• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

New Member from South Texas

Forums New posts
Nash

Nash

0
Joined
Jun 1, 2017
Messages
27
Reaction score
8
Location
McAllen, Texas
Hi all.....I'm a new member from McAllen, Tx down next to the Mexico Border. I started riding when I was 7 or 8 years old on a mini bike and my next bike was a 1972 Suzuki Trailhopper and from there I started riding a Honda XR75. I grew up in the county so we would ride down canals, caliche roads, and through all the orange groves. Loved riding the orange groves after a good rain...great mud fun....Had several dirt bikes after the Honda XR75. My last dirt bike was a KX250 and I sold that 15 years ago. From that point I started riding street on various Harleys through the years and had a Big Dog K9 chopper. I'm currently riding a 2012 CVO Harley Road Glide. My wife and myself ride 2 up and in the past 4-5 years have ridden in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, The Smoky mountains (tail of the dragon, etc...), Mount Rushmore area, often ride the Hill Country (twisted sisters, Luckenbach, Willow City Loop, etc...)

I would like to get into dual sport/adventure riding along with my wife. I really have enjoyed this site quite a bit before becoming a member. Great job to all of you that make up this site.

See you around.....
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1948.JPG
    IMG_1948.JPG
    183.1 KB · Views: 143
Last edited:
Welcome to the site! :wave:

So do you have any particular DS bikes in mind yet?
 
Thanks garfey.......




Tourmeister said:
Welcome to the site! :wave:

So do you have any particular DS bikes in mind yet?
Click to expand...

Looking at the TW200 for my wife to start learning on.....and for myself I'm looking at getting the Africa Twin and for when I need a lighter bike, i'm looking at possibly the DRZ400 (rode a new DRZ and wasn't impressed....no power... so not sure)....any suggestions?.......(6'2" 230lbs)........i have friends with KTMs but don't want a KTM..no KTM dealer close by.....
 
:tab At 230 lbs the stock suspension on most any smaller DS bike will be under sprung and under damped. They are generally setup for a 180lb rider. At 6'2", you may be a tad cramped on some of the smaller DS bikes like the DRZ400. It really boils down to what kind of riding you think you'll be doing on the bike? Are you looking for something you can road trip on? Are you looking for something that can handle somewhat rough two track roads? Are you looking for something that is basically a plated dirt bike for riding to/from trails? Are you wanting something that has carrying capacity for stuff like camping gear?

:tab The Africa Twin is a good bike for general DS riding and still has good road manners. Unless you plan on doing more technical rough stuff, it will likely do most of what you'd need. You might eventually want to look into upgrading the fork springs and rear shock spring to a stiffer setup to accommodate your weight, but it is not absolutely necessary. There is a huge AT thread in the DS section of the forum.

:tab If you want cheap, reliable, bang for the buck, a KLR 650 is good. Like any others though, the suspension is a weak spot to be sure. I put the DRZ 400/650 in the same category as the KLR. If you buy used, you can get some smoking deals. That might be a good way to figure out if they do what you want or whether you need something else.

:tab Something like a used KTM 690 would be a good choice. The lack of a dealer in your area is not a huge deal if you are comfortable doing basic maintenance like oil changes, valve inspections, etc,... It is usually quicker and cheaper to get parts online than from a dealer anyway. A BMW 800 GS would be another option. That will be VERY similar to the Africa Twin in terms of performance and capability.

:tab I went with a 1200 GS for street and mild dual sport. I use it for solo and two up riding with my kids, on pavement and dirt. For the more challenging stuff, I have a 2010 KTM 530 EXC. The GS is great for exploring forest roads in places like Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, North Carolina and a lot of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. I did a two up DS trip with my daughter through Utah and Colorado, with all three bags on the bike. It really pushed the suspension to the limit. However, we were able to ride a large number of mountain and desert roads without any problems. My KTM would be the bike of choice for places like SW Colorado and the high mountains passes around Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, etc,... The KLR 650 can do that more technical stuff, but it is definitely more work than doing it on the KTM.
 
