# Thinking of getting on/off road bike...



## Ratherbfishin (Mar 10, 2012)

I was considering getting a dual sport for my work commute. 34mi one way. Gas is I believe going to push 5 bucks this summer so I have crunched the numbers and the gas savings justifies the payment and sill puts cash back in pocket...

I have looked at the Suzuki DRZ 400, DR650 and I am going to look at the  KLR650 today.

Anyone have any of these bikes? Looking for input.

My only concern is working 3rd shift my commute in will be in the dark....lots of deer up here 

Steve


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## bluedogz (Mar 10, 2012)

I've had a KLR250 and have ridden both DRZs... for a 34-mile commute I would lean away from a single-cylinder anything, unless you like having your nether regions... well, you know.

You could pick up a couple-year-old Nighthawk 750, Triumph Speed Triple, or Zephyr 750 for a song.  Or is a dual-sport critical?


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## SolarAndWood (Mar 10, 2012)

How many months a year are you going to be able to ride it?  Seems like a used civic or corolla would be a better solution if your only goal is to save some money on gas and not get taken out by a tick bag.


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## Ratherbfishin (Mar 11, 2012)

April to late November usually around here for bikes...used civics etc...are going for a pretty penny now that gas is up again and will keep going higher. You know the story with used stuff they will nickel and dime you to death unless you really find a gem. I have had bikes in the past but they were "crotch rockets" . On/off road I think would be the best bang for my buck since there is so many trails etc here...

Steve


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## ewdudley (Mar 11, 2012)

ratherbfishin said:
			
		

> On/off road I think would be the best bang for my buck since there is so many trails etc here...
> 
> Steve



Never rode one but have always been interested by the TW200, if only because they look like fun.  There was one over in Watkins Glen, maybe it's still for sale:

http://elmira.craigslist.org/mcd/2845103847.html


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## rkshed (Mar 11, 2012)

Now this is an area I am very familiar with. 40 mile commutes are simple and painless. If you can acquire one at a reasonable price, you can modify it to fit your needs both in comfort and ease of use. Seat foam can be changed comfort and height. Gearing for your particular type of commute. The parts are less expensive and you can repair/maintain it yourself.
No brainer my friend and if you have any questions, write.


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## NH_Wood (Mar 11, 2012)

I've been wanting to do this myself. Only a 5 min commute and my work has miles of off-road trails. I've thought about going for rides during the day when I have breaks - would be a lot of fun! Cheers!


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## stee6043 (Mar 11, 2012)

Will you take this bike off road at all or is it strictly a commuter?  I've owned street bikes and I currently ride a Honda CRF450X.  If I were going for a commuter I personally would not make it a dual sport.  For the same price, or less, you could no doubt find a decent used street bike.  A street bike will have substantially better lighting, a much more cozy seat and will probably be more reliable (less maintenance).  There is no upside to the dual sport unless you plan to hit the dirt, in my opinion.


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## rkshed (Mar 11, 2012)

stee6043 said:
			
		

> Will you take this bike off road at all or is it strictly a commuter?  I've owned street bikes and I currently ride a Honda CRF450X.  If I were going for a commuter I personally would not make it a dual sport.  For the same price, or less, you could no doubt find a decent used street bike.  A street bike will have substantially better lighting, a much more cozy seat and will probably be more reliable (less maintenance).  There is no upside to the dual sport unless you plan to hit the dirt, in my opinion.



Abslutely right. If you will never be on the dirt, pick up an old streetbike.


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## Lumber-Jack (Mar 11, 2012)

Obviously you'll be wanting to do some offroad riding with it or you'd be looking at a straight street bike. I can't help you pick one, but I will tell you how much I miss mine. I used my dual sport bike for riding to work as much as possible, and of course spent a lot of time in the bush exploring trails and having fun. I've been wanting to get another one for years, but have never been able to justify the expence. Seems like there is always something to spend the money on that was more important.

Hopefully one day I'll get another one.  Let me know what you get and how you like it.


