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what dual sport motorcycle is right for me?
Alright so I'm in the beta stage of learning about motorcycles--always wanted one and now I'm in the It's Gonna Happen mode (first MTC class underway! :) ). I want to be able to road trip and freely explore dirt backroads and such (which I do fairly often already...but for obvious reasons it's starting to take a toll on my 2 wheel drive sedan :P ), but I don't want something that's just going to sit around for weekend trips. I want to be able to use this thing to commute to work--which unfortunately at the moment involves a roughly 40 mile drive, most of which is on the highway and includes a long stretch that winds around a mountain. (I know I know, great expectations. Get ready for one more.)
Being a woman of average height (roughly 5'5), I'm also going to want to be able to touch the ground. I tried a 31.9 inch bike and can comfortably touch the ground but couldn't go much higher (the Yamaha XT250--which unfortunately won't be great for the highway). Would prefer to not use a lowering kit, switch out the shocks, or have a pro cut the seat down.
so requirements:
- dual sport
- can handle itself on the freeway for a long period of time
- roughly 31.9 inch max seat height
suggestions?
should've specified---around here all the highways are 65mph (min? :P )
4 Answers
- Candid ChrisLv 74 years agoFavorite Answer
Bit of a stretch finding this bike but BMW made the F650 GS in a smaller version, rather than the Dakar model which sits higher in the saddle, back in the early 2000's.
My 5'3 wife owned one and rode it myself a 'few' times, great bike (little bit pricey but worth it).
It is a single cylinder Rolex 650, can cruise the highway at 70 all day long and gets around 70MPG. Top speed about 90.
My wife loved to ride it but didn't do much off-road on it (that was my job).
Her bike came with a 'dog-bone' link suspenion so she was very comfortable for position but I found the dog-bone did moderately hamper the ground clearance while off-road with my 175lbs on it. (used to race off-road, know my way thru dirt). My brother's GF owned one also.
Source(s): Riding/racing for 50+ yrs. - ?Lv 74 years ago
Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki all make good dual sport bikes from 175cc up to 400cc. I suggest you test ride both the two stroke engine models as well as the four stroke models to see which application of power you prefer.
- Tim DLv 74 years ago
DRZ400 should fit the bill, all trail bikes can feel a bit light up front at high speeds but 65 is well within its capability, they are also a compromise off road, bit heavy for technical bits.
- ?Lv 64 years ago
obviously a bit of a problem, since dual sports are typically high in the saddle and thumpers which don't like spinning at freeway speed for long. if you don't need to cruise faster than about 50, i would suggest a liquid cooled 400 single. if you have to cruise at 65 or above, i'd get a 600/650 twin that's as light as possible, under 400 pounds (if anyone makes one these days).