Don’t think it was mentioned yet, but the DRZ400 has a pretty good reputation for being affordable and reliable for what you are looking for. Could check all the boxes. I haven't ridden one but the reviews are pretty damn good.
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Don’t think it was mentioned yet, but the DRZ400 has a pretty good reputation for being affordable and reliable for what you are looking for. Could check all the boxes. I haven't ridden one but the reviews are pretty damn good.
IMO there is a pretty big gulf between "real dirt bikes" and what are here being called "DS" bikes. That gulf is filled with power and weight, in inverse proportion.
A KTM 350 or 500 is like $250# and has well over 50hp. Maintenance is not as bad as people think if you're not racing it, but when you need to do a top end, it's going to cost $$$.
A 300 2t is a bit lighter (and feels way lighter when riding), but you'll trash it on the road and it sounds like you're not interested in hard singletrack, which is where those shine.
The various 250 and 300 "dual sport" models suggested, including the DRZ, are north of 300# and have worse suspension. They also only have like 20-30hp. But they will last basically forever and are cheap. They also get good fuel economy, which is a factor if you're traveling and don't want to run a 6 gallon tank.
There's another group that exists but it's a bit more rare: 600 class light DS. I have a Husky 630 (not made anymore), and the KTM 690 is in this category. These are the same or only a few # heavier than the 250/300 DSes, but they have exciting levels of power (60hp or so). These are a handful on singletrack compared with lighter dirt bikes, but they have much longer maintenance intervals and will run on the highway without feeling like you're destroying them.
What most people think of as "adventure bikes" are the 790, 800, T7, etc and up. Those are another 100# heavier and IMO not appropriate for anything beyond mild 4x4 roads (though I rode an 1100GS on a lot of much more technical stuff before learning better). These can carry a lot of luggage and pound out the miles, though, if that's what you're into.
For the stated use, I'd look for a used KTM 500 and try it out. If you find it too high strung, go back to a smaller (and heavier) model. I suspect that when you twist the throttle a few times, you'll appreciate the power. In CO you can plate almost anything, so that's not a big consideration.
And some actual stoke, from my last trip to MX.Attachment 498330Attachment 498331
Thanks guys. All of this plus some other conversations with friends is definitely helping me zero in on what I should be looking for.
I think I'm thoroughly talked out of the more road oriented dual sports like the DRZ and CRF300L.
There are a couple 2013-2014 KTM 350 EXC-F's (in various brand colors) available locally within my budget. Seemingly well maintained and reasonable miles/hours.
Any reason NOT to be considering them? It does seem like they require more regular maintenance than I was hoping to need to do, but as long as I'm not going inside the engine on a regular basis I can be OK with it.
Maybe I can further clarify the type of terrain I expect to be in... if you've done the Colorado BDR, the stretch between Telluride and Dolores is my zone. The BDR crosses this relatively efficiently in ~100mi of mostly graded gravel, a bit of pavement, and a bit of mild 4x4 road. There are 1000's of miles of similar terrain that I'd like to explore and so while some pavement might be involved if there's more than 30min or so on slab I'd rather throw it in the back of the truck. I'm over dodging idiots on pavement. Some of the 4x4 roads around are of course rougher than the BDR route, plus we have a decent bit of 50" ATV trail I'd like to explore. There's also a good amount of moto singletrack and I've been on most of it on my MTB - very little of it strikes me as very beginner or even intermediate friendly. So it's not so much that I don't want to ride singletrack, just that I recognize that it's not likely to be within my skillset and comfort zone anytime soon. I'm a member of our local SAR team and intimately familiar with how long it will take in this area to get assistance if I fuck myself up; thus I expect to be riding pretty conservatively as 90% of my riding is likely to be solo and very remote.
My previous bike frankly was capable of 90% of what I wanted to do, it just rode too much like a big ADV bike and wasn't very happy on the rougher two track at slower speeds. The smooth gravel and such was great on it, it just didn't give me any confidence to keep going once things got rougher. I felt like I needed to check out routes in my truck first to see if they were within my comfort zone, rather than being able to actually explore on the moto.
