Cheap New Dual Sports - Which One Would You Buy? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Cheap New Dual Sports - Which One Would You Buy?

48Connor

48Connor

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I'm looking at picking up a new, cheap, dual sport to ride around on up North. Going to be ridden on mostly ATV trails, through water and mud, rough terrain, dirt roads, and the occasional ride into town. I like my DRZ too much to drop it in the woods, and I'd need to buy a new set of rims & tires anyways. Plus I'm lazy, and the sound of swapping tires over every weekend doesn't sound fun.

So for around the $5000 mark, you've got a couple options:
Honda CRF250L
Suzuki DR200
Yamaha TW200
Yamaha XT250​

I'm leaning towards the DR200 or the TW200. I like the Suzuki because it's like a mini DRZ, so I'd be used to it, and the Yami is a tank that's rock solid. I also like the smaller bikes because hopefully the insurance would be a little better on them. By the time I pick one up I'll be 21, and hopefully my insurance company will lower the cost of insuring of my DRZ enough that adding another bike won't kill me when I go back to school.

Getting back to it, any of you guys have experience with any of these? Or just thoughts on them in general? Looking for something that can be rode hard and put away wet.
 
I hate Honda bikes but out of the 4 you listed, the Honda would be the easy choice for me

EFI, 6 speed tranny, watercooled, newish suspension

No question about it.


However I'd rather get a well used earlier Yamaha WR250R well before any of those.
 
None of those bikes are real dirt bikes. I'd get the TW200 for that reason. I think she'd be a great mountain goat.
 
Bang for buck, the Honda is the best of that group. Good road manners, good offroad, good power, and fuel injection. I've ridden all of these, aside from the suzuki, and the Honda puts them all to shame. Honda really did nail it with that bike. The 250 yammy would be second in my books. Of course though, I've never ridden the suzuki.
 
TW200 has fat tires, low seat and zero fuel injection. These bikes have a cult following.
 
Two questions:

1) why would you buy new if you plan to beat on it?

2) if used is an option, how about a klx 250? They are decent offroad with good tires and can be had fairly cheap.

Out of the bikes you listed... Honda is likely the best choice. I always wanted to try the TW200 offroad though... I've read the fat pig can go up and through pretty much anything, although not necessarily at a fast pace.

Finally, would you take a chance on a Chinese motorcycle?
 
The Honda is probably the best all around bike.

Now if only Honda would smarten up and give a modern treatment to the XR650 I might actually think about getting one.
 
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Honda CRF is gutless.. 18 hp. Get yourself a Husqrvana TE 250 or 310 or 511 (the latter if you have skills and balls). True motocross with lights and a cluster. Blue plated and easily convertable to a supermoto. Impressive machines that are extremely hard to find.
 
Motorcycle Mike said:
I always wanted to try the TW200 offroad though... I've read the fat pig can go up and through pretty much anything, although not necessarily at a fast pace.
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It is completely the opposite. The wider tires make it terrible in mud, wet grass, sand......Maybe it helped in rocky terrain, but with such little power, and out dated spec, it was very under-whelming!
 
MLadin said:
Honda CRF is gutless.. 18 hp. Get yourself a Husqrvana TE 250 or 310 or 511 (the latter if you have skills and balls). True motocross with lights and a cluster. Blue plated and easily convertable to a supermoto. Impressive machines that are extremely hard to find.
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I've ridden these as well. Significantly more expensive then the OP is looking to spend. Huskies, KTM's, etc, are fantastic rides, when they are running right, and not requiring maintenance. The Honda may only have 18hp, but it'll have that for the next 20 years, with next to no maintenance. In 20 years, a husky would have to be rebuilt 20 times!

Japanese offroad bikes = gas, and go forever!
European offroad bikes = ride, maintain, ride, rebuild, ride, maintain.......you get the idea!

When a Husky is running mint though, they're a handful!!
 
MNSTR said:
It is completely the opposite. The wider tires make it terrible in mud, wet grass, sand......Maybe it helped in rocky terrain, but with such little power, and out dated spec, it was very under-whelming!
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The other choices are so lame as to be offensive. Sure, if you want to flog the TW200 like a motocrosser you're going to be very disappointed but as a 2 wheel utility atv and general runabout I think it's worth considering.
 
Really, no maintenance on Japanese off-road machines? Especially high strung 250 and 450 four strokes ... Not really talking about the mild 250 street legal single they have ... Which is heavy and low power in comparison.

I think it would much more fair to say that KTM, Husky, Beta simply don't make mild off-road bikes, if they did they could run forever without rebuilds and maintenance as well, don't you think?

Anyway, digressing from OP's question, which I really have nothing to recommend. These bikes are cheap and will run forever, so they are good option for some people, but it will not work for others. Only OP will know ....
 
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Thanks for the help, guys. A couple things:
1) I'm looking new because I like knowing where its been and whats been done to it. Though if I found a solid deal on a used one, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. Just easier to compare new as of now.
2) Didn't know the Honda was EFI and had a 6 speed, now I get why it is more money. Really solid upsides. Number 1 option now.
3) I would love a Husky/KTM, but can't swing $10g on the bike, and not looking for tons of maintenance.
4) Everywhere you go online, people praise the TW, nice to see people have other opinions.​

I definitely look into a used KLX or a WR now that you guys mention them. Seems like you could get a couple year old one for $4500, which wouldn't be too bad.

I've only ridden the DR200 out of the 4 before, and that was for my M1X course. Felt like a solid bike at the time. Comparable to be 400sm.

One the other hand, I've looking into buying a Grom and slapping some Maxxis M6024's on and giving that a go. Just have to wait for the right deal on a Grom when the 2017's come out, should be able to pick up a 1st gen relatively cheap.
 
mxs said:
Anyway, digressing from OP's question, which I really have nothing to recommend. These bikes are cheap and will run forever, so they are good option for some people, but it will not work for others. Only OP will know ....
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100%. None of them are something you'd write home about, but they'd get the job done for what I'm looking for.
 
mxs said:
Really, no maintenance on Japanese off-road machines? Especially high strung 250 and 450 four strokes ... Not really talking about the mild 250 street legal single they have ... Which is heavy and low power in comparison.

I think it would much more fair to say that KTM, Husky, Beta simply don't make mild off-road bikes, if they did they could run forever without rebuilds and maintenance as well, don't you think?

Anyway, digressing from OP's question, which I really have nothing to recommend. These bikes are cheap and will run forever, so they are good option for some people, but it will not work for others. Only OP will know ....
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I was referring to Japanese street legal offroad orriented bikes. The full on race bikes are a different breed.

I'm only offering recommendations based on the OP's criteria. Is best option is the Honda. No question. Sure, if you want to pay twice as much, and be willing to do a lot of maintenance, KTM and Husqvarna's street legal dirt bikes are far superior machines. I love me a Husky!
 
MNSTR said:
Bang for buck, the Honda is the best of that group. Good road manners, good offroad, good power, and fuel injection. I've ridden all of these, aside from the suzuki, and the Honda puts them all to shame. Honda really did nail it with that bike. The 250 yammy would be second in my books. Of course though, I've never ridden the suzuki.
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That 250 Yammy slaps the **** out of the Honda...in every category. Only problem is it doesn't come in red, or even black...wtf Yamaha??
 
LoneRonin said:
That 250 Yammy slaps the **** out of the Honda...in every category. Only problem is it doesn't come in red, or even black...wtf Yamaha??
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The Honda has better suspension, liquid cooling, better power, 6 speed gearbox....that particular Yammy is a dinosaur.
 
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