Minimalist Touring Thread (250cc and under)

I have a DR350SE and it is light years superior to the 200 EXCEPT for the higher seat height and somewhat more complicated. I do prefer the seat height (and a couple other features) of the 200 for MT'ing

Having not seen DR250SE, is the chassis the same as the 350's. I do like my 200 for it's utter simplicity, fantastic mileage, and range but if I come across a 250 would not hesitate to pick one up.


Those UK guys that produced the DVD's Mondo Enduro and Terra Circa (available at www.aerostich.com) did their circumnavigations on DR350's. Cool stuff if you have not seen them.

Yes.

I am very, very tempted to pickup a TW200 after reading this thread. I think it will happen.

I'm also looking at riding the James Bay Road sometime this summer on the KLR. After Labor Day would be fun, but where I work doesn't allow us to take vacation from mid-Aug to mid-Sept. :huh

John

I work seasonally and have a very slight pause (sometimes not) just after Labor Day weekend. Fortunately, it coincides with the bug/winter window in the Canadian north country. According to Viking September seems to be the best window between the heavy summer bugs and the winter weather patterns that can bring some rather challenging stuff to the region by October.

Take some pics for us.



Kaler;

The Sherpa looks like a great bike. I would expect it's mileage is about the same as the DR200SE's. I've seen a thread regarding larger tanks for the Sherpa, are they available. I'll be fitting a 4 gal Acerbis tank to my DR350SE later in the spring.

Scarysharkface or any other, Mail me when you will be going. Im located in Baie-comeau Quebec. Road 389 to Manic 5 - Labrador city is about 5-10km from home (5-10 minute ride). If anyone need an oil change or some tool to tune up or fix I have more than enough in my garage.

Martin

Interesting thread.

As a trials rider I have an interest in trials-derived trailbikes.

I also occasionally do some adventurous trips, so far only on my KTM LC4.

Other current mount is a Beta Alp 200 (http://www.betamotor.com/moto/trail/alp200/alp200_main.html) and I've been toying with the idea of using it for a short trip. It has a 199cc Suzuki motor.

However, I've spotted this interesting machine on the website of French manufacturer Scorpa: http://www.scorpa.fr/actualites.php?actu_id=22

I believe it has a motor derived from Yamaha's WR250F.

Don't suppose anyone will make pannier racks for it but I prefer soft luggage anyway. Maybe a bigger tank might appear.

Any opinions?

Cheers.

Gotta love those... not sure that I would own a bike that had bucket/shim adjusters.

Just hate the bucket/shim adjusters ... could be a deal-breaker on the Sherpa.

300 mi. per tankful (!) on a DR200 with a higher final drive ... hm, maybe I can live without a 6th gear ...

K eh? LR

Ian;

I also have a Beta Alp (261 cc TR35) but the older 2 stroke trials version that has the tube frame rather than the modern beam. Your 200 Alp uses the same engine as the Suzuki DR200SE which is a fine engine that can easily handle almost anything at it's own pace.

In riding my DR200SE at an RV park I was greatly impressed with the engine's performance in some tight technical stuff (no rocks, just steep climbs with turns) even with the OEM Bridgestones. Enough has been said on my part about the DR200SE as a MT rig here in this thread that I will not repeat but I would think with decent fuel capacity, right final ratio, and a good packing system your Beta should be good to go.

What are your impressions of the Beta package?

In response to a question Gryphon12 asked me on another thread, the Yamaha XT225 and the TT225 share the same wonderful extremely wide ratio six-speed transmission. I haven't found anything else like it -- much wider than the gear spread on the new Kawasaki 250, wider even than the new Husqvarna TE610 six-speed.

I presume the TT230 also has this transmission, but can't confirm it, because the online PDF owner's manual for the TT230 on Yamaha's web site seems to be corrupted.

The TT250, on the other hand, has a close ratio six speed.

Just so you know.

