new dualsport love

[ddlewis]

I sold my old faithful XR400 early this fall thinking I wanted a bigger more roadworthy dualsport.  A true dualsport, not another dirtbike with tags like I've had for so long.   So last month I come across a 2007 DR650, super clean, low miles, not too far away and cheap.  So I bought it.

I've only done some mild tweaking to the intake (airbox snorkel gone) and carb tweaks to make it breath/idle better.  I had an old vstrom windshield on the shelf and cobbled together a pretty good and sturdy (for me - no duct tape) mount for it.

Damn if it isn't my new most favorite funnest bike ever!!  It's a half decent trail bike and it rides on the highway way better than you would ever guess. 75mph.. no drama or suffering at all.  It's a ton of fun to ride on twisty roads even with the 21" front and dual sport tires.  It's just fun. period.  I can barely keep myself from buying doodads for it.. every night I'm shopping for parts, etc.. reading reviews on gear.  I'm all messed up.   


It's making me think crazy thoughts like.. this would be a perfectly fine only bike.  I could doll it up and make it comfortable enough for road trips, FJ rally's and still decent explore-bike.  towards this end I just bought a Sargent seat - it's weakest link.. stock seat not good.  But if that pans out, some heated grips, racks/soft bags and I might just keep this bike and sell the RT.   crazy talk right?

[markmartin]

Lookin' good Dan. Looks brand new. Gotta love those late season deals!   I've got a friend in Oklahoma with a KLR 650 that sends me pics of some beautiful rides from Ok. and neighboring states, and another up the street from me with a DRZ 400 that goes all over hell with it; paved and unpaved.  It's very intriguing and I can understand your excitement.
I've got the FJ for the street, a dirt bike/ play bike for the ATV trails and such.  I can see the need for the in between, or rather, the 'both' bike --   in my future. 
Enjoy!

Mark

[ddlewis]

Thanks Mark.  Something cool about riding down a highway, turning onto a secondary road, then a gravel road then a trail on one machine.

It all hinges on how the new seat works out as to whether or not I'll be able to do any real travelling.  That stock seat is like a board.  a narrow board.  with extra splinters.  The new seat will have to be literally 10x better, because the stock seat is good for about 20 miles.

after which time my ass says -

[racerman_27410]

thats why i went with the DRZ450.... its loads of fun and i have even hit some trails with the SM rims and pilot powers 

so hooligan it makes we want to bunny hop ditches and take the stairs 

the dirt rims are more functional but the street grinds the knobs off too fast.... doesnt take too long to swap them out if i know what i'm going to (mostly) be getting into in adance.

the corbin seat is a little better than stock ... its wide at the back and hard as a rock... tolerable for street duty but i dont think i would want to go cross country with it.

let us know how the sargent seat turns out.

KOokaloo!

[ddlewis]

Hard seats seem to be a Corbin thing. The couple I've owned plus every one I have ever tried has been rock hard.  Generally like them, of course anything beats stock, but I'm not sure if a little give wouldn't be better.  Also their seat pans always seem to weigh a ton.  So we'll see how the Sargent is..  supposed to be here today.

Love to have some SM wheels, too bad I'm so cheap.  Just another set of stock wheels would be pretty cool.. gripsters on one set, 760 trackmasters on the other.

Just got a set of 50/50 tires - Shinko 700 and put them on Friday night, bout a 100 miles on them now.  They have short broad knobs.  Not surprisingly, they kick the crap out of worn out trailwings both on and off road.  Rubber seem soft and sticky, makes me wonder how long they'll last.  Stick excellent to the road and ride nice and smooth.  The pair was $101 shipped!   Hoping for 3k miles at least, if they make that I'll be happy.

[SkyFive]

Those are great bikes, I have a friend that just bought a DRZ400. We took a ride to the mountains last fall, about 150 miles round trip. He owns a Honda Interceptor but he said he was going to take his DRZ. I said are you sure? He said yes so off we went. My friend is around 230 pds. so about half way thru our trip I was riding behind him and noticed he was riding nearly side saddle, half on and half off the seat. We stopped for a break and he said the DRZ seat felt like a loaf of frozen bread.  I asked if he wanted to swap bikes for a few miles but he declined.

[rktmanfj]

Love to have some SM wheels, too bad I'm so cheap. 

Says the guy whose other street bike has a/c and a latte machine...        

[ddlewis]

Love to have some SM wheels, too bad I'm so cheap. 

Says the guy whose other street bike has a/c and a latte machine...        

Just in case Carey is reading - don't forget the whale foreskin suit.  I am a complete badass.
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7110381

I'm seriously thinking about downsizing the beemer already.

[bugboy]

That's a damn funny movie,,,,,,, poser.

[rktmanfj]

Just in case Carey is reading - don't forget the whale foreskin suit.  I am a complete badass.
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7110381

I'm seriously thinking about downsizing the beemer already.