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## jeromehdmc (Mar 11, 2012)

I've never had a big dual-sport, just a Kawasaki 175. Being able to take a trail or dirt road whenever you want to is cool. 
If you can afford it don't go with a small bike, the little engine just can't pull highway speeds for long.
From what I've read the KLR is a very good choice, big enough to commute with, can even have a trunk and saddlebags, and still off road capable.
Have you looked at a V-Strom, I think it may be better on road than the KLR but still off road capable.
Go to advrider.com they have alot of info about dual sport bikes.


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## Ratherbfishin (Mar 11, 2012)

Carbon_Liberator said:
			
		

> Obviously you'll be wanting to do some offroad riding with it or you'd be looking at a straight street bike. I can't help you pick one, but I will tell you how much I miss mine. I used my dual sport bike for riding to work as much as possible, and of course spent a lot of time in the bush exploring trails and having fun. I've been wanting to get another one for years, but have never been able to justify the expence. Seems like there is always something to spend the money on that was more important.
> 
> Hopefully one day I'll get another one.  Let me know what you get and how you like it.




The expense is justified in money back from high gas prices. Obviously like a wood stove the pay back is gradual and the more you use it the greater the realized savings. I will plan on some light off road use..fields,old logging roads etc..my boy has a 4 wheeler so it would be nice to go from street to trail. I have had street bikes before but like I said the appeal of going street to trail is what is driving me towards the dual sport class. 

Steve


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## burnham (Mar 11, 2012)

I just picked up a new Husqvarna te449, it's a dual sport that's really just a dirt bike that is street legal.  It's been a lot of fun on the street so far, and I've been getting around 50 mpg's. The thing I like is it's fuel injected.   I think a DRZ 400 would probably also be a good bike.   I've seen a couple Honda XR650's for sale this spring, not sure how they are on fuel but I know they buzz a lot less than a 450 on the street.


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## perchin (Mar 12, 2012)

I've spent my entire life on bikes.... don't even consider the XR650's nor the ridiculous TW200 that is ill suited for road or dirt. The XR650 is the heaviest slowest turd I've ever rode. The TW200 could be a decent first bike to learn on, but not much else as its not capable of creating enough power to get through any kind of sand. The Yamaha WR bikes are sweet You can find a used WR450 in great shape for pretty cheap, and it will perform gentle enough for the road and roll out some serious thunder for the trails.... just my .02


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## MasterMech (Mar 12, 2012)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> How many months a year are you going to be able to ride it?  Seems like a used civic or corolla would be a better solution if your only goal is to save some money on gas and not get taken out by a tick bag.



I've got guys at work that ride year 'round.  One rides a Ural, the other a Honda Shadow.  Not even snow keeps them off their bikes.  Both of them work 3rd Shift too!


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## basod (Mar 12, 2012)

My coworker has a KLR650 he's wanting to unload with very little mileage, he's since bought 2 Triumphs and his wife wants one of them out of the garage.
If you have access to a trailer it might be worth a trip south(I know gas is probably prohibitive).

My other coworker has a 650?/ BMW enduro, that rides really nice except the seat is extremely skinny - not so comfy on longer rides


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## Highbeam (Mar 12, 2012)

I have been riding a KLX250s for a couple of years now. Prior to that were several large Honda XRs that I rode the snot out of in competition off-road events. Prior to that were three small 200cc XRs that I learned on and got my license with. The big XRs are always about 300+ lbs and only kickstart so the new bike had to be street legal (I've had the endorsement since I was 17), single cylinder, and light weight (mid to upper 200s is fine). With trail riding it is very desirable to be able to pop out onto the road and be legal. 

I commute with and race the KLX250 and it does great after a few off-road upgrades like tires, jetting, and smaller lighting. The bike is very capable of highway speeds with me on it at 160 lbs. I can pass people at freeway speed but I need to plan for it well in advance. These tall light weight bikes are not very stable at 70 mph. The bars kind of wiggle and wind buffeting blows you around. My bike is set up properly, anybody that has a sub 300 lb bike with a 34+" seatheight will have the same issue. Yes, I can ride on freeways even double with my wife, it does it fine but my commute to work only includes about 4 miles of the 60 mph freeway and the rest is backroads. Slower speed roads and twisties is where this bike really shines. I have no problem with my butt falling asleep from the buzzing or the hard seat but some people are sensitive to this. 