I may be missing something but I don't really see why I need or should even be considering 500cc+ for my use case. I'm not a big guy and trying to go as fast as possible is just not what I'm going to be doing, ever, and for the little bits of paved roads there isn't a speed limit higher than 65 anywhere to be found. My previous bike was a 400lb and 30hp and even on that "I wish I had more power" was never something that crossed my mind.
The KTM 350 EXC or the T7 will be my next bike. Nothing in between is even in my consideration. I just want it all though! GLWP.
Main reason I went with moar powerrrr was for the steep, loose, rocky jeep roads at high altitude. Tractorability. Not top speed, but the low end power sure is nice. My 450 is like 30-40 lbs lighter than my 250 was and lower.
DRZ and the wr250r are regarded as pretty similar bikes. Guys regularly ride both all over Moab and they are fine for singletrack. Not great, but not terrible. Both on the heavier side but not really enough to be a deterrent for what you say you want to ride.
That KTM 350 excf looks awesome. Maintenance and price would be the only drawback like you said. It is a plated enduro bike. Similar to the Husky. The price on new ones is higher, so since it is orange, you will pay a premium for used that you could pay for other bikes newer. If that makes sense. Make sure to give it a good look over.
You get any of these bikes and your opinion of exploring singletrack and tougher trails will change real quick. You are gonna be stoked. They really can take anything you throw at em. I used to say I didnt need to go any faster, then I got a bike that will, and I definitely love it. But everyone is different. You don't have to be shopping at big and tall stores to get a bigger cc bike around, look at some of the best Moto guys out there, they aren't big.
FYI. Speed limit doesn't usually apply to motorcycles IMHO. ;).
500 weighs about the same and feels about the same as a 350 with way more torque to grunt at low rpm through stuff.
They've done such a great job with mass centralization and weight loss on the big thumper it doesn't feel like "the big bike,".
500excf + rekluse clutch + lowered 1" is an absolute cheater machine.
If the power scares you, you can put an adjustable throttle cam on there to slow down the first quarter turn of the throttle, But still have all the torque when you need it
I've had and flipped three 350s In the last few years, I had a 450 RFS for 10 years, the 500 is my new favorite,
I just couldn't gel with The 350 engine. But I have several friends who like it but they are not as aggressive as I am.
Heckacali makes good points. I'd add that you'll be using a smaller fraction of the 500's power compared with the 350. That will make the engine last longer and allow you to extend the maintenance intervals.
A used 350 could be a time bomb: top end work is notoriously expensive and frequently required, so people might be selling them just before that time comes. IMO it's more of a race motor than the 500.
Yeah, many newer bikes can be detuned very easily. Yamaha wr450f has an ECU that can be changed with an app on your phone and a switch on the bike. Or just switch out the rear sprocket for more teeth and have a climbing machine.
The sound of a 450-500 cc bike with a nice muffler is also just god damned addictive. Like makes you want to sell everything you own and run away with your bike.
I was a hardcore rekluse hater, thought it was for newbs who don't know how to ride.
My used 500 came with one and I had every intention of removing it ASAP but after riding it, it does everything a normal clutch does just fine, then add in the anti stall and OMG.
Yes, I've gotten lazy, my left hand doesn't have anything to do in super technical switchbacky hill climbs, just work the throttle and go.
I am a pretty good rider, this makes me get up stuff I couldn't before as I can engage or disengage power with less wheel spin/traction loss. It is just easier. My friends still take pride in making things harder lol.
That does sound nice. My left hand is already disabled due to a crash that pretty much terminated my pinky to the point it is useless for gripping the bike. So a Rekluse might be perfect. Anti-stall would also be nice as my e-start is very temperamental, as in I need to be in neutral w/ choke out for it to start, hot or cold, it is annoying.Quote:
Originally Posted by heckacali
Yup, I have hand damage also, it's great to be able to have less work for them = more riding time
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Adrenalated, a KTM 500 does sounds pretty spot on for what you plan on riding. They are Ktm's most expensive dirtbike offering, but come street legal and have good resale value here on the Western Slope.
