Supermoto help | GTAMotorcycle.com

Supermoto help

daisoman

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The more I read into sm the more I want to get into it. Sport Bikes on the street just doesn't do it for me. Yes they're fun but need to try something new. Looking at a drz. I want something reliable and easy to ride.

Another option is a husqvarna sm610. I have no idea where the dealers are for parts or service. Reviews on it seem to be amazing.

Any other bikes I should look at? I'd want something with a bit of power but I'm still pretty new to the mx scene.

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Reliable and easy to ride means drz400. Almost anything else on the market (think ktm, husqvarna, etc) will have more power and better components, but will cost a lot more initially and with maintenance.
Dollar for dollar, the drz is hard to beat.
 
Agreed, if reliability is a top priority DRZ is the only option.

Saying that, my KTM 625 is huge fun, makes about 20hp more than the DRZ (can be modded for similar power but then you sacrifice reliability), has better bits and pieces, and can be found for similar pricing as a used DRZ, that is if you can find one. On the downside, reliability is hugely lacking compared to the Japanese. Right now I have an oil leak from the rocker cover gasket and kickstarter/shifter seal, will get around to fixing them at some point.

If I were to do it again, as much as I would like to think I would make the reasonable choice and get a DRZ, I'd probably get another 625.

One more option is the KTM 690SMC. More power and better everything, but also significantly more money.
 
Coming from a 600 ss is a drz just way too under powered? I don't need hwy power but I'd like to be able to have some fun still.

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Drz is reliable and more nibble than an XR. My XR was built proof but had a dated old suspension and no e start. My Duke on the other hand is another storey. Way more low end grunt and all top notch components. Taken care of KTM LC4 engines are reliable. The 640 690 supermoto from KTM have top notch brakes and suspension and the power to weight will blow a Drz out of the water if that's what you want. If you want best bang for ur buck stone cold reliability then you can't go wrong with a Drz. Also depends on your riding background too. For me I rode my buddies Drz for a weekend and got board of it very fast. Again it depends on your budget and what you want. Drz is a good start.
 
Agreed, if reliability is a top priority DRZ is the only option.

Saying that, my KTM 625 is huge fun, makes about 20hp more than the DRZ (can be modded for similar power but then you sacrifice reliability), has better bits and pieces, and can be found for similar pricing as a used DRZ, that is if you can find one. On the downside, reliability is hugely lacking compared to the Japanese. Right now I have an oil leak from the rocker cover gasket and kickstarter/shifter seal, will get around to fixing them at some point.

If I were to do it again, as much as I would like to think I would make the reasonable choice and get a DRZ, I'd probably get another 625.

One more option is the KTM 690SMC. More power and better everything, but also significantly more money.

Agreed.

The KTM out of the box is way more cutting edge on power and tech compared to the drz. Only mod if you want it is upgrading exhaust but not really necessary. The drz on the other hand to come to par on power and performance to a ktm will need a crapp load of mods to engine suspension and brakes!
 
Sorry on a roll here. Off topic but when I was overseas last year I rode a ktm 990 supermoto. What a beast that bike was. Whole new world. Scary fast and agile! Don't think they sell those here!
 
Coming from a 600 ss is a drz just way too under powered? I don't need hwy power but I'd like to be able to have some fun still.

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You might get bored with it fast! It's power is very tame! Nothing to crazy. If your looking for more punch I would look else where
 
I owned a DRZ400sm for my first 4 years of riding. It had a full exhaust and a FCR. It was loads of fun a hour at a time. Any longer very uncomfortable even with my custom seat.

I would imagine if you are on a 600ss you might want a bit more power. Was going to consider a KTM690 but instead ended up with a Versys.
 
Great back to the drawing board... drz is off the list. I really like the husky be after me short research (google) there seem to be no gta dealers

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Even the most powerful supermotos in the world can't keep up with a 600 supersport at highway speeds. I think your first step is to realize that it's not going to be about outright speed. It's more about the quality of the interactive experience.

Haven't heard of any catastrophic 2014+ KTM 690 Enduro failures yet and this one, based off the aforementioned KTM's, is likely to be very sweet right off the showroom floor if it's in your price range.

http://www.701supermoto.com/en/home/

For those of us in Ontario though, Husky dealers are non-existent at the moment as far as I know.

The front wheel ABS is relatively unintrusive but the rear ABS is a fun police. Luckily there is a part to fix that.

Very easy to ride but being a higher spec machine, regular maintenance is more expensive and long term reliability is still up in the air... and without a Husky dealer in Ontario, dwellers there might have a bad day if something needs servicing.
 
There's also a husky dealer near Ottawa.
 
St onge in Barrie will be a dealer soon replacing machine racing that just closed down.
 
Yeah that 701 is really cool, too bad it'll be more than a vfr800. And need twice as much maintainence.
 
The KTM 690 / Husqvarna 701 requires no more maintenance than other bikes in its price range / category. While it may look like its smaller and lighter off road racing bikes (and their supermoto counterparts), it's designed for low maintenance: none of this 15 hour engine oil changes, 30 hour valve checks, etc...the engine isn't nearly as high strung as smaller KTMs. Apart from extended periods of highway riding, they're actually amazing bikes with great power to weight ratios. If a 690 enduro / supermoto isn't in the budget, consider picking up a used Duke 690 which is based on the same engine / gearbox and even more road friendly. 2012 brought a few really good updates like going to a true 690cc from the former 654cc and improved counterbalanced designs to further "smoothen" the engine. All the 690s are really great packages. Oh by the way, KTM also produced a bike called the 690 SM from 2007-2009 and they're rare as hen's teeth and very, very cool looking I pm you're into that "spy vs spy" from Mad Magazine look. I love how they look with aggressive aftermarket mufflers:

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/1/8/2/8/7/1/webimg/802829579_o.jpg

http://databikes.com/imgs/a/b/q/d/s/ktm__690_sm_prestige_akrapovic_2007_1_lgw.jpg

ive seen a few of those come up on kijiji in Quebec over the years. They're awesome and the most fun you'll ever have on a machine with less than 70hp and $500 a year to insure.
 
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Agreed, they require no more maintenance than other bikes in the category. But we were comparing costs/maintenance with a drz.
As stated, for a low cost reliable sm, a drz can't be beat. For fun and thrills, not so much.
 

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