Changing over to Supermoto

USA_Rider_
Posts
81
Joined
9/26/2012
Location
Hartford, CT US
Edited Date/Time 1/12/2013 5:16pm
I’m sick of looking for places to ride and dealing with crappy packed open practice tracks and jammed tracks. I'm going to buy a Supermoto and ride it on the street. I know that sounds shitty, but it’s just the reality of things in the great east coast. At least I can ride a "dirt bike" any time I want. I know the Supermoto bubble passed a few years ago, but I can't see myself on a Harley. I’ll keep close to motocross, but I’m giving it a rest. Husqvarna makes some sick looking rides and they aren't orange! (I refuse to ride an orange bike on the street). I'm jealous of you lucky bastards with all the places to ride. Any input is on the Supermoto transition is welcome.
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1/10/2013 4:24pm
I know you said you don't like orange, but KTM 690smr's are super nice. I have a drz400sm, buy one of those and ride the piss out of it. Keep up on oil changes every 1-2k miles and clean the air filter and they will run forever. One guy on thumpertalk just adjusted his valves for the first time at 64k miles. I've seen one drz400s with 110k miles and still on the original top end. You can pick up a nice used one with under 10k miles for 2500-3k, and can build it to make 50-53 rwhp for another $1500-2k. My drz has just a hair under 20k miles and I have never had a problem with it.
KMC440
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7764
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4/1/2008
Location
US
1/10/2013 4:29pm
Hand your license over to the police now and start walking. I couldn't keep the front end down and it's waaaaay to easy to go fast on them on the back roads.

You'll save yourself a bunch of tickets and insurance issues.

Good luck.
bangmyhead
Posts
751
Joined
4/9/2011
Location
Comin' Straight Outta Compton, CA US
1/10/2013 4:31pm
USA_Rider_ wrote:
I’m sick of looking for places to ride and dealing with crappy packed open practice tracks and jammed tracks. I'm going to buy a Supermoto and...
I’m sick of looking for places to ride and dealing with crappy packed open practice tracks and jammed tracks. I'm going to buy a Supermoto and ride it on the street. I know that sounds shitty, but it’s just the reality of things in the great east coast. At least I can ride a "dirt bike" any time I want. I know the Supermoto bubble passed a few years ago, but I can't see myself on a Harley. I’ll keep close to motocross, but I’m giving it a rest. Husqvarna makes some sick looking rides and they aren't orange! (I refuse to ride an orange bike on the street). I'm jealous of you lucky bastards with all the places to ride. Any input is on the Supermoto transition is welcome.
Have fun and save extra money for a bus pass and tickets.


I encountered lots of speeding tickets, exhibition of speed tickets, reckless driving tickets (should really be reckless riding) and horrible asians drivers


PS i busted it all out for $1900 on a '95 XR600 hahaha. 1500 for the bike (bike already had good tires) and 400 on suspension. Pulling up next to a 600 streetbike was my favorite. smoke em off the line and would be @ 10 o'clock when they finally caught up. (cant feel that cool to pass a dude cruisin a wheelie down beach blvd one handed)
katooom
Posts
497
Joined
9/3/2010
Location
Broad Run, VA US
1/10/2013 4:31pm Edited Date/Time 1/10/2013 4:38pm
I have a 05 KTM625SMC (black! - euro plastics). Love the bike. 2x4Hard seat, vibrates, loud, but love it.

If you are riding for 80mi and less, SM is fine. Beyond that, wind exposure, hard seat gets old in a hurry (at least for me).

But for dirt bike handling, maneuverability they are great. Just make sure no cops around when yanking front wheel up or stoppies. Cops do not think much of that, I know. But SM is much less of a license risk than a crotch rocket.

SM excels at less than 75mph tight twisty road. I can eat superbike up on mountain road, they kill me on slightest straight though.

My nephew has 07 Husky 610. Nice, very sharp looks IMO. Not quite as edgy as mine, mine is slightly faster.

5XX series are closer to dirt bikes - very edgy, fast, lighter, much more maintenance.

Aprilia is fast fast possible grenade. Very sweet bikes but possible nightmare.

check out supermotojunkie dot com for much education.

SM may or may not satisfy your dirt needs, but for around town/back roads they are great. Watch out for cops!

Mine makes me smile every time I ride it. Good luck.

