I've been watching eBay for a possible off road 4s for a dual sport conversion.  My thought was to find a good, solid platform to start with, one that isn't as hyper as the products of Husky and other exotics, and make it street legal in my state and tag it.  (Something along the line of a DRZ400e, a mid-bore KLX, etc).

However, very little of anything has been coming through eBay lately.

So, I thought, why not just price new ones?

Wow... what a surprise.  Suzuki doesn't even offer any off road 4s bikes except the 125's.  Of course, the DRZ400s is still available... but was hoping to go with something noticeably lighter and more off-road capable. (Like a DRZ400e?)

So, over to Kawasaki:  No dice.  Only actual Dual Sport is the overweight and underpowered KLX 250s.  Only off road 4s offered is the 140's and 110's!  The mid-bore and bigger KLX's are history!

Next stop: Yamaha.  Of course, there's the WR250R. (And I could be tempted to go that route... just not as convinced as I was a while back.  I have begun to find the "other view" from former owners and those exposed to them.  Many are saying it's overweight and underpowered, etc.)  Yamaha DOES offer the 450f and 250f... but I guess I'm a bit concerned they may be too high-tech and too much of a thoroughbred for dual sporting?

Lastly, there's Honda.  They do have the CRF450R and the CRF250R... but 13.2 to 1 compression ratios? Close ratio 5 speeds?  Doesn't sound like a very good start for a user-friendly dual sport conversion.  And their prices... they're kidding, aren't they?

SO... I've not been around the "modern" scene for a while... what happened to the nice selections of decent mid-big bore strokers that the big 4 used to make????

Not very many genuine options for a mid-big bore trail-worthy Dual Sport off the showroom floor... and no longer much selection of a suitable off road "start here" bike, either.

In view of our future, Is Dual Sporting screwed???  

Vinduroman

Edited by Vinduroman, 19 February 2012 - 03:19 PM.

Yup , not a lot of choice. My DS bike is a husky TE630. Great bike but not made any more. Rumor is there will be a early 2013 TE650 out this summer but it uses the BMW power plant.

KTM!?

KTM:

Great bikes for serious dirt work.  For my wants: Too much $$,  too tinker oriented, high maintenance, suspect MPG (range), etc.

If my perception is incorrect... would love to hear from KTM owners setting me straight.

Vinduroman

ever heard of husqvarna? Cheaper than ktm but indistructable bikes.

Quote

Yup.

http://www.thumperta...r-te250-owners/

All the mid-bores are gone since the 90s, I'm afraid. What are you looking to do with it? I D/S'd a TT-R225 without much issue, including at the DMV, however, the title was already MC, which I think helped a lot. I'm seriously considering D/S for my daughter's KLX125, so we can ride more places than we could before. This has an ORV title, so I don't know if I'll be able to slide that though the cracks in the system like last time.
Expand your net, ebay, craigslist, kijiji (ebay's bastard attempt at overtaking CL), searchTempest (still CL, but an easy tool to use), etc.

ETA: my bad, I thought this was in the Vintage forum. Even so, my advice would be the same.

Edited by Smacaroni, 20 February 2012 - 07:48 AM.

why on earth are you not looking at the european brands?  husqvarna, ktm, husaberg, beta  the japanese do not care about the dualsport market

 MrBlahh, on 20 February 2012 - 07:54 AM, said:

FTFY

 vsekvsek, on 19 February 2012 - 08:19 PM, said:

The TE 250 and 310 are not DS bikes. The 450 / 411 and 510 / 511 can handle a bit more DS stuff. The 610 & 630 are good but not made any more. I have had a TE 450 , TXC 450 and now a TE630

My wife had a TE 250 . Well maintained but was told by dealer it should have had at least a top end rebuild at 200 hours. We never had it done and at 280 hours it dropped a valve and destroyed the motor. Rebuild price was $3,500 so we parted it out on eBay. Wife now rides a TE630 , the small bike will not take many hours between rebuilds.

 KLX Couple, on 20 February 2012 - 06:31 PM, said:

Dont forget the WR line.
Actually it came with a plate and I slapped a ds kit on it just because. Yes...I get alot of stares riding it down through town-lol

MrBlahh:

As mentioned in the thread I linked, it should be obvious why I'm not seriously looking at a Euro bike.

In fact, just read this thread and you'll get the short version.  

I do NOT want a high-maintenance, short life, hyper-sensitive performance bike.  I want a solid, dependable scoot (electric start preferred) that has a long life expectancy.  It doesn't matter that it won't have the "latest and greatest", or isn't the "fastest and bestest".  My "givens n' d'ruthers" are pretty easy to understand.

All:

From the sounds of it, I may just need to do a ground-up rebuild (and perhaps hang new plastic/etc) on my tagged and dependable XR250R and ride it another 20,000+ miles.  I would retain nearly all the things I like... but would not gain electric start along with upgrading to a something a bit more "hi-tech".  I'll turn 60 years old next month, gotta' feeling I would like electric start.

Vinduroman

What about Crf230L? To little...
What about the Xr650L?

used?
Xr400
Xr650r

Drz 400 e
or how about a klx 250 with a 350 cylinder kit
both e start
xr 650 l are great as long as you dont mind the weight, they have e start and can do anything. ( i have one)
wife has a stock klx 250s

what is sounds like you want, and what many of us would love to see,  is a factory street leagl xr 400 with e start that is under 300lbs.    So a drz 400 is the closest there is which is why i see so many at dual sport rides.  They are ussally the most common of the non high performance bikes.

 Vinduroman, on 20 February 2012 - 08:03 PM, said:

Since Japan doesn't care about the 'dual sport' market, your best and actually only choices lie with: Beta, KTM, Husaberg and Husky.  These bikes are relatively lightweight, are E-start, and have 6 speed trannies.  The Husky is the least desirable primarily because of its very close ratio 6 speed trans.  All the others have very versatile wide ratio 6 speed trannies.  The Euro bikes do demand proper maintenance, but so what!  They certainly are not 'hyper-sensitive' and they are reliable and have long life expectancies.  I just sold my still good running '04 KTM that had 14,000+ miles and 640 hrs on it.  A friend is still riding my '02 KTM 520 EXC with 20,000+ miles on it.

 Sam Merrell, on 21 February 2012 - 08:09 AM, said:

the drz is way taller than the xr250 and real heavy, I like your idea on the klx250 though ..if you could find one that was siezed and do the 350 kit and add some cams and exhuast in the rebuild I think it would out perform the xr250 easy and have electric start and be more friendly than the drz

If you are around 60 years old,  look at the yamaha xt250,  good enough to climb any hill or ride any trail,  and good enough to be on the freeway at 75+mph,  gets great gas milage,  electric start, digital dash,  and some really other nice features,   its not the fastest,  not the best suspension,  but should be good,  change the oil every couple thousand miles,  keep air filter clean,  gas it up and go.

 150ron, on 21 February 2012 - 09:24 AM, said:

that would be a good choice too but judging by 60 ys old ..... I had a 58 yr old school me on a benifit ride a few years back and I was 36 soo just saying

lol,  was not really judging per say,  i own a xt250 too,  and notice that many of the other 250 owners were older,  so just recommended it,  cause i know hes looking for a electric start , newer, reliable type of ds.

newer? I think the xt is using the air cooled engine design from way back I know at least too 1981 or so, but reliable i will agree 100%