CraigB wants to be a biker...

CraigB

Ich bin ein Kartoffel
DONOR
Joined
Feb 14, 2007
Messages
17,813
Location
SWMO
Car(s)
Mustang SVO - Frontier Pro-4X - BRZ - D21 Hardbody
Well, not one of those bikers... :lol:

I have ridden 50 and 70 cc scooters since I was a teenager. My first bike being a Honda 50 Express that was given to me. Since then I have had a few different scooters, but nothing bigger. My dad had an older Honda 900 (Custom, I think?) that I never rode, but should have given it a try. Recently we got a Honda Ruckus and I have had fun riding it on the country roads, but it lacks anything resembling power. I think it's time I progress into something I can ride on nice days, but here's the catch, I would really like something I can ride on gravel roads. However I may be swayed to stay with a street bike. There's a lot of them near me and I like exploring them, but the Focus isn't well suited to that sort of thing. I also would like to ride on the highway at 60-70 mph to get to town on occasion (though I'd probably take the country roads instead of the highway). Then there's the whole budget thing. I think if buying new I need to stay around $6,000, that will keep the payment and insurance in the $150 a month range.

Currently I don't have a motorcycle endorsement on my license, but I don't believe that will be difficult to obtain.

So far my candidates are:

Honda CB500X
Honda CB500F
Honda CB300F
Honda CRF250L

Yamaha TW200
Yamaha XT250
Yamaha SR400

Suzuki DR200SE
Suzuki GW250
Suzuki TU250X

Kawasaki KLX250S

Any suggestions, comments, etc. is most certainly appreciated and welcomed. I don't want to shell out a bunch of money and be stuck with something that I don't like. Thanks in advance! :mrgreen:
 
ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNO BIKE
used-speed-triple.jpg

ONE OF US ONE OF US :mrgreen:


Those are all good choices, but if plan on ever hitting any highways, go with a 500cc class bike. I recommend Hondas because the parts availability and general reliability is always there, but those are all solid bikes. I'd also suggest adding the Yamaha WR250X as it's an EFI thumper...and I want one :p Take a local MSF class as you'll relearn some basics and probably some new stuff and in some cases, get a nice discount on insurance. Also, some dealers that run MSF might have a promotion that could help you save a little money on any bikes or gear you buy from them.

Hit up your CL for used gear, just be sure to buy your helmet (I always recommend full face lids, with the latest Snell or ECE ratings) new. There's different helmets for different head shapes, so make sure you try one on before buying.
 
Last edited:
Craig, I would recommend going used for your first bike as there's likely to be less of a hit to the resale value if you drop it, plus there are some great dual sports/adventure bikes that are no longer made, like this one.
 
Those are all good choices, but if plan on ever hitting any highways, go with a 500cc class bike. I recommend Hondas because the parts availability and general reliability is always there, but those are all solid bikes. I'd also suggest adding the Yamaha WR250X as it's an EFI thumper...and I want one :p Take a local MSF class as you'll relearn some basics and probably some new stuff and in some cases, get a nice discount on insurance. Also, some dealers that run MSF might have a promotion that could help you save a little money on any bikes or gear you buy from them.

Hit up your CL for used gear, just be sure to buy your helmet (I always recommend full face lids, with the latest Snell or ECE ratings) new. There's different helmets for different head shapes, so make sure you try one on before buying.

I have no rational reason, but I do prefer Hondas. Maybe because that's always what I ended up with. I looked at the WR250X, but it starts to max out the budget once you factor in the extras to get started. Thanks for the advice on the MSF class, I haven't gotten enough road miles to really feel comfortable to ride without some training.

I have a helmet for auto-x and mountain biking, but not a full face. That's what I'd want as well.


Craig, I would recommend going used for your first bike as there's likely to be less of a hit to the resale value if you drop it, plus there are some great dual sports/adventure bikes that are no longer made, like this one.

I had thought about used, but being the instant gratification type, saving the money may kill me. I would also be concerned that a bike would have been abused and I'd be buying a project. A bike with some semblance of a warranty would be good piece of mind. That and I have never owned a brand new vehicle. Here's some local bikes that caught my eye though:

http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/4653610139.html
http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/4679807420.html
http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/4662344568.html
http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/4686997308.html
http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/4654754176.html
 
Last edited:
Take a look at the Honda NC700X. It is classified as an adventure bike by Honda and looking at some of the people on the NC700 forums they sure use it as one.

https://rideapart.com/articles/rideapart-review-honda-nc700x

I wouldn't get one with a DCT though.

As far as gear I have this jacket and I love it, but I also got the back protector and the titty pads.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/stree...lmost_free!/cape_town_air_drystar_jacket.html

That NC700X looks like it would fit the bill, but the payment would be just a little more than I would like.

The deal on that jacket looks too good, but I doubt an XL would fit me very well. I'm not a small guy.
 
If you are looking to ride gravel roads I would strongly suggest something with either a 19" or 21" front wheel. The wide 17" fronts on street bikes are not confidence inspiring on loose surfaces. Something like that KLR you saw on CL would fit the bill nicely IMO.
 
The idea of exploring some of the gravel roads around here has appeal. I can tell you the Ruckus is darty on gravel.

Looking at a couple of other local Craigslists, I can say used is starting to have some appeal. People seem to buy a bike, not ride it, then sell it on at a deep discount with few miles:

http://springfield.craigslist.org/mcy/4712169610.html
http://springfield.craigslist.org/mcy/4707527932.html
http://springfield.craigslist.org/mcy/4712667544.html
http://springfield.craigslist.org/mcy/4708858350.html
 
I'm not a small guy.

