Changing from street/sport to Dual sport motorcycle riding?

[FreezeDryGuy]

I have a new-ish CBR 600rr but haven't really rode much in recent years. I've rode up in N. GA for the last decade but as I've got older, it's lost the pull it used to have. I also have a little boy now, so I've become more aware of risks. Anyways, I've been toying with the idea of selling the street bike and getting into dual sports. I know there's tons of old service roads in the mountains, and although i've never really explored, it feel like that could be a fun hobby to pick up on. Would also love to get my boy into it when he's older so it could be something we do together.

Who here rides dual sport? Are there fun spots to ride in N. GA? I was looking at the DR-Z400s, seems like a good intro bike for the hobby.

 

[hozjo]

I've got a BMW 650gs which is serviceable on most all dirt/ gravel roads you'd be looking at, and still good to ride on highways and even freeways for a bit. I've taken it on multi day thousand+ mile road trips, and primitive 4x4 roads. It's definitely like a 70/30 on/off bike but that can change with tires. If you want a little more off road capability the Dakar can give it to you.

The reality is the crazy offroad trails suck on dual sports, even 50/50 dual sports because they are just too big and heavy, and dirt bikes suck on roads. You really have to ask yourself what you want to do, might be better off throwing some 250s in the back of a truck, or even stepping up to a 800 or 1200gs. I'm actually thinking of getting a larger bike just to make freeway riding a bit more comfy.

I am and remain a huge fan of BMW motorcycles, I've never been let down by my bike, never been stranded, starts up without a problem after being in the garage for six months. I've laid it down three times picked it up and it still got me out of each of those situations. Also a fan of their gear, definitely saved me a skin graft.

 

[Granite3]

Best dual sport is a KTM-450 EXC. power for the road, small enough for off-road and can take the abuse.

I had one for 10 years, started with a KLX-250, then a KLR-650, then a BMW 800 GSA. Last 2 were too road oriented.

Kept the BMW for mountain trips on pavement forest roads, got the KTM for the off-road/mud/trails stuff.

For off road fun, the Kentuck trails in Talledega forest can’t be beat.

Kentuck OHV Trailhead general location - Google Search

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

I would not want to try to turn around a 450 pound motorcycle on the narrow jeep type trail in the north Georgia mountains with 300 foot fall down a 45° (or steeper) slope on one side of me if I make a mistake.

Not even if the bike has off-road capable tires, a lot of travel in the suspension,
a foot of ground clearance, huge amounts of torque, and tough brush guards & skid plates protecting the engine & chain /belt.

If the bike is too heavy for me to just pick up one end by hand, and spin it around on a dime, I think I'll just use paved roads.


Or at the very least gravel roads so well-groomed, wide, & level that somebody in a 2WD pick up truck could tow their camper on it.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Biker who broke leg in crash in north Georgia mountains survived on creek water for 8 days

In those eight days in the woods, he endured storms and shivered through below-freezing nights.

www.wsbtv.com

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A Forsyth County man is recovering after he was stranded for eight days in the north Georgia mountains after crashing his motorcycle.

Kirk Wintersteen, 68, of Cumming was riding his bike home from Suches on March 25 when he lost control on a dirt road in the Chattahoochee National Forest.

“That bike came out from under me and landed on the back of my leg,” he said from his room at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. “I couldn’t use one good leg to pick up the bike and slide my leg out. It was caught somehow.”

***********************************

This guy's from my town. Another biker told me he knows this guy was riding a Suzuki V-Strom, so that would be an adventure type bike regarded as a fine choice for dirt "roads" (trails).

 

[AmbiEncE]

KTM 450 exc or a wr250r

 

[hozjo]

I would not want to try to turn around a 450 pound motorcycle on the narrow jeep type trail in the north Georgia mountains with 300 foot fall down a 45° (or steeper) slope on one side of me if I make a mistake.

Not even if the bike has off-road capable tires, a lot of travel in the suspension,
a foot of ground clearance, huge amounts of torque, and tough brush guards & skid plates protecting the engine & chain /belt.

If the bike is too heavy for me to just pick up one end by hand, and spin it around on a dime, I think I'll just use paved roads.


Or at the very least gravel roads so well-groomed, wide, & level that somebody in a 2WD pick up truck could tow their camper on it.

Yea I dropped my 650 on a jeep trail up in north ga that got really sketch and should have turned around on, at a certain point it's just too heavy to make some moves you need to. It was a trail that would have been maybe OK in better conditions but that years of jeeps spinning tires on every steep turn had ****ed it up. Got lucky that I didn't break my ankle but did badly sprain it, and was able to pick the bike up and ride out. Got to gimp around for a couple weeks as a reminder not to be a moron.

That said sometime the 4x4 high clearance only signs are there to keep morons in rental cars out. Recently did the Parson Branch primitive road to cut over to the dragon and aside from an idiot in a jeep stopping on the steepest climb and waving me past him thru some ruts and the last water crossing being a little deep I thought it was perfectly fine for my bike. If someone in a stock jeep or Subaru with a slight lift can make it, I'm probably good if it's dedicated offroaders only I'm staying away.

But still that's the minority of what I ride and I like that I have the option of doing it but also the ability to ride up to Vermont or something and not rattle my filings loose.

 

[sniper62]

Not a dual sport but I ride a 2019 DL650XT Suzuki VStrom. For me it’s great on the twisty Mtn roads and for forest service and WMA roads. For my skill level not for true off road trail’s although some folks take there VStroms in tough terrain.

 

[10-8 Gunworks]

I took the same path as the OP did. Did the sport bike thing for years, did some track days, and then a season racing. As I got older and rounder, I got out of it, but recently picked up a KLR650 that was nicely equipped. I thought I'd enjoy the service road riding more than I actually do. To be honest, it just doesn't give me the same thrill. Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[coolformula]

If you just ant to ride service roads (not single track CRAZY. the king of affordability is the KLR650. . Service roads (always take a buddy) cause sometimes you can have bad cell reception and wont' meet a car all day.

The DRZ 400 is is nice and lighter but just so much more costly. Honda 300 rally's look fun too.

If you want a dual sport for fire roads that is fine, but don't confuse that with need a 250CC dirt bike and trailering it to a place. Totally different things. I see a lot of people take these bikes where they should be on a 250 dirt bike, and doing stupid stuff can get you hurt (especially when your new). Example don't take your KLR650 with street tires down a single track mud path alone and try to turn that around it falls and you can't get it up in the mud.

Please use common sense and wear all the gear all the time!

I always hear vstorm is not a bad choice too.

Pick a budget and start researching things.