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desant
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Which motor bike for hardcore travelling?
#12158385 - 03/07/10 10:55 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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My friend is trying to find a really good cheap bike here...
Hes gonna do some serious hardcore travelling on it on and off road...
We got 3 choices:
And we are not sure which bike to take, a proper cruiser or dual purpose one?
I think dual purpose is better, it is smaller, more manuverable, can travel off road.
Vote and suggest which bike we should get:
1. Yamaha

2. Suzuki

3. Kawasaki
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ToTheSummit
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12158536 - 03/07/10 11:24 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Kawasaki. I had a KLR250. Loved that bike!

For a couple years now I've been wanting to get another bike. Gonna go for the KLR650 next time though. Its much better for highway travel then the 250 was.
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PDU
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: ToTheSummit]
#12162450 - 03/08/10 12:39 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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I've got an 04 KLR 650 - took it on a 6000km trip this summer. Here's some pics i've uploaded before + someone else's KLR i found on the net:




Don't buy by brand - buy by style of bike and power. Describe the kind of trips and riding you are going to want to be doing? You need to take into consideration if you will be wanting to do jumps or ride aggressively - or if you want to load it down with camping equipment and food. What kind of luggage/loading/rack will you use? Are you going to be riding highways, secondary roads, freeways, logging roads?
One bike can't do it all - but a KLR 650 is pretty close at being "OK" at everything. At 400lbs though you wont be busting berms or doing jumps...
I wouldn't buy anything less than than 600cc's if you are going to be doing more than an hour or so Highway driving.
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Grok
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: PDU]
#12165292 - 03/08/10 03:31 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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You def. want a dual sport. Hard to go wrong with a KLR. The KTM Adv bikes and the BMW FS & GS series are pretty sweet but you'll be shelling out for those. I currently have a Suzuki DR350 and it ain't bad. Not as much power as a 650 obviously, but it's much lighter, easier to work on/simpler design, gets better mileage, cheaper, less to insure, etc. I can load up some camping gear & packraft and bump around for days, I love it. But if you plan on doing extensive highway travel, you'll want a 650 as PDU mentioned.
The best resource for this inquiry would be www.advrider.com
PDU is that a bicycle attached to your KLR? Nice!
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Edited by Grok (03/08/10 03:46 PM)
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PDU
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: Grok]
#12168760 - 03/09/10 04:31 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Grok said: www.advrider.com
I second ADVrider.com - Lots of great info.
Quote:
PDU is that a bicycle attached to your KLR? Nice!
Thinking back on it, it was a bit much. Rather ingenious and unique though.
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: PDU]
#12176779 - 03/10/10 10:50 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Hey guys
Not buy anything less that "600cc"?? What is that mean, sorry im not that knodledgable about bikes and cars to be honest...
Yes i want to travel on highway as well as off road...
This is the bike i want http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/KLX125
Is it over "600"??
WHat about this one, cost 2x more tho http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/KLX250
Good vibes to u guys for help
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Grok
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12177033 - 03/10/10 11:36 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
desant said: Hey guys
Not buy anything less that "600cc"?? What is that mean, sorry im not that knodledgable about bikes and cars to be honest...
CCs refer to engine displacement (size), which typically is highly indicative of the amount of horsepower/torque of the mototrcycle. More displacement = more horsepower and torque.
Quote:
Yes i want to travel on highway as well as off road...
This is the bike i want http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/KLX125
Is it over "600"??
That's a 125CC bike, which is about 1/5th the displacement of a 600CC. It will have substantially less power as a result of this, and when weighted down with travel gear it will be gutless. A 350CC bike should be your minimum if you want to travel safely and efficiently on the highway. However, it would be easy to ride on the trail, being somewhat underpowered and very light.
Quote:
WHat about this one, cost 2x more tho http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/KLX250
You could get by with that, but seriously, consider something bigger if you plan to do extensive, long-distance highway travel. Also, a second-hand bike will be much cheaper, and if you learn to turn wrench on it you can do nearly all the maintenance yourself.
Quote:
Good vibes to u guys for help 
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: Grok]
#12177141 - 03/10/10 11:57 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Dude
"CCs refer to engine displacement "
" his is the bike i want http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/KLX125
Is it over "600"??
That's a 125CC bike, which is about 1/5th the displacement of a 600CC. "
that is NOT 125cc bike!!! that is 125CM
Which is cubic METERS not centimeters, assuming CC means cubic centimenters...
