Under 300lb dual sport bikes?

[bikeslut 1]

WR250 is an awesome choice, I for one highly recommend it.

http://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sport/products/modelhome/595/0/home.aspx

while on that subject... the Wr450F I had felt VERY small, and GREAT suspension after properly dialed in. More of those with a plate also, than the 250.

But agree on the WR250F... light, agile, rev happy, great suspension, low, fast.

[Bagstr 288]

300lb Dualsport?

Pay Now or Pay Later. Talking weight, budget will determine options. Also, give consideration to maintenance schedules. A 240lb'er will require more frequent service and rebuild.

Talk to Crawdaddy about the supposed bullet proof small displacement Asian moto. Lastly, "esperiment" with sitting on the long travel motos. They compress about 1/3 of total extended travel spec. with rider weight... Whatever you do, get the bike sprung to your weight and you will be much happier.

Bagstr

[dirt dame 561]

If you are thinking about shortening the suspension, be forewarned that this will change the way the suspension works and the way the bike handles, as well as taking away ground clearance. I finally lowered one of my bikes, after debating about it for a rather long time. The lowering link caused the lever ratio to change, making the suspension a bit too soft on the high speed stuff. Raising the forks up to match the drop in the back of the machine made the bike steer much quicker. This is great in the tight stuff, but a tad more nervous in high speed situations. I also bonk the footpegs and frame more often in the rocks. Luckily this lowering wasn't an expensive, complicated or long process, so I will probably switch back soon. That one inch reduction was nice when stopped or at low speeds, but I'm not so sure that it was THAT nice.

[dsfox 0]

........To me, scooting over to the side when you need to put a foot down helps way more than lowering the seat.

some of us need BOTH.. :blush:/> ..even with a lower seat, I still have to slide to put ONE foot down...but whatever it takes to ride and get out on the trail......it's all good...

On the KTM maintenance...no big deal for me....I do the basics myself.....[can't speak for the newer KTM's]... But for the older RFS's (02=07)

..change oil, (do use synthetic, so a little more expensive).....clean the air filter, ......gotta do that for Any brand bike

.....well worth the light weight, good suspension, high performance in my opinion....

[neuro 0]

So, I do put keep my feet up, except when stopping. Honestly, dropping your bike at a stop sign is embarrassing to say the least. And I still crash. I'm probably not going to stop that any time soon. Learning power slides? Crash. Learning brake slides? Crash. Lose my line on a bad rut? Crash like heck.

I've seen people do the butt slide to one side and I've practiced it, but I'm just not that agile. I'm even less agile in thirty five pounds of gear. By five pm I'm not only not agile, but my hips are not cooperating, they're done. I'm cool with just being able to get the ball of one foot down, which was the case on the wr250. But I'm not going to be one of those people vaulting onto a bike. It'd be ugly.

So, sure, there are a lot of badass riders out there who are short. Gary LaPlante taught a class I took and that guy hops up sidesaddle onto a bike to get it going and then kicks one leg over to get going he's so short. But I'm not him. I've been riding less than a year.

I'd keep the CRF another season, but the suspension's getting me into trouble. If things get tough, it can't keep up and it bottoms out and the rebound makes it hard to control and you can feel the forks bend. It's an ugly, ugly feeling. Maybe it wouldn't bother a better rider, but I have trouble bringing it back once it's bottomed and bounced.

The 'what does your bike really weigh' thread was cool - but it looks like at least some of those are real dirt bikes and not dual sports? Sorry, I may need smaller words. I'm kind of guessing from pictures by the "That doesn't have a headlight" test.

I'm also a little intimidated by the KTM maintenance schedule. What can you tell me about that?

Looks like you found your bike.

Could be a lot out there that I don't know about.

[97xr400r 122]

300lb Dualsport?

Pay Now or Pay Later. Talking weight, budget will determine options. Also, give consideration to maintenance schedules. A 240lb'er will require more frequent service and rebuild.

Talk to Crawdaddy about the supposed bullet proof small displacement Asian moto. Lastly, "esperiment" with sitting on the long travel motos. They compress about 1/3 of total extended travel spec. with rider weight... Whatever you do, get the bike sprung to your weight and you will be much happier.

Bagstr

"Talk to Crawdaddy about the supposed bullet proof small displacement Asian moto." I asked, he said you were referring to a wr250. The CRF 250L engine is from the CBR 250 street bike it is a low revving detuned machine compared to the WR. My bud gets 70mpg on the thing!

[HVYWT 3]

Rider weight is a really big deal, with all the stuff that is being carried. Back packs 20+ lbs, tank bags, etc...

Most bike are set up new for 175 lbs or less. The best bikes are subject to suspension work for the rider's weight.

My Husaberg 650 weight 246.9 dry, Race Tech set it up for 260 lbs (rider) best ride you could have. But it is tall.

Hard to find the best fit for all we want from a bike.

[Wintyfresh 46]

Neuro wound up picking up an 03 Drz400s this morning.

[neuro 0]

I rode it up and down the street shouting"I'm so tall!"

It's lowered an inch and a half already.

[Goofy Footer 539]

Congrats guys! I think I saw that one on CL... was it a "steal"? Is it lowered via spacers in the fork/shock or by a kouba link?

Slap a seat concepts low or a gel seat on it and you'll have another inch of lowering. Install a low profile tail light and possibly a different headlight and you'll instantly lose some weight too.

Enjoy

[Wintyfresh 46]

Congrats guys! I think I saw that one on CL... was it a "steal"?

Yep, that's the one, lowered with a kouba link.

[baldbeemer 0]

We have the seatconcepts lowered seat on the Mistress' DRZ, and I would highly recommend it over the gel seat. If you're lowered with the kouba link I would recomend a trip to see George (Suspenders) at Suspensions101. He does excellent work, you will not be disapointed.