What size dual sport bike for novice rider for Labrador?

[grahamfitter]

A friend and I just persuaded ourselves it would be interesting to do the Trans Labrador Highway on motorcycles, then onto Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Lots of unpaved road.

However I've never ridden a motorcycle before! I'm all for doing the MSF course over the winter, buying a beater bike in the spring, and upgrading to a newer bike in the summer when I've got some experience.

In the mean time, knowing nothing whatsoever...

The research I've done on HUBB, AdvRider and ThumperTalk suggests that a small 200-250 cc dual sport bike would be fine for my svelte 5'7" 140lb 39 year old frame. This would be good for roads and trails but not freeways, would get great gas mileage and I'd be able to right it after wronging it. Ideal?

My 6'1" buddy used to have a Suzuki DR 350 but doesn't have a bike at the moment. He's been muttering something about a 650 cc bike which I would not be able to keep up with on the road sections on a 250. We probably should get similar spec bikes so one isn't always waiting for the other but I'm not convinced I'd be ready - or even aiming - for something that big.

Like I said, I know nothing but I'd be interested in knowing what people think about the right size bike for both me and my friend so we can both enjoy the ride and keep the same pace.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Graham

p.s. Yes, I've got the go-ahead from my better half. No, I've not told my mother.

 

[Clutch]

Yep, start small then work your way up to the bigger bikes.

Don't worry about what size bike your buddy is going to get, even if you had identical bikes, the more experienced rider will be faster.

I see time and time again egos get in the way of a "new rider" motorcycle purchase. The guy with the big ego will buy the biggest and the baddest bike...then proceed to scare the crap out of himself, then leave the sport.

Your buddy can probably get a Honda XR 400, which has a tall seat height, plus has a fairly mellow motor. All dirt bikes can be made into a daul sport bike. My KTM 300 2-Stroke race bike is a "dual sport bike"...barely..but it is.



A small 200-250cc 4-stoke bike would be perfect to learn on.

Something like this is perfect for a learner bike...a used one of course. You will be crashing it. We all crash...

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelhome/574/0/home.aspx

 

[wagner_joe]

I own an 05 Suzuki DR650... Took the class and the bike keeps up on the freeways in Phoenix. I've gotten to 90mph but the knobbies aren't a lot of fun on road. If i were to spend the money, I'd personally buy a BMW Dakar..

Buy what you can afford and what you feel comfortable riding... seat time is most important.. It's not like sitting in a car for 6 hours.. For a long trip i'd consider a 600cc and up.. depends on your gear and how much weight you're going to carry... etc...

 

[BigAl]

I've had a XT350 and a DR650 dual sport. The weight and size of the bikes were similar. The main difference was that the 650 ran 1000-1500 rpms lower on the highway. Big singles can make important parts go numb. Try to ride the bike at highway speed for 15-20 minutes before you decide.

 

[HarryT]

Trans Labrador

I did that trip in 2004. Its about 1000 miles of gravel so get lots of practice on sharp, deep gravel. The Trans Labrador Hwy has been ridden by all kinds of bikes, just make sure you have enough fuel capacity to make it to your next fill up. I'm 5'7" and rode a KLR650 with a low Corbin seat and a short Progressive rear shock (only had to pick it up once). Hope you have a safe, wonderful trip.
Get lots of practice riding on gravel!

Harry

 

[deserteagle56]

A general rule of thumb from someone who has owned and ridden dirt bikes for the last 40 years:
The rougher the terrain, the smaller the bike you will want!
As the engine size of a bike increases the geometry of the frame changes also to make the bike more stable at high speeds - which conversely makes it more of a handful at slow speeds. For just that reason, for many years I always owned at least two bikes - one ~250cc size for the rougher trails, and a 600 or 650 for high-speed blasting on the roads that would allow that. I can do a U-turn on my small bike on a narrow two-track road without having to put a foot down. My 600 I have to turn, back up, and turn again because it cannot turn sharp enough. I would urge you, before making a decision, to find someone who will let you try both because there is a world of difference between them.

Kermit, in the post above, offers some excellent advice! And the Yamaha he has pictured there is an excellent choice for what you want to do. I have put over 10,000 miles on the 1992 model of that same bike (it was only a 225cc back then) and the reliability has been outstanding - only routine maintenance done in all those miles. It has never been in the shop. The seat height is low enough that when you come to a stop you can keep your butt planted on the seat and yet your feet will touch the ground - try that on most of those 650s! And that's very important, especially if you're packing a bunch of gear with you and you are on a muddy or rutted road.

Remember, your primary goal is to TOUR Labrador, to see and enjoy it, not race across it! My little Yamaha has no problem maintaining 60 mph (nearly 100kph), why would you want to tour any faster than that? And I'm not telling you to buy the Yamaha - I guess what I'm getting at is that you don't need a big-bore bike to enjoy a tour unless you intend to do most of your tour on freeways. If you'll be using mostly back roads, consider a smaller bike (of any make). But go and sit on a bunch of bikes and check out the ergonomics on the various models and bum some rides before deciding!

 

[Clutch]

Remember, your primary goal is to TOUR Labrador, to see and enjoy it, not race across it!

Yep, pretty much sums it up.