There are 1.000.000 cubic centimetres in a cubic meter That would make it 125.000.000 cc!!!!!!!!
WTF!!
I dont get it 
Or is CM stands for cubic milimetrs?? then why its so low?
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12177264 - 03/10/10 12:16 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Ohh wait, lol CM3 is CentiMeters 3 right???
So that bike is like only, 125 cubic centimeters / cc /CM3 ??
Is that really low??? Not good for high way travelling, isnt that supposed to be "dual purpose" bike? Its got like 10 horse power, not enough???
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12177306 - 03/10/10 12:24 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Wait a minute, that second 2009 Suzuki TU250X, its 250 cc... and its a proper road bike... why the hell cant you use it on highways just because its not 660 cc???????????????????????
lol
Ohhh i get it, that Suzuki is a "street bike" and i really need a "cruiser" over 600 cc?
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Grok
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: Grok]
#12178114 - 03/10/10 02:45 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Dude, CM3 probably means centimeters cubed or c^3, better known as cubic centimeters or CC.
You could certainly use a small bike on the highway. Personally, I wouldn't want to. For one, they accelerate slowly, which makes being around other traffic dangerous IMO. You don't want people passing you all the time, or being right on your ass. For another, your top speed is quite limited. My DR350 isn't 'happy' much above 60mph. It gets real buzzy and strained if I push it faster than that -- which just isn't pleasant over long periods of time. Mind you that's almost 3 times a 125cc. Again, all these issues are compounded when carrying a bunch of travel gear.
Some people prefer small bikes. But don't go under 200cc if you plan to do any traveling. My 350 is too small for what I do. It works, but it ain't ideal. If you're just starting out, a smaller bike is probably preferable however. See if you can ride several bikes before you buy one. AND TAKE A SAFETY CLASS!
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: Grok]
#12182944 - 03/11/10 12:33 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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OMG look at this sh1t!!
http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/ZZR1400
I want one just like that!
better get a better job and get cracking!
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Grok
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12184132 - 03/11/10 03:27 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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If that's your first motorcycle, don't bother buying green bananas....
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PDU
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: Grok]
#12193894 - 03/13/10 03:37 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Ok Desant - the numbers in any motorcycle's name is going to represent how many CC's it has and how many CC's corresponds with how much power.
A 125 and 250 are both too small for doing highway any extended highway travelling.
For example - i learned on a 2009 Kawasaki KLX 250 (like the one you posted) and while it is light, easy to handle, and nimble - it completely lacks power.
During my lessons - we took a trip on a highway for about 50 minutes and i was going slow, being passed and being blown all over the road by the wind and it was quite scary actually. at 100km/h without any gear - i was hanging out for dear life.
As Grok explained - a bike that lacks power is dangerous in an environment like a highway, that is designed for vehicles with power to spare.
With a bigger bike (400cc+) it will also be heavier and have wider tires that will make it more stable at speed and in the wind.
These are things to consider.
I personally feel that if you buy a small bike without much power (300CC or less) you will outgrow it VERY fast, within a month or so. I would recommend getting something 450-600cc's but taking lessons to learn proper handling and riding etiquette + i believe many "i want to buy a motorcycle" information articles on the internet will suggest the same thing.
Google: things to consider when buying a motorcycle
Also, read this and the hyper links: http://motorcycles.about.com/od/howtostartridin1/bb/buy_first_bike.htm
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SleepyF0x
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: PDU]
#12196661 - 03/13/10 06:34 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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if this is your first bike - you're going to die for the type of riding you're wanting to do.
for a starter bike you should go with a 250cc or at most a 450cc dual-sport - but even that might be too powerful.
for the riding you're wanting to do you should be looking at a 600cc bike.
if you're going to be riding for more than an hour - pick a dual sport unless you like feeling like you got ass-raped by a gorilla.
i have a 250cc sport bike, and i can out-accelerate a brand new stock mustang gt off the line, up past 65-70 though and the mustang'll kick my ass.
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: SleepyF0x]
#12200753 - 03/14/10 02:39 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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"But don't go under 200cc if you plan to do any traveling."
Hmmm, that 125 cc bike said has 10 horse powers... u can go travelling with 2 or even 1 horse... surely u can travel with 10 horses? Or is that not how it works???
