Dual-Sport recommendations

Nickc88

Nickc88

Member
Wondering if anyone on NS rides moto and happens to know anything relevant to dual-sports, I'm looking to get my first dual sport next spring after the ski season. I would prefer a 450 over a 250, used of course and with a budget of 5k, but I honestly cant decide what is best and its been a while since ive ridden a dirt bike in general.
 
Crf450x is a good bet. It's closer to an enduro than a dual sport, but handles better and is faster than a dual sport. comes stock with lights as well, not sure about blinkers tho.
 
14189912:beckums said:
Crf450x is a good bet. It's closer to an enduro than a dual sport, but handles better and is faster than a dual sport. comes stock with lights as well, not sure about blinkers tho.
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Yeah but cost tho
 
Are you actually going to utilize it as a dual sport and ride on roads a lot or are you planning to mostly take this thing up trails? If it's the latter I would recommend buying a 250 4 stroke enduro bike and making it street legal. Otherwise, yeah you're going to want a 450 dual sport. You really can't go wrong with any major brand. Everyone has their favorite color of plastics but some actual good things to look for are it being fuel injected, a nice suspension, and having an electric start (having a backup kick start is also nice if you ride a lot of trails). If you're buying a used bike get it from an old person who hasn't thrashed it and actually changes the oil and air filter every once in a while. Ask them how often they serviced the bike, how many hours it has on it, etc. Look at the condition of the chain and sprockets, make sure nothing is too worn down or rusted. Look at the case and make sure there are no cracks filled with JB Weld or anything. Look for frayed wires in the wiring harness. Make sure the air filter is clean. Make sure it starts quickly and sounds good when it's idling. Ride it around a bit and make sure it shifts smoothly and the clutch is responsive and smooth. make sure the levers feel good when you pull them in and the brakes work. The bike being in good condition is a lot more important than the brand.

**This post was edited on Oct 30th 2020 at 12:33:16pm
 
This is the only answer

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I have had 2 dual sports, a DR200 ( the DRZ400's baby brother and the KLR650). The DR200 would rip around in the desert like a champ and only cost ~1K, but it maxed out at 65mph and I blew the top end redlining it trying to use on the highway in CA. The KLR650 is HEAVY for off road use, but will cruise at around 65-70mph. Honestly I have just gotten to the point where I would rather have a dedicated dirt bike and a separate road motorcycle since having one that does both sacrifices so much. If you are not in CA (can't convert Dirt bikes to street legal in CA) and you just wanted something to rip trails and the occasional back road to get to said trail, converting one is probably your best bet. I recommend anything in the Honda CR family, since those parts are interchangeable and can be found pretty much anywhere. Hope that helped.
 
[tag=214529]@Nickc88[/tag]

You've got to be honest with yourself on the kind of riding you are going to do. Why would you prefer a 450? Is it because its a bigger bike? Because your friends will think you're lame if you're on a 250? Will you utilize what a 450 has to offer? Or are you going to just be putting around exploring? Just commuting back and forth to work?

I'm 30 years old now and I've been riding all my life. Dirtbikes/Streetbikes, I've owned too many to count. It's a bad addiction (on the wallet). The last 450 I had kicked my ass. As much as I think would like to toss my leg over a larger displacement bike, I just really don't need it as I don't ride nearly as hard as I did while I was younger. I have a new 30' camper that I will be takin up into the WY mountains this summer and now I just need something to explore but would also be nice to cruise around town. I'm going to look at a WR250R tomorrow and will probably end up buying it. The Fuel Injection is a huge + for where I ride going anywhere from 3k to almost 10k elevations. You also need to take into account maintenance, especially with converting a Trail Bike to the street. The WR250R has a 3k service interval, 26k miles before you need to check valves, can take a beating, and are known to go 50k+ miles all while just replacing wear parts. They are awesome little bikes. You wont get anything even close to that with a conversion. There are many other factors including MPG, Fuel Injection/Carb, if you want electric/kick start or both just to name a few.

Are you mechanically inclined? Small engines are my hobby. I usually buy non running bikes, tear them down, build them back up, have some fun, sell, and onto the next project. I converted a 2014 RMZ 450 to the street which turned out to be very easy where I'm at. All I needed was money and time. From the profile, it looks like you might be in PA, so I would look into your local laws and what not to see if you could convert lets say, a WR450. This is my jam, I could go on and on for hours talking about bikes. If you have any specific questions or want to dig deeper, send me a message and I can help you out.

Here's a few of the "dual sport" bikes I've been on. (even though some of them are in SM trim)

2008 WR250R (more than likely the next bike in my garage for next season if all goes to plan tomorrow)

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My Dad has a 1994 XR650L. This thing SUCKS to ride off road imo. It's heavy as hell. Not too bad if you are on the road and more focused towards commuting.

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My 2007 DRZ400SM (Wish I never sold this) ((Also get some gear, When I lived in Utah I was riding around Park City like this on 4th of July like a dummy))

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And here's a Before and after of my 2014 RMZ450 build for the street. First bike I ever bought brand new off the showroom floor. This thing was a monster on the street.

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Just really put some thought into what you need out of the bike. Sure the 250 is nothing like a 450 power wise, but I've had to come to terms with that myself and realize I don't need the 450. Just a thought! Good luck with the hunt. I've seen a lot of good deals out there. If only I had more money so I could buy them all!

**This post was edited on Nov 20th 2020 at 1:07:13am

**This post was edited on Nov 20th 2020 at 1:08:25am
 
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