Motorcylists... dual sport vs adventure bike ?

[280Ackley]

glad i asked! Yall got me leaning towards keeping the ninja for street and snagging an older dual sport

Good luck finding a used one. I was able to buy a year old Kawasaki KLX 230 with 0 miles for $1000 cheaper than any used bike!!!

 

[Steve300xcw]

Well, if Pol Tarres can do it...................

That dudes a beast, no doubt about it. He's yamaha though, isnt he? Arent those like 80+ lbs lighter than a 1290sa?

 

[Wolf13]

I like my wr250r for tooling around. Have a set of street wheels and a knobby set. I’m not going anywhere fast, but previous owner took it from Sacramento to Tahoe often. I use it like a scooter that can go “off road” i.e I am not doing anything crazy that requires a dirt bike. Plenty capable in the right hands, just not mine.

 

[RojoGrande]

It can be done but not by many

 

[signing off]

Advrider.com is my other forum fix.
You have a question to ask yourself...Will you want dirt capable, knobby looking tires to get you OUT of trouble or explore like you are on a dirt bike?

Since this answer changes DURING A RIDE, what type or size bike will help YOU the most ?

Tire type plus bike type is math that has to add up to your goal. Going mutant like 1290 KTM with knobs is an excellent example that works for certain people. Most should never consider it. Other extreme is Versus 300 with a ninja motor. It turns into an adv bike with tires and good accessories. Smallest 2 cylinder trail worthy bike that does good highway duty.
So much variety now in the category of ADV/dual sport.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have a honda africa twin and love it. A little heavy, but single track stuff is doable, especially if it isnt too technical.

 

[Steve300xcw]

You have a question to ask yourself...Will you want dirt capable, knobby looking tires to get you OUT of trouble or explore like you are on a dirt bike?

knobby looking tires are not all the same. The old man and his geriatric gang had a pile of 650's and a 700 stuck in a hole for most the day because of that

 

[Neumie]

I went from CBR to KTM 640 Adv to KTM 400 XCW to mountain bikes. I guess each one of those got me further from the road and onto a lighter machine. Never liked my buddies WR250or KLR 650 due to lack of power (and weight on the latter).

Don’t know if I’d be happy riding on the road again. Drivers on cell phones scare me!

Good luck with your choice, you can always change course.

 

[nphunter]

You really just need to decide what’s important. My buddy wants to buy a big dual sport KTM but I think mostly for good mileage and having fun exploring two tracks, personally I would never even consider one. I sold my last dual sport and now have a trials bike for real single tracks. I only ride the road long enough to get from one single track to the next.

I’m on the extreme side with my bike but it’s about as good as it gets for technical stuff. If I ever buy an actual dirt bike again it will be a beta xtrainer. Heavy bikes are dangerous on technical stuff especially if you’re alone.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

You really just need to decide what’s important. My buddy wants to buy a big dual sport KTM but I think mostly for good mileage and having fun exploring two tracks, personally I would never even consider one. I sold my last dual sport and now have a trials bike for real single tracks. I only ride the road long enough to get from one single track to the next.

I’m on the extreme side with my bike but it’s about as good as it gets for technical stuff. If I ever buy an actual dirt bike again it will be a beta xtrainer. Heavy bikes are dangerous on technical stuff especially if you’re alone.

View attachment 882909

How do you know someone rides a trials bike?

They'll tell you.

You are like the beer snob hanging at the local dive bar, too good for a coors or bud and gotta tell me about the local craft IPA they should stock.

I say this as a joke! Swung my leg over a trials bike a time or two.

 

[nphunter]

How do you know someone rides a trials bike?

They'll tell you.

You are like the beer snob hanging at the local dive bar, too good for a coors or bud and gotta tell me about the local craft IPA they should stock.

I say this as a joke! Swung my leg over a trials bike a time or two.

lol, I don’t ride it much but love it when I do. I don’t know anything about IPA’s but after slumming on XR’s and TW’s for many years I had no idea how great it could actually be. Once you ride a trials bike in the woods it’s hard to go back to anything else.

 

[Braaap]

I’d like to change my previous advice. Be a man and buy a CR500 or KX500. Street legal? Nope, just outrun the cops. You can ride everything with it and nobody will think you’re a bitch.

 

[AcesHigh]

I’d like to change my previous advice. Be a man and buy a CR500 or KX500. Street legal? Nope, just outrun the cops. You can ride everything with it and nobody will think you’re a bitch.

Very cosmopolitan

 

[AcesHigh]

I would love to hear any and all input on dual sport vs going with the larger adventure bike for backroad ( where legal) and general riding.. I am planning on selling off the ninja and moving to something little more intune with the outdoors. Between commute/street riding - I put on a few thousand miles on the Z but wouldnt mind finding something to both ride as a commute and for dirt track/ scouting/ where i can

Maybe a tesla truck?

 

[AcesHigh]

lol, I don’t ride it much but love it when I do. I don’t know anything about IPA’s but after slumming on XR’s and TW’s for many years I had no idea how great it could actually be. Once you ride a trials bike in the woods it’s hard to go back to anything else.

Pairs well with a nice lagunitas ipa

 

[AcesHigh]

I’d like to change my previous advice. Be a man and buy a CR500 or KX500. Street legal? Nope, just outrun the cops. You can ride everything with it and nobody will think you’re a bitch.

Then you just jump it like your in a crusty’s film and crush the animal. Who needs a rifle?

 

[mt terry d]

KTM 640 Adv

And people think Harleys shake.

 

[doc holiday13]

Advrider.com is my other forum fix.
You have a question to ask yourself...Will you want dirt capable, knobby looking tires to get you OUT of trouble or explore like you are on a dirt bike?

Since this answer changes DURING A RIDE, what type or size bike will help YOU the most ?

Tire type plus bike type is math that has to add up to your goal. Going mutant like 1290 KTM with knobs is an excellent example that works for certain people. Most should never consider it. Other extreme is Versus 300 with a ninja motor. It turns into an adv bike with tires and good accessories. Smallest 2 cylinder trail worthy bike that does good highway duty.
So much variety now in the category of ADV/dual sport.

yeah I was just contemplating what a vtwin dirtbike would look like.... Well my friend in CA had the same though apparently and dropped a sporster 1200 with transmission into a 600CC dual sport frame.. its badass

 

[KHNC]

Straight up MX bike is the way to go. I have a KTM 150SX and Yamaha YZ250F. Either stay all in ON ROAD or all in OFF ROAD.

 

[jimh406]

I don't think there is a bike that is good for general riding and off-road. The larger adventure bikes are too big for off-road and the dual sports aren't very comfortable for much riding on road and come with too small of gasoline tanks to limit range.

For reference, I've owned a Suzuki 350 and Kawasaki 650 and ridden my friends BMW 1100 off-road version. They are not comparable to street bikes/touring bikes or off-road bikes.

One thing to keep in mind for off-road is what happens if you get a flat? I have to say I enjoyed dual sports on forest service roads but didn't like traveling to get there. If you can swing a trailer or a way to transport it, I'd go with a smaller dual sport. There is limited advantage of the larger ones, and they are just heavier to deal with.