GREAT OFF ROAD BIKE FOR HWY AND TRAILS?

[Realcamchamber]

ANY OLD BIKES 2000 2011 u can recomend

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[P7M13]

Have you ever ridden?
If so, how long and what style?

 

[Realcamchamber]

Have you ever ridden?
If so, how long and what style?

yes grew up riding biks
6 plus years i rode 2011 kawasaki klr 650 but sold

 

[The Heretic]

Japanese "dual sports" are not as good off-road as most Euro "dual sports"

The difference is that Japanese "dual sports" are not the same bike as their "dirt bikes". The former are street legal, heavier and not as sophisticated as their off-road only "dirt bikes".

Many of the Euro brands (KTM/Husaberg, Husqvarna, GasGas, Beta, et. al.) take their off-road only "dirt bikes", add street legal mirrors, DOT tires, lighting slightly different exhaust & final gearing, etc. - the result is usually a much better off-road capability, more power and less weight than the Japanese "dual sports" and a bike you can register with the DMV for street use. Also, the cost is often quite a bit more than the Japanese bikes, but better performance.

There are exceptions and some people have had luck plating a Japanese Enduro or even their MX bike, but most states won't; they look at the VIN and say "NO!". So if being street legal is in your criteria, keep this in mind.

One of the downsides of the Euro bikes is dealer support; compared to the Japanese brands, you will find fewer dealers offering Euro bikes for sale and/or service/parts support.

Personally I would go for a KTM 450/500. I own a Husaberg 590, but haven't ridden it in a decade. I also have a Beta Alp and have not ridden it at all.

 

[parallax]

Kawasaki KLR 650 2000-2006 1 cylinder , 1, carburetor, huge fuel tank I think around 6 gallons, range 200-300 miles cult like following. Easy to work on and maintain. Fast enought to ride on the freeway. Downsides a little on the heavy side, a little under powered.

 

[aasbra]

yes grew up riding biks
6 plus years i rode 2011 kawasaki klr 650 but sold

Did you like the KLR? I've had a few dual sport bikes, and currently have a couple 2 stroke dirt bikes and a large enduro/adventure bike. The KLR is a good bike for what it is (a buddy of mine joined me on an Alaska trip years ago on one).

IME, dual sport bikes try to strike the balance between the various uses. A great off road bike is not pleasant to ride on the highway. And a bike that is pleasant to cover large swaths of highway is not great on the trails. So the dual sports try to bridge the gap.

The best place to start if you are looking for one is ask yourself where most of the use will be (on road/off road), and then what type of each (fire roads, gravel roads, trails, more challenging terrain if off road, highway, commuting, quiet back road exploring if on-road). If you can only have one bike to try and do everything, I suggest being honest with your planned use and select a bike accordingly. A KLR or larger enduro bike (KTM v-twin adventure, Africa Twin, Tenere, V-Strom, or BMW GS) is alot tougher to ride on surfaces other than pavement than a smaller, lighter dual sport. That said, if you are going to be riding on mostly paved roads and traveling distances, the larger bikes shine over the smaller ones. After some years of trying to find the balance on different bikes, and aging a bit, my garage has a KTM 200 and 300 two strokes (neither street legal), and a BMW R1150GS Adventure. All of them are old; the newest one is a 2007 (I don't have/make the time to ride much anymore). I did 2,000 miles on dirt and gravel on the GS Adventure during a 6,000 mile trip to Alaska one summer month some years back, loaded with camping gear and hard saddle bags. While my buddy on the KLR had an easier time on those stretches, the rest of the trip I was happy to be on the GS, including when we had to repair a flat on his bike with the tubed tire vs. the GS with tubeless tires.

As to recommending brands, I have owned lots over the years. Started with the various Japanese brands (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki), and currently have a couple european brands (KTM and BMW). I do much of my own maintenance and work, but making sure whatever brand you select is supported by a good dealer in your area definitely makes life easier. And when trying to buy a good older bike, how it has been used, stored, and maintained is key. I use ethanol free gas (unless I can't find it when traveling) in all my bikes which makes life easier for stuff that sits around more than it should. Finding someone who cared for the bike and didn't abuse it, serviced it at reasonable intervals, is important.

 

[The Heretic]

Did you like the KLR? I've had a few dual sport bikes, and currently have a couple 2 stroke dirt bikes and a large enduro/adventure bike. The KLR is a good bike for what it is (a buddy of mine joined me on an Alaska trip years ago on one).

IME, dual sport bikes try to strike the balance between the various uses. A great off road bike is not pleasant to ride on the highway. And a bike that is pleasant to cover large swaths of highway is not great on the trails. So the dual sports try to bridge the gap.

The best place to start if you are looking for one is ask yourself where most of the use will be (on road/off road), and then what type of each (fire roads, gravel roads, trails, more challenging terrain if off road, highway, commuting, quiet back road exploring if on-road). If you can only have one bike to try and do everything, I suggest being honest with your planned use and select a bike accordingly. A KLR or larger enduro bike (KTM v-twin adventure, Africa Twin, Tenere, V-Strom, or BMW GS) is alot tougher to ride on surfaces other than pavement than a smaller, lighter dual sport. That said, if you are going to be riding on mostly paved roads and traveling distances, the larger bikes shine over the smaller ones. After some years of trying to find the balance on different bikes, and aging a bit, my garage has a KTM 200 and 300 two strokes (neither street legal), and a BMW R1150GS Adventure. All of them are old; the newest one is a 2007 (I don't have/make the time to ride much anymore). I did 2,000 miles on dirt and gravel on the GS Adventure during a 6,000 mile trip to Alaska one summer month some years back, loaded with camping gear and hard saddle bags. While my buddy on the KLR had an easier time on those stretches, the rest of the trip I was happy to be on the GS, including when we had to repair a flat on his bike with the tubed tire vs. the GS with tubeless tires.

Yes - one big issue is that weight is the Great Satan off-road, regardless of vehicle. A heavy bike will not only wear you out quickly on a technical trail, it will make some trails almost impossible. I've ridden a 500# BMW GS off-road and my 250# Husaberg on much tougher trails. The difference is like night and day. OTOH, I would not want to ride my Husaberg any real distance on the street, that I used to ride my BMW - even a day trip (e.g., Seattle to Portland) would not be fun due to the seating.

I sold my Ducati because I found playing around on trails much more fun, and less dangerous than carving twisties on the Ducati - and I was sure that sooner or later, I would lose my license or hit something/someone with the Ducati.

 

[ma96782]

Aloha, Mark

 

[edzz]

Stay away from 2wd Uarl Patrol...
Near worthless off-road and occasionally terrifying on road. Incapable of freeway speeds. On the plus side their great for garage sale hunting.
Amusingly after I owned it for two years I sold it for more than I paid for it.
New owner flew in and rode it from North Idaho to Minnesota. Got a text from him that he made it and crossed an item off his bucket list and would never repeat it.

 

[The Heretic]

Stay away from 2wd Uarl Patrol...
Near worthless off-road and occasionally terrifying on road. Incapable of freeway speeds. On the plus side their great for garage sale hunting.
Amusingly after I owned it for two years I sold it for more than I paid for it.
New owner flew in and rode it from North Idaho to Minnesota. Got a text from him that he made it and crossed an item off his bucket list and would never repeat it.

Had a Redditor (IIRC - maybe it was FB) try to tell me how a Ural w/sidecar was the ultimate.

Knew a guy near Granite Falls who had one and he had a lot of fun with it off-road, but a 4WD ATV was more capable, not to mention a good dirt bike.