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12200787 - 03/14/10 02:47 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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BTW what is wrong with Kawasaki ZZR1400?? Is it too powerfull?? I am a good driver, even tho i have little experience driving a bike i would bet you 1000 dollars i can handle it
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12200810 - 03/14/10 02:52 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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BTW those little 125 bikes tottaly rule in country side...
I would love to have one while growing up in the country... back then i didnt have money not for a bike or for a car...
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Grok
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12201609 - 03/14/10 04:55 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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10 horsepower will probably bore you to death, or get you run over on the highway. "Sheer boredom punctuated by brief moments of sheer terror" comes to mind there. 1hp refers to lifting 33,000 pounds, 1 foot in one minute. Really, until you have a feel for the difference between 10, 20, 30, 40hp etc bikes you won't have any meaningful frame of reference for this. I'd say 40hp is around the minimum to get you around the world safely.
I can hardly believe that you think 10hp is enough for the job, yet your also considering bikes that must be close to the 200hp mark. If you buy a bike that big, take out a life insurance policy and I'll buy it from you at a premium. Those bikes buck hard mate; give just a little too much squeeze on a sharp turn and you'll break loose faster than a bad case of diarrhea, and probably be of similar consistency once the dust settles. The bike insurance companies are well aware of this; you'll shit when you see the difference in insurance costs between a bike like that and something more reasonable, like a 650.
Your all over the place with these posts mate, and I can't help but feel like it's in one ear and out the other with you. There's a bunch of good advice here; ignore it at your peril. Try to do a bit more research before posting, these questions have been answered hundreds of times by people much more knowledgeable than your likely to find here on this subject. Good luck.
Edited by Grok (03/14/10 08:02 PM)
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SleepyF0x
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: Grok]
#12201973 - 03/14/10 05:52 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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lol a 1400cc bike for a beginner is a death wish - you'd probably be going 90mph in first gear.
and fyi, 250cc is the minimum requirement to travel on freeways/highways.
a 450 is the least you should be looking at if you're wanting to travel with it.
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: SleepyF0x]
#12204773 - 03/15/10 04:00 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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"10 horsepower will probably bore you to death,"
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, back in 2004 i was working on this farm and they had 10HP quad bike, it was ACE... i loved it
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12204775 - 03/15/10 04:02 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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"250cc is the minimum requirement to travel on freeways/highways."
Doesnt that apply to older bikes? New generation 125 is like old 250?
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12204814 - 03/15/10 04:26 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Well... i just called Yamaha, the "best dual purpose bike" Yamaha TW200 is not awaliable in the UK... that sucks!!
It that bike is 200 CC !!! Better than KLX 125... and a big FAT back tire for superb off road handling
Looking at Honda...
Its got a nice 450 cc off road bike.... 6,000 pounds!!!!!!!!!! twice more that KLX 125
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Edited by desant (03/15/10 05:10 AM)
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12204937 - 03/15/10 06:12 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Just called my local bike shop. They have bioth Kawasaki models KLX 125 and KLX 250 in stock, BUT, i cant test drive it cos i need full bike license (i only got car license)...
But the 250 version i was told is ok for travelling... on and off road...
Also, for 5,000 pounds i can get a 600cc akawasaki...
http://www.kawasaki.co.uk/ER-6n
125 - £2700 250 - £4100 er 6N - £5100
But really i prefer that yamaha TW200... going to call California Yamaha office when they open and ask if i can get it to UK...
Wish me luck
UPDATE:
Found Yamaha TW but only 125 cc.... for £1,500...hmmmmmm hmmmmmm, its old and rusty
UPDATE Tomoro im gonna go to town down the road and check out those 125s and 250 KLXs...
I dont know what im gonna do.. might be saving 5K for that 600cc bike... if it was sitting a little bit higher i would totally buy it, but it is still higher than most sport bikes and will be OK for off road ...
Edited by desant (03/15/10 07:15 AM)
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desant
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Re: Which motor bike for hardcore travelling? [Re: desant]
#12205202 - 03/15/10 09:06 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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update:
the other day i saw police on a small bike passing by, it was a 450cc
It sounded really good... i figured a small sports bike 450cc is about same as a big bike 600cc
yea i should find a nice 450 dual purpose one...
UPDATE:
Gentlemen, stop your grinning drop ur linning
I found my ideal bike:
http://www.bmwbikes.co.uk/high_megamoto.htm#
But the price tag means it will be a while before i will ride it......
I wonder if 2 people can ride it??
.........looks like a 1 seater :/
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Edited by desant (03/15/10 12:44 PM)
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