| Author | Message | ||
     Pkforbes87 |
I've been thinking for a long time that my next bike would be an XB12S of some kind, but since I already have the streetfighter category covered, I'm interested in something a little different. The BMW F800GS has really caught my eye. Does anyone have experience with this bike? Opinions? I'm also a little interested in the Kawasaki KLR 650. Looking for anything with off-road capabilities that will still be good for 500+ mile days on the interstate. Many of you have been riding longer than I've been alive, so you've got to have some opinions worth listening to  | ||
| Fresnobuell |
You need to figure out how much off-roading and what kind of off-roading. With a 650, you are probably going to be limited to fairly tame off-roading as the weight is a disadvantage. However, the super-slab part of the equation points to a 650. I am in the same boat with the dual-sport itch. My needs point more to a off-roader first, pavement second. I'll find the thread I started a while back. good info there. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/406 2/414638.html | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
thanks! | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Pretty easy equation. The more offroad worthy the suckier it'll be in road. The KLR is pretty darned good off road (except for the really tricky off-road stuff. It'll work on road, but it isn't nearly as comfortable as others. It's the difference between a lazy boy and a camp chair. You wouldn't want to spend every night in front of the TV in the camp chair, but you wouldn't want to drag your lazy boy out by the camp fire. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
I am in the same boat with the dual-sport itch. My needs point more to a off-roader first, pavement second. LOL--"Need." There is no "need" in this sport. WANT! | ||
| Reepicheep |
{Looking for anything with off-road capabilities that will still be good for 500+ mile days on the interstate.} No such creature. Use your streetfighter on the road, and get something like a KLX-250S for the dirt (or running around town). | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
From a thread at ADVRider: This is EXACTLY the information I was looking for. "Just 3.5 years ago I joined the moto world at age 35 with a KLR 650 as my first bike. I put approx 9K miles on it in the first year and had no problems what so ever. The Japs make a fantastic product. However, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 2006 BMW R1200GS. I have covered more than 15K miles on that bike. I have also purchased a 1975 R90/6 since then and this past season put apporx 5K miles on it. I would encourage you to go look at the new 800Gs from BMW. I have test ridden one and am convinced that for what you and your pillion are after, it will be the best all around and reliable bike. You can load it with cases, your pillion is small (congratulations!) and you can pull 80mph all day long. It will pass at a jump from 60mph to 75/80mph with little effort. If you are wanting a little more heft or size, then I recomend you look at the 1200gs. The Adventure is overkill! I have done 250 miles in 4.5 hours and averaged approx 60 miles per gallon in Colorado/Wy mountain conditions on my 1200gs. Have fun with you new BMW! jwrover" I should have been more clear in my original question. By "off road capabilities" I meant un-paved ROADS, not 45 degree climbs, 4' of water, and jumping over boulders. I'm interested in getting off the beaten path - not blazing my own  | ||
| Fresnobuell |
I would go Japanese before German personally. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
500 Mile days on black top 300 Mile days on dirt (forest service, gravel, county access roads, NOT SINGLE TRACK) Heres my weapon for that  And touring? What do you think the bags are for? | ||
| Etennuly |
Why not look at a Uly X or XT or like Cityxslicker.....a City-X with knobs and cases. | ||
| Firemanjim |
I have a DR 650 Suzuki and have done some to see Bob and Deb, 12 hours each way.Will do 80 on the freeway all day. Great bike, more dirt oriented than a KLR and has less of the weaknesses. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
I have a DR 650 Suzuki and have done some to see Bob and Deb, 12 hours each way.Will do 80 on the freeway all day. Great bike, more dirt oriented than a KLR and has less of the weaknesses. Please elaborate on the "less of the weaknesses" portion of your post. | ||
| Reepicheep |
The DR 650 is more like an XR-650, no? So it is air cooled, and really a big heavy dirt bike. Not like the KLR, which is water cooled, and more like a light street bike (which is to say it is an unusably heavy dirt bike) I did a "enduro fun ride" last spring. The only people that got through all of it were on pure dirt bikes that were plated (easy in ohio). A few of us on originally street legal smaller bikes (i.e. KLR-250, a Husky 250, DR-350's) made it pretty far... if you had decent skills (which I did not at that point) you could probably could have made it all the way. The DR-650's and XR-650's did pretty good for a while, but the raw weight of the things conspired against them and eventually broke all the riders. A 350 pound bike was just too heavy to wrestle forever. The KLR-650's were struggling on the bypasses of the technical sections, much less the actual course. A Uly or a BMW GS would have been nice for going to get lunch between sections of the enduro :/ Riding a dirt bike on the dirt, and around town, is insanely fun and practical. Riding a dirt bike on the highway is (IMHO) fun once. Then just tedious. And its hard on the bike to wring out a single and just drone along for hours. I think people would be better served by owning a cheaper street bike and a cheaper dirt bike, rather then trying to own one more expensive bike that tries to be both, unless virtually all your riding is short trips around town (in which case a dirt bike could work, but you will be ruining a lot of perfectly good knobbies). Most practical street bikes could probably do fire roads just fine. I know my 9sx will. | ||
| Az_m2 |
I've been looking at the Yamaha WR250R. Street legal dirt bike. I've been reading lots of positive comments about it. | ||
| Firemanjim |
Check out any of the KLR forums--Adventure Rider is great-- for the fixes for stuff. The "doohickey", front brakes,etc. And yes, the DR is a big heavy dirtbike, but I did not get it to take the place of my KTM 300 but to add a Dual Sport to the stable that had at least more than off road aspirations. And I was drooling on the new WR-250 yesterday. Might have to get myself my first new bike since my 1995 S-2. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
I picked up a DR650 late last summer. My goal was to have a bike that was dirt oriented yet able to be ridden to and from the trailhead. I didn't get a ton of saddle time. I spent two days on national forest trails with the DR and an XR400. While the DR was slower on the trail, there wasn't anywhere it couldn't go. And it was decent on the road. The only reason it wasn't better on the road is that I'm running some aggresive knobbies. The tires I have are considered 80% dirt and 20% road. I'm hoping to give a more detailed extended ride report next year. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Obligatory pictures:   | ||
| Bcordb3 |
It was either last months Rider or maybe CW that had a great article on the GS. I am thinking it was Rider. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
I think it was december's motorcyclist with the GS writeup. Great read about an apparently great bike, but I know there are other great bikes out there. Decisions.. My X1 is satisfactory for 500+ miles so I may just look for a smaller dual sport commuter. It sure would be nice to find a used TT. cityxslicker's 9sx dirt bike propoganda may have finally gotten to me! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
look at all the dirt bikers Buell is missing... eh, wtf do I know?  | ||
| Etennuly |
look at all the dirt bikers Buell is missing... eh, wtf do I know? What do you mean missing?......they got you!  | ||
| Koz5150 |
I bought a XT600 off craiglist last summer for $650. After I welded a kickstand onto the side and cleaned up the turn signal connections she was good to go.  |
