To keep the bike or sell it... That is the question

[amo292]

So I have been debating this all winter and now come to you guys for help... Im not exactly an "adventure rider" but would like to start expanding my horizons. I have been riding motorcycles for 14 of my 21 years here on earth so I'm not exactly a novice. I have owned and ridden bikes from a Honda CRF 70 to a BMW 1200 and everything in-between but never a "dedicated adventure bike".

I am currently on a 2007 Husqvarna SMR450. It is an unbelievably fun street legal race bike, but it must be treated like one. Its perfect for the twists and turns of small island living but not capable in many other aspects of riding. Because of its need for maintenance and it being terribly uncomfortable I don't use it much.

So my question to you is would you sell or keep? If I were to sell the money would probably go into my 08 Tundra or 59 Willys wagon and not towards another bike till next summer. If I were to keep it I would need to make it more capable for what I want to do, Meaning dumping some money into it. I worry that if I do get another bike I'm going to get bored real fast... What are some super fun adventure bikes? Am I crazy for selling it or am I crazy for not getting rid of it yet? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Pros:
Fun!
Paid for (worth 4-5k in my market)
Fuel Efficiency
Street legal race bike
Skip Ferry Line (shorter commute)
Perfect for about 70% of my current uses

Cons:
Lots of maintenance
Not super reliable
Not good at highway speeds
Terrible in dirt with the current tires
Very Limited aftermarket support
Only useable 6-8 months of the year

 

[Uncle Beer]

It's what your after. Those super motos are not designed to be run for long periods. They're tons of fun as you stated. If you think you want a true dual sport, I'd recommend a BMW 650 GS. You can pick them up fairly cheap and it will help you decide if that's the route you want to pursue. Later you can step up to a 1200 if you need the power. But the 650 is plenty capable.


I sold my R1 as it wasn't practical for the ride I was wanting. It wasn't the bikes fault, and I wasn't bored with it. Just desires changed. You can always get another one if you change your mind.

You could see about borrowing one from a buddy or coworker too. That's how I found out how much I liked riding the dual sport.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[agavelvr]

Get a 690 enduro. Dirt, adventure, can switch to supermoto if you dump some coin on wheels and brakes.

 

[PirateMcGee]

I would sell it and buy a 250 (or even a tw200 or xt225) to keep around and put on a bumper rack when going longer distances.

 

[ihatemybike]

Pros:
Street legal race bike

Aside from this, the Pros describe any moto.

Cons:
Lots of maintenance
Not super reliable

Those are the killers for me. I dig the whole supermoto style, but I'd want something that should I get the urge I could ride across the country if I wanted.

Cons:
Only useable 6-8 months of the year

You need more cold weather riding gear. If the roads are clear and dry, I'll ride. Kinda fun popping into the local moto shop during negative temps and the first thing that comes out of their mouths isn't "Can I help you?". Instead it's, "Are you insane?"

:bike_rider:

 

[onetraveller]

It really depends on how much dirt riding you think you'll actually do. Many people buy "Adventure" bikes, then never take them off the pavement. Most dirt roads can be safely ridden on street tires. The Ducati Multistrada is a street oriented bike, but it set and held the Pike's Peak hill climb record when the course was a combination of both paved and gravel. It still holds it for an all paved course.

If most of your riding will be on the street, then sell it and buy a used Ducati Monster. It'll be almost as fast as the SM in the super tight stuff and faster on bigger roads. It's a great town bike, and can easily accept bags for longer touring type rides.

If you are looking at off road beyond just gravel roads, then the ubiquitous KLR will take you anywhere, and do it cheaply. Although most would be hard pressed to call it exciting unless you are in way over the bike's limits.

Otherwise look at some of the bikes mentioned above.

Mike

 

[EMrider]

So I have been debating this all winter and now come to you guys for help... Im not exactly an "adventure rider" but would like to start expanding my horizons. I have been riding motorcycles for 14 of my 21 years here on earth so I'm not exactly a novice. I have owned and ridden bikes from a Honda CRF 70 to a BMW 1200 and everything in-between but never a "dedicated adventure bike".

I am currently on a 2007 Husqvarna SMR450. It is an unbelievably fun street legal race bike, but it must be treated like one. Its perfect for the twists and turns of small island living but not capable in many other aspects of riding. Because of its need for maintenance and it being terribly uncomfortable I don't use it much.

So my question to you is would you sell or keep? If I were to sell the money would probably go into my 08 Tundra or 59 Willys wagon and not towards another bike till next summer. If I were to keep it I would need to make it more capable for what I want to do, Meaning dumping some money into it. I worry that if I do get another bike I'm going to get bored real fast... What are some super fun adventure bikes? Am I crazy for selling it or am I crazy for not getting rid of it yet? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Pros:
Fun!
Paid for (worth 4-5k in my market)
Fuel Efficiency
Street legal race bike
Skip Ferry Line (shorter commute)
Perfect for about 70% of my current uses

Cons:
Lots of maintenance
Not super reliable
Not good at highway speeds
Terrible in dirt with the current tires
Very Limited aftermarket support
Only useable 6-8 months of the year

View attachment 281595View attachment 281596

I faced a similar decision about four years ago. At that time I rode a Husky TE450. The Husky was fully street legal and had a lot of performance mods. The combo of a short stroke motor and a narrow range tranny was a blast to ride and had me giggling like an idiot more than once.

But I was becomming more interested on off road exploration and less in performance per se. The Husky was reliable, but the maintenance routine was tedious and time is scarce for me now.

I decided to move full spectrum over to an xr400 (my first bike many years ago). For me, the tradeoff of performance and upkeep for reliability and simplicity has been great. I have less time to ride and take fewer risks, but the rides are longer and cover far more miles.

Good luck choosing.

R

 

[amo292]

Thanks for the Input everyone. I have decided to list it and go another route. I think i'm going to be bike-less for a bit but eh extra cash will help pay for some great adventures and get my 59 Willys wagon back up and running. If there is any interest here let me know!