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super moto/dual sport questions


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1. is there such a thing as a super moto with decent fuel capacity (as in, can go 120+ miles on a tank)?

2. can you get any sort of wind protection on a motard? It doesn't need to be huge and all encompassing, but just enough to block some wind from the helmet while hunched/tucked

3. can you get "comfy" super moto seats?

on the other hand, coming from a different perspective

a. is there such a thing as a light dual sport that isn't made ONLY for incredibly tall people? Asians (minus yao ming) aren't really well known for being tall. for weight, i'm thinking >350lbs or even less if possible.

b. can a dual sport be shod with say... touring street tires like a pilot road 2ct and have decent suspension?

c. are dual sports cheap to fix so i'm not so paranoid about dropping it while riding around the roads in SE ohio?

I thought I'd get opinions from people who have ridden one or both types of bikes. I'm guessing it's a "get a super moto or a dual sport, numb nuts" but I'm hoping there is a compromise to be made.

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I don't have experience with a sumo...

For dual sports, yes, there are multiple light dual sports less than 350 lbs wet weight that work for shorter people. I'm 5'8"-ish and sit on an xt225 with a 32" seat. It's comfy for me. I wouldn't make it into a sumo though because the hp/torque are small, but there are other DS bikes out there with a bit more power and less seat.

Don't forget you can always shave the seat padding or change the suspension height to get a lower seat height. So, a 36" on a dr350se can be thinned down to probably 34.5" tall.

It's all about priorities!

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Everything you are asking for is either going to be found in a MUCH slower and less than capable Sumo style machine. Wide comfy seat, lower seat height, larger fuel capacity, etc are all anti-descriptors for a Sumo machine.

That being said, you can get extended range fuel tanks for almost every MX based platform nowadays. So, you can get more fuel range.

Seat is going to be an issue along with height. TRUE supermoto machines are designed to be jumped. Something with a lower seat height will be something in what we call play bike range or very much a weever bike that you will NOT enjoy.

Wind protection? Buy a Goldwing.

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let me pose the questions this way:

I'm not a stranger to naked bikes, as I'm coming from a 1125cr. How much worse is a sumo for being beat up by the wind at higher speeds? here is a 1125cr in case people are not familiar with them.

Buell_1125CR-x_2009_04_1024x768.jpg

For seat height, I'm about 5'7" with something like a 30-32" in seam. Can I expect to get at least 1 foot down on the ground? or tippy toes with both? Am I going to have to find a step ladder to actually get on the thing? lol

as for comfy seats, the street riding we do goes anywhere from 250 - 500 miles of twisties (and minimum of 90 miles of straight roads both ways from my house to SE ohio and back). Am I going to feel like I was doing it with black tod after each ride? I'm guessing I can reupholster the seats myself, but if there are aftermarket seats available, that would be handy to know.

Basically, if my 1125cr was like... 100lbs lighter (it weighs about 400lbs dry), I would just have kept it. but sadly, to be in that weight range with nude bikes, i'm looking at sumos and dual sports from the looks of things. just trying to figure out if there was some way to get a sumo to fit the bill, or a dual sport to fit the bill, or a mix of both. This will be my only street bike.

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let me pose the questions this way:

I'm not a stranger to naked bikes, as I'm coming from a 1125cr. How much worse is a sumo for being beat up by the wind at higher speeds? here is a 1125cr in case people are not familiar with them.

Buell_1125CR-x_2009_04_1024x768.jpg

For seat height, I'm about 5'7" with something like a 30-32" in seam. Can I expect to get at least 1 foot down on the ground? or tippy toes with both? Am I going to have to find a step ladder to actually get on the thing? lol

as for comfy seats, the street riding we do goes anywhere from 250 - 500 miles of twisties (and minimum of 90 miles of straight roads both ways from my house to SE ohio and back). Am I going to feel like I was doing it with black tod after each ride? I'm guessing I can reupholster the seats myself, but if there are aftermarket seats available, that would be handy to know.

Basically, if my 1125cr was like... 100lbs lighter (it weighs about 400lbs dry), I would just have kept it. but sadly, to be in that weight range with nude bikes, i'm looking at sumos and dual sports from the looks of things. just trying to figure out if there was some way to get a sumo to fit the bill, or a dual sport to fit the bill, or a mix of both. This will be my only street bike.