The Shop

USA_Rider_
Posts
81
Joined
9/26/2012
Location
Hartford, CT US
1/10/2013 4:57pm
Great stuff guys, thanks! I never really thought about the road rules stuff, that could be a problem! I'll stick to the backroads and look out for deers! A fully modded out DRZ is a possiblity, but the euro bikes are so freaking sick!
1/10/2013 5:29pm
USA_Rider_ wrote:
Lumpy that thing looks crazy! Keep us posted....
Yeah deer and stupid drivers are the scariest things out there, my buddy hit a deer on his new triumph speed triple less than 50 feet in front of me, not a pleasant experience at all. Normally you can get away from the cops before they have time to turn around if your on a curvy road, I've gotten one ticket on my drz in 3 years of ownership and I'm 20 years old. The only ticket I got was for an improper lane change lol!
MX_Andrew83
Posts
747
Joined
10/6/2010
Location
Morehead city, NC US
1/10/2013 6:58pm
I have KLX250sf, it has a few mods, I love running around the country roads near my house. If the weather holds out i'm going to take it up to the mountains on Saturday.
jmb227
Posts
148
Joined
4/27/2012
Location
Yukon, OK US
1/10/2013 8:46pm
The things we did on supermotos in OKC to get out of tickets..... Just think of it this way..... your on the road you see lights and you think oh hey look a drainage ditch behind that shopping mall that leads into a bunch of trees...... BYE!
markit
Posts
2638
Joined
1/10/2013
Location
Bogalusa, LA US
1/10/2013 9:03pm
We use to go to Ga a lot and one of the gang had a XR650 SM he would out run all of us on SBKs lol He was a factory racers uncle though.
pCp 252
Posts
675
Joined
1/1/2008
Location
Hampden, MA US
Fantasy
2541st
1/10/2013 9:28pm
Ahem, what are you a fool? Won't ride orange on the street? Here's the ticket, they are offered in 350cc and 500cc. Hope you have 9 grand though.

I feel where you're coming from, I'm from nearby Hampden Massachusetts. There's a decent MX scene but like you said it's packed with a bunch of joey's who all believe they are going pro. Racing is now too expensive... I would start looking for some single track out in the berkshires and get as far away from society as possible.

USA_Rider_
Posts
81
Joined
9/26/2012
Location
Hartford, CT US
1/10/2013 9:35pm
pCp 252 wrote:
Ahem, what are you a fool? Won't ride orange on the street? Here's the ticket, they are offered in 350cc and 500cc. Hope you have 9...
Ahem, what are you a fool? Won't ride orange on the street? Here's the ticket, they are offered in 350cc and 500cc. Hope you have 9 grand though.

I feel where you're coming from, I'm from nearby Hampden Massachusetts. There's a decent MX scene but like you said it's packed with a bunch of joey's who all believe they are going pro. Racing is now too expensive... I would start looking for some single track out in the berkshires and get as far away from society as possible.

Yep its the east coast.......it sucks for MX. Your showing a dualsport above, thats not going to cut it on paved roads. I'm looking to go fast on the street, or at least be able to corner hard and not worry about a 21" knobby in front. I also want huge brakes and the large rotor won't cut it off road. I'll still MX'ing, but I'll use one of my older 2 stokes and maybe even get a big bore 125.
bangmyhead
Posts
751
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Location
Comin' Straight Outta Compton, CA US
1/10/2013 9:43pm Edited Date/Time 1/10/2013 9:44pm
Bigoldbeef wrote:
Yeah deer and stupid drivers are the scariest things out there, my buddy hit a deer on his new triumph speed triple less than 50 feet...
Yeah deer and stupid drivers are the scariest things out there, my buddy hit a deer on his new triumph speed triple less than 50 feet in front of me, not a pleasant experience at all. Normally you can get away from the cops before they have time to turn around if your on a curvy road, I've gotten one ticket on my drz in 3 years of ownership and I'm 20 years old. The only ticket I got was for an improper lane change lol!
Only 1?


You're not having enough fun lol jk
1/11/2013 7:02am Edited Date/Time 1/11/2013 7:06am
Fast (66HP 64NM), great brakes, handles like a 450 and is cheap on maintenance



Only downside for u is that it's orange.
mgifracing
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1523
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1/25/2007
Location
Newton, KS US
Fantasy
357th
1/11/2013 8:25am
I ride a drz almost everyday, Like they said watch out for the po po but you can usually talk the local kart tracks into some fun.Evil
Rooster
Posts
4430
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Edmonton CA
1/11/2013 8:37am
I had my CRF plated for awhile.