You mention crotch rocket experience. Let me tell you right friggin now that a 600 cc crotch rocket is NOT the same as a 600 cc dual sport. I've zipped along effortlessly at 130mph  on a 600 cc crotch rocket but on big bore dual sports it is a much longer time getting up to speed. HP is much lower per cc. 

A 34 mile daily commute on, we must assume, high speed roadways puts you into a large displacement bike. The KLR650 is best here if you want some light off road abilities.   

One more thing, you won't save much money unless you plan to have a bike regardless. These bikes get poor mpg. I can scrape out 65 on secondary roads, off-road is only about 35 mpg. Tires wear quickly and need to be replaced. You need to consider fuel tank capacity since your long commute would have many bikes look for fuel every day! The big EFI BMW roadbikes get 50 and are much more capable on the highway. 

KLR650 is the bike for you.


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## Ratherbfishin (Mar 12, 2012)

Ya no doubt the KLR is a sweet ride, comfortable. 6k out the door price though for a left over 2011. There is a couple of DRZ 400's for sale locally for half that. So I'm not sure if New in box is a good fit or not. Thanks for the info, I totally get that my 1000R rocket is a different animal that a dual sport bike. I know I wont go 0 to 140 in 15 seconds and still have 2 gears left! LOL. 

I wanted to pick up the DRZ a guy has on CL for 2600 03'. That way if i like it cool...we'll check out new stuff later but if I don't like it I can get every bit of it back right away. Buy new and your stuck with it  for 5 years or better to break even.


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## Lumber-Jack (Mar 13, 2012)




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## Highbeam (Mar 13, 2012)

ratherbfishin said:
			
		

> I totally get that my 1000R rocket is a different animal that a dual sport bike. I know I wont go 0 to 140 in 15 seconds and still have 2 gears left! LOL.



People spend all sorts of money trying to make cars go fast. They think that acceleration from a super duper souped up car is fast. No car guy will ever know what true acceleration is until they've ridden a crotch rocket. Seriously, you will have tunnel vision and be well into the triple digits before you even know what happened. These things rev to the moon and for some reason you can't help but hold the throttle wide open and keep grabbing gears. 

I drive a truck and go slow. 

The DRZ crowd has a large following. They are pretty piggy but the biggest problem is that they only have 5 gears so you will have to choose to set this bike up for freeway or for off-road. Lots of aftermarket parts support.


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## firefighterjake (Mar 13, 2012)

Highbeam said:
			
		

> ratherbfishin said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Highbeam (Mar 13, 2012)

Yes, I quickly returned the crotch rocket. I was tasked with removing all four carburetors and cleaning them of years worth of goo. The bike wouldn't run. After I got it started he let me use it for as long as I wanted. Way too fast, I was going to die or be arrested. It was a very attractive white GSXR600. Very fast but it didn't like to cruise along at a steady speed, the drivetrain and small flywheel made it jery at steady speeds. Loved to accelerate or decelerate.


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## MasterMech (Mar 14, 2012)

Highbeam said:
			
		

> Yes, I quickly returned the crotch rocket. I was tasked with removing all four carburetors and cleaning them of years worth of goo. The bike wouldn't run. After I got it started he let me use it for as long as I wanted. Way too fast, I was going to die or be arrested. It was a very attractive white GSXR600. Very fast but it didn't like to cruise along at a steady speed, the drivetrain and small flywheel made it jery at steady speeds. Loved to accelerate or decelerate.



Sold my 2006 Suzuki SV1000S last season. With a 996CC v-twin and dual Yoshi Pipes, it made women blush and babies cry but I was always grinning ear to ear.  Thumbing that starter never got old when that v-twin barked.  Everyone was expecting the typical kitty-kat purr of the crotch rockets.

I think I might try an F-16 the next time I get the urge to go that fast or accelerate that hard.


