Simbaboy's Easy Living (MI)

Even though the AT DCT is budgeted for and Mrs. approved I am going to take my time buying one. I will buy one used and only at a price where a resell won't hurt too bad.

I have come out fairly even on 2/3 of previous impulse buys and then resells. The cost has been my time. The other 1/3 of the time I have lost a little $$.

You need a dealer's license, the way you flip bikes it might be justified. I don't know the advantages or disadvantages of having one, it just sounds like something you should look into. Colby & Brian had the bike flipping disease too, but they seem to be in remission now. There is hope for you my friend!

Since you have budgeted for the 'big number' bike, why not just go spoil yourself with some light weight orange bike?!!



....and then I can tell you all the nice places I rode in Moab that day while you waited for parts.


...oh gawd, that's gunna stir the pot.


.

No Orange coolaid anytime soon. I may rent one in Moab just to see what the fuss is about.

My remissions last 3 days. Its a powerfull disease.

I think I have 1 more bike I need to own before I go into permanent remission.

Imu

We won't even try to guess, we'll just stay tuned.

...I gotta go to work now.

My vehicular ADHD is only cured by lack of funding. This being a grown up shit sucks. Thought I had it all sorted out to buy the next bike, and I paid it all to the snap on man so I wiped that debt clean. Oh well. Soon.

Not sure you can touch the ground on a ktm, and realistically, for your pokey pace, not sure it’s necessary. Also, since ya don’t wear real boots, ya should stay off a mans bike hahahahahaha

I don’t ride enough dirt to justify orange, but if I did, I’d likely own one, though it’d be the white and blue husqvarna flavour

Greetings all . . .

I'd like to introduce myself and hope this does not get interpreted as a hijacking of the thread. I have been reading the entire thread from the beginning and felt a slight bit of a connection with the topics which I hope become evident during my posting. I am retired and live in the suburbs northwest of Detroit. I used to live in Okemos, MI outside of Lansing , so Dewitt is familiar to me by name and general location, though not specific streets and roads. (Possible mid-Michigan connection with Simba?)

I must confess that I do not currently own or ride a motorcycle. I did own a BSA Victor 441 back in the early 70's when I was living in East Lansing and attending MSU. Nowadays I do have what in a very long stretch, might be considered an adventure bike. Actually it's a fat-tire mountain bike to which I've installed an electric motor . . .



. . . in addition to the ebike, my adventure ecosystem includes an off-road teardop trailer and my Suburban (connection to Simba with his newly acquired SUV?) as the tow vehicle . . .



Every April for the last ten years I've traveled out to Idaho for a target shooting event and taken the time to make a larger trip to different areas in the West while I was out there. In 2016, I traveled to Moab (see, here's another connection to your thread) and spent a few days there. I visited Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. I was in the Gearheads Outdoor store and asked a clerk where I might set up my camp locally on BLM land near town that was away from the crowds and a lower noise level. He suggested a site called, in his words, "The End of the Mesa". He provided directions and off I went. Here are a few shots of where I settled for the night . . .

I didn't have the cojones to set up at the actual 'end of the mesa' . . .



I'm pretty sure you guys have been by here as it is on Long Canyon Rd. (another connection!!)

I'm sure you guys have seen this as well, I had a nice steak dinner at the Sunset Grill and enjoyed looking over the town and valley while eating . . .





I didn't put together my ebike until after the 2016 trip but I did take it out west in 2017. Unfortunately, I did not get to Moab this past Spring. I went to Vancouver to visit family and spent some time in northern Idaho at Farragut State Park on Lake Pend Oreille south of Sandpoint, ID.

Packed up and ready to head West in April 2017 with "adventure bike" attached . . .

At Lake Pend Oreille . . .



. . . leisurely riding some trails . . .



Quick subject change here: Simba, my $0.02 is also to stick with the 18's on your truck. I put a set of Goodyear Duratracs on my suburban prior to the 2017 trip . . .



I kinda wanted to downsize to 17" wheels and get a taller tire, but decided to stick with the stock wheels and just get the Duratracs in the same size.