One of the best modifications to a bike is full wrap around hand guards, saves your hands, saves your levers. I have had some high speed get offs...with no broken levers!

Something like this brand...doesn't have to be Cycra...these have saved me from broken fingers, broken clutch lever, many times.

 

[grahamfitter]

Thanks

What kind of gas mileage does (for example) an XT225/250 get? The stock fuel tank looks rather small at 2.6 gallons and the largest distance between gas stations is 288 KM (179 miles). So with a small buffer (total 200 miles) the bike would need to get 77 MPG. Less than that and a bigger tank or a fuel can would be required.

I noticed the Suzuki DR200SE has a bigger 3.4 gallon tank so would need to get 59 MPG.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[Clutch]

I would guess those bikes would get 40-60 mpg?

You can always carry extra fuel in a small can on a back rack.

Clarke or Maier might make a bigger tank for those bikes.

http://www.clarkemfg.com/

http://www.maier-mfg.com/

That Suzuki would be perfect,too. Can pick up a fairly new one under $3000. http://providence.craigslist.org/mcy/523765337.html
Maybe a even older one for under $2000...that is what I would look for.

I just put up that picture of the Yamaha, so you can get an idea what bike, might fit your needs. Oh and Gramham, once you get your feet wet, ride that starter bike, until your skills have out grown it. Then move on to a bigger bike, heck you may fall in love with it, and decide to keep it. It is just like anything else, there is a proper tool for everything. I have a big list of all of the bikes I want for different duties.

Welcome to the sport and good luck!

Happy trails!

 

[deserteagle56]

Grahamfitter, here's a link to an article I found a while back that I found interesting and that provides some insite:

http://www.thumperpage.com/articles/Serow.html

My XT225 has the stock 2.6 gallon tank and I routinely ride over a hundred miles without having to switch to the 1/2 gallon reserve. I weight about 170 but with the backpack (and water pack, I do live in the desert!) and other miscellaneous items I carry I must be well over 200lbs. The mileage you'll get will greatly depend on the terrain you ride and how hard you push it. Soft terrain such as sand will make the bike suck gas whereas when riding easy on hard roads it will but sip it. I always conservatively estimate my mileage at ~50 mpg; I've never actually calculated it because I always fuel it from a fuel can and therefore can't accurately measure how much I add.

As a side note, an XR250 I owned had the worst fuel mileage (not counting the two-strokes) but then it had an engine that encouraged high rpms. An XL500 Honda got the best - 75-80 mpg was routine for it!

As Kermit says, check around for larger tanks. There were none available for the XT225 when I last checked but that was years ago. As a personal note, I always prefered the clear/translucent tanks for a glance was all it took to see how much fuel was left. But there are also auxiliary tanks available that mount to various parts of the bike. My newest Chaparral Motorsports catalog shows some Acerbis tanks that mount to the front forks and one that mounts on a rear rack. I guess my personal favorite would be a "Fuel Pack Jr" model from the Cabelas catalog (#52-3167) Code 761 because it is flat and designed to be stacked upon.

I believe some models of the Suzi DR400 have aftermarket fuel tanks that hold up to 6 gallons, so that's something to take into consideration. Just remember - that's a lot of weight up high and it makes the bike very awkward in rough going.

 

[deserteagle56]

Here's another link that might prove useful for those who may have to travel long distances:

http://www.justgastanks.com/store/

 

[Clutch]

Who cares about mpg, when you have this...

 

[TxRider]

I get about a max of 45mpg on my KTM 620cc bikes, I would think a 250-350 would get quite a bit better than that.

I'll second the smaller bikes as a good idea too, if your ok with a top cruising speed of 50 or so it would be perfect. A larger heavier bike can take all the fun out of a ride when things get rough if your not experienced.

In my younger days I used to do 250 mile runs down interstate 10 on a honda SL350 twin dual sport. It would do 65 all day long and I'd be confident going o any length trip on a bike like that. I really wish they made some light small twins these days, Aprilia does but it's a high maintenance race bike.

 

[deserteagle56]

I get about a max of 45mpg on my KTM 620cc bikes, I would think a 250-350 would get quite a bit better than that.

I'll second the smaller bikes as a good idea too, if your ok with a top cruising speed of 50 or so it would be perfect. A larger heavier bike can take all the fun out of a ride when things get rough if your not experienced.

In my younger days I used to do 250 mile runs down interstate 10 on a honda SL350 twin dual sport. It would do 65 all day long and I'd be confident going o any length trip on a bike like that. I really wish they made some light small twins these days, Aprilia does but it's a high maintenance race bike.

TxRider, I suppose that if one were to take a leisurely cruise down a level, hard road, a small displacement bike would get better mileage than a big bore. Perhaps it's just the way I ride but my big-bore bikes usually got better mileage than my smaller ones, and that's probably because the smaller bikes were working much harder. Whereas my 600 would just thump along up a steep trail, my 225's engine is really revving to maintain momentum.

Ah, the SL-350. I bought the first "gold tank" that came to the Reno dealership (my Yamaha DT-250 had just been stolen so I was without wheels) way back in 1970. What a dirt road cruiser that was, with a power band going all the way to the 10,500 rpm redline! I put 44,000 miles on that thing before selling it to buy a 1975 XL-350.