Dual Purpose Bike

[slattmattery]

Me and my dad have been looking at buying our own bike for quite some time now. We've owned an old dirt bike before, and I've done my fair share of riding off road (up to a 450cc). I'm fairly competent when it comes to riding, so I decided to buy a bike would get me around the city (mostly to and from work). However, my mom is not a fan, but has approved some sort of dirt bike. Of course, my dad's plan is to buy a dual purpose bike that will only appear as a dirt bike, but function as more of a street bike. We also own 65 acres of property, so something to zip around up there would be great.

After looking at the major motorcycle companies that I know of, there aren't too many choices I have. I don't want the bike under powered; I may be relatively light, (around 130lbs, but my dad is close to 250). Right now, I'm looking at the Suzuki DRZ400SM. I like the SM version because it seems to be more road ready than the other dirt bike converts, but still seems more than capable off road.

My real question is, is the Suzuki DRZ400SM really what I'm looking for? Would something like the Kawasaki 250cc version hold its own going down some of the major roads on the way to work? I live in Colorado, so mountain riding on public trails or on my property would be a must...

Thanks for any help/advice.

[Ian522]

If you are doing alot of street riding (especially if it involves any highways) you may want to consider the 650 dual sports like the Suzuki DR650, Honda XR650L, etc. But the trade off is that they are heavy (for a dual sport) so they wont be as capable off-road as a smaller bike. The DRZ400 (non-supermoto version) will still do good on the road but be alot more nimble off-road than a 650.

The DRZ400SM will obviously be great for the street, but im not sure how those big street tires would do off-road.

[scan]

Colorado? I think when I was there I saw a KTM dealer or two. They make more than one dual sport.

[Gatineau_Guy]

I took a BMW F650 X Country for a demo ride a while bike. It is fairly light and gives the impression of being off-road capable. It does handle well on the highway and in town. We never did any trail riding on the demo though. It would be a little more pricey than the DRZ400SM. You can also get a super moto version of the F650 as well. It looks great as well.

I also think that the Aprilia SXV450 or the SXV 550 are two of the nicest looking bikes out there. I have never ridden one but sitting one them they feel great. The downside of these bikes is the small fuel tank (7.8 litres)

SXV

Another bike I lust for (there seem to be a lot of them) is the KTM supermoto 690.

KTM Supermoto 690

Cheers,
Gatineau_Guy

[Flting Duck]

Go take a peak or sign up at www.totalmotorcycle.com. Tons of dual sport riders over there.

[DivideOverflow]

Honestly, the dirt version of the DRZ400 would probably be better than the SM if you plan on taking it offroad at all. Also look into the kawasaki KLR650 and the other 650s that Ian mentioned.

The 650s are good at trail riding, but not aggressive offroading, due to their weight. They will get you anywhere you want to go, just not as quickly as smaller dirt bikes (just to keep in mind). They are the best choice for the pavement, though.

[flw]

On your question of the Kawi 250 holding its own on the road, you didn't mention if you would normally ride on the Interstate or just the state highway.

The highway (55 plus) it would be fine but on the Interstate (65 but usually more) no. It not that it won't do more, it just at the top of its capabilities so wear and tear show up faster.

So if you/or Dad will be riding the Interstate to/from the 65 acre's, I'd suggest the KLR 650. It can handle the Interstate plus 250 lbs of a rider, including any gear both on road and off.

The difference between the two bikes (Suzuki vs Kawa) is the Suzuki is better on dirt than the road, where the Kawa is better on the road than the dirt. Both are good bikes in general, it's just where are you going to spend most of your riding time?

[slattmattery]

Very little time would be on the interstate that runs through my town. If at all, the only stretch at speeds of higher than 50 would be going 60+ for about a quarter mile, simply from one exit to the next.

I'm not considering anything close to a MX track, so that isn't all too important. Really all the bike needs to handle is some hard dirt roads, with the occasional loose dirt/gravel. Nothing too tricky, just some fun terrain to mess around with. This is why I like the SM version of the Suzuki.

KTM would be a fine choice, but given that a vast majority of the bike will be paid for by my paycheck, I'm not looking for something to really break my bank...

Not to mention, a 650 may be a little large for me like I said, I don't need all that power to get around where I want.

I'm really starting to lean towards the DRZ400 series. If I were to buy a SM version, would it be relatively easy to convert it to a more off road machine through a few quick changes (such as tires)? Visa versa?

Edit: I'll take some photos today of my property, to show you what I mean by my poor descriptions. That way you can help me decide which end of the spectrum I should go for...

[mgdavis]

That 400 SM has, IIRC, 16" wheels. These are sized for sport-type tires, you may want to look around and find out if there is a more dual purpose tire available in those sizes. The 400 SM is also surprisingly expensive compared to other dual sports, Suzuki really likes those forks.
I'd be more inclined to suggest something like the KLR650.

[flw]

Based on what you said most 250 dual purpose bikes (Suzuski or Kawaski) will work just fine. I'd suggest trying a used but only a few years old with low miles.

The idea being someone bought a bike and decided a few years later they don't use it much. Then they take the new bike hit on its value depreciation and insurance will be less for you along with it initial purchase cost.