There is no such thing as high speed or long distance on a sumo. You'll have frequent gas stops but even more frequent giggles and smiles. trailer that bitch down to my place when you guys wanna ride down south
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There is no such thing as high speed or long distance on a sumo. You'll have frequent gas stops but even more frequent giggles and smiles. trailer that bitch down to my place when you guys wanna ride down south

darn. i guess if i get something that can handle a higher tongue weight, i could get one of those handy dandy single bike carrier things.

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1. is there such a thing as a super moto with decent fuel capacity (as in, can go 120+ miles on a tank)?

Most stock dualsports/supermotos have around a 2 gal tank with a 100-120 mile range. Larger aftermarket tanks are available.

2. can you get any sort of wind protection on a motard? It doesn't need to be huge and all encompassing, but just enough to block some wind from the helmet while hunched/tucked

Some people have been known to affix windshields to their DS bikes for just the reason you state. Many options are available.

3. can you get "comfy" super moto seats?

Yes. There are many aftermarket seat manufacturers that make seats for DS bikes. Prices range from $150-300.

on the other hand, coming from a different perspective

a. is there such a thing as a light dual sport that isn't made ONLY for incredibly tall people? Asians (minus yao ming) aren't really well known for being tall. for weight, i'm thinking >350lbs or even less if possible.

Less than 350lbs wouldn't be a problem at all. Everything can be lowered.

b. can a dual sport be shod with say... touring street tires like a pilot road 2ct and have decent suspension?

I believe every DS on the market today comes with cartridge forks and a pretty decent shock, the Yamaha WR250R and KLX250s (and their SuMo brothers) have USD forks. While you may have trouble finding sportbike/sport touring tires in dirtbike sizes, there are many street tires available that will fit DS wheels. With the lighter DS bike, you don't need the greatest in modern grip technology.

c. are dual sports cheap to fix so i'm not so paranoid about dropping it while riding around the roads in SE ohio?

They're cheap to fix, but even harder to break! I threw my WR down on the Dragon this summer and managed to scuff my hand guard, that's it. These bikes are designed to crash.

I thought I'd get opinions from people who have ridden one or both types of bikes. I'm guessing it's a "get a super moto or a dual sport, numb nuts" but I'm hoping there is a compromise to be made.

Some of the options out there:

KTM and Husky 600cc class bikes: Fast, powerful, excellent components. Expensive to buy and maintain compared to the Japanese, but the performance is incredible.

DRZ-400: Heavy and Reliable. Excellent torque and great aftermarket, but a lack of 6th gear leaves many unhappy when it's time to hit the highway.

WR250R/X: High-revving Fuel injected 250. 26,000 mile valve inspections and a great suspension package make this thing a blast. Doesn't have the bottom end grunt that the DRZ has, but it makes up for it at the top end. 6 speed.

KLX-250S: Really doesn't stack up to the DRZ or WR. Good suspension, Ok motor, minimal aftermarket support.

Honda: meh.

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There is no such thing as high speed or long distance on a sumo. You'll have frequent gas stops but even more frequent giggles and smiles. trailer that bitch down to my place when you guys wanna ride down south

Depends on your bike, I guess. I agree with you if you're talking about a converted motocross bike, but I've done 300+ miles on my DS and it'll do 80 all day long.

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1. is there such a thing as a super moto with decent fuel capacity (as in, can go 120+ miles on a tank)?

Most stock dualsports/supermotos have around a 2 gal tank with a 100-120 mile range. Larger aftermarket tanks are available.

2. can you get any sort of wind protection on a motard? It doesn't need to be huge and all encompassing, but just enough to block some wind from the helmet while hunched/tucked

Some people have been known to affix windshields to their DS bikes for just the reason you state. Many options are available.

3. can you get "comfy" super moto seats?

Yes. There are many aftermarket seat manufacturers that make seats for DS bikes. Prices range from $150-300.

on the other hand, coming from a different perspective

a. is there such a thing as a light dual sport that isn't made ONLY for incredibly tall people? Asians (minus yao ming) aren't really well known for being tall. for weight, i'm thinking >350lbs or even less if possible.

Less than 350lbs wouldn't be a problem at all. Everything can be lowered.

b. can a dual sport be shod with say... touring street tires like a pilot road 2ct and have decent suspension?

