Help me choose my next street legal dirt bike

[B00ST00]

Recently sold my woods bike which was a yz250. It was great for trails but I want something I can ride on the street and use for dual sport rides.

KTM 500?

Thanks


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[anotherguy]

Where do you want it to perform best?

[Bucho]

Yeah, dualsports are always tough. When you say "for street" and dualsporting you have to explain what that means.

A street legal bike that can do all the tough/hero sections of an organized dualsport event like Michaux?

Or do you mean dualsporting like cruising around on pavement and dirt roads?

Im not personally familiar with the KTM 500EXC though I hear it is pretty fragging powerful for a 500.

My DR650 makes a great true dualsport bike. With proper set up it is surprisingly capable offroad. But when you do mess up, the extra weight just beats you to death and wears you out picking it up and/or muscling it back onto the trail.

[B00ST00]

Thanks guys. I want it to perform best off road, while having the ability to travel 30 miles of street at a time maybe further. Definitely needs to be able to handle tough sections and single track as well.

I have a 15' GSA for the long street rides with occasional off road sections.


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[anotherguy]

You're really asking the wrong guy. I ride single track on open class MX bikes.

So the 500 EXC would be a great choice by my standards especially with a magic button. No offense but you ever ride a big bore Katoom? They can be quite the handful in tight stuff at the end of a long day. If you're up for that the bike most certainly is. And DAMN have dirt bikes gotten expensive!

Just remember that turning up the loud switch on a big bore means shit happens right now. Looping one in top gear is only a careless twist away.

[B00ST00]

Great advice! I do not have experience with KTM, let alone big bore KTM's. Past woods bikes have been WR450, XR650R and YZ250.

You're not kidding about prices, even used they seem to hold their value.


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[Rut Row]

Great advice! I do not have experience with KTM, let alone big bore KTM's. Past woods bikes have been WR450, XR650R and YZ250.

You're not kidding about prices, even used they seem to hold their value.


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what is your budget? the DRZ-400 can be gotten at reasonable prices and does well. I had a KTM450EXC that exceeded your requirements on/off road. I'm personally waiting for the 300/350 class 4smokes to come down in price on the used market before I buy one.

[B00ST00]

Haven't even thought about a budget to be honest, just looking for something that I won't get bored with and covers my needs.


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[juddspaintballs]

DRZ???

[BillyGoat]

Plateable? Leaves out all the Japanese bikes.

If you're looking for a plateable bike, I'd look at the Beta 400RR super sweet and compared to my older '09 450 EXC, it's narrower, FI, lighter, with equally plush suspension and powerful enough. I've been riding my KTM 450 EXC mostly offroad for years, even at shade mountain where it is a handful (but not as much with a softer throttle cam) and if I had to go 4t, I'd get the 400RR. It seemed every bit as powerful as my 450, although I never took it uphill at 60mph on the fire roads at 7 mountains where my 450 was flinging rocks for 500 feet and accelerating uphill the whole time. I ran outta road before hitting 6th. I'm sure it's DAMN close and with the FI you never have to re-needle for hot/cold conditions like I have to do iwth the KTM. However, the newest model 450 and 500 EXCs are narrower and lighter than mine and also FI.

OBTW it seems that the new Husqvarnas are just painted up KTMs so they're a good choice too.

I wouldn't look at Gas Gas as they're in bankruptcy.

IMHO I had a DRZ and wouldn't take it on Shade Mountain single track without some smokes and a bottle of whiskey in my hydration pack.