Confession: I'm going to get an adventure bike

[DefyInertia]

I'm leaning towards the DR650 or the KTM 640

DR

640

I've been doing more and more sport-touring and seeing more and more of the state and I'm loving it. I really love railing through the corners but I always find myself looking off up into the mountains where my FZ6 can't take me.

Been riding with a friend who has a V-strom and we always seem to end up on really torn up goat trails or on dirt roads.

I sold my KTM supercross bike before moving out here and I miss the dirt.

I plan/hope/want to keep the FZ6 but I've been harboring very bad thoughts that may or may not include parting out the good bits and selling the bike. If you asked me a month ago I'd have said I would never sell it.

I like to slide and I like the outdoors. I also like being able to crash a little bit every now and then without the major consequences you have on the street.

I could get my lean angle and track day fix by throwing a bigger front brake and some supermoto wheels on a DR.

Hhhmmmmmm....

Selling the Fz would be silly...right?

 

[Wolfman]

sounds like you should go for a dual sport, or super-motard...then you will have something that can do both....road & dirt.

i would keep the fizzer, but you might find you never ride it, once you get a more versatile steed.

:thumbup:

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Can't you just put some nobby tires on the FZ?

 

[Humperdinkel]

If thats what you want to do then go for it , a good mate of mine swears by his Triumph Tiger , it handles the dirt fairly well he reckons :thumbup:

 

[bmccrary]

The FZ does decent on the dirt roads and gravel since it does have a higher ground clearance. However Defy, I am with you I have been looking alot at the the GS's and such. I started out in off road riding and miss it like crazy. If I could have something to get the fun out of the twisties and the joy out of being in the dirt... where do I sign.

Good luck with your search!

-bryan

 

[bcityroller]

I agree that there's places I want to go that the FZ can't take me. If I was to sell the FZ and buy one bike that was supposed to do everything I'd be looking at an F800GS since it would be comfy for long road trips and not quite so bulky as the bigger GSs.

What I ended up doing was buying a busted up XT350 that I'm fixing but it's not going to satisfy the "adventure" bug just dual-sporting somewhat local.

PS - if you start going to advrider a lot it will just start the spiral all that much faster - be warned.

 

[bledubd]

And I thought I was alone. I am looking at buying a GS sometime next year to satisfy my adventure urges. I'd like to do some safari tours and was thinking the GS Adventure model is the one to have coz of the long range tank mileage.

I am using the website Horizons Unlimited - THE Motorcycle Travel site for much of my research.

 

[Hellgate]

Silly??? That is down right stupid! No more track days, unless of course you do a Wavex and buy a dedicated track bike too.

If I had the funds and space I'd love to have an adventure bike, along with several others.

 

[Red Wazp]

If you have the bucks get the KTM however if the budget is tight go for the DL or plenty of used KLR's out there. Dirt is good

 

[champion221elite]

Don't get rid of your FZ6!!! I sold my Yamaha XT225 last year as a partial down payment on my '08 FZ6. There are plenty of times that I ride past a seasonal or fire road and wish I had my XT.

They're both fun bikes, and they excel at different things. If I had the money, I'd buy another Dual Sport and have two motorcycles hanging out in my garage.

 

[zigzagg321]

That DL1000 V-Strom is a very nice bike for what you are saying you want to do.

 

[spock]

Hey mates

I envy you!!!

you have garages and as I have seen sometimes pretty big ones, that's pretty cool.

look at these pictures, my little bike has to sleep on.....oh yes....the living room!

Saludos :rockon: (Cheers)

 

[ELIZABETH]

Hey mates

I envy you!!!

you have garages and as I have seen sometimes pretty big ones, that's pretty cool.

look at these pictures, my little bike has to sleep on.....oh yes....the living room!

Saludos :rockon: (Cheers)

And here I was feeling bad that my car is now sitting outside in the elements so my FZ6 can be in the garage!! So I take it you are single? :rof:

 

[sxty8goats]

Ride what makes you happy.

On the KTM, They put a crap ton of high end parts on a beautiful bike and seem to skimp on the build quality. I've seen a lot back at my local shop for wiring issues and other gremlins. An adventure bike should be reliable.... I don't know alot about adventure bikes, everything I know comes from a friend who rides a DZ400, but I have heard a lot of bad on the KTM, common problem is the wiring passing through the steering/forks with little protection from wear.

Take it for what it is, a good point to research to see if I'm right. (I've been wrong before and will be wrong again someday)

 

[scottsst]

just do it ! if I had the bucks and the space I would do it in a second. I spend time over at ADVrider.com and just looking at the pictures from peoples Adventures over there drive me nuts

 

[Wavex]

Good luck with your decision.

I hope to be able to get on the track with you again someday though...

 

[spock]

And here I was feeling bad that my car is now sitting outside in the elements so my FZ6 can be in the garage!! So I take it you are single? :rof:

:rof::rof: You've got it Elizabeth, I'm a single guy living with my parents, fortunately for them is not a problem having the bike inside, here is not very common to have this kind of bike, at least not for people like me not poor not rich, lets call it middle class, this is a toy hard to obtain, hard to maintain so they care about his little baby well being so all the family likes to have the toy well protected.

And the girl, well, sometimes she cares about the fz more than I do, so in the future it won't be a problem for us having an extra piece of forniture :rof:

 

[interactive3]

Keep the FZ6 and get that adventure bike. GS may be in my future (or my imaginary future).

How does your friend like the V-Strom for on/off road? What about one of those if you were to let go of the FZ6?

 

[DefyInertia]

Can't you just put some nobby tires on the FZ?

No. That would get me about 5% of what I’m looking for.

PS - if you start going to advrider a lot it will just start the spiral all that much faster - be warned.

Yup…been doing a lot of reading :thumbup:

Silly??? That is down right stupid! No more track days, unless of course you do a Wavex and buy a dedicated track bike too.

Motard track days…or yeah, a track bike. But really I should just keep it, right!?!!?

If you have the bucks get the KTM however if the budget is tight go for the DL or plenty of used KLR's out there. Dirt is good

I’m thinking the DR650 will provide more of a motard option (i.e., having two sets of wheels/tires) but the KTM is nasty. The DL V-strom is not being considered.

That DL1000 V-Strom is a very nice bike for what you are saying you want to do.

Nah, it’s too big and does not crash well enough and sucks down gas so the range is limited. It’s like a goldwing that you can take on fire roads.

I hope to be able to get on the track with you again someday though...

Dude, it’s not like I died.

How does your friend like the V-Strom for on/off road? What about one of those if you were to let go of the FZ6?

His v-strom DL1000 is a big fat pig. Nuff said. But he does rail on the pavement…I mean he really moves. The DL650/1000 are not being considered.

just do it !

Good advice. I’m thinking I will. The only problem is that I’m trying to buy a house right now which is the only reason selling the FZ6 is being considered. I’ll probably just wait a couple months until after I buy the house and end up with both. We’ll see.

 

[ELIZABETH]

The only problem is that I’m trying to buy a house right now which is the only reason selling the FZ6 is being considered. I’ll probably just wait a couple months until after I buy the house and end up with both. We’ll see.

We just re-financed our house, and I was worried that my FZ6 purchase would complicate that, but the re-fi went through before the motorcycle loan was an issue. Good idea to wait 'til after the house purchase, then get an off road toy. If you later decide the FZ is just collecting dust, then you can sell it. But there are some pretty sweet deals out there on bikes, so you might be able to keep both, and it sounds like that is what you really want to do anyway. :thumbup: