Choosing a good dual-sport bike is an important decision. One must weigh up the likely uses of the bike and the compromises between comfort reliability, availability of parts, price and robustness. For us the decision is influenced also by supply as we will be buying in the USA.

As such we have decided on the Kawasaki KLR650. The KLR650 is a ‘dual-purpose’ bike i.e. oriented for both dirt and tarmac. Due to the jack of all trades nature of the bike one needs to weigh up the pros and cons and this bike seems to fit the bill. The Suzuki DR650 is another option.

These bikes are single cylinder, trail orientated machines. They are really trail bikes modified to go on the road. The benefit of this is that the bikes are tough, and are one od the least expensive dual-sport bike. The flip side is that these are single cylinder so may be less comfortable on the road for long distance than road bikes.

(^Click Picture)

 

A great website we were pointed to at an early stage was The Hubb, at www.horizonsunlimited.com - a website dedicated to motorbike touring. Josh asked the question in this thread, and was amazed at the depth of knowledge in the replys - the final concensus was that the KLR is the bike for us. It is well worth a browse through The Hubb, it is a fantastic resource for information and experiences on motorbike touring.

 

 

..other ideal bikes….

Kawasaki KLE500 or Suzuki V-Strom DL650

• Pros - more comfortable on-road than other bikes. These bikes are two cylinders meaning a smoother ride on road. They are basically modelled as bikes which go on road with a few concessions made to lower quality roads, gravel, light dirt. Perfect for what we will encounter. Also they are Japanese bikes meaning there is more likely to be dealers accessible throughout the journey.

• Cons - The KLE500 and DL650 are few and far between in USA. Consequently they are expensive and extend themselves beyond our budget. These bikes are heavier than the KLR650. If dropped they will take effort to pick up.