Dual Sport bug....

[bikepilot]

That was classic    Also off road its really difficult to make use of more than about 50hp, especially if that extra hp comes with extra lbs - you just end up spinning the rear tire more and tearing off the knobbies more quickly.  My XR650R will hustle up to ~100mph pretty quickly then stops about there.  Its a rare occasion where you can really go faster than that off road (not saying I won't pimp the motor a bit before I race Vegas to Reno again for a few extra mph on the lakebed though).  In general stuff like the SuperEnduro and Hp2 are slower off road than your everyday dual sport thumper.  The bike bikes have some advantages for extended road riding or carrying a passenger or a ton of gear. 

Nothing wrong with riding a road bike on all sorts of roads though, including ones like  ungeheuer posted.  Most any moto will do just fine on dirt-gravel roads.  I've done a few hundred miles of dirt/gravel on a 919, a bandit and my TLS.

[bulldogs2k]

Here in So. VA we dont have open flats so it's a waste to have anything over 20 hp lol. 

We get those tight technical single tracks that are barely wide enough for your handle bars.  I remember riding with my friend on a KTM adv while I was on my CRF 230L.  We hit some tight forest trails and I ended up having to slow down.  It's nice to have the extra cylinder when  scouting for trails though. 

[ungeheuer]

Nothing wrong with riding a road bike on all sorts of roads though, including ones like  ungeheuer posted.  Most any moto will do just fine on dirt-gravel roads. 

In the right hands.  Mine are not. 

On some of the tracks I was so busy just trying to stay on the bike there were no thoughts of stopping for photos  .   Deep rutted mud is not my idea of DR fun.... must avoid in future  .

I went up one steep track which began looking not too bad but which get steeper... and muddier... and I remember thinking "shit... I'd hate to have to go back down this"......  and when it began to get even steeper and muddier and very deeply rutted....  and I knew I'd ran out of ability....  Well.... you know that I had to turn around and go right back down.  Glad nobody was there to see that "performance".... hahahahahaha.

[tiger_one]

Just listed my DualSport, 2008 WR250R on fleabay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110699373554&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:MOTORS:1123#ht_500wt_1182

[bikepilot]

But gravity helps out on the way back down 

A lot does come down to what you are used to/comfortable with. 

Here's the 919 on pike's peak a few years ago (when less of it was paved)


There was even a little puddle of mud

[The Mad King Pepe']

Brilliant Video ... not! It did keep me entertained for a bit tho, and he does have a good point.

Which Dual Sport Motorcycle is right for you?

[akmnstr]

Yeah, I think he does make a good point.  But a question that you should ask first is, Will I be taking this bike to places where I am likely to drop it?  If the answer is no, maybe that $20K Ducati will do for ya.  Based on my own experience of riding in the desert, my bike needs to be able to pass his test.   

[ungeheuer]

in the beginning there was this..


... and now 



red and orange is the new black 

I really need to buy some appropriate riding gear 

[The Mad King Pepe']

Had a blast riding around the south part of Michaux State Forest.

in the beginning there was this..

... and now 

Nice bike! How big is the Safari tank, and how do you like the Britannia Composites headlights and fairing?

[ungeheuer]

Had a blast riding around the south part of Michaux State Forest.


Nice bike! How big is the Safari tank, and how do you like the Britannia Composites headlights and fairing?

Nice scenery.  Nice helmet too!!  .

Safari tank is as big as it is nasty.  Thirty litres, enough to take me 640kms before I need to flip over to reserve    BC lights are fabulous..... but the fairing itself is not quite the precision moulding you'd expect for the $$ (maybe dirt riders are more easily pleased).  Its a good platform for mounting a real speedo and my GPS.  And theres room within to host a proper fuse panel to run everything.

[rockaduc]

Nicely done fellas!

[The Mad King Pepe']

Tempting! 

[ungeheuer]

had some fun in the cold today....  lots of damaged roads... some passable.... others not...  rode thru a brief hail shower...  that was fun  

[ungeheuer]

Another fun day on dirt roads.... despite one of the crew downing his VStrom on a muddy track...  



No harm to bike (apart from broken screen and an airbox full of oil) or rider (apart from injured pride and tomorrow's inevitable aches).... coulda been much worse if bike had followed rider over the edge.

But alls well that ends well...

[ungeheuer]

I can feel a front-end upgrade coming on 

http://www.emigracing.com/