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## rwhite (Mar 14, 2012)

Guess I will throw my 2 cents in as well. Most of the bikes I have owned have been Hondas but the CC class should follow whatever the make. Keep in mind your size as well. I'm 5'11 and 180

Trail 90: Best trail bike I ever owned. That thing was a goat. It could run highway speeds (50-55 mph) but a 34 mile commute would be pushing it.
XR 200: Good size bike but really lacking in power off road. I would imagine that the TW200 would fall into this category.
XR 250: Great power but it's built on a 400 frame so it's a bit unwieldy on tight rocky trails.

The best dual sports I ever owned (owned 2 of them) was an older early 80's XL 185 and XL 250. Plenty of power and small enough to manuever off road.

My opinion the 650 class dual sports is they are made for the highway and the occasional dirt road. The KLR is a beast and your not going to do well with it on trails.


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## gmule (Mar 17, 2012)

I picked up a 1983 Yamaha virago for 700 and I have  been riding it for the last  3 years with no issues. All It needed was fresh fuel and I  had to clean and tune the carbs. 
I also picked up a 1983 Yamaha IT 490 for 600. The IT needed a little work but it has a road title so I  have  it  plated and I ride it to and from the trails. Both bikes are reliable and each one does what it  is supposed to do with out  compromising.  I wouldn't want to  ride a dual sport on the trails because they are heavy up top and the tires are not as aggressive. Bikes are cheap to insure and they don't take up much room so you can have more than one. why compromise when  you can have the best of both for less than a car. 

The street bike is outfitted  with  heated grips a windshield and I have added a plug for a heated vest. I can comfortably ride when the temps are in the teens. As long as I have traction I ride the bike even in the winter between snowstorms when the roads  clear.


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## Highbeam (Mar 19, 2012)

gmule said:


> I picked up a 1983 Yamaha virago for 700 and I have been riding it for the last 3 years with no issues. All It needed was fresh fuel and I had to clean and tune the carbs.
> I also picked up a 1983 Yamaha IT 490 for 600. The IT needed a little work but it has a road title so I have it plated and I ride it to and from the trails. Both bikes are reliable and each one does what it is supposed to do with out compromising. I wouldn't want to ride a dual sport on the trails because they are heavy up top and the tires are not as aggressive. Bikes are cheap to insure and they don't take up much room so you can have more than one. why compromise when you can have the best of both for less than a car.
> 
> The street bike is outfitted with heated grips a windshield and I have added a plug for a heated vest. I can comfortably ride when the temps are in the teens. As long as I have traction I ride the bike even in the winter between snowstorms when the roads clear.


 
Isn't that IT a big huge 2 stroke bike? Yamaha had a YZ490 as well that was a scary bike.

I wish I had some pictures available but you can very easily convert a decent factory dual sport bike into a mean off-road machine. Weight can be removed or moved and there are street legal knobbies that are very aggressive. I even chose to use the DOT legal knobbies on my last off-road only bike since they were so dang effective and tough. (Tires are the Dunlop D606 series)

So to the extreme there are street bikes like crotch rockets and then there are off-road race bikes like say a two stroke kick only no lights bike. There is a huge middle ground and lots of overlap for most riders. I desert race my dual sport and will be doing the annual 100 mile desert100 in two weeks. I fly by many high dollar dedicated off-road bikes with my street legal dual sport.

It's not the bike, it's the rider. I have been spanked by crazy 50-60 year olds too. Those old guys are nuts, lots of broken bones in their history.


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## gmule (Mar 20, 2012)

> Isn't that IT a big huge 2 stroke bike? Yamaha had a YZ490 as well that was a scary bike.


 
Why yes it is.  

This bike differs from the YZ 490 in that it has a 5 speed gear box instead of 4speed and a less aggressive power band. It is still a monster though and will bring smiles to the faces of those around every time I fire it up. 







I completed a 75 mile trip  bouncing back and forth the continental divide last fall on it.


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## Highbeam (Mar 20, 2012)

Other than drum brakes, that would be a very nice ride. I've always wondered if it would be fun to ride the vintage class in the races on something like that.


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## gmule (Mar 20, 2012)

I agree about the drum brakes. I have often thought about putting a newer set of forks and disk brakes on it but I think that would take away from the riding experience on a 29 year old machine.
I don't ride it that often and  when I do it is mostly mild trail riding. When I want to get crazy I take out the  450F






It has a few goodies added to it.