I think we've already had this discussion on the HUBB http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/suzuki-tech/dr200-oil-drain-plug-torque-22604)

Cheers,

Ian.

if this reply should be put somewhere else, please put me in the right direction...

i'm looking in to getting a dual sport, most likely of the smaller variety, as i don't have much off-road experience other than some occasional dirt bike thrashing and what not. i've looked at both the KLX250, and the XT225, both of which seem to be great bikes, i just want some opinions on either from owners or people who have ridden them.

any other smaller cc dual sport bike suggestions would be much appreciated

It depends on what you are planning...if you are interested in riding fast offroad, the KLX250 would be better. If you just want to commute and wander around and explore, the XT225 would be better. It's cheaper and also much easier to tune up. A DR200 has the best range, but only a five speed transmission and is a little breathless at 60 mph.

I would think one of those little dual sports would be fantastic for you riding around the Asheville area. You lucky guy living in motorcycle paradise.

Looks like the BMWRA national rally will be at the Biltmore next summer...have fun talking to those folks.

So far, here's what I have discovered on the spread of transmissions gears on the bikes that might be considered for minimalist touring. This is an important issue to me, because it's hard to enjoy an adventure if the engine is screaming on the highway in top gear or won't navigate a trail without brutalizing the clutch.

Don't assume that a 6-speed is automatically better than a 5-speed. It will make it easier to keep the engine spinning, but a lot of 6-speeds are not particularly wide ratio. The widest spread of transmission gears I've ever used was the 5-speed in my Honda TL250 Trials bike, which I geared so high that it would barely pull top gear on the highway and would still climb a tree in first.

Of the street-legal bikes currently available, the Yamaha XT225 is the champ, as mentioned in a different post, above. Next comes the Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250, sold from 2000 to 2003 in the U.S., but apparently still selling in Canada. After that comes the surprising Yamaha TW200 with its ultra wide ratio 5-speed, followed by the 6-speed Kawasaki KLX250S. By the way, the ratios of the KLX250S are almost identical to those of the long lived KLR250 that preceeded it.

If all these motorcycles were geared exactly alike to a deliver a Gold Wing-style overdrive top gear, here are resulting first gear ratios:
1975 Honda TL250 20.15
Yamaha XT225 19.74
Kawasaki Sherpa 18.30
Yamaha TW200 17.44
Kawasaki KLR/KLX250 16.72

I'll try to dig up some current Honda and Suzuki numbers.

That's interesting, do you have the figures for 5th or 6th gear for these bikes?

How about this for a 200cc adventure bike?

Charles.

John, the first gear numbers I posted were all assuming the final drive had been adjusted to make top gear equal at about 5.04. Are you asking me for the stock, as-delivered top gear ratios of these motorcycles?

Highest top gear, stock:
Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250 6th 7.33
Kawasaki KLX250 6th 7.60
Kawasaki KLR250 6th 7.73
Yamaha XT225 6th 7.89
Yamaha TW200 5th 9.73
Honda TL250 5th 9.95

Lowest low gear, stock:
Honda TL250 39.82
Yamaha TW200 33.58
Yamaha XT225 30.77
Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250 26.58
Kawasaki KLR250 25.63
Kawasaki KLX250 25.20

yea, i'm definitely lucky in that i learned to ride in the asheville area. as far as the smaller d/s goes, i'm looking to sell my old 82 nighthawk 450 and get a used d/s...a trade if possible...i have a ducati monster as well, which i absolutley love...if you're ever in the area, let me know, i can show you a few roads...

is the KLX a decent touring bike?? i'm definitely inclined to ride fast off-road, but i'd like to have a capable tourer as well

I've never ridden the KLX250, just sat on it and studied the specs. My personal belief is that you can tour on almost anything, and the smaller it is, the easier it is to handle. I'm sure you could hop on the KLX and do 200-300 miles days easy enough, as long as you stop to stretch and stand up on the pegs once in a while to keep your butt from getting too sore with the narrow seat. I think it'll handle 60 mph road speeds better than my DR200. If you want to go on longer and faster trips, the Monster with soft luggage looks ideal to me. I hate windshields, though, so you have to take what I say with a grain of salt.

I'd love advice on the roads in western NC. I've done the famous ones, I want to ride the better more obscure ones. Oh man, those roads...