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Speaking of which, I got approved for a loan today and I'm going down the dealership tomorrow to look at the CB300f. It'll be the brand new first bike I've ever owned and apparently the slowest from looking at various 0-60 times. But I swear, I started riding on a dr650, then a 1200 sportser, and most recently a suzuki m50, and I promise you I got worse at riding while I owned the m50. Looking back, each bike I owned was heavier than the last and I'm really looking to get something light, agile, and fun. I considered the duke 390 but it costs a grand more and while the cb300f is available in the local dealership, 20 minutes from my house, the duke 390 would be purchased like an hour away, out of state, in New Orleans. I'm exited; I've never owned a new vehicle before and I'm looking forward to a back to basics bike. You know, it's funny, I always thought I'd wanted a cruiser until I got one. I went on one motorcycle road trip and decided that 1) I don't like motorcycle trips and 2) 99% of my riding is 30 minutes or less at <60 mph, just going to my job or to my various suburban destinations. I suppose that's a difference between motorcycle culture from the outside looking in and then the reality of what you actually enjoy riding once you try it.
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Jul 18, 2015 02:36
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kylej posted:Anyone here have experience with the 300F? I think I can get my dealer to go down to the ~$3500 range which makes it enticing enough to buy in cash. Tired of 'big' bikes and buying other peoples headaches off Craigslist. I just bought one. It is wonderfully light and fun around town and the single cylinder is smooth thanks to the counter balance. It does lack power; that's actually kind of fun off the line because you can use all of the engine's power but passing at speed is harder than it would be on other bikes. The interstate is even more of a weak point, past 65 revs and wind are unpleasant. But if you can stand those features it's a great looking, fun, brand new bike for 3500. I'd recommend it.
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Aug 3, 2015 15:42
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I want to get a project bike and need some model recommendations; I think I'm looking for something like a cb250, classic British styling, 400 lbs or less, kick start. I want it to be (to lightly mod it into) a scrambler/dual sport (just like fire trails and other less than intense state Park joy riding), and I'd like it to be able to take the interstate to get there, we're talking needing to do sixty mph or so, not like so Cal interstate where it's 80 to 100 or gtfo. So....what I should I look for? I'm prioritizing parts availability and simple, old designs. I have a basically brand new bike that I'm keeping, so I'm hoping to buy something from the 70s and tinker.
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Apr 2, 2017 23:19
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Any pre 1975 CL it is then. Sorry if I scared anyone when I said 'mod', I meant "some of the CLs I googled look like they're set up to be dual sports, I could do that!". I'd be looking to restore/keep it period correct. Tires and stuff, not chopping the frame.
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Apr 3, 2017 01:53
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I liked it, and the final line bears repeating: I can promise you this: you will never look back on your riding career and say, “Man, I didn't buy nearly enough first bike.”
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Sep 15, 2017 18:42
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Slavvy have you ridden the new triupmhs? like the new Bonneville t100? It's high on my list of dream bikes and I'd be curious to hear what you, or anyone else, thinks.
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Oct 10, 2017 23:47
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Collateral Damage posted:Put this in the OP. I've lived in a house with a garage for like a year and am friends with a professional bike mechanic. I keep having others things to buy than a bike that doesn't even run, but if not now, when.
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Dec 7, 2017 23:44
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I have this and like it: https://rideapart.com/articles/review-cb300f-top-pick-beginners I sort of just think of it as Honda's ninja ~250. Pros: l350lbs wet. After owning a cruiser this thing reminded me what I like about motorcycles (around town wee's) vs what I thought I liked (lol touring). Very very smooth for a single cylinder. Overall a comfortable, liveable bike. I'm 6'1 175lbs. Like $USD 4 grand new, drop dead reliable. Very slow so you can bounce off the redline all. the. time. Cons: It's only as fast as an older v8 car. This is the other half of "very slow". Overall I think it's great and while I'm always lusting after other bikes I don't NEED anything else. And now that it's warming up I'm reminded that it's actually a joy to ride . Edit: I also want to praise the very upright riding position. It may look a bit like a sport bike at first but my head is very, very high. In traffic I can see the roofs of every thing shorter than a modern f150, so it's at the higher end of truck's ride height. You're absolutely not bent over holding clip ons. Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Feb 20, 2018 |
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Feb 20, 2018 00:25
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At my weight the top speed is around 85 but honestly with no windshield anything 70+ puts a crick in my neck after four hours. I bought a windshield for it that did nothing but cause tremendous buffeting. In fact, I'll mail that windshield to your friend if they want it. Edit: I'll double check my brand, because if mine isn't piug and you say that one works, I may try it. I don't super slab often but I'd like to make it more comfortable when I have to. Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Feb 20, 2018 |
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Feb 20, 2018 02:49
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What is available in new bikes in a classic style, like the cb1100 but smaller in displacement and weight? Just the Suzuki tu250? Anything at ~500cc 400lbs?
