suggestions for a small blue plate dual sport

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timtune

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I used to have a DRZ400 and ride single track in the ganny with more competent friends until my wife got tired of me coming home hurt.

Now I'd like to get a small dual sport that I could use on ODSC runs. Something I can blue plate that's not as cumbersome as my KLR650. Not looking to spend a fortune or be the fastest just something an old guy with a new hip can have some fun with. Thoughts?
 
Both the crf and the klx are low seat height options

The crf has been in the market for many years so easy to find used ones

The new klx is fuel injected as well

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abkdt41 said:
Both the crf and the klx are low seat height options
The crf has been in the market for many years so easy to find used ones
The new klx is fuel injected as well
Click to expand...

CRF250L is an underpowered pig. Weighs the same if not more than the DRZ400, and makes less horsepower. I wouldn't even consider it.

KLX250S is about 35 lbs lighter than the DRZ.
 
If you're looking to do some road miles with the odsc, stay away from euro bikes. They are high maintenance if road ridden.
The crf250l is a pile. The yamaha wr250 is the best 250 in its class, the klx250s a close-in second.
The tw200 is fun on cottage roads and lights trails, not so fun on the road sections when you are riding with people on dr650 and such.

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Beta. Talk to Rob at Langs.
 
You could get a blue plated RFS engine KTM which is the engine before the 450/530. They are highly durable and they made a 250 at the time.

Aside that, the WR is the best of the Japanese, with the KLX being a bit down market but also cheaper. I've been told that the KLX is cramped if you're taller.

I'd like to include the old XR250L (not the XL250R) from the mid 90's but anytime I see one for sale the guy's asking WAY too much.
 
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I added a WR250R to the stable a couple of years ago. It's been a great little bike. I'm surprised how much I ride it.
 
Replacement hip enduro? I think those guys covered most of the options
but what level of riding would you like to take it to, because that Beta is the clear performance winner so far
and almost any 250 enduro mentioned is a ton of fun for moderate casual riding imho.

Vintage 2-stroke? is another option if you like old enduro bikes, plenty of them have blue plate history.
 
I'm not looking to ride sanctioned enduros and my days of Ganny single track ended the last time I came from a weekend of riding and had to head off to emerg (wasn't the the first time - always just "soft tissue damage" though, never anything I considered serious). I was always ok in the double track but I never got the hang of the single track stuff and held my buddies up. Not that they minded a break because we're all looking at 40 in the rear view ( I'm 57). I did a couple ODSC rides on my KLR650 and it's just too big. One riding buddy, is telling me the KLX is way down on power and suggesting a '97 DR350 that's on kijiji now. Again lower and lighter than the DRZ. I'm not afraid of an older bike but like the idea of something smaller. Is the KLX really that gutless?
 
The bad news. All of the under 400cc Japanese dual sports are gutless (exception goes to the WR250R)

The good news. All of them are very capable of doing what you are looking for.

Just go look at some bikes and figure out which one appeals to you the most.
 
No shock that Yamaha would make a performance winner when comparing Japanese 250cc enduro bikes.
Euro bikes typically excel at handling and feature higher end lightweight components, ymmv.

I suspect what the KLX is capable of depends on how good the tyres are and how good the rider is, stick a Jordan Szoke on it and good luck keeping up.
 
OP mentioned he's looking for something smaller than a Drz. Assuming meaning seat height/weight. If so, wr250r is no better. I have one, very tall bike, more so than the drz400. Very similar bikes. But I'm not sure what options to suggest, other than possibly lowering one of the main 4 dual sports? crf250l wr250r klx250s or drz400s are the main models. Of course there are the xt250's dr200s crf230l and tw200's but those are seriously smaller and will be way down on power.

Other important questions that may help with making the decision.. How much pavement will be involved/km per year and how much are you looking to spend?

Lightly used klx250 models sell cheap and if they're somewhat similar to a wr250r in power I'd say that's worth looking into.
 
I shaved a inch out of the DRZ seat foam and then dropped the triples on the fork tubes about 3/4" or until the tubes hit the bars and spun the rear shock down totally screwing up the "sag" but it was quite managable height wise. I lowered my KLR about 1 1/2" with links as well.

And yes I was thinking something lower and lighter than the DRZ.
 
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