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Hello all,
I am planning an epic (multi-month) trip by motorcycle, and I am having trouble making up my mind on a bike.
I want a dual purpose bike;
It must be good on gas and have a decent range (I will bring fuel along as well).
It must be rugged and reliable.
Power is not too important (a 200 or 250 cc bike would probably be acceptable), it just has to be able to cruise at 60-90 or so km/h, and if all else fails, it must be able to get on to a highway (not necessarily a freeway).
It must have enough space for some cargo (tent, some clothes, gas, etc.)
and finally, it must be comfortable enough for 4+ hours a day of riding.
I am planning on heading up to Alaska (next spring of course), then across Canada to St John's Newfoundland, then down to Upstate New York, through southern Ontario, and across the northern plains of the US, back to Vancouver, the on to Kamloops. Any destinations along the way? Any scenic routes?
I am taking lots of pictures, so I will venture off the beaten track, hence the Dual Sport.
The ones on my shortlist are:
Yamaha TW200 (seems a bit slow? big tires might hurt on road performance)
Yamaha XT250
Yamaha WR250r (expensive, less fuel efficient?)
Suzuki DR200SE (also a bit slow?)
Kawasaki KLX250S
Honda CRF230L
am I missing any?
also cheaper is preferable
sorry for the long post, I am very confused, and don't want to pick the wrong bike.
Unless you're going to spend 95% of your time on dirt or very back roads, you need something bigger. I wouldn't want to ride any of those on a highway. I like small bikes too, but some of those probably won't go 90 km/h without working very hard. Over multi-months, the comfort factor will be very important, and that won't be there either. I'd suggest a DR650 Suzuki as a starting point.
agree with Catman on this ... you need to consider not only the horsepower/speed capability, but of the load hauling capacity of the frame/suspension/tires. The lightweight bikes you've listed are not capable of hauling very much, let alone at any speed.
I've done two 1,600 mile round trips on a 1966 Ducati 250 Mach 1 ... 250 cc's, 31 HP, 85-88 mpg at 60 mph, ... one of the strongest performers in it's era of 4-stroke singles. I made these trips with nothing more than a small duffel bag strapped to the back of the seat and planned on motel stops for my travels. It was reliable and rugged, but had limited weight carrying capacity with a 5 gallon fuel tank, and other factors that made it uncomfortable ... like wholly inadequate lighting, very low wattage ... small brakes ... and a lightweight handling nature to it that made it susceptible to every gust of wind on the road or the passing of larger vehicles which could maintain highway speeds. The bike was set up as a road racer with rear-sets and clip-ons, and this alone was very fatiguing ... but necessary for a lower riding profile to achieve highway speeds. Even though the bike was capable of high 90 mph (on a good day) ... it was a chore to keep up with highway speeds of 55-66 mph and needed to be worked through the gearbox aggressively when it saw a grade to pull. The reaity is that this bike took a lot of work to get anywhere on longer cruises and while a wonderful handling bike, it simply left a lot to be desired when it came to comfort and capability. I mention all this because this bike was a far stronger performer than the OP's selection of much heavier, less efficient current production bikes.
With a planned trip of a long duration, I'd be looking at a minimum of 650 cc's ... there's a number of single's out there that can fill the OP's dual purpose requirement, maintain adequate speeds without working too hard, and carry the baggage and supplies .... a neighbor has a Kawasaki 650 that seems to work well for him, and then there's the BMW 650 single ... among others in the marketplace today. Real world fuel economy vs comfort & ability will far overshadow any possible fuel economy savings of riding a too small inadequate bike for your travels. As far as acquisition cost, the used bike market has a lot to offer in these machines at decent prices .... where there's still a lot of very reliable miles of good riding left in these machines. I'd take a used one of these 650's over a new one of the too-small inadequate bikes any day ....
These are good points, and if I was spending all my time on the highway, I would get a bigger bike. But I plan on staying on backroads (50 km/h mostly (?) ), and the only reason I mentioned highway was if I had to, aka a detour, or something. I am not taking too much with me (a tent, some fuel, etc.). I am also looking for fuel economy. It is more of an adventure than getting to a destination. As far as comfort, I have done long (read cross country) rides on a scooter, that was not comfortable by any stretch of the imagination, so I should be ok on a barely comfortable bike. But I will look into a 650.
But why would you want to set out on a major trip with a vehicle that you know is minimal and marginal in it's capabilities and performance? You already know that a scooter wasn't comfortable for a cross country trip, and the small motorcycles you've mentioned aren't much more capable than that.
IMO, you won't save much gas by riding such a small motorcycle compared to the efficiency of the larger dual purpose bikes. The ability to handle your tent/camping gear is a big plus, too.
I have to agree with the points Sunsprit and Catman offered.
With you and your gear, the smaller bike will be working harder and using more fuel than a 650 or 800 dual purpose bike would....or at least about an even amount. I would also tend to think that since it's working harder, there is a greater chance of something breaking down.
I have to agree with the points Sunsprit and Catman offered.
With you and your gear, the smaller bike will be working harder and using more fuel than a 650 or 800 dual purpose bike would....or at least about an even amount. I would also tend to think that since it's working harder, there is a greater chance of something breaking down.
Not only that but:
If you travel 10,000 miles and get 80mpg it'll take 125 gallons.
If you travel 10,000 miles and get 60mpg it'll take 166 gallons.
At $3.00/gallon, it'll cost an extra $120 over your entire trip.
The bigger bike is usually more comfortable. The bigger bike you don't have to worry about the weight of your gear. The bigger bike you won't have to worry about getting run over merging. The bigger bike you won't be redlining it all the time.
The smaller bike, you may save a minor amount in gas.
ok. points all taken. what I meant by the scooter experience was that it was not something you would consider comfortable but it didn't bother me. Embarrassingly enough, to be perfectly honest, the thing with these larger displacement bikes is that the biggest engined bike I have driven is a 600cc (I currently have a 500cc suzuki). If I was totally confident with powerful bikes, I would get a 1200cc BMW enduro bike... but 600 seemed like a crotch rocket to me, and 500 is way more than I need (4 speeding tickets already lol)
Most 600s are crotch rockets, a thinly disguised race bike. But with bikes, it really isn't how high the top speed is or how quickly it will get there. Rather, it's about how easy it is on the bike and the rider to maintain a highway speed, at least for people who like to travel like me.
I'm with the "600" gang...sleds I would rec'd are BMW F650 GS, or Suzuki V-Strom 650 or Suzuki CR650. If you really want less than "600", Suzuki DRZ 400 version(s).
All should be available used, at considerable savings from new cost.
Those 650s are very capable dual purpose bikes. If the 650s are too tall for you, try the 400s.
GL, mD
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