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Feb 28, 2018 17:33
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Just trying to keep tabs for the next bike. There are things I love about my Honda cb300f: the weight, the forgiving and approachable feel, how easy it is to turn, and even how I get to wring the engine out on 50 mph roads. But I don't love the styling, especially since I don't think it suits saddlebags, and any time I borrow another bike I'm reminded how nice and satisfying usable torque all along the rev range is. I know a well balanced bike doesn't FEEL heavy, but I like how forgiving a light bike is. If I could but a bike exactly like my current bike but with a retro style I would, and if it could have more torque that'd be a bonus. Serious question, is that asking too much? Am I asking for the engine of a bigger bike, on a smaller bike, while it still handles like a forgiving beginner bike?
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Feb 28, 2018 17:58
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What about desmo valves? Also the reviews all say it's kind of a harsh ride. Also I don't want to take a 10k primary means of transportation off-road. Those are all the negatives, for the positives pretend I posted a pic of the bike while my eyes roll back. Edit: I think I'd get the smallest of the new retro triumphs before I got the Ducati.
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Feb 28, 2018 20:31
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Would you include the 2017+ Bonneville t100 in that judgement?
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Jul 28, 2018 13:49
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I had a m50 for years and the shaft drive was, to my untrained perception, just like a chain except I never had to maintenance it.
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Aug 14, 2018 18:04
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I'd really like a triumph t100 except that it weighs 500 lbs and I won't get a bike that's much over 400. However, I heard Triumph is coming out with a new line of entry level bikes, does anyone know any more than that? All I'm seeing in google is year old rumours.
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Mar 14, 2019 17:28
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gileadexile posted:I'd mostly use it for weekend rides with dad, we have some great little side and back roads around here, and I could ride it back and forth to work. You're exactly right to be looking at used Ninja 250s, I had one as my first bike. Light, fun, fast enough for the interstate when needed, you should be able to buy a good one for two grand and sell it later for the SAME two grand. Seconding the gear budget recommendation.
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Apr 25, 2019 15:13
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What do I buy if I've owned a DR650 before and I know it's exactly what I need and I should just buy another, but I want the styling of a retro styling Triumph Bonneville, old UJM etc? Every thing I can find either weighs 500lbs or doesn't actually have the aesthetics I want (ducati scrambler). It would need to be pretty much the perfect match since I can just go get a used DR650 for $3500 anywhere, so I'd need to be really compelled to spend two or three times that new on a niche bike. I think I've exhausted the offerings of new bikes, but is there something older that might work? Sigh. I'm just really not that excited by the DR650 looks. It's very good for what it is but I don't want a "dirt bike" to be my primary/only motorcycle. Probably what I'll end up with anyway.
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Apr 13, 2020 17:00
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Is there anything even close to a bolt on conversion kit for a DR650 or is it all just custom one off's posted in articles to make me miserable? I know that the fundamental bike geometry means it can't be bolted into looking like a scrambler, but if there are options out there people know about I'd like to see them. I'm trying to google it now but eh, the topic is kind of weird to me so I'm probably doing it wrong.
