New guy in santee not yet a rider

[Leoffensive 0]

hey guys. Name's Leo.

dont own a bike yet but ive wanted one for years and im in the market to get my first bike. i really like the DR 650. i had my eye on a nice used one for 2400 bucks with an extra set of wheels and upgrades. but it sold last week.

i have ridden dirt bikes a few times in the past so i have some experience with bikes but ill be getting my permit in feb and taking the CHP safety class.

now i got my eye on one up at ECC thats a 2006 with less than 3k miles. im trying to sell my buggy so i can jump start on some financing. i dont know if ill get approved for anything tho.

i was directed to this forum by a guy on DRriders that goes by the name of trophyhunter. he offered help with bike stuff. i am really exited to get on a bike.

anywho glad to be on the forum and i am excited for the future to join you guys on rides.

[dirt dame 561]

Welcome to the forum. You are in for some kind of fun when you get your new wheels!

[bikeslut 1]

Yeah-trophy hunter is a bit of a DR650 apostle or something-he can ride that bike bike on some rough stuff...YOU may want to ease in a bit

Post up when you have a bike and we'll take you out on an easy ride; in the meantime read through the forums, learn and chat with the folks

[TrophyHunter 15]

Welcome Leo. Offer still stands to test out the DR before you make the jump. Figure out your mission for a bike and go from there. We can talk options any time.

This is a great group with a lot of experience so questions are welcome.

[christi20 0]

Welcome. Looking forward to your first ride!!!

[Uncle Champ 116]

Welcome, when I first got back into 2 wheel riding I bought an XR600, good solid bike, heavy and bulletproof- just fine for a tall guy who thinks he's tougher than he really is, the problem was I did not listen to well placed comments from others about starting the darn thing- ( remember I'm young and tough ), after dumping it in Mexico and kicking and kicking and krying-not really, I bought a bike with e-start.

Long story short do your research, wear lot's of gear and ride with somebody like Bikeslut, he will watch you and take care of you and you will learn a lot faster than making the same mistake over and over while expecting different results.

Enjoy and welcome.

[Leoffensive 0]

thanks for the welcome everyone.

@Dirtdame I can't wait

@Bikeslut yea I havent ridden a motorcycle in years. so ill definitely be easing into it. i know ill be doing a lot of riding in my spare time to get a good feel for the bike. I wouldnt mind if it became a daily rider. BTW i work in your area. im in the caltrans crew outta descanso.

@Trophyhunter Ill take you up on that, especially since i havent got my buggy to sell yet. From the research ive been doing i feel like the DR is the perfect bike for what i want. i like the honda XR650 as well but i havent had the chance to sit on yet but i hear they are a bit taller and im a shorter guy and ive sat on a new dr650 and a klr 650(about the same) and it felt like it was just right for me. the price is attractive and the bike seems like a really well rounded bike to start on to see what i drift to more as i get experienced in riding.

@Christi20 Thanks I look forward to riding with you and everyone else

@Uncle Champ yea I like the idea of a kick start but the E-start sounds so much nicer haha the new DRs have the E-start I havent looked into seeing if you can have both yet. +9999999999999 on the protective gear for sure. I work for caltrans and ive seen the bad stuff that happens to the human body even when you are in a car or truck. theres a guy who runs a company in the escondido area(Motoport i think) that has gotten some good praise from people in other forums because the guy stands by his product and apparently replaces/repairs them if you crash or find defects. im thinkin about going that route but it is a bit pricey but its my body so its probably best not to skimp. ill probably buy some affordable safety gear to suffice while im still in the learning stages while i save up for the motoport gear. as far as helmets go im looking at that arai xd-3 helmet. i have some oakley dirtbike goggles i use on my FF helmet when i mountain bike. so i can use those on the dual sport helmet when i do the dusty rides. but yea fo sho thanks for the welcome and advice man BTW you may have seen me around i work outta the yard in descanso.

[dirt dame 561]

There are ways of getting some practice in before you get your bike!

You could even try some freestyle....

[Leoffensive 0]

There are ways of getting some practice in before you get your bike!

You could even try some freestyle....

haha yea i do ride mountain bikes. almost similar to motorcycles i guess

heres some pics

[bikeslut 1]

mountain biking experience is a good thing... traction control and balance being two key factors in dirt biking

that first picture with the "spotter"... that is a great thing about dirtbikes. You won't even NOTICE rocks like that on a dirtbike... the momentum or a 300# bike and rotating mass of heavier wheels makes stuff like that disappear...the flip side is, most of us can't bunny hop on a DR650

go check out the Gnarly Trails section of ride reports, and you'll see some gnarly stuff that is Hike-a-bike for mountain bikers, but even talent challenged hacks like me ride. (that disclaimer does not apply to 650hcuker... that boy is certifiable)

might I (again) suggest that you start with a smaller, lighter bike... even if you buy a CRF230 or something (DR200, XT250 etc)

A DR650 in the right hands is a good dual sport tool, but in the hands of a tool, it is a dirt nap waiting to happen. It is fairly short, so that is good, but it has a big heavy engine and you can't flick it around... the same mass that helps you tackle obstacles makes it hard to change direction

[tntmo 910]

Welcome to the group. Bikeslut has some pretty good advice, for a beginner in the off-road world the DR650 can be a real handful. My suggestion to you is to find a DR350SE, 1994 or newer ones are electric start. They are quite a bit easier to play with off-road and are still good on the highway. Whatever you get, start out slow and ride with a group if you can.

See ya on the trail.

[TrophyHunter 15]

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/mcy/2807580889.html

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/mcy/2804410048.html

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/esd/mcy/2799768246.html

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/mcy/2798585267.html

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/mcy/2802724549.html

All good points.

[Leoffensive 0]

LOL thanks a lot i started out really liking the KLX650(kawasaki green is my favorite color) and was talked up to a bigger motor on 2 other forums(kawasaki's next choice is the klr 650 which is too big for my current taste since im not looking for a bike with the big fairing or w/e its called). I did mention the fact i may turn it into a daily rider but im kinda thinking against that after driving through 24 degree weather to descanso this morning and after repairing a good section of guardrail on I-8 by dunbar after a lady lost control of her car and smashed it something fierce. ive seen it before and im kinda deciding to stick to a truck for commuting to work. I currently weigh about 220LBs so im iffy about a 250 but if i use it for leisurely rides on 2 lane highways and screwing around offroad ill probably be fine. i do really like the drz400s that blue one on that craigslist add is pretty nice.

i dunno i feel like you guys just set me back at square one. haha

[bikeslut 1]

For dirt, the DRZ is better than the DR650! But far from perfect

For touring and freeway commuting, the DR650 is better...I think you mean the KLX250, and it is a bit underpowered for most freeway use

Really- buy a cheap dual sport and figure out what you want to do through experience, not what some jerks on the internet tell you....by that, I mean other jerks; listen to me!

[Leoffensive 0]

For dirt, the DRZ is better than the DR650! But far from perfect

For touring and freeway commuting, the DR650 is better...I think you mean the KLX250, and it is a bit underpowered for most freeway use

Really- buy a cheap dual sport and figure out what you want to do through experience, not what some jerks on the internet tell you....by that, I mean other jerks; listen to me!

yes lol thanks for correcting me. i think i need to meet up with you. however i can only drive to during and from work with my current drivers licsense til feb. 4th. perhaps i can get my lovely lady friend to cart me around some more hahaha