Tourmeister said:
:tab At 230 lbs the stock suspension on most any smaller DS bike will be under sprung and under damped. They are generally setup for a 180lb rider. At 6'2", you may be a tad cramped on some of the smaller DS bikes like the DRZ400. It really boils down to what kind of riding you think you'll be doing on the bike? Are you looking for something you can road trip on? Are you looking for something that can handle somewhat rough two track roads? Are you looking for something that is basically a plated dirt bike for riding to/from trails? Are you wanting something that has carrying capacity for stuff like camping gear?

:tab The Africa Twin is a good bike for general DS riding and still has good road manners. Unless you plan on doing more technical rough stuff, it will likely do most of what you'd need. You might eventually want to look into upgrading the fork springs and rear shock spring to a stiffer setup to accommodate your weight, but it is not absolutely necessary. There is a huge AT thread in the DS section of the forum.

:tab If you want cheap, reliable, bang for the buck, a KLR 650 is good. Like any others though, the suspension is a weak spot to be sure. I put the DRZ 400/650 in the same category as the KLR. If you buy used, you can get some smoking deals. That might be a good way to figure out if they do what you want or whether you need something else.

:tab Something like a used KTM 690 would be a good choice. The lack of a dealer in your area is not a huge deal if you are comfortable doing basic maintenance like oil changes, valve inspections, etc,... It is usually quicker and cheaper to get parts online than from a dealer anyway. A BMW 800 GS would be another option. That will be VERY similar to the Africa Twin in terms of performance and capability.

:tab I went with a 1200 GS for street and mild dual sport. I use it for solo and two up riding with my kids, on pavement and dirt. For the more challenging stuff, I have a 2010 KTM 530 EXC. The GS is great for exploring forest roads in places like Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, North Carolina and a lot of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. I did a two up DS trip with my daughter through Utah and Colorado, with all three bags on the bike. It really pushed the suspension to the limit. However, we were able to ride a large number of mountain and desert roads without any problems. My KTM would be the bike of choice for places like SW Colorado and the high mountains passes around Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, etc,... The KLR 650 can do that more technical stuff, but it is definitely more work than doing it on the KTM.
Click to expand...

Thanks!!!

I'm keeping my Harley CVO Roadglide for touring....

I may just add the AT for now for dirt roads, etc.....if I need a lighter bike for more technical stuff I can add it later.....

Thanks again....
 
Tourmeister said:
...

:tab If you want cheap, reliable, bang for the buck, a KLR 650 is good. Like any others though, the suspension is a weak spot to be sure. I put the DRZ 400/650 in the same category as the KLR. If you buy used, you can get some smoking deals. That might be a good way to figure out if they do what you want or whether you need something else. ...
Click to expand...

Having bought Roger's DRZ it was my dual sport learning bike. I think because of it's lightness, it does pretty well in the forest trails and on the beach. If I had a knock on the DRZ it is underpowered. On the other hand, my KLR was like driving a tank in the sand or trails. It is just a very heavy 'feeling' bike.

The DRZ is not a bad learning bike for riding Gulf Coast beaches, east Texas sand or technical trails. But the DRZ is not so good for higher speeds, which is why I sold mine. And while the KLR is much better for higher speeds on pavement or longer distances, riding it in deep sand or more technical trails might detract from wanting to get more into offroad.
 
jfink said:
And while the KLR is much better for higher speeds on pavement or longer distances, riding it in deep sand or more technical trails might detract from wanting to get more into offroad.
Click to expand...

True. I actually enjoyed riding my 1150 GS in the sand, but the KLR actually felt heavier in the sand. I can't really explain it. The GS just was easier to ride in deep sand :shrug:

By the way, the TW200 for your wife is a great idea. I'd suggest you ride it as well. It is a cult bike for a reason ;-)
 
Welcome. Two things came to mind while reading your post. 1. XR75 was my first motorcycle. 2. In 2009, I rode my Harley Cross Bones from Lufkin to McAllen in August. I can still smell the burned skin!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top