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Apr 13, 2020 18:44
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Oof. Well, hmn. It's about what I figured but it still helped just to complain to someone, so thanks for that. The super secret answer is probably to just keep riding my CB300F, which is, like, a fine bike that can already do anything I need it to. Edit: Ok, I forgot for a second that the CB300F doesn't have a purchasable wind screen that actually works for someone my height, but who wants to ride for hours on the interstate anyway. Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Apr 13, 2020 |
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Apr 13, 2020 19:50
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Yeah, I've seen that one. I didn't actually google the seat height on the vanvan but it looks real small, and I need to be able to ride 2up eeevery once and a while. Mostly it's that I'm window shopping / thinking on what bike I might want next, so of course I'm trying to find the one perfect bike. My CB300f is light, fun around town, and perfectly capable of taking on most any trip. The DR650, with its suspension and ability to fall over better, would let me explore some ATV trails and junk, and I'd like to do that. Regarding the aesthetics, nah it's just me, I haven't ridden with anyone else in years and, since I've always been ATGATT and preferred smaller, lighter bikes, I've long since gotten used to just doing my own thing. But, you know, when you drop thousands of dollars on a bike you're going to own for years, you'd kinda of want to like how it looks, and I've never enjoyed the modern naked look of the CB300F. With the DR650 it's less that I dislike how it looks (I actually do like 90's style dual sports), it's more that I'd merely prefer something else. Keeping my CB300F while I work on DR650 as a garage project is tempting, but I know myself well enough to think I'd almost certainly just end up with a cut up bike frame and some worthless parts, so I'd better not. I'll probably just do what I did the last time I looked into new bikes, which is to just keep the bike I have for another couple of years and see what else comes out. Or buy a cheap used dual sport as a second bike, but I never wanted to collect too many (more than one) bikes. Ah well, we’ll see. Edit: I should have looked harder at the Vanvan. As someone who's currently very happy on 300cc 350lb bike, but wants a dual sport with retro styling, uuuuh yeah. The specs say the seat height is about the same as my CB300f and this review says it does 2 up fine. And I don't need to try to find a used one because they're cheap new. Hmmn. Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Apr 13, 2020 |
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Apr 13, 2020 20:37
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Heeeee is the SR400/500 kick start?? My DR was kick start, that's really appealing.
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Apr 13, 2020 21:04
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Yeah it's more that it keeps me from riding on a USA interstate for hours and hours. But good news, there's another that keeps me from doing that, boredom! So it's less a deal breaker and more a shame that I can't keep a windshield in my garage "just in case".
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Apr 13, 2020 21:51
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Yeah, though it's EFI I think. I dunno, it never really bugged me in my DR, so it's not all me daydreaming about a thing I've never had to live with. Might get old, you're right, but I'm working with few enough choices here that I wouldn't throw a bike out as an option just because once a year someone is behind me honking while I curse and hop and down.
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Apr 13, 2020 23:07
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Is that thing on the front below the headlight, like, a reservoir, or just a container, or what?
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May 19, 2020 18:19
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Anyone have any thoughts on the various 200/250 cc Dual Sports? I'm considering them over the DR650 both because I've never ridden off road and don't really need the need or desire to ride on the highway / above ~65 mph. While I’ve watched the youtube videos of the Australians that mod the DR650, and I do believe it’s a fantastic “adventure” bike, I've also seen multiple reviews of smaller dual sports which mention how easy they are ride off road, how they feel like "cheating" or "easy mode" compared to larger bikes, and for someone that's going to be riding in the dirt for the first time that sounds exactly like what I need. I mean, just looking at the weights, the DR 200 is only 278 lbs whereas the DR 650 is about a hundred pounds more. For someone like me, who went onto the interstate for more than 20 minutes less than a half dozen times in the previous 5 years, and who currently rides a 30hp bike without complaint, these smaller dual sports seem like they’d give me as easy an introduction to off road riding as possible without causing me much pain on the streets. Although, I am a little concerned about the ability to both mount and saddlebags and ride two-up at the same time; some of the lug rages I’ve seen look they’d mount the bags in the way of the footpegs. Does anyone have any thoughts on buying one of these smaller dual sports over a DR400 or DR650? Any models in particular you'd recommend? Availability of aftermarket mods like saddlebags and racks is very important to me.
