I believe that tire choices will arrive. There will be more aggressive tread available eventually. There are too many good bikes with 17" tires that are "adventure touring/dual sport" bikes. They are too popular and there are too many people who want to push the envelope in both the street and "off pavement" areas.
Range, I see as a problem. Not without solutions.
17" front wheel. Not an insurmountable issue. You may simply have to change your riding style.
Gearing. 12 to 9 primary clears up much of the problems.
Every bike is either a purpose built machine or a compromise. The Uly is a pretty nice compromise.
Having pushed, dragged, and carried several XR650L's up a variety of muddy Ohio hills, I would argue that those fat bastards (no offense to Ft_Bastard) are heavier then a Uly anyway. At least towards the end of the day, when I am hot, tired, dehydrated, and feeling much less younger then I once felt...
At that point, even my 280 lb KLR-250, and even my buddies 260 lb CRF-450, start to feel "way too heavy".
"This isn't a place you would want to be on a GS or VStrom either. Why do they get a free pass and the Uly not?
Have ya ever noticed on AdvRider, Ride Reports..how many pictures there are of GS's laying on their side..and stories about having to wait for someone to come along and help them pick it up. ?}
Hmmm, took the boy out on a father son excursion this past Sunday. I live in TX and we took them out the lake near where I live. Trails, elevation changes, Hill climbs, trench fording, high speed dirt riding.
Oh yeah, I was on the Uly he was on a 150 enduro. He kept complaining that I was throwing rooster tails 50 feet back into his helmet. I told him to suck it up and pass me then....
All I did was adjust the suspension on the rear and played Dukes of Hazzard. I even have the PR2 on the bike.
It is more than capable with the right rider on the bike.
End of the story.... son got heat exhaustion and passed out on the bike. I fireman carried him back to the Uly and two upped it back to the house with him on the front hanging all over the dash and windshield. We got him recooped and we went back out and got his little enduro.
""Have ya ever noticed on AdvRider, Ride Reports..how many pictures there are of GS's laying on their side..and stories about having to wait for someone to come along and help them pick it up. ?""
That's why any adventure rider worth his salt, has the widest possible side cases - so maybe the bike falls over, what, an inch or two.
Any time you want to run forest service roads, county access roads, or power line maintenance roads, look me up. It may not be dual sport, but do try and keep up will ya
I don't know why some have to pigeon hole bikes. Especially one that is as versatile as the uly.
Is it capable?
Like I always say it's more about the rider.
Would you say a 125cc scooter is a dual sport? I put my scoot thru more crap than my uly. I dumped my uly in a creek/mud hole trying to keep with my brother on my scooter.
A Uly is a dualsport if you can bench press 425 pounds. I can't. If you're five miles in and something goes a little wrong, you've gotta be able to drag that sumbitch out of the ditch. A DR350 is just about 300 lbs, but that is plenty to wrestle when you're tired and sweaty (and old).
What group of scooter hooligans are you hanging with?
I ride the crap out of my little 125 scooter. It's fun as hell, but the suspension sucks turds. I wouldn't take it offroad. It's hell over a manhole cover.
That water crossing looks fun! Its amazing what a street bike can do if you learn to ride it, particularly with decent tires. The 9sx with the Syncs can go a LOT more places then my M2 with D220's could even dream of.
I would not have hesitated to carefully cross that water crossing above on the 9sx or a Uly. But for the record, on my KLR-250, I would not hesitate to cross it WOT wound out in in third gear yelling "wheeeeeee!".
I traded in a KLR 250 & A Ninja 6RR to get my City-X. I make it do both jobs. And I get to the Wheeeeee alot faster But the City-X is too fat, too heavy, too short for single track & DUH I KNOW THAT. Pity we did not get a dirt 450cc from Buell this year....
We need to get some wayyyy-gnarlier-than-this, Ulysses off road videos on Badweb... just for the fun of it. I like the road videos, too, but prefer the off road.
Now THATS packing Nice shots Roostre, thanks for sharing. Not a Dual sport bah, I get more dirt for breakfast than many local "ADV" riders get all month.