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## jeffoc (Mar 20, 2012)

I was thinking about using a street bike for my 88 mile (one way) commute, I found this pretty helpful.
http://www.spotmotorcycles.com/save-money-commuting-by-motorcycle-not-so-fast/


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## Highbeam (Mar 20, 2012)

jeffoc said:


> I was thinking about using a street bike for my 88 mile (one way) commute, I found this pretty helpful.
> http://www.spotmotorcycles.com/save-money-commuting-by-motorcycle-not-so-fast/


 
Obviously written by and biased towards the non-bikers. They make many large assumptions like requiring a safety course and making you pay for it. Also, it assumes a very expensive insurance policy that isn't always true.

As I said before, it isn't that easy to save significant money using a bike for commuting. You don't need to make stuff up to prove it.


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## jeffoc (Mar 20, 2012)

I really don't think it was that biased. I've ridden for 20+ years. mainly sport bikes and cruisers. But started on what used to be called enduros.I got in a pretty bad wreck a couple of years ago and was thinking about getting another bike for my commute, and
I think if someone is looking for a ballpark the numbers they have are pretty good.


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## gmule (Mar 20, 2012)

jeffoc said:


> I really don't think it was that biased. I've ridden for 20+ years. mainly sport bikes and cruisers. But started on what used to be called enduros.I got in a pretty bad wreck a couple of years ago and was thinking about getting another bike for my commute, and
> I think if someone is looking for a ballpark the numbers they have are pretty good.


 

I agree, I played with the numbers and they seemed pretty fair to me as well. If you have a bike that is older and paid for you really only need to cary liability insurance and that is cheap since you are assuming most of the risk. Just know that almost any crash will total a bike so if you get hit the other dirver will pay and if it is your fault you will be buying a new bike.


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## Ratherbfishin (Mar 29, 2012)

I ended up getting a 2008 KLR 650. Green/silver. 6000mi. It has detachable luggage on either side, wrap around front "brush guard" that would protect the plastic in case it gets laid down. I have my permit but have to wait until the end of June to take the safety course which will waive the road test. But in the mean time I have been riding it around the house and out in the fields with my son on his 4 wheeler. 

Steve


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## jeromehdmc (Mar 30, 2012)

Nice looking bike.
Hope it takes good care of you.
I bet you can't wait to get the class over with and hit some trails on your commute.


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## gmule (Apr 1, 2012)

Have fun and ride safe.


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## Highbeam (Apr 9, 2012)

Class schmass, go take the road test. It was easy and quick. You can always take the class later if you feel like it.

The KLR is a great bike. Being big it is stable at high speed.


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## MasterMech (Apr 10, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> Class schmass, go take the road test. It was easy and quick. You can always take the class later if you feel like it.
> 
> The KLR is a great bike. Being big it is stable at high speed.


 
Actually the RT is a pain in the arse here.  Most opt for the class.  We rode all weekend in pouring rain.  Builds character.


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## Highbeam (Apr 10, 2012)

MasterMech said:


> Actually the RT is a pain in the arse here. Most opt for the class. We rode all weekend in pouring rain. Builds character.


 
Oh really? That's too bad. In WA it was not difficult for an off-road rider to pass on a nimble dirt bike style dual sport. The guys with the large harley cruisers had to do the same test and their obviously less nimble and heavier bikes put them at a disadvantage. The whole test was about as long/hard as a auto driving test.

Funny that the RT really did not prepare you for the most important things on the road on a bike like knowing that everyone is trying to kill you!


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## MasterMech (Apr 10, 2012)

Highbeam said:


> Oh really? That's too bad. In WA it was not difficult for an off-road rider to pass on a nimble dirt bike style dual sport. The guys with the large harley cruisers had to do the same test and their obviously less nimble and heavier bikes put them at a disadvantage. The whole test was about as long/hard as a auto driving test.
> 
> Funny that the RT really did not prepare you for the most important things on the road on a bike like knowing that everyone is trying to kill you!