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Jun 1, 2020 14:18
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The two people together would be less than 300 lbs so it's more the geometry of mounting the bags with a passenger, but yeah it is a concern. I like small bikes, and I haven't owned one yet that was top small, so I'd like to try. Ryan from Fortnine recommends the KLX250, and he seems to generally know what he's talking about. Edit: I'm not discounting the difficulty of going two up with luggage on a bike with 18 hp, or the very real limits of what a suspension is made for; it's more that's I'm lazy and don't want to take my (empty) bags off when I ride 2 up. Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 15:08 on Jun 1, 2020 |
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Jun 1, 2020 15:04
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Shelvocke posted:If you have an hour or two to spare, here is an excellent video about dualsports by EverRide: This was fantastic, thank you. I'm sort of settling on the idea that a dr650 would be a great choice IF I was already comfortable off road, but a 250 will be a better choice to start with. So, I think I'll keep an eye out for a used KLR 250 (efi) or a Yamaha xt250, and ride that for a year, then maybe move on to a dr650 later. And I could still keep the 250 around because maybe, finally, I could actually convince a friend to ride a little if I transported the 250 to a trail.
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Jun 2, 2020 15:20
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He rides it, if it's his DR650 With aftermarket tank, which I think it is. There's a time stamp about him on a Dr650 and...I think his friend is on a ... ktm 990??(idks about ktm) and its them working big bikes through a single track and talking out a conclusion to the video. Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Jun 2, 2020 |
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Jun 2, 2020 21:16
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I knew, 100% knew, that I was going to buy a dual sport, and I still almost bought a tu250 instead. So beautiful.
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Jun 11, 2020 01:45
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I know ABS is great, but one thing I adore about bikes is that the safety standards are what you wear, not what you ride; so a bike from the 80s is safe in ways a car from the 80s never could be.
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Jun 20, 2020 01:33
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What is a dad bike in this context? Fairings?
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Jul 6, 2020 13:28
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It's just weird to me because all the previous qualifications are things that could be more or less quantified. Even if we're saying that emotional choices don't have to be explained, what even is a dad bike? As a counter example, I prefer older style dual sports over the angular look of the 2000s, but even that is a pretty clearly defined grouping even if the merits are emotional.
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Jul 6, 2020 14:07
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Dadbike is my aspirational end goal, too, bring on the thread.
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Jul 6, 2020 16:09
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And the current paint schemes, at least in the USA, are much better, featuring colorful retro stripes. I'd really like one if I'd just allow myself to own multiple bikes.
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Jul 20, 2020 14:21
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Coydog posted:What is this type of bike/china clone? Someone can correct me but I think like the Van Van and tw200, big old tire for sand, reviews of Van Van talk about that legacy, which I'd otherwise never heard of.
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Jul 27, 2020 19:49
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I'll probably not get any.
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Nov 21, 2020 15:12
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Oceanlife posted:Imagine if there was a company that still built '67 Camaros and that's basically Harley. That's how I've always thought about it, too. The modern crash test and other standards that force out older cars don't have nearly as much sway with motorcycles so you can buy some really ancient machines right off the show room floor and have a good time doing it, too.
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Nov 26, 2020 14:19
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That's fantastic analogy and it's going to become the core of any description I make of Harley to any of my non riding friends. Edit - really this needs to go into some kind of satirical article about the decline of chevy, but posted on ride apart or somewhere without the real context made explicit.
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Nov 27, 2020 16:40
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This is how I copied it to my friends and they loved it:quote:Imagine that Chevy never stopped making the 57 Chevy. A car known for its styling and a classic in its own right, but even in its own time was nothing special from a performance or technology standpoint.
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Nov 27, 2020 21:21
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| # ¿ May 19, 2024 08:20 |
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So I just got off the phone with a board member form a local OHV park. He doesn't ride dual sports, but he consulted with another board member who does, and long story short they say my DR650 isn't at all appropriate for the park. Aside from the weight, he said that he's seen lots and lots of dual sports struggle with their suspensions on the rough trails. Now, he just bought Kawasaki KX250 and says the suspension is fine for their park, so with that as a bench mark, can anyone recommend a small ~250 dual sport that would compare? I suppose the obvious possibility is the KLX250? But I've also heard good things (here) about both the Yamaha WR250R and XT225?
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Nov 28, 2020 23:31
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