Changing from street/sport to Dual sport motorcycle riding?

[Crochet556]

Ride dirt 1-2 a week on a KTM 300 XCW, and commute daily on an MT07.

Right now have no desire to do both simultaneously. When I want to ride dirt, I load up the truck. When I want to ride street, I hop on the Yamaha. I could see some fun in the capability of a dual sport, but don’t want to deal with a 400 lb bike on rooty single track.

I’d check out Highland Park or Durhamtown and rip some dirt one weekend. It’s a blast, wish I could have had the opportunity younger.

However, I will be selling the MT to hop on a KLR or Tenere next spring to conquer the Trans America Trail.

-Broke college student

 

[greg vess]

I live 1.5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I am looking forward to just doing some short cruising on it. There are loads of old logging trials off there that are scenic and beautiful nature rides. I can't wait.

 

[Boogar Presley]

What size dual sport do you bigger guys ride ? I weigh about 245, feel like a 650 would be too underpowered

 

[titan2k10]

Ride dirt 1-2 a week on a KTM 300 XCW, and commute daily on an MT07.

Right now have no desire to do both simultaneously. When I want to ride dirt, I load up the truck. When I want to ride street, I hop on the Yamaha. I could see some fun in the capability of a dual sport, but don’t want to deal with a 400 lb bike on rooty single track.

I’d check out Highland Park or Durhamtown and rip some dirt one weekend. It’s a blast, wish I could have had the opportunity younger.

However, I will be selling the MT to hop on a KLR or Tenere next spring to conquer the Trans America Trail.

-Broke college student

If you get on a Tenere I will be incredibly jealous.

 

[roundhouse]

Ride dirt 1-2 a week on a KTM 300 XCW, and commute daily on an MT07.

Right now have no desire to do both simultaneously. When I want to ride dirt, I load up the truck. When I want to ride street, I hop on the Yamaha. I could see some fun in the capability of a dual sport, but don’t want to deal with a 400 lb bike on rooty single track.

I’d check out Highland Park or Durhamtown and rip some dirt one weekend. It’s a blast, wish I could have had the opportunity younger.

However, I will be selling the MT to hop on a KLR or Tenere next spring to conquer the Trans America Trail.

-Broke college student

I always wanted to do the TAT

I think everything east of Denver can be done in a jeep or pickup .

 

[roundhouse]

What size dual sport do you bigger guys ride ? I weigh about 245, feel like a 650 would be too underpowered

It depends on what road you’re on

If you’re on I-75 ,trying to do 80 mph to keep up with traffic , yeah , a 650 might seem small

If you’re on a hardly every maintained forest service road , a 250 is about right cause you ain’t going to be going very fast and the extra weight of a bigger bike is definitely unwanted and unnecessary

That’s why HOW you get to the dirt road is a huge factor in the choice of bike .

And it depends on the road ,
Highway 180 from Vogel to Suches is very fun on a 250 or 350

I did that stretch multiple times a day on a trail 90 and a XL -175 and a SL-175 and a CB -350 from Vogel to Winfield and had a blast .
The smaller bikes were more fun than the 350
Who knew you could have such fun with 9 horsepower ?

It’s paved but it’s so curvy a sport bike is not needed .

Then you can take the 250 or 350 on the coopers creek dirt road back to blairsville

Whatever bike you get ,
Take the riders safety course , the one where you actually ride the bike ,

Get all the armored jackets and gloves etc and wear it , every time you’re on the bike .

You WILL have a spill , and you WILL almost get killed by some driver making a left turn in front of you .
DO NOT EVER stop in the road to make a left turn if there is any traffic behind you .

You will get killed if you do .

Keep going up the road till you have a spot to turn around .

 

[Boogar Presley]

It depends on what road you’re on

If you’re on I-75 ,trying to do 80 mph to keep up with traffic , yeah , a 650 might seem small

If you’re on a hardly every maintained forest service road , a 250 is about right cause you ain’t going to be going very fast and the extra weight of a bigger bike is definitely unwanted and unnecessary

That’s why HOW you get to the dirt road is a huge factor in the choice of bike .

And it depends on the road ,
Highway 180 from Vogel to Suches is very fun on a 250 or 350

It’s paved but it’s so curvy a sport bike is not needed .

Then you can take the 250 or 350 on the coopers creek dirt road back to blairsville

I rode a Kawasaki 650, not enough power. I don't ride on the interstate. I want to drive to a spot and go off-road. I like to urban explore so the terrain varies

 

[roundhouse]

I live 1.5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I am looking forward to just doing some short cruising on it. There are loads of old logging trials off there that are scenic and beautiful nature rides. I can't wait.

Gonna take many many decades to save $7k in gas .

I’d think a 650 is a little large for the BRP with its 35 MPH speed limit .

But , here’s the important part :
Try some different bikes and get what you like . Get what fits you and what feels good to you .

Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks .
I worked at a job site at a shopping center for months and two guys on bikes used to meet twice a week at the sandwich shop for lunch
They were very different bikes ,
Couldn’t be more different , but each bike worked for that person .
One was a big Harley and the other was a little vintage Vespa scooter .

I want an electric bike ,
I was on A1A in Florida last week and the electric bikes were doing 35-45 mph ,
Easily keeping up with traffic on A1A

Do they allow electric bicycles on the BRP ?

 

[greg vess]

Damn! KTM makes a 1190 with 147 HP. Now talking about grunt! Holy Moses can you imagine. The KLR650 has 40 HP so imagine the torque on the KTM. Now if I got a KLR 650 and my propensity to fiddle with aftermarket mods I could shoot that up a good bit but a 1190 on a dual sport. I like the sound but that would be a little cumbersome off road wouldn't you think?

 

[roundhouse]

I rode a Kawasaki 650, not enough power. I don't ride on the interstate. I want to drive to a spot and go off-road. I like to urban explore so the terrain varies

When I lived in the mountains I liked to putt around and explore in the woods , a 175 or 250 was fine for that
A little underpowered on the highway but that was the large rear sprocket limiting my top speed .

No way I’d want a 650 for exploring to see where that road that no one has driven on in three years goes .

But again , you gotta find the Goldilocks bike that suits you and your style of riding .not to big , not too small , but just right .


When I was riding my goal was to do as little paved road as possible , so the 250 was just right .