I really want to go back to Moab and ride the ebike around, but my main reason for inserting myself into this thread is that I am seriously considering getting a light off-road bike so that when I get out West I can set up a camp with the teardrop and take the motorcycle out and explore forest service roads etc. And here in northern Michigan, I'd like to play around in the national forest roads. The ebike can possible work for short rides, say 40 miles out and back . The range all depends on how much of the propulsion used is all electric versus using pedal assist on lower settings. I believe that a small 200-250cc thumper would be useful to make longer exploratory rides out from the basecamp. Plus, my butt doesn't particularly like the bike seat even though I got the biggest padded one I could find. I'd welcome any and all advice on brands and models.
My wish list would be:
reliability - I'm not a mechanic and do NOT want to have a bike quit on me out in the
boonies with no cell service
fuel injection - better in adapting to elevation changes out west vs a carburetor?
low seat height - so I can flat foot when standing still
fuel capacity & mileage

can't think of other must-haves right now, but I'm approaching this as if I've never ridden a motorcycle ( I still have the endorsement on my drivers license from way back when).

At the risk of being too forward, I would be happy to meet up with you, Simba, sometime and buy you lunch and pick your brain about bikes, sensible riding gear and clothing. Being retired, my schedule is very flexible. If agreeable, maybe PM me.

I'll close by saying again that I apologize if this was seen as a hijacking. Not my intent. I have thoroughly enjoyed the travel stories, pictures and banter among friends all during this thread and will continue to read it.

Everyone have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and with good luck I may get to meet some of you in person down the road.

Awesome adventures.
I'd recommend a Yamaha TW200 while not fuel injected. Fuel injected would be an Yamaha XT250, both have low seat heights.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

Welcome Cletus.

As well as the TW, I would add the Vanvan 200, and DR200.

For a more dirt-capable bike with higher top-speed, consider the new KLX250, which is now fuel injected, lighter than the Hondas, and has better suspension than the typical Japanese brand 250 class dual sport.

Welcome,

Get the TW200 or Suzuki VanVan. They are the “big tire” version of a dual purpose bike. Both are small, weak and simple, just perfect for bumming around and having fun.


I’m kinda curious, what shooting events? I shoot IDPA, Action Pistol, NMLRA, F class and the occasional Quigley match.

Welcome to The Asylum.

The inmates who hang out here are crazy.
I will PM you soon to set up a get together.

1. I recommend an older TW200 with a back up kick start. Mine is a 1999 and you can try it out. If you come to Moab 2018, you can even ride it. I love the TW200 as it many after market accesories that make it an even better bike including a larger plastic tank. In April you can try out my TW200 and we can ride on some nearby farm roads. I once sold off a TW200 and regreted it very much.

2. I will look into the tires you are using. The Escalade has a great ride. I was looking for a Suburban when I saw this at a used car lot.

3. We are planning a May Moab trip. Join us.

I will PM you later today.

Imu (Simba)

PS--My buddies treated me to a great steak dinner at The Sunset Grill in Moab. Excellent views.

WYO George . . .

The Idaho event I go to every April/May is called Boomershoot. Not a competition, but shooting reactive (as in exploding) targets at long range (mid -range to an F class shooter).
Held outside of Orofino, ID, targets are placed from 380 yds. up to 700 yds. More info at boomershoot.org
The only competition I shoot on a regular basis back here in Michigan is BPCRS, which you're likely familiar with since you mentioned the "Quigley"

These first replies I got were right where I was beginning my research . . . that being the TW200, XT250 and Van Van. I was in a dealer in northern lower Michigan and the sales guy had me sit on a Yamaha WR250 which he claimed was much superior to the TW200. I guess it was for a serious off-road rider, but my requirements are modest and besides, the bike was a bit tall for me. I don't know how you guys can swing your legs over your machines and even mount the dang things. And with any gear on a rear rack, how do you get on? With a step stool?

Are the big 3 Japanese manufacturers pretty much the same as far as quality and reliability? So Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki would be in the same ballpark if looking for a used bike?

I'm curious about wearables and accessories, as in what's really necessary and what's more of a "nice to have" Obviously a helmet is in the first group. Do brands matter or just find one that's comfortable, as they all meet a safety standard. I'll be getting a full face one, but don't know much beyond that.

Gloves - what to look for? same all the time ? or different based on season and conditions?
hand guards? I know nothing about 'em
Jackets?
Pants?
Boots? can I just wear my hiking boots or do I need real armored up versions?
Other items to consider?

