Thanks Greg!

[UNSTUCK]

After looking at his latest run, I've decided it's time to get a bike. This would be my first one...ever. I have ridden them before, but really I have almost no time on them. I do have tons of time on quads, so I know how they work and all that.
So I'm looking for a good bike that will be easy to learn on, but one that I wont get bored with. I'm a fast learner with this stuff. It would have to be a dual sport/ street legal. I see a couple dr650's on ksl right now. Some pretty new and some older ones. I'm okay paying for the newer ones, but wonder if there is really much difference? Is that to much bike for me? I see they also make a 400.
I want a bike that I don't have to spend much time working on....that's what the Jeep is for.
I will be taking a training course once I have one. Any recomendations on a class? Is it better to hook up with someone else that rides and have them teach me? Also, what is the outline for getting the endoresment on my liscense?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Greg]

After looking at his latest run, I've decided it's time to get a bike. This would be my first one...ever. I have ridden them before, but really I have almost no time on them. I do have tons of time on quads, so I know how they work and all that.
So I'm looking for a good bike that will be easy to learn on, but one that I wont get bored with. I'm a fast learner with this stuff. It would have to be a dual sport/ street legal. I see a couple dr650's on ksl right now. Some pretty new and some older ones. I'm okay paying for the newer ones, but wonder if there is really much difference? Is that to much bike for me? I see they also make a 400.
I want a bike that I don't have to spend much time working on....that's what the Jeep is for.
I will be taking a training course once I have one. Any recomendations on a class? Is it better to hook up with someone else that rides and have them teach me? Also, what is the outline for getting the endoresment on my liscense?

Thanks for all the help.

:greg: Man, I'm a bad influence! Riding a motorcycle, especially a dual-sport, is a GREAT experience. Hard for me to put into words, but there's nothing else like it. I think you will really enjoy getting into the world of dual sporting.


There are a handful of bikes out there that would make a good starter bike. I really love my DR650 and they are well renowned around the world. It says a lot to me that the Aussies, who go out on rides several thousand miles long, really love the DR650. That said, it's a big bike.

The smaller Suzuki's are DRZ's and they make a few different versions, dirt, supermoto and street-legal dual sport. The DRZ is not really comparable to the DR650, as the DRZ is water-cooled and the DR is air cooled. It all comes down to simplicity and reliability.

IMO, the DR650 is a better bike for running down the open road while the DRZ is better when the trail gets tough. Either bike has great aftermarket support, so you can build them for what you want to do.

So the question is... what kind of riding do you want to do? There will always be compromises with dual sports.... weight, frequency of maintenance, freeway riding ability, technical trail performance, etc, etc. There is no such thing as the perfect all around dual sport, you have to decide how you want to ride and choose the best bike for your needs.

Go sit on as many bikes as you can and get a feel for the size, weight, etc. Ride them if possible.

There should be a MSF course in your area, here's a list of Utah locations-

http://nm.msf-usa.org/msf/ridercourses.aspx?state=UT


All that said, when you buy a bike make sure you also set aside a good bit of money for quality riding gear. A helmet, gloves, RIDING boots and some kind of riding jacket are the bare minimum IMO. Don't dress for the ride, dress for the wreck.

And if you get a bike and spend time riding on the street, ride defensively... ride like you are invisible, because if people don't see 4,000 #'s of steel coming at them, they see nothing. Ride like everyone is trying to kill you, because some one will eventually try to.

Any thing else I can help with?

 

[Caleb]

I started (first bike as well) out on a 600 class bike (a Husky 610) and as long as you stay away from the technical stuff, it's a great size of bike. However, a lot of the stuff I want to do is more technical than I am capable of with that size of a bike. I sold it and got a Honda 450. Some things to remember, on a bike that big, once it starts to go over, generally you just get out of the way the best you can, rarely can you save it...and I learned even on those times I did save it, I usually ended up hurting myself more than if I had just let it go down...they are HEAVY. For the trips like Greg often does, a bike like a DR650, Husky 610, KLR, etc is a perfect bike. They can cruise freeway fairly comfortably (that's relative ) but can still behave fairly well in the dirt. Something nice about the Husky is it has a 6 speed transmission. Everyone you talk to will tell you how they wish they had an extra gear or two.

The 400-450 bikes are cheaper to insure and are generally lighter as well. Something like a DRZ400 may be a good option as well. They are pretty low maintenance and have a ton of support (both aftermarket support, and forum support). You can set one up very easily for the longer trips like Greg does, but the freeway riding may be frustrating at times. The Yamaha Wr and Honda CRF are quite a bit more high strung and are more suited for shorter trips...but boy are they fun when you get them offroad and really get on it The CRF and WR are far higher maintenance though...which I know you said you don't want. For example, the Honda manual says to do an oil change every 15 hours of riding...a lot of guys do them after every ride.

So really, it comes down to what you want. Longer trips, more self dependent (pack all your gear on the bike) look more at the 600 bike (maybe a DRZ). If you're looking for something that will handle day trips and you can easily street legalize, look at the CRFs and WRs.

