Jump to content

Dual Purpose Motorcycle

Colossus

By Colossus
in The Off-Topic Bar

 Share

Recommended Posts

Colossus Senior Enthusiast

Colossus

Posted
Posted

This year I would like to get back into riding motorcycles.  I rode when I was a kid around the neighborhood on my dad's old 72 Suzuki 185.

 

I'd like to find a decent used dual purpose bike (on and off road) that I can use around here.  Any suggestions on models I should look at?  I'd like to stay in the $2000-4000 range as I don't need anything super fancy right now.  Something that has decent power for me to be able to ride on the highway occasionally, and mostly put around with around town, but be able to handle mild off roading without any mods. 

 

Thanks

 

Ryan

DaveHC Enthusiast

DaveHC

Posted
Posted

look at the dual purpose Kawasaki, think its a 650, son had one very capable on and off road

garagerog Enthusiast

garagerog

Posted
Posted

Colossus, you can't go wrong with Kawa's, but I'd be looking at the KX250 rather than the 650, over a 100 lbs lighter than the 650 and should be more than adequate for your stated needs. No matter the displacement, the single lungers have great low end torque and are well suited for off road and for puttin around town, your stated goals.

PPK Enthusiast

PPK

Posted
Posted

My recommendation is to "table" the idea of riding a small enduro or other bike on city or highway streets. I just sold my 650 Honda.. The roads just are not safe for little machines anymore. Texting, talking, and other distracted drivers, uninsured are at record highs.. it is just too much risk.

 

My 2 cents.

pstrouse167 Enthusiast

pstrouse167

Posted
Posted

My recommendations would be a Yamaha WR250 or Suzuki DRZ400. Both are pretty low maintenance and will be great for back roads, dual sporting and some trail riding.

Can you jump on the freeway with them? Sure, plan on revving to the moon to stay with traffic. I wouldn't recommend for any extended time, but they'll do it.

  • 3 weeks later...
flyingfool Senior Enthusiast

flyingfool

Posted
Posted (edited)

get a dirtbike, 250 size, and then buy a 650 cruiser , v-stars are fairly cheap used and they have a wind fairing and saddle bags..

 

stay away from old bikes, maybe 98 and up is ok... old parts availabilty is getting difficult and the Japanese are into selling bikes not parts. try finding crankshaft bearings for that old 1976 xl350.... 

Edited by flyingfool
  • 1 year later...
emmetcouch New Member

emmetcouch

Posted
Posted (edited)

Excellent representatives of this class can be called "great Japanese trio" - Honda XR250, Suzuki Djebel 250 and Yamaha TTR250, and their modern companions Kawasaki KLX250S, Honda CRF250L, and CRF250 Rally, and also Yamaha WR250 in R version. The legendary and perhaps the most versatile of all Suzuki DRZ400s can also be included. For example, I often ride off-road, but I don't have the money to buy my motorcycle. But I got a job and am saving up, but I still want to ride. And I was helped by renting scooters at riderly.com. There's a large assortment of bikes there. Dual-purpose motorcycles are no exception.

Edited by emmetcouch

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Chuck FB
      first oil change - 2026 2500HD gas

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      Does your dealer charge you for the tire rotation on top of the oil change price ?. I haven't had any service work done at my dealer yet other than when I brought it back soon after owning it to have the front end aligned to correct the steering wheel being off center a bit. Oh they called me at least twice hounding me to bring it in for an oil change and pushing a 300.00 package of oil change and tire rotation and whatever other quick simplistic checks they would do. Only going off of what a friend gets charged for his half ton for the basic oil change and its the same amount of oil as the L8T holds, it was about 150.00. Once one buys a set of tires from most shops these days or so I believe, they will do free tire rotations and some do free tire balancing as well as free tire repairs.    Certainly doing a tire rotation is no five minute job, and definitely not at home but because I run a set of winter tires on their own wheels, I swap them at home and its a one tire at a time deal because of the tire season swap although I jack up the rear and do it and drop it back down and then raise the front and do them and coordinate the tire rotation into that process for both sets of tires. I am using a floor jack though and if I need to raise both ends at once I use a couple sets of jack stands to have all four tires off the ground. I use either an air impact or battery impact and have electric impact as well so no shortage there of easy methods to spin the lug nuts, and then retorquing the lug nuts. None of it goes quick though but my wages are cheap though ... zero. I live an hour out of town, its easier just to do things like that myself than waste a bunch of time in town and having to make an appointment and probably a special trip and sit there at the tire shop waiting for them to get my vehicle in and get it done and not screw something up in the process. 
    • mrbflat
      Clunk when coming to a stop... driveshaft/slip yoke? Mechanic couldn't recreate it

      By mrbflat · Posted

      I do have the 8 speed.  Interestingly enough, after driving my truck for the past 2 days now, I have not had the clunking issue at all!  I am beginning to think it may have been suspension/leaf spring related, and somehow when the shop put my truck on the lift to do their initial inspection, it relieved some built up tension/pressure that was causing my problem.  I swear it felt I was a bull rider on a bucking bull the way the truck would almost rock back and forth slightly before the big thud/clunk when coming to a stop.  I am hoping I got lucky here and it's gone for good.
    • Pryme
      first oil change - 2026 2500HD gas

      By Pryme · Posted

      Bring it to discount tire. They do free rotations even if you didn’t buy your tires there. I didn’t believe it until I tried and they did. You can tip the employee if you would like 
    • Grumpy Bear
      The Peckish Synapse

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      Best part of this video is how it resets expectations. Wonderfully done piece. It also made clear a few points I've made from day one. Detergent oils DO NOT KEEP A MOTOR CLEAN at the recommended or longer change intervals. They just get dirty slower than a non-detergent oil and there isn't spits difference between them on this point if they carry the DEXOS license. Great thing about the license that gets missed is it assures CONFORMITY even it that means a low bar.    One thing he did not talk about that I paused on an magnified was the condition of the oil ring separator. Besides a stuck ring a plugged separator and land drain back is huge when it comes control. We see in short order improvement in control IF that is the problem.    Another item I took exception to and he did not make plain was the condition of the timing chest and under valve cover having something to do with indicating piston cleanliness. Schaeffer's Oil makes that same omission in their million mile Ford video. I'm guessing he has never torn down a Red Line HP, AMSOIL SS motor that has been on that diet from the get. What he showed in the video was a good deal of varnish. Something totally absent in Peppers 165K cover off look. I smiled because he did his at the same milage.    He also makes the mistake of assuming oil temperatures in the pan are the temperature all over the motor even though he makes note of the piston being the hottest part of the engine. that baffled me a bit.    I can tell you from personal experience and witnessing teardowns of family motors that even oils of the 1960's would keep them squeaky clean when OCI's were 1500 to 2000 miles without exception. At 3K and above you get what he experienced and the longer you leave it the quicker to gets to the junkyard.    I think his is missing a opportunity not tearing it down again when he's done killing it. Time would be his only cost. 
    • Z45
      GM discontinuing interior parts on a 5YO vehicle??

      By Z45 · Posted

      Very often the part number on the trim part is just for the vendor order/assembly plant and will not show up in the parts system.  They won't make a bunch of extra parts that were not ordered. Keep in mind, lots of these parts were made to be "just in time" parts meaning they were dedicated to a vehicles ordered and sequenced for assembly.       Also, trim parts will often say, paint to match.     

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...