Between the close calls and the tickets, I use ut on the track only now. The tickets actually weren't that bad. You can't get going that fast on them, but like others have said, the bikes seem happier with one wheel in the air most of the time. Between the wheelies and stoppies it was only a matter of time before some cop threw the book at me.

They will make a sportbike look silly in the twistys, but on longer rides and highway riding of any sort will make you wish you had a bigger bike.
hammertime
Posts
1583
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8/16/2006
Location
K Town CA
1/11/2013 9:41am
get a 1000 vtwin. handles like a dirtbike but has the legs for big highways! i've had a bunch of them and love em!!!

mgifracing
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Newton, KS US
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357th
1/11/2013 9:50am
Btw, I used to work for an Aprilia dealer, The 450 and 550 sm's are super fun but more work than they are worth. I couldn't ride one in traffic without it melting down. I'm not a pumpkin fan either but the new 390 coming out is gonna be bat shit crazy fun. Half of the dealership i work at are selling our Drz's already.
rgcrane
Posts
6
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1/6/2012
Location
Belmont, CA US
1/11/2013 5:59pm
checkout supermotojunkie web site for lots of SM info
1/11/2013 6:11pm
Its also good to find a un-developed housing development. You know where they pave the roads and wait to sell the lots for houses. It like a private SM playground, until the houses start popping up.
ktm450ds
Posts
28
Joined
1/11/2013
Location
Tustin, CA US
1/12/2013 7:36am
I have a KTM 450 with dirt set up and supermoto set up for the street. It takes about 30 min to change it over, and if feels like a whole different bike. I have the warp 9 rims which are priced good and have been good for me so far. Don't rule Orange out to early you can have a fun bike that is pretty good on the street, and real good in the dirt if you ever get the crave.
1/12/2013 7:50am
USA_Rider_ wrote:
Thanks guys, great info....
I'm not buying your no places to ride plea....Within 2 hours you have Rocky Hill, Crow Hill Walden, Jacob Morrison's track on the cape....and Long Island MX.....and those are just the ones I know being from Jersey.....travel another hour and u have etown hurricane hills etc.....all tracks are near great status...
Flatliner
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2862
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Location
CA
1/12/2013 8:17am
hammertime wrote:
get a 1000 vtwin. handles like a dirtbike but has the legs for big highways! i've had a bunch of them and love em!!! [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e361/mxrcer2000/photo-2.jpg[/IMG]
get a 1000 vtwin. handles like a dirtbike but has the legs for big highways! i've had a bunch of them and love em!!!

I wasn't in love with the one I rode, but maybe I needed more time on it. Felt very "unrefined" if I had to use a word. I preferred my 600 to it.
hammertime
Posts
1583
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Location
K Town CA
1/12/2013 9:44am
i've had the 950's and now this new 990. it's way soft out of the crate. you need to get it into "sport" mode front and rear. that, a exhaust system and most importantly..an emig racing stabilizer and clamps then it's razor sharp.....with way more power than the ducati hyper. i really love it.
Choppy
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1931
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Location
US
1/12/2013 10:03am Edited Date/Time 1/12/2013 10:04am
USA_Rider_ wrote:
I’m sick of looking for places to ride and dealing with crappy packed open practice tracks and jammed tracks. I'm going to buy a Supermoto and...
I’m sick of looking for places to ride and dealing with crappy packed open practice tracks and jammed tracks. I'm going to buy a Supermoto and ride it on the street. I know that sounds shitty, but it’s just the reality of things in the great east coast. At least I can ride a "dirt bike" any time I want. I know the Supermoto bubble passed a few years ago, but I can't see myself on a Harley. I’ll keep close to motocross, but I’m giving it a rest. Husqvarna makes some sick looking rides and they aren't orange! (I refuse to ride an orange bike on the street). I'm jealous of you lucky bastards with all the places to ride. Any input is on the Supermoto transition is welcome.
You might think it sounds shitty, but making a Supermoto track in the parking lot of a Wall-Mart, or Loading dock or un-sold development when nobody is there is really damn fun, and you'll enjoy the hell out of it.

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