Which bike....dual sport edition

I sold my 1200 Bandit last fall as commuting hasn't been a thing for me for the last couple years.

Even when I did ride it, the cell phone problem is only getting worse.

So,  I'm looking for a used dual-sport bike that is happy on back country roads and light trails.

The KLR650 is feeling like the right direction.   The DR450z seems good as well.

Ideally,  fuel injected 400-700cc dirt ready bike that leans toward pavement/gravel vs single track.

What other bikes am I missing?     I'd like to be able to maintain 75mph if I do take it on highways.

A friend of mine in Ada bought a new Royal Enfield Himalayan for just the type of riding you describe.  Then he bought a new H-D Pan America for longer trips.

The Honda CB500X is on my radar for something that leans further to the light duty side of the equation.

A used Yamaha FJ-09 with some more dirt oriented tires would be a great bike with a fantastic motor and lots of support.

KTM 690/Husky 701 might be worth a look. EFI, highway capable, and very dirt ready. They might skew a bit more towards the unpaved side of things than what you are describing, but I love mine, and haven't found a better all-around truly dirt-capable lightweight  bike yet.

Not sure what the used market is like for them, but perhaps a Yamaha Tenere 700.

Final suggestion is an Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 hypermotard with some knobbier tires. 

If you bump displacement up to 800cc-900cc, you start to open up lots more pavement-focused options like the F800GS, Tiger, 890 Adventure, etc, but they generally aren't as accomplished off-road.

Following.

wawazat said:

A friend of mine in Ada bought a new Royal Enfield Himalayan for just the type of riding you describe.  Then he bought a new H-D Pan America for longer trips.

I wasn't aware of these,  it seems to check most boxes.   Now...to find one to test ride

I've lived in this world you wish to enter for quite awhile.

I started with a KLR. They are very tall, so if you have a short inseam you will have problems. While it will do 70 mph, it isn't any fun. Very buzzy at that speed. I found it fatiguing.

I moved to a Suzuki V-Strom but it wasn't good on gravel, IMO. Sold that and bought a Triumph Tiger 800. I have owned it for 6 years and toured with it, road fire roads on it, and for rides longer than a couple hours. Great bike, but have decided to sell it as I've grown weary of the ADV bike thing.

Rode a Himalayan. Dull engine and performance similar to a KLR, which is to say, nothing impressive. And I own two other Royal Enfields, so really wanted to like it.

If I could only have one bike the Honda CB500X would probably make the most sense for the riding you describe. Kawasaki Versys is another good choice.  I would rather have a bike that leans more towards pavement than gravel, as you're probably going to spend a lot more time on the former.

the KLR is a very popular heap of junk.  I know people love them but they're junk.  They have the worst performing motor, suspension and brakes out of any of the large thumper dual sport class.  Buy something else.  You didn't put out a budget but here's what I'd consider....

Top of the class:

KTM 690/Husky 701.  Best suspension and motor BY FAR.  Needs significant work/money to turn into an ADV bike.  Look up my thread here.

KTM 640 Adventure.  Best out of the box dual sport but they're getting older and unless you set the carb up correctly they vibrate a bunch.  If you buy one, ping me and I'll tell you how to set up the carb.

BMW F650 Dakar.  Decent dual sport, suspension is meh, power is ok, gets outstanding mpg

Husky TR650, like the F650 Dakar but better suspension and 10 more hp.  Hard to find but worth buying if you do

Suzuki DR650.  Very simple, needs some work to be a dual sport but much lower entry price compared to a 690/701

Suzuki DRZ400.  A better dirt bike compared to the DR650 but suffers on the highway because of it

Notice all of the above are thumpers.  All of the twin cylinder bikes weigh significantly more and I wouldn't run any of them as a dual sport where you're going to be spending any real time on trails.  If you're just doing dirt roads then that opens up the larger, heavier bikes as options...

KTMs can be expensive toys. Questionable reliability on many models, sparse dealer network and styling that makes a KLR look sexy. 

The BMW F650 with the Rotax engine isn't a bad choice but I found it had vibes just as bad as my KLR.

The Suzukis are the best competitor to the KLR (and arguably superior). The price of used ones reflects that. 

But, they are heavily leaning toward 'dirt bike' first and road bike second. Okay if you are 30 minutes from dirt roads. Sucks if it takes you 1-2 hours to get there.  This is why I wouldn't rule out the multi-cylinder choices in the 700-900cc category.  So much more useable the majority of the time that you aren't riding dirt.  And, if the dirt is nicely groomed fire roads you don't need a dirt-bike-thing anyway.  OP has to think about how he will actually use the bike.

With the exception of my KTM 990 all of my KTM's have been very reliable bikes, just as reliable as my BMW or anything else.  Lots and lots of KTM dealers here in Denver, figure it'd be the same in any other Metro area.

Definitely need to decide how you're going to ride, the twin cylinder bikes are much nicer on the road but not what I care to pick up off road.  500lbs is considered a "middle weight" dual sport now and that's unloaded.

It doesn't take much motor to do highway speeds.  Pretty much anything street legal will get up to 75 mph.  I have been "asked" to quit highway riding at least for now, so I have 250cc dual sports on my mind.  Lots of good options in that space.

Being able to do it, and being able to do it without tiresome vibrations, are two different things. 

In reply to bigeyedfish :

While a WR250R can go on the freeway (and is probably one of the best 250 "dual sports" out there) I'd have no desire to take it on a road with a speed limit over 55mph...

I used to commute about 55 minutes each way on an old 2 stroke 250.  Definitely the wrong tool for the job, but it never felt unsafe (at least due to traffic), and it beat the hell out of not riding.  That commute was mostly on 60 mph back roads, but the trip started with a couple miles of I-70.  The newer crop of small bikes has to be better than that thing was.

Anyway, I'm not trying to preach that little bikes make good interstate bikes.  They don't have the horsepower headroom for making quick passes, and dealing with cross winds can get exhausting.  I do think they are awesome on "back country roads and light trails".

Advrider $3500 CB500X

This time last year with what I know now and I would be on a plane with a temp tag to ride this thing home to FL.  At least in FL the used bike market is nuts.  4-5 year old bikes are on the market for just under MSRP. Heck my 2014 690 Duke is on consignment with a dealer because I got tired of fielding a dozen messages a day at 2500 over what I paid this time last year for it. 
 

After learning to ride off road on a "proper" enduro I would stay away from most of the big thumpers for off road work at least here in FL. Too much sand, it's not if but when you have to pick them up. The baby versys is on the radar for something with distance legs that is dirt capable as well as the CB500x. Just my .02. Good luck on your hunt. 

My Tiger is currently for sale:  https://lancaster.craigslist.org/mcy/d/rheems-2012-triumph-tiger-800-adv/7478896009.html

ddavidv said:

My Tiger is currently for sale:  https://lancaster.craigslist.org/mcy/d/rheems-2012-triumph-tiger-800-adv/7478896009.html

hows the buffeting off the Madstad windshield?

Pretty non-existent. The thing is ugly as heck but it does the job.

Well,  it may not be the best bike, but for $200 I can mess around and enjoy it for a bit.

Meet....the 1989 Yamaha XT350 impulse buy from Marketplace.

It needs a bit of cleanup and a few bits and pieces.   But, projects are fun right?

We just picked up a Moto Guzzi V85-TT.  Ive been taking it to dirt roads in the new neighborhood additions to ride around.  Loving the bike so far.  And from all I have read, watched, etc. it seems to be a solid bike.

If you want to travel at highway speeds, the V85, Triumph Tiger, Yamaha Tenere, are all good bikes.  the holding 75mph is the bit that makes a good "mid-size" a requirement. 

Nice, I had an '86 XT350! Keep an eye on the timing chain and tensioner; I had so much stretch in the chain that it just flopped around in there and wore the passages in the jug side to side and filled the bottom end with aluminum. Replaced the chain and piston and it kept right on going! Rode that bike all the way to Asheville NC from Indianapolis and did the tail of the dragon on it, along with quite a bit of dirt stuff. The dual carb setup is strange, one CV carb and one normal carb if I remember right. It works pretty well when it is clean an such though. TT350 and TT600 parts offer some upgrade options; the XT350 forks are pretty flexible and I seem to remember the shock is not serviceable.

docwyte said:

In reply to bigeyedfish :

While a WR250R can go on the freeway (and is probably one of the best 250 "dual sports" out there) I'd have no desire to take it on a road with a speed limit over 55mph...

I whip my WR250X up to around 70 and cruise for sub 50 miles comfortably, but you are right on the money with the X no bueno on those tires above 50mph. 

Unless you're going for a light weight,  extremely nimble bike, BMW has been and continues to be king. End of story.  They've been used all over the globe and have endured ridiculous punishment. IMO the r1150gs is the best. Extremely rugged, tons of available mods and will last a lifetime. If tlyou want to see the insane ruggedness of these bike look at 2ridetheworld. 

I'm pretty happy with my DRZ400s. It's got like 19k miles and starts right up after sitting all winter. They've got a huge aftermarket too.