I believe every DS on the market today comes with cartridge forks and a pretty decent shock, the Yamaha WR250R and KLX250s (and their SuMo brothers) have USD forks. While you may have trouble finding sportbike/sport touring tires in dirtbike sizes, there are many street tires available that will fit DS wheels. With the lighter DS bike, you don't need the greatest in modern grip technology.

c. are dual sports cheap to fix so i'm not so paranoid about dropping it while riding around the roads in SE ohio?

They're cheap to fix, but even harder to break! I threw my WR down on the Dragon this summer and managed to scuff my hand guard, that's it. These bikes are designed to crash.

I thought I'd get opinions from people who have ridden one or both types of bikes. I'm guessing it's a "get a super moto or a dual sport, numb nuts" but I'm hoping there is a compromise to be made.

Some of the options out there:

KTM and Husky 600cc class bikes: Fast, powerful, excellent components. Expensive to buy and maintain compared to the Japanese, but the performance is incredible.

DRZ-400: Heavy and Reliable. Excellent torque and great aftermarket, but a lack of 6th gear leaves many unhappy when it's time to hit the highway.

WR250R/X: High-revving Fuel injected 250. 26,000 mile valve inspections and a great suspension package make this thing a blast. Doesn't have the bottom end grunt that the DRZ has, but it makes up for it at the top end. 6 speed.

KLX-250S: Really doesn't stack up to the DRZ or WR. Good suspension, Ok motor, minimal aftermarket support.

Honda: meh.

this puts another spin on things.

also, on a different topic, i know weight isn't everything, but how much DOES a very "sporty" sumo weigh? obviously, the frame, suspension, etc all has a huge proponent in it, but something like a wrr or xrr seems to be in the 300lbs range.

So, for example, if I found a well built xrr or wr-something (not sure what displacements yet... haven't got that far lol) specifically made for sumo duty, seems like it would be well under 350lbs. is that considered heavy by sumo standards?

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Am I going to feel like I was doing it with black tod after each ride?

Yes you will it is a ride requirement. I don't mind stopping around 60 to 85 miles, you should quit riding with those hard C.O.R.E. riders they will wear you out but not in my good way.

Trailer that bitch down to my place when you guys wanna ride down south

I probably will be doing this in the beginning of the season until my finger gets used to longer rides. It sucks doing that because on a bike its 90 minutes to your place because you can pass as will, I bet it would be two hours pulling a trailer.

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how about something like this? i've been reading people's review of it, and maybe i'm getting the wrong impression of it...

http://www.supermotojunkie.com/showthread.php?110546-2006-Husqvarna-SM610-Austin-TX

it's a 2006 husky SM610

big_Husqvarna_SM610_Supermotard.jpg

why can't honda make something like that? lol

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how about something like this? i've been reading people's review of it, and maybe i'm getting the wrong impression of it...

http://www.supermotojunkie.com/showthread.php?110546-2006-Husqvarna-SM610-Austin-TX

it's a 2006 husky SM610

big_Husqvarna_SM610_Supermotard.jpg

why can't honda make something like that? lol

good bikes! I don't know how much maintenance you're comfortable with, but these can be a little more time consuming than a regular sport bike. that said, they're pretty easy to work on with no fairings or other BS in your way.

Long ride comfort on one of these is largely up to the particular rider. Some people can go all day while others can barely last an hour.

Nice thing about the 610 is it has enough motor that you could do track days on it and have a ball. Doesn't really have enough motor for the long stretch at Mid-O, but those ROCK in the tight sections.

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Yes you will it is a ride requirement. I don't mind stopping around 60 to 85 miles, you should quit riding with those hard C.O.R.E. riders they will wear you out but not in my good way.

I probably will be doing this in the beginning of the season until my finger gets used to longer rides. It sucks doing that because on a bike its 90 minutes to your place because you can pass as will, I bet it would be two hours pulling a trailer.

Thats good bud, Im looking at buying a house so maybe Ill have a place for a little party once you get down here. Also if your towing it behind your SS, I know it would only take you like 20 mins to get here haha.

how about something like this? i've been reading people's review of it, and maybe i'm getting the wrong impression of it...

http://www.supermotojunkie.com/showthread.php?110546-2006-Husqvarna-SM610-Austin-TX

it's a 2006 husky SM610

big_Husqvarna_SM610_Supermotard.jpg

why can't honda make something like that? lol

I absoultely love the 510 Husky, 610 has a slightly different shroud. I love it also but not as much as the 510

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