 
Try taking the RT on a crotch rocket here.  It all goes well until the slow figure 8.  I know my former ride was very top-heavy and di d not like to lean over that far at slow speeds.  Required Herculean strength to yank it back over.  I can see the full dresser Harley's having fun with that too!  We rode Suzuki GZ250's (I hear laughter) for the class and they were actually a blast to throw around.  Just don't try for more than 30 MPH, lol.


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## rover47 (Apr 11, 2012)

I travel 25 miles one way to work. I had an S40 suzuki which I really loved but it got unconfortable . Traded for an C50 cruiser much better. was alittle chilly this am.


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## rockettmantoo (Apr 13, 2012)

I have a Suzuki DL650 (Vstrom). 48K miles on rough Maine roads. Lots of unpaved roads too. 55-58 mpg. 5.8 gal tank. Bullet proof so far. Most of all its a blast to ride. Not sexy though. I call it my soccer mom bike.


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## Ratherbfishin (Apr 18, 2012)

Got it registered,insured (120 a year for full coverage). I have ridden it to work a few times now...the savings is realized almost immediately. I put12 bucks in and rode back and forth twice. That is 136 miles. With gas still in the tank. 12 bucks in my Taurus will get me up there once but not all the way home!  I just get nervous and wide eyed driving to work at 10 at night (deer) scare me and sometimes it gets super windy which blows you around a bit if your not ready for the gusts to hit you. Other than that it is comfortable, the side detachable luggage holds my thermos of coffee and lunch and the other side for whatever else. My lap top bag I just bungee to the back rack.


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## Cazimere (Apr 19, 2012)

I went with the *ON *road option  : )
	

		
			
		

		
	






Definitely take the MSF course. It might just save your ass someday.


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## jeromehdmc (Apr 22, 2012)

Medic lets see a picture of the KLR.
As time goes by you'll get used to the wind.
Get a rainsuit and put it in the other bag, a few guys have FroggToggs they pack up small.


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## burnham (Apr 22, 2012)

Nice, I've been thinking of a KLR or a DR650 as my next bike. 
This is my te449 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



This is for thrills


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## Ratherbfishin (Apr 28, 2012)

Yeah...my class got bumped up to may!!  I will have my licence by the first week of June. I will ride her for this season maybe next...see where I stand on what kind of bike I really like...I have my eye on the Suzuki M109...


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## Ratherbfishin (Dec 4, 2012)

Well, put over 4500 miles on it this summer just back and forth to work. Nice simple bike, handles well. But now I get the urge to go all in for more power...like a GSXR 1000 or something....I just keep reminding myself of why I chose the KLR on the first place...55 MPG, fairly cheap, low maintenance...and the option for a little light off road fun


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## xman23 (Dec 4, 2012)

Thats what happens, the bike get small quick when your on the road. This thread started trying to save money riding a bike to work. Now it's about the next bike. Nothing wrong with that.  I have a few. My street bike is a Valkyrie. Not very good on gas with 6 carbs, but IMO there's not a smother riding bike.


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## MasterMech (Dec 4, 2012)

Ratherbfishin said:


> But now I get the urge to go all in for more power...like a GSXR 1000 or something....


 
GSXR is not a commuter bike.  Unless your commute is very short (under 20 min).  Even my SV1000 was an ergonomic nightmare.  The reason I sold it was I couldn't stand to ride it for more than 30-45 min at a clip.  Of course you can change rear peg sets, seats, and bars to help things out but it'll never turn a GSXR into a street cruiser.


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## Highbeam (Dec 5, 2012)

MasterMech said:


> GSXR is not a commuter bike. Unless your commute is very short (under 20 min).


 
I was able to acquire, fix (all carbs goopy), and then ride a gsxr600 for as long as I wanted before returning it to the owner. Crotch rockets are fun and fast bikes. They are terrible cruisers. The riding position puts you into a perpetual push-up and the bike wants to either be accelerating or decelerating or else it kind of clunks as the lightweight drivetrain takes up the slack. The other problem is that they are fast, too fast, and more than once I found myself clicking through the gears north of 130 and loving every second of it. Death or law trouble will soon follow. I returned the bike in short time. Oh, one more thing, they don't have cooling fans so if you are in slow or stopped traffic the damn thing will overheat and shut off.

It is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than to ride a fast bike slow.


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