DZ
Ultimate Member
What do you dirt bikers/dual-sporters recommend as a dual sport that would compliment an R1200GS?
Care to elaborate more? They are about on opposite ends of the spectrum. It's like asking what would compliment a S1000RRWhat do you dirt bikers/dual-sporters recommend as a dual sport that would compliment an R1200GS?
Sure, though the S1000RR comparison doesn't make any sense. The R1200GS is to motorcycling what the Landcruiser is to SUVs. A fantastic machine, very capable on and offroad, but being a $90k full size SUV, too big and too expensive to rip around on smaller and more technical trails. Of course there are outliers who use a 1200 as a trials bike, but that's not near the middle of the bell curve of what these bikes are intended for. I use mine pretty close to what it was intended for: on and off road. Commuting, trips down to South Carolina to see my dad, riding sections of the MABDR, Green Ridge State Forest, Michaux, forest service roads in WV etc. Not much of that would be in the wheelhouse of the RR, especially for a 6'3" full size human. Maybe you meant XR? The GS is the perfect do-all motorcycle, but not intended to be the offroad specialist that a dual-sport is. Cruise on the highway at 85, ride a hundred miles of dirt and gravel roads, then jump back on the highway and ride home? Perfect. More technical trails like you might find in GWNF or maybe Pine Barrens for example, may not so much. Either way, a dual sport would generally be in that street legal 300-400 lb bracket with knobbies, though the T700 and others seem to be stretching that weight class north. Thats what I'm looking to add to the stable. Something that is more of an offroad specialist, but still capable of some highway travel when needed. I really like the idea of the T700, but on paper doesn't seem much lighter than my GS. In our area, it seems to be difficult since good trails seem to be a pretty good ride from home, so a 250 seems like it would be anemic on the highway, but a 700 seems almost as big as my GS.Care to elaborate more? They are about on opposite ends of the spectrum. It's like asking what would compliment a S1000RR
The GS is a tank, so maybe something hardcore offroad and on the opposite end of the weight spektrum = KTM 350/500 EXCF. If you still want cushy on-road manners a WR250R (though they were just discontinued after a LONG run due to emissions.) Something heavier that can do road stages comfortably and dirst roads are no problem = Tenere 700, KTM 790 S/R. We need more info to go on. Dual sport covers a *WIDE* spectrum. What would you like to do on it? Dirt:pavement ratio? Are you a power junkie?
2 stroke. Not street legal anywhere in the US. (Yes, I know you can get some two strokes titled/plated if you are clever/careful.)Get a Beta 300 to use as a DS bike to compliment the 1200
What do you dirt bikers/dual-sporters recommend as a dual sport that would compliment an R1200GS?
2 stroke. Not street legal anywhere in the US. (Yes, I know you can get some two strokes titled/plated if you are clever/careful.)
2 stroke. Not street legal anywhere in the US. (Yes, I know you can get some two strokes titled/plated if you are clever/careful.)
Any pictures of the CRE?My bad. The 350 is a 4stroke steer legal.
I know KTMs are street legal two strokes.
I have a 95cre 260 two stroke. Fun one.
And they are dinosaurs. Yes, simple has some advantages. But...For me this leads to the DR 650 or XR 600.
...
They air air cooled, highly reliable, and easy to perform maintenance (even valve adjustments).
And they are dinosaurs. Yes, simple has some advantages. But...
- Their suspension is crap compared to modern setups. You can throw $$$ at it to solve this problem. The WR250 is like riding a couch - so comfortable! My new 500 is leaps and bounds better in rock gardens than my old '12 (which was infinitly better than my DRZ.)
That is one thing of the DR, at what it weighs, it encourages you to be a better rider sooner (ie less drops/pickups). However, somethings can never be avoided. I have lots of dirt experience, so I can ride the DR that way, some of my riding buddies can't. Once again, pure dirt is not on DZ's agenda (or so I believe).