I will say to stick to the bigger names and avoid the Chinese brands...despite how tempting the price may be. You'll love whatever you get. I also will suggest not to spend too much on your first bike, because no matter how sold you are on it, you will inevitably find things you don't like and want to switch bikes...it just happens

 

[Caleb]

Oh yeah, as for the classes, I took mine through SLCC. It was about $180, but once you are done, you just have to go to the DMV and take the written test which will be a piece of cake. Then you are licensed. They have the classes at most of the campuses.

To get your endorsement you need to have a driving test and a written test. All the material is online or can be had for free from the DMV (I believe). I would STRONGLY suggest taking a class though. I wouldn't trust some buddy to train me properly. The class is a lot of common sense, but it's all good info. It only takes 2 days too.

 

[Caleb]

Oh, and for the record...Greg is a horrible influence!

 

[UNSTUCK]

I think a great day ride would be to jump on I15 from Salt Lake to AF Canyon. Ride up to mineral basin and then come home. Not sure if that's realistic or not. I think there would be some pretty hard spots on that trail for a bike.
I really just liked the idea of your last trip. I'd also like to be able to do a trip like you are trying to plan, starting in Moab and heading out from there. That all sounds like a great time.
I read you thread a while back where you talked about trying to sale your 650 for a smaller bike. The link to that bike was no longer good so I couldn't see what kind of a bike it was. Sounds like I can't really go wrong with the dr650.

So do I get my endorment first, or the bike first?

 

[Caleb]

I think a great day ride would be to jump on I15 from Salt Lake to AF Canyon. Ride up to mineral basin and then come home. Not sure if that's realistic or not. I think there would be some pretty hard spots on that trail for a bike.
I really just liked the idea of your last trip. I'd also like to be able to do a trip like you are trying to plan, starting in Moab and heading out from there. That all sounds like a great time.
I read you thread a while back where you talked about trying to sale your 650 for a smaller bike. The link to that bike was no longer good so I couldn't see what kind of a bike it was. Sounds like I can't really go wrong with the dr650.

So do I get my endorment first, or the bike first?

I got the bike and endorsement about the same time. FWIW, you will have to get the bigger endorsement (650+) for the DR. A few years ago, UT split up their endorsements 649 and below and 650 and up...actually the 650 and up is unrestricted I believe, because you can still operate a smaller cc bike. To get the bigger cc endorsement, you will have to test on your own bike...so I guess that answers wether to get the bike first or not Unless you can con a buddy in to letting you use their big bike to test on...the DR would be the perfect bike to test on though. Cruisers would be a lot tougher. They will have smaller bikes that you test on for the lower cc endorsement.

 

[Greg]

I think a great day ride would be to jump on I15 from Salt Lake to AF Canyon. Ride up to mineral basin and then come home. Not sure if that's realistic or not. I think there would be some pretty hard spots on that trail for a bike.
I really just liked the idea of your last trip. I'd also like to be able to do a trip like you are trying to plan, starting in Moab and heading out from there. That all sounds like a great time.
I read you thread a while back where you talked about trying to sale your 650 for a smaller bike. The link to that bike was no longer good so I couldn't see what kind of a bike it was. Sounds like I can't really go wrong with the dr650.

So do I get my endorment first, or the bike first?

I would ride my DR650 on the ride you describe without thinking about it. The only spot that would be troublesome would be the rock garden, but I've ridden it many times on 400cc bikes. I'd still try it on my 650, but I'm not intelligent enough to stop when I should.

IMO, the 650-sized bikes are great for stuff like you mentioned. Even though many dual sports feel like they need a 6th gear, the DR650 will cruise comfortably at 80+ MPH as long as you can stand it. I have even geared my bike down one tooth on the counter-sprocket and it didn't have much effect on my top speed.

The one bike that has really captured my interest is the new Yamaha WR250R. It has a amazing maintenance schedule, will run up to 90 MPH and makes killer power for a 250cc bike and has a 6 speed transmission. I have been tempted to sell my DR650 and find a slightly used WR250R, but it's hard to do that, because how well built my DR650 is. I'm at the point where I'm going to start doing some serious work to the DR650 to resolve the shortcomings. If you can find a WR250R for a decent price, I would highly suggest looking at that one. They seem to be selling for around $4500.

I would find out what bike you want, get comfortable on the bike, then get your endorsement.

 

[Greg]

Just some more info to keep in mind when selecting a bike... IMO;

Reliability & parts availability.

Time/mileage between maintenance & how in-depth that maint. can be.

Strength of the rear sub-frame, especially if you want to do big rides with gear on the back.

Simplicity.... how easy is it to work on mid-ride?


If you have some questions about specific bikes and want info geared towards Adventure riding, check out the Thumper section on the ADVRider.com forums-

http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=15

 

[UNSTUCK]

So maybe I don't understand the whole endorsement part. Can you ride your bike without it? How do you take a test on your own bike if you can't ride it to the test site?

 

[Greg]

So maybe I don't understand the whole endorsement part. Can you ride your bike without it? How do you take a test on your own bike if you can't ride it to the test site?

Can you? Sure... legally? No.

