and every thing below is considered enduro and in the US you can call you 350 a dual sport while its almost not capable of long distance driving on asphalt.
*edt: spelling is not something I do well
Posted Nov 29, 2013, 1:02 AM UTC · edited
"while its almost not capable of long distance driving on asflat"
I call BS, 350 is plenty capable. Mondo Enduro?
I'm currently riding down to South America from Canada on a 400... with my friend on a 125.
Any running bike is capable of long distance on asphalt so long as its running, the idea that you need a 650 to ride a 1000 kms is just silly.
Of course you can drive a small cc bike on asphalt but driving an enduro bike on long toures is any thing but comfortable. You could drive a R1 in the woods. That doesn't mean it's dual sport.
It's kind of semantics at that point. Do you consider the 1200 GS to be a dual sport? While it is barely capable of off road?
I see it as a spectrum, in my view any dirt capable bike that is street legal is a dual sport, from a plated two stroke to a VStrom 1000 with knobies. It's just a matter of street vs road Bias.
Then all bikes are dual sport.
I define a dual sport for what they are designed for. A dual sport is meant to get you from Point A to point B no matter what it is in between them. No bike does that much better than the 1200 GS. A smaller bike of then has a too strong off road bias to be good on long distance travel on a freeway.
I strongly disagree. 1200 gs is far to heavy to be good off road. Awesome touring bike for highways and dirt roads but it is pretty bad for off road. As such in my view it is not a great dual sport. KTM 690 is more like it, far better off road, and competent(although not comfortable) on road.
They are fully capable of long-distance travel.
My butt, on the other hand, is not.
Light painkillers fix that when you really, really need to get that leg of the journey done.
Something about mixing blood thinners with stressed motorcycling seems scary.
Acetaminophen does not cause thinning of the blood. It can cause mild drowsiness in some, but I've never experienced this. Obviously, if you think it'll effect your mental faculties, and safety, don't use it...
I use Tylenol (or whatever non-namebrand acetaminophen) on hikes and long rides occasionally on the last hump. It can get you through the last bit a little less painfully.
Interesting, I always thought it did. After a bit of reading it most definitely doesn't, so thanks for pointing that out. I think, eventually, I'll invest in a better seat for myself.
Well that is always the case. People has driven around the world on a moped.
Certainly, and I see your point. Why buy a small displacement bike when you can buy a bigger bike that cruises more comfortable? You have to remember dual sport bikes are meant for ADV riding and not just highway cruising. In the USA, in particular, there are thousands of miles of dirt/gravel roads that are perfect for smaller displacement bikes.
I've owned mine for nearly 6 months now and do wish it had 10-20 more hp but really like how easy it is to throw around on the backroads and trails. With a few more modifications it'll be the perfect bike for me.
Well the thing is the high displacement bikes offer great road and off road handling. Though even the smallest of BMWs would not fare well on an enduro track. Just as a small enduro would not be ideal for long trips on a tarmac.
ADV riding often involves a lot of packing; tents sleeping bags etc. This extra weight does require a larger bike as well.
Dual sport bikes are built as an compromise. You can find other bikes that does individual tasks better. The Enduro does off road a lot better and a Sport tourer does roads better. But if you set up on a trip that could either be gravel, asphalt or unhealthy mix of both (which is often the case in the ADV zone). You want a bit of both. Voila, large cc bikes with off road capabilities.
I own a 800 CC bike and it is at times on the weak side. I would not mind a larger (~900 cc 100 hp) bike. Especially when doing longer transport stretches. Only time I felt it was to big and even too strong was on a enduro / cross track.
I'm not sure there will ever be a "perfect bike" in this segment. The inherent problem is dual-sport riders generally try to do everything.
I can counter your larger displacement argument by exclaiming my 20hp bike can carry everything I need for an ADV ride, cost a mere $5,000 USD, gets ~71mpg US, and will leave a larger bike in it's dust anywhere except the open highway. Add a few thousand in heavy modification and you're really setup.
I think the best solution is to own all the bikes!
I feel like engine displacement has almost nothing to do with whether something is dualsport, enduro or otherwise.
Obviously you are not alone. But even though smaller engine displacement can be a benefit off road it drastically lowers on road capacity,
Marketing.