Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hey All - First post. Great site!

I'm brand spankin new to riding & have signed up for the MSF in July. I have some questions regarding a well-rounded first bike. Here's the skinny... I would eventually like to get into adventure touring with a dual sport. I'm not really interested in sport bikes or cruisers. I would like my first bike to be able to fill the role of daily commuter - 30 miles round trip with about 12 miles of that being interstate 'or' highway(depending on route). I would also like a bike that I can hop on in the evenings and the weekends and hit the streets and gravel roads around my neighborhood to learn good technique and work on skills (priority #1 for me). I don't want a bike that I will outgrow in 3 or 4 months and find myself at square 1 again.
I have narrowed it down to a couple of bikes:
Suzuki DR650SE
Suzuki DR200SE
After researching these bikes, it seems like they may fill the roles pretty well. My only concern would be the DR200 as a daily commuter.

What are the most important factors when choosing a first bike? Height? Weight? I am 5 9" with about a 31" inseam & about 145lbs. I have good balance & reflexes and in good shape. Is the DR650SE, at about 350lbs. considered a heavy beginner bike? It looks like the seat can be lowered to about 32", so I 'think' I'll be ok there. I have not been able to find one in my area to sit on.

Sorry for the long post, I didn't find the search feature too helpful.
moo

The dr200 would make a great around-town and trail bike, but doesnt seem like it would be safe on the freeway since it is so light.

The Dr650 is actually pretty light (for a street bike), but it is pretty tall. But at 5'9 and with the lowering kit installed, you should be able to handle it. Im 5'10 with a 32 inseam and I could just about flat foot the dr650 without the lowering kit.

As long as you arent doing any serious off-roading the 650 would probably be your best bet.

Thanks for the quick reply! I'm sort of leaning towards the DR650 too..


To clarify. I will not be doing a lot of off-roading with the bike. Maybe some light trail/forest road work. And lots of residential gravel roads.

What about the DR-Z400S? Seems like a good middle ground for you. Barring that, I'd probably lean toward the DR650.

Co-worker of mine bought a used DR650 and allowed me a test ride.

I'm 5'9" 175lbs, inseam of 31 inches. So you're pretty close to my dimensions. The co-worker is 6'0" and around 200 lbs.

The bike was stock and a had a little bit of trouble flat footing it. Once on the bike, it wasn't bad. But getting onto the bike seemed rather tall. The co-worker too, is a brand new rider. He does quite well with its power and weight.

Like previously mentioned, take into consideration of the DR-Z400. I think you'll that bike very competitive.

Thanks for the replies.

Isn't the DR400 taller than the DR650? I like the idea of being able to drop the seat/suspension a little on the 650. Am I missing something? Also, isn't the DR400 more $$ ?