Edited Date/Time
6/27/2013 11:55am
I may get thrashed for not talking moto here but I was just curious if any other lifelong moto guys are doing this. Any of you old guys that have bodies wearing out from years of motoing try dual sporting? I tell you I am loving it. Bought a Yamaha WR250R recently. So nice to be able to walk out the door whenever the mood strikes and take off and ride through the hills around San Diego. Dealing with cars is very similar to heading into the first turn with 30 125 beginners! Then when you see anything that resembles dirt you take off road. Best thing of all is my body does not get wrecked after a day on the MX track
And sorry for the title....we should never be too old to moto. Lets just say my knees are too worn out to moto..
And sorry for the title....we should never be too old to moto. Lets just say my knees are too worn out to moto..
GMan does a fair bit, too, I think.
There's no bad time on a bike, and it's a great way to stay on focused on what you can do rather than what days are past.
Whats the top speed on your WR? Can you maintain freeway speed?
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Doesn't have a lot of beans, but it's still fun in the woods. And on the roads in between the woods runs.
My kid has been riding it more than me though this year - I gotta get out more....
Had a KTM 990 but for me at under 160 # is was to much for technical segments when DSing. Great bike for psuedo off road for a small guy - perhaps for a man well over 200 # tall and fit the 990 would be great.
I have had the privilige of Riding DS bikes with one of the Icons of motorcycling.....been to S America twice and other awesome rides.
If we had a good list of bikes in this thread, it would be awesome.
It's just fun to attack the twisties and battle some offroad after, on a big ass dirtbike like the KTM.
I have had converted many dirt bikes to street legal status,a couple of WR's,XR',EXC,KLX..Have a few buddies that are into it also.
Like you racing just is too brutal on the body anymore.
Planned vacations around dual sport rides.
Have done a week in Costa Rica.
9 day trip to Copper Canyon Mexico
Many trips to California, Colorado,Utah,Oregon.plus the home state of AZ has lots of dual sport riding.
Dual sporting has extended my riding years and is a blast,I get to see much more than when I go hiking which is harder on my knees than riding anyway.
Most any riding is good riding.
As far as bikes, almost all of the bikes that are dual sport ready qualified are pretty good. My 525 was probably the perfect bike, really like the RFS generation engines from KTM, they are billet proof and really easy to maintain (adjusting valves is a snap), six speeds (close or wide ratio), choice of engine sizes. KTM does seem to have the stuff ironed out that were issues with the shift over to the new style engines. In Cali, you can find some 04-06 plated bikes, but technically they are not plateable and you never know if the CARB bureaucrats will catch up with one that made it through the DMV (same with the plated CRX Hondas in Cali). A plated 03 or the 07 OEM dual sport is a pretty nice bike. The Yamaha's a really nice, it's pretty hard to go wrong on any of them. Personally, I'd want a big bore rather than a 250, especially if you'll spend any time at speed on the trail or roads getting to trails.
I'd love to try an Adventure or SE, 990 or 690, but not sure my body has much left for even a 500 bike, which is why I ended up selling my 525 a few years ago.
Pit Row
Deep in Mexico somewhere
Thanks FTE (nice pic) and yea the bottom line is I luv riding motosickles more than anything else I can think of.
With age (55) and two surgeries (first for that) in 2012 was the longest time I have not been on a moto track (15 months and counting).
And you know what—I find myself not missing it that much as I thought. Been keeping busy riding my streetbike and occasional Dual Sport Ride.
Now it’s triple digits and Jet-ski time. Heading out to LAughlin tomorrow and riding the Colorado River--should be FUN!
a streetbike buddy at work had seen my 4 Saloon 4 Lake TT (Tavern to Tavern) slideshows and he’s the type guy that will empty his wallet to buy EVERYTHING in the catalog for his bike….hehehe
He had never been in the dirt and it was quite an adventure for him but he survived (barely) and can’t wait for the 6th Annual TT.
Check out the Movie Trailer:
Movie Clip
Here is the Slideshow:
AZ TT
I ride a 2002 KTM EXC that is perfect for the type of riding I do:
[URL]http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Arizona-s-5th-Annual-TT-R…]
Went for a 640 mile streetbike ride up in the White Mountains over the Holiday and rode some epic roads:
Annual Ride to the Pines....
[URL]https://picasaweb.google.com/103236087598437918425/Alpine#slideshow/588…]
KTM EXC 350 F
I agree with other posters about engine size. If you plan on doing much in the way of hgh speed trails and long distance freeway riding my 250 will go the speed with no problem but it would be much nicer to have a big bore for that. I find I am running in the 40-60 mph range most of the time so the 250 is perfect for that.
Moto soul I love that KTM. I was real tempted to get that but it was about $2,500 over the Yamaha so that is why I went with what I did.
Here's what my "dual sport" looks like. I swear I could take it off road if I just had some knobby tires.
I've done many LA to Barstow to Vegas rides and the Arizona Trail Riders put on an epic event each year. This year is in the beautiful Prescott Wilderness and a "must do" event.
Last yr was in Payson & my ol Cali buds signed up at the last second. They were glad they did and will be back.
Payson DS
Cheers!
I had two and just sold "Silver" (2002 fz1) to my buddy who lives in Balboa. He's the Bartender @ the Balboa Saloon and new to streetbikes but we have ridden/raced dirtbikes for 40 yrs.
He doesn't have anyone to ride with so, stroll on in one day on your bike, it would blow his mind!
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