- A DR650 literally weighs 95# more than my 500. (nearly impossible to solve that problem w/ $.) Screw that! I slid about 3' off the trail down a hill this weekend @ Eagle Bay on my little 150. My bars were literally still touching the trail. Took me 5+min to wrestle that sucker in the slick-ass clay back up the hill. There is no way I could have wrestled 125# more. Would have just sat there until my buddy doubled back to help (which still might have been a better idea than making me so tired.)
There lies a primary gripe for me; You've got to have enough juice to run the fuel pump on a EFI machine; If something happens where the battery gets killed or run down to the point where there's not at least enough juice to
- EFI has better fuel efficiency. Doesn't gum up over the winter or ethanol gas. Better throttle response (unless you're running a flat slide pumper carb and then throw fuel eff out the window.) Better fuel eff in a dual sport means you need a smaller tank (= less weight) or you can go farther w/ same enduro tank. EFI doesn't leak or flood when tipped over. Self compensates for altitude and weather. Just works (until it doesn't of course.) Air cooled & carb can make sense if you are riding across Africa, everywhere else its just old clunky technology.
For exploration, I don't change the CS.
- 5 vs 6 speed gear box. DR650 has a 2.93:1 1st to 5th ratio. The KTM500 has 3.18 w/ its 6 gears. The WR250R is 3.36. My 500 easily cruises at 70-80. On the KAT there may or may not have been 100mph+ runs on a 500 (verified on GPS). That '10 minute sprocket swap' you mention to go explore? 1) Its take more than 10min to swap a sprocket. 2) its simply not needed w/ the wide ratio 6-speed gearboxes now. Cruising along and see that road you want to explore? You just turn and go.
How far apart are the gas stops on the KAT? My dirt ride is done a 70 miles, the DR with a aftermarket gets me about 188 to reserve. Still not enough for the TATOn the KAT this year, there was one DR650 and a big XR that did everything.
Edit: I'm not hating on the big DR/XRs! Its just the new machines are so much more comfortable, make more power, and easier to ride. The major drawback is newer bikes are more expensive.
Edit2: If DZ didn't already have a big adventure bike a DR/XR might make a good only bike. But I'd lean to a more dirt focused, lighter bike for a second bike so the use cases don't over lap so much.
^ Looks great in grey!
It's a tank. But it's my tank. And it's fun!
Just nowhere to ride off road around here.
I doubt it. One of the older fellows on the KAT had one. He could keep up w/ everyone but I think it's top speed stock is not much beyond that. I've not ridden Rachel's on the road. Everyone is crossing their fingers that Yamaha reintroduce it as the WR350/400 or something. They'd finally kick the DRZ400 out of the market.However can the WR do 85MPH comfortably? Never ridden one...
Need enough juice to run the spark on most all bikes now too. We've had a Beta kill its battery at HM by leaving the headlight on. No kickstarter on it either. We just carry tiny jumper cables now (two short pcs of 8-10ga wire.) There are a couple vendors (incl Yamaha) that make short EC5 connector harnesses to go on the battery just like the SAE connector for a Battery Tender. All lithium jump packs use those now. We are going to put those connectors on our jump cables. We always ride w/ at least one other person so easy to jump. My DRZ carb would flood so bad if it laid on its side so long we'd kill the battery cranking it. The little TTR125 will kill a battery in the cold trying to start every time. Carbed bikes can have problems starting too.There lies a primary gripe for me; You've got to have enough juice to run the fuel pump on a EFI machine
KAT is easily done on a stock tank. My 500 is a hair over 9L factory (=2.4g). We got ~55mpg avg on the four 500s = ~130mi on stock tank. I carried a 1.5L fuel bottle and did use it one leg but we passed a bunch of gas stations earlier.]How far apart are the gas stops on the KAT? My dirt ride is done a 70 miles, the DR with a aftermarket gets me about 188 to reserve. Still not enough for the TAT