If you're on the larger side, the KLR would be a good fit. Also try to keep away from 4-cylinder bikes for offroad as they won't have the grunt of a single. Try the bikes out for size too - I have long legs and find that some bikes just don't fit me. And get trained too. It might feel pointless when you're doing it but it'll save your arse one day.
 
If you're on the larger side, the KLR would be a good fit. Also try to keep away from 4-cylinder bikes for offroad as they won't have the grunt of a single. Try the bikes out for size too - I have long legs and find that some bikes just don't fit me. And get trained too. It might feel pointless when you're doing it but it'll save your arse one day.

Thanks for the info. I'm not that tall (5'10"/~1.78m), but I'm a bit overweight. Is that something I should take into consideration on a bike?
 
Thanks for the info. I'm not that tall (5'10"/~1.78m), but I'm a bit overweight. Is that something I should take into consideration on a bike?

Erm, depends on what you mean by "a bit overweight". If you're more than about 100kgs/220lbs you might want to consider a bike with adjustable rear pre-load and rebound otherwise it might be a bit bouncy.
 
I'm north of that, but coming down slowly.

Found a few cheap bikes that might fit the bill of a dirt road cruiser:

1984 honda xr500r - $1800
http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/4674841021.html

1980 honda xl250s - $950
http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/4718026271.html

2001 Kawasaki KLR 250 Dual Sport - $2200
http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/4671235605.html

Yamaha XT 225 Enduro Dual sport - $2000
http://springfield.craigslist.org/mcy/4714308610.html

HUSQVARNA 61OTE WITH STREET LEGALTITLE 1996 - $1195
http://springfield.craigslist.org/mcy/4696571234.html

bmw motorcycle K75 - $2500
http://springfield.craigslist.org/mcy/4700318301.html

1999 Kawasaki KLR250 - $1800
http://springfield.craigslist.org/mcy/4697525893.html

klr650 - $1400
http://seks.craigslist.org/mcy/4702706435.html

1990 Yamaha XT 600 Enduro -Rare find! - $2300
http://seks.craigslist.org/mcy/4700844300.html
 
I would never recommend a new bike to a new rider. Its not worth it anyway you look at unless you have disposable income... in that case buy me another bike! On a second look at your list, you have dualsports on there. That is even more reason to stay away from a new motorcycle.

Now, I would consider a dualsport/enduro to be an extremely great choice for a first bike for numerous reasons but the biggest is fixing it. I'll use my bike as an example of how few and flexible plastics are on it to be broken and how few pieces are needed to be removed for maintenance or repair. I can access my air box and battery within seconds without tools compared to a friend's crotch rocket.

Ever look at a XR650L? The KLR and XR are in the same class but the KLR is touted as a better on road bike. If you look into a XR650L, be sure you are tall enough and strong enough to pick up the bike; they do make lowering links but the bike is around 350lbs. The XR650L has a great resale value, so if you out grow it, decide on a different style of bike or dislike riding then you can ditch it without a massive loss. I would consider a CRF250L as a better choice (less power, shorter and lighter) but they always seem harder to find (at least in my area) versus the XR650L or KLR650.

On the gear side of things, I would recommend trying it at a store then checking if you can find it cheaper online. From my experience, if you shop from one brand to another you will notice one may be loose fitting or tighter but classified as the same size, like any other kind of clothing. This goes with helmets as well so try it in store before you buy it. I have a HJC helmet in XL and a Bell helmet in XL but the Bell is much tighter on my face. This may be due to thicker padding but you need to take all variables into consideration.

I would recommend an HJC helmet since they can be cheap, sometimes SNELL approved, and are reasonably comfortable. Here are some sites I have used:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/
http://www.revzilla.com/
http://www.bikebandit.com/
 
Thanks for the info, Yaco.

Ease of maintenance is a worthy point to consider. Even on this ruckus if you need to mess with the carburetor you have to spend 10 minutes pulling all the plastics off.

A lighter bike does make sense, in case I dump it out in the boonies, I need to be able to get i back on two wheels without assistance.

Dad had a HJC helmet. He joked it stood for Holds Jour Cranium. We still use it as a loaner helmet for the racetrack.
 
 
Craig, I would recommend going used for your first bike as there's likely to be less of a hit to the resale value if you drop it, plus there are some great dual sports/adventure bikes that are no longer made, like this one.

Can you move from a BMW like this to Ninja ZX6 or CBR 600 ?
 
A lighter bike does make sense, in case I dump it out in the boonies, I need to be able to get i back on two wheels without assistance.

I wouldn't worry too much about weight making it hard to pick up the bike - with proper technique you can easily pick up a bike over 200kgs.
 
Bit of a thread bump here, but I watched both "Long Ray Round" and "Long Way Down" recently and it's got me back in to the frame of mind of buying a used dual sport or adventure bike. Digging around on Craigslist I found these two near me:

http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/5102986646.html

http://joplin.craigslist.org/mcy/5142134275.html

I could see the DL650 being the better on-road bike and the DR200 being the better off-road... I'm just not sure which is right for me.

My wife still says, "No.", but I need something I can clear my head every once and awhile. I think this would be the ticket...
 
You've pretty much nailed it on those two. The DL650 is a great touring bike, great commuter, decent on gravel and a total pig offroad. The DR on the other hand will likely struggle to go more than 60 or so, but it will be really good the worse the road gets, or when it ends.
 
Top