condition.
Also traveled with us for more than 50K

Fun little bike. The Lifan 125 swap made it actually useable in town.
Yet the SSR we run now has MUCH more power, real brakes, real suspension, and weighs considerably less.

'

Sweet! Was the passenger seat optional or custom? I’ve been eyeballing the new 125 looks nice with the disk brakes. Did you ever come across one with the oversized rear sprocket? When I was 13 my Dad bought me a Sport 50, then a Super 90, after that a 160 Scrambler, great bikes and memories.