I won't derail too much more with shooting stuff, but it sounds like a fun event. I'm an officer with the Wyoming State Muzzleloader Association and shoot in our club matches monthly. I take the sharps out a couple times a year to a BPCRS event, hopefully I'll hit the Quicgley up in Montana again this year, it's a ton of fun.

Back to bikes, gear is a personal thing. I wear more gear than most, but not as much as some. My riding partner wears hiking boots, jeans and a shirt. I wear an armored jacket, motocross boots, knee protectors, etc. I've just been broken enough times I try and avoid it. The WR250 is a great bike if you want light and high performance. If you want something to ride around at a relaxing pace, reliable as an anvil and easy to ride in unfamiliar conditions (deep powdery sand...) then a TW is a much better choice. They will all be reliable, and they will all have their quirks, but it's hard to go wrong with anything from the big four Japanese. The Suzuki DR200 is another good choice for inexpensive, low seat and easy to ride. If you want the big tires then get a TW or a VanVan. If you want more "traditional" dirt size tires then a DR200, XT225/XT250, CRF230 or similar will be good choices. The downside to the "better" bikes is they will have much higher seats and in my experience as a motorcycle shop owner, the upside down forks tend to require fork seal replacements more frequently than the traditional forks used on cheaper bikes.

I will PM you and have you visit and we can talk about the basics.

Imu

I stopped in at a Detroit area motorcycle store yesterday to check out the Zero FX model electric motorcycle. It's the lightest, dual sport category bike Zero makes. I was intrigued by the non-gas fuel type, but was curious about range and whether a second battery pack could be carried on a rear rack or even in a back pack on my back as I traveled up more remote roads. The bike with the lower capacity battery (= lowest range in miles) was spec'd at weighing only 250 lbs. (where most of the 200-250cc gas bikes under consideration come in anywhere from 290 to 320 lbs. They took me back to the service garage area where I described my potential use of a motorcycle to the sales guy and a mechanic. While the battery pack can be swapped out, it is not as simple as open the hatch, pull out battery and plug in new battery. Some amount of wrenching and lowering an entire cage assembly from the bottom of the bike is involved. They have owners bring the bike into the dealer to have a battery swap performed. A second battery would weigh between 40-50 lbs. and likely not be very comfortable hanging on one's back. Also learned that the factory strongly recommends replacing the drive belt with a chain if the bike is to be ridden off-road a lot.

I like the idea of the instant torque and acceleration of the electric motor and the elimination of so much mechanical stuff from a gas bike - no transmission, clutch lever, oil changes, etc. Weight savings and less complexity are right up my alley. And based on my experience on my eFatbike, I really like the low noise aspect of the ride.
Unfortunately, where the world is at with battery technology, it remains expensive, heavy and constricted in range to go electric. This is one thing where I wish the future would come faster.

So I think that at this moment my number 1 candidate before actually riding anything is the Yamaha XT250. I read where the WR250 is considered more modern and the XT considered old technology, but I'm sure that my skill level would not rise above what an XT could provide. I like the fuel injection, maybe better manners on the highway than the TW200 or Van Van.

Yamaha XT is an excellent bike.
If you want something with good highway capability and some dirt manners Versys 300 is good.

If you want something to replace your ebike, TW200 or Vanvan. Like George said tbese are extremely reliable bikes. IMO the TW200 is more dirt capable than the Vanvan. The Vanvan is better on the street and is smoother riding.

Imu,

Thanks for the replies and I look forward to your pm. I would love to hook up with you and others at Moab in May. I usually depart Michigan in mid-April to travel along I-90 to get to Missoula and then over Lolo Pass into Idaho. Has the date(s) for your Moab trip been nailed down? When do you make reservations for lodging and permits for riding in national park land?

Yes, Moab dates are fairly firmed up: Sunday May 13th---Friday May 18. We have about 4 confirmed and several maybes. But from past history we should have about 10 or so riders.

We choose simple scenic trails and we love to just wait up for Sam to finish taking his damn pictures so we can get some airflow.

All bikes welcome and all levels of riding skills. I am sure you can pedal faster than I can motor. I ususally have to move over for the many cyclists. But I cover more ground than Sam as he stops every 5 minutes for pictures and prostate issues.

No need to worry about permits but would recommend a National Parks Annual or Lifetime Pass.

Imu