Who knows helmets (for singletrack/dirt road riding)? Need to replace the one I've been using - it's definitely too big. Tried on practically everything in the store today. The number of options that fit "perfect" are relatively limited (one option being $$$ 6D, the other Fox). I'm game to shell out for a good lid, but was hoping to keep it ~$450 or less. Haven't been impressed with Fox products in the past.
Sales guys had me pressing the helmet against each ear and checking for a gap at the sides, pressing on the back and checking for gap at the front, roll off test from the back, down/up on chin bar etc.
There are a bunch of options that seem to fit really well (very snug, can feel mips dealio staying with my head when helmet is manipulated) and pass all the fit tests aside from having more room than the "perfect fit" helmets during the ear push test. Wondering how critical that side gap is, and if I should be eliminating options entirely when they seem to fit well otherwise.
Ofc you want a snug fit all around, but it's a judgement call. I love my Suomy helmets (MX Jump and MX Tourer, both the lightest in the categories), but you need to find the right fit. It sounds like you have a "long oval" head, which is common but not many helmets actually fit that way. If you can find an Arai, they have models that are quite narrow (not cheap though).
Any helmet is going to break in a bit, so you want it to be pretty tight when new. You can also adjust fit to a decent extent. https://advrider.com/f/threads/inter...#post-34467644
I would caution against "pretty tight",.... hot spots and headaches make riding no fun.
You want a helmet you don't even know is there.
Bell MX9 has been working well for me this year. I think it was less that $150, looks like you can find the mips one on sale for less than $120 now. I have both the dirt bike and adv (w/ shield) versions. Super comfy, pretty light too for the price bracket. I had a Fox that I bought sight-unseen and it was way too tight on the forehead so I sold it, new owner loves it though.Quote:
Originally Posted by North
You can get a very nice helmet for less than $150. If you need ultra-light or fancy bells and whistles, go for it and spend more. My buddy has a Krios and says it is super light, and reduces fatigue, but he is a nerd. I've ridden all day with the MX9 and never noticed neck fatigue or anything.
Of course, fit is important, so trying them on is nice, but I've just bought a few online and returned the ones that didn't fit.
Switched over a mousse tire insert to a new tire last weekend. I was prepared to see the insert totally shredded because I used it quite a bit at high speeds (55+) on asphalt on the way to the trail and stuff. Mech at the shop that installed it originally warned me against high speed and heat. But the insert looked brand new! Installed it in a new tire myself with more lube (used bearing grease because I didn't have mousse lube so we will see how that goes).
I gotta say, it was definitely difficult, but I watched a ton of YouTubes so I had a decent idea of what I was getting into. Bead buddy, and 7 xl tire levers were clutch. Installed my new favorite tires. Tusk Emex 45. $68 tire and they hold up pretty well for my last few sets.
Nice having 12psi and no flats to worry about. Great grip on single track and loose rocky shit.
Racked up about 400 miles on forest roads so far on this trip, Sequoia NF and Sierra NF
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Vertical carry hitch rack for Moto and mtb.
https://bikeerack.com/store/p/erack5-mx
Looks like a solid option for those who are too weak to lift their mopeds, but total overkill for bicycles. No photos of an actual motorcycle on one, though... Also, what about the fuel that works be draining out as your drive along? It's a pretty stupid idea to hang a moto like that. Just get a regular hitch mount, since that thing can (supposedly) only carry one moto anyway.
Agreed. I went looking for a video of a full size gas moto. No luck. I suspect they’re generally referring to Surron type eMotos.
Edit: Well, they do distinguish between motorcycle and electric motorcycle. Still not sure I’d be willing to give it a try. I have a hard enough time trusting my tray style rack when I need to use it.
There was a vid somewhere of a CRF on it. It can hold two motos. 700lb weight limit. Maybe just crimp you blowoff hose or dont load it full of gas?
I really have no idea about other fluids. Oil and coolant? Not sure what the deal is with vertical storage.
But it sure would be nice for my purposes with a camper and multiple toys.
No better way to go leaf-peeping on a beautiful clear day.
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