Buying a Dual Sport
It’s the fastest growing segment of motorcycle sales in the state of
Washington. Between 2001 and 2002 the Dual Sport market grew more than 30%.
People want to catch an interstate in the morning, have lunch in the mountains
mid-day and then return to civilization via an unimproved fire road. But with so
many choices, which is the right one for you?
 Okay,
let’s face it. Buying a dual sport motorcycle isn’t all that complicated. It
ranks right up there with making Top Ramen on the degree of difficulty list. But
some people still manage to screw it up.
Like me.
After 12 years of not riding, I went out and bought the motorcycle I thought
made sense after a long haitus away from the sport - a 325 pound (dry) Honda XR
650L. Along with being just a tad heavier than Anna Nichole Smith, it was tall.
My ears would pop when I got on the thing. It scared the rabbit pellets out of
me the first few times I rode it.
That doesn’t mean the XR650L is a bad motorcycle. Not at all. It just was a
little much for my transition back into the sport.
Above: It's tall design means there's
plenty of fork travel on a Honda XR650L. (Confidential to Randy Newman,
this is not the bike for you)
Thankfully, someone stole it, which allowed me to go back and repeat the
purchase process. What luck!
(You may be wondering how I can afford such Zen-like calm after the theft of
something so important. Well, I got even. On a recent trip to Jamaica, I paid a
witch doctor to place a curse on the thieves. Now, I can talk about the event
completely anger-free, comfortable in the knowledge that, as you read this,
their genitals are turning black and falling off. It’s amazing what twenty
dollars and a vile of chicken blood will buy you these days.)
So my advice is to be smart and ask a few questions before you buy.
What’s your ability level?
 Seriously, be
honest here. You’ll save yourself a lot of money if you do. If you’re a
beginner, buy yourself a small used bike and get comfortable on that. Give
yourself three to six months to learn how to manage it. Take the motorcycle
safety course and get your endorsement. Then go get yourself one that you can
grow into. Buying yourself a sparkling new bike right off the bat will probably
result in broken turn signals and a bruised ego. (After you drop it following a
two mile-an-hour spaz-out in the Supermarket parking lot-in front of a school
bus full of kids that all laughed and pointed at you. Not that I’d know.)
Better to do that with a clapped-out XT-350 or something.
How tall are you?
 If
you are shorter than 5’6", the world of dual-sport motorcycling is going to be
tougher for you to enjoy. Because of long-travel suspensions and the tall valve
trains of four-stroke cylinders, modern off-road motorcycles tend to be a leggy
bunch. The aftermarket does provide kits that shorten the suspension on most
popular models.
Otherwise, look to models like the Kawasaki Super Sherpa, Yamaha TW 200 and
Suzuki DR-200.
Or look into some platform Alpinestars.
Above: BMW's F650GS can be purchased
with a optional lowering kit.
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What kind of riding are you really going to do?
 This
is where you’ll have to separate fantasy from reality. Sure, in your imagination
you’ll be riding a BMW GS to Terra Del Fuego. But in reality, you’ll probably be
riding horse trails in Redmond on your way back from getting a box of Lucky
Charms for the kids.
So ask yourself a couple of questions.
What kind of off-road riding will you be doing? Mostly unpaved Forest Service
fire roads? Or gnarly single track barely wider than your handlebars?
The tighter and more aggressive the off-road riding, the smaller and more
dirt-oriented the dual sport should be.
Above: Aprilia's ETV1000 Caponard handles the unimproved
roads and fireroads well, but may be a bit too cumbersome if you plan to do any
single track riding.
How much do you want to spend?
 Dual
sports can cost anywhere from $500 for a used bailing wire special to more than
$15,000 for a pimped-out BMW GS. How much you can afford is really between you
and your CPA. But if you’re at the low end of the used spectrum, your two main
concerns are safety and reliability. So while $650 may seem like a great deal
for an old motorcycle, it’s rather a lot to spend for a roadside bonfire. If you
don’t know anything about buying used motorcycles, talk to someone who does.
Just do you research and take your time, because if there is one thing worse
than buying the wrong bike, it’s doing it twice.
Above: Kawasaki's KLX400SR is a low priced
Dual Sport, but would you consider riding one around the world?
World Traveler Advisory
 When
selecting a dual sport, consider where you plan to be riding it. If you’re going
on the next Globe Riders world tour to China, Russia and Germany, a Kawasaki,
Suzuki or Yamaha would not be the weapon of choice. The unreliability factor of
some of these bikes over the long run can really cause you grief when you’re in
the middle of Russia looking for Japanese motorcycle parts. Your best move is to
talk with other dual sport enthusiasts that have ridden internationally and see
what they have found to be durable through the various road conditions that
change by the kilometer. BMW is the one brand most will tend to agree is both
durable and easy to find parts for all over the planet.
Above: BMW's R1150GS is the weapon of choice for many
who take their dual sport abroad. Whether it's the streets of Bejing, or
the deserts of Africa, parts and service are often available within hours on
many cities in the world.
By John "Dirt Clod"
Schofield/Spring 2002
Northwest Dualsport Links and Resources
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Who makes what?
Aprilia
ETV CapoNord – $10,999
Notes: Aprilia’s offering for the dual sport market.
http://www.apriliausa.com
For Northwest Dealers CLICK HERE
BMW
F650GS -$8,190 and up
R1150GSAdventure – $14,500 and up
Notes: These are absolutely amazing motorcycles. While not ideal for hardcore
technical dirt riding, they will go practically anywhere else.
www.bmwmotorcycles.com
For Northwest Dealers CLICK HERE
Honda
XR-650L $5,499.00
Note: This is a very tall motorcycle. But it offers a long-travel suspension,
rock-solid reliability and tremendous aftermarket support (including lowering
kits).
www.hondamotorcycles.com/motorcycles/off-road
For Northwest Dealers CLICK HERE
Kawasaki
Super Sherpa $3,999.00
KLR250 $3,999.00
KLR 650 $4,999.00
KLX400R $5,449.00
Note: The 400 is basically a Suzuki DR-Z 400 with green plastic. A great dual
sport, no matter what the color is.
www.kawasaki.com
For Northwest Dealers CLICK
HERE
KTM
640 LC4 Adventure - Call dealers for pricing
950 Adventure S - Call dealers for pricing
950 Adventure - Call dealers for pricing
Note: I love KTM. Everything about them is top-notch. Like BMW, they are rather
pricey. Unlike BMW, they are light.
www.ktmusa.com
For Northwest Dealers CLICK HERE
Suzuki
DR650SE $4,999.00
DR-Z400S $5,449.00
DR-200SE 3,899.00
www.suzuki.com
Note: The 650 has one of the lowest seat heights of all big-bore dual sports.
Again, the DR-Z 400 is the best middleweight dual sport available.
For Northwest Dealers CLICK
HERE
Triumph
Tiger 955i - $10,999
Notes: Uses Triumph’s high performance 955 fuel injected triple motor which was
redesigned in 2002.
http://www.triumph.co.uk/site/regional/models/model.cfm?ModelID=44
For Northwest Dealers CLICK
HERE
Yamaha
XT-225 $3,999
TW-200 $3,599
www.yamaha-motor.com
For Northwest Dealers CLICK
HERE
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