You would need to haul your bike to the test site. Kind of a dumb rule, I agree, but that's what you need to do.

 

[Spork]

Can you? Sure... legally? No.

You would need to haul your bike to the test site. Kind of a dumb rule, I agree, but that's what you need to do.

You used to be able to take the written part and get a learners permit that allows you to ride your bike with restrictions (no freeway for example) but would allow you to be able to drive it down to the DMV for the test.

A few years ago, UT split up their endorsements 649 and below and 650 and up...actually the 650 and up is unrestricted I believe, because you can still operate a smaller cc bike. To get the bigger cc endorsement, you will have to test on your own bike...so I guess that answers wether to get the bike first or not

I've had my motorcycle endorsement for years but don't have a bike. Do they grandfather the current endorsement holders and give them the 650+ endorsement or do they have to retake?

 

[Greg]

You used to be able to take the written part and get a learners permit that allows you to ride your bike with restrictions (no freeway for example) but would allow you to be able to drive it down to the DMV for the test...

Ahhh, that actually does make sense. I've always heard/understood it was the way I mentioned it above.

 

[Greg]

Oh, and for the record...Greg is a horrible influence!

 

[UNSTUCK]

Any thought on this one?

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=11475631&cat=236&lpid=&search=te610

I like the looks of it a lot more then the dr650. But I'm just basing everthing on looks. I know nothing about either bike.

 

[Caleb]

Any thought on this one?

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=11475631&cat=236&lpid=&search=te610

I like the looks of it a lot more then the dr650. But I'm just basing everthing on looks. I know nothing about either bike.

Awesome bike! Like I mentioned above, I had a 610 and it was extremely fun. I had a 2003 model. The newer ones (post 2005) got a little more dirt oriented with their redesign (the red and white) but still very capable of doing freeway time. In 2006 you'll still have the carb (which, IMO, is a good thing) and everything you may want to do is already done (seat, exhaust, bark busters, radiator protection, etc). The only other thing you will want is a larger tank, which shouldn't be a problem for the 2006 Huskies. Those bike also get extremely good mileage. For example, when we did the Hole in the Rock trail, Corbins ATK used almost his full tank (he has a 605 ATK with a ~4 gallon tank), when I topped mine off I only needed ~1.5 gallons. I could easily (without even trying) get 50+mpg and I'd gotten as high as 65 mpg.

I've had my motorcycle endorsement for years but don't have a bike. Do they grandfather the current endorsement holders and give them the 650+ endorsement or do they have to retake?

AS long as you've kept it current, meaning as long as each time you renewed your license, you've renewed the MC endorsement then yes, you are grandfathered in. If you let it lapse, then you have to retake the tests and will only be endorsed for the class of bike you test on.

 

[UNSTUCK]

Is it the same test for the different size bikes, and just a different endorsement?

 

[Caleb]

Is it the same test for the different size bikes, and just a different endorsement?

Yes, same test, just different sized bike. Infact what they will have you do is test on the smaller bike they provide, and if you want to test for the bigger bikes, you have to provide your own and they will test you once everyone else is done. You also have up to 6 months after taking the first test to retest on a bigger bike for free.

 

[Greg]

Any thought on this one?

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=11475631&cat=236&lpid=&search=te610

I like the looks of it a lot more then the dr650. But I'm just basing everthing on looks. I know nothing about either bike.

The Husky TE610 is an amazing bike, it's one of the most capable dual sports out there. Comfortable when the trail gets rough and geared to run down the pavement at a relaxed pace.

It's not super simple and it a pretty powerful bike, but I don't know what the maintenance schedule looks like.

All in all, that is one hell of a bike for a beginner. It's high-horse power engine might be a handful for someone that doesn't have a lot of riding experience. 50+ HP is a LOT from a single cyl dual sport. My DR650 makes 36 HP stock... of course it's got some good mods, but it's nowhere near 50 HP.

If there is one bike that I covet, that is it.... Now you're making me think about selling my DR650 and trying to get into a Husky TE610!

 

[Rot Box]

Oh man--A new bike! That's the best gift anyone can give themselves! :greg: Greg's trip reports kill me Right now I'm stuck to offroad which is great, but I'm slowly building a bike for dual sport and I can't wait!

I am a huge fan of the Rotax ATK's. The Rotax engine is the definition of bulletproof and the bikes are well thought out using only the best components. Look into the later 605 and the 490 4 strokes. There are several body styles and the later 96 and up body seems to be the most popular. Only drawback in my mind is the fuel tank as you become limited on range depending on how far you plan to go and nobody offers larger tanks. For me and the riding I do they hold plenty of fuel but I wouldn't want to plan a whole weekend in the saddle without being near a fuel station...


Honestly for a novice/quick learner I would really look into the DRZ400's, WR450's, CRF450X's and the Husqvarna's. These bikes are very forgiving, they will do every type of riding you could imagine without beating you up, they have more than enough power and there is a ton of aftermarket support--including a wide range of larger aftermarket fuel tanks ha ha lol. That said I wouldn't want to spend all day cruising down the highway on one... Good luck

Andrew