Newbie to this forum needs help selecting bike!

[gK]

Hello, I'm new to this forum. Lurked around for a while, and decided that this is the place for me. :D

Got a question for ya!

I'm 60 years old and haven't had a bike for over 10 years. Been looking and shopping the dealers in my area and trying to find somethin that "FITS".

I'm looking for a dual purpose bike that will be used 90% street (local riding, little trafic) and 10% trails, when one presents itself.
I'm 5'6" tall with a 28" inseam. Also, Too many rides and falls in the 1960s and 70s (enduros) have left my knees and hips in poor condition. So a fairly low seat height, is a must. Maybe something in the 30 to 32" neighborhood.

I would like a top speed in the 55+ range in case I venture onto a main road. Might trailer the bike to N. Georgia Mts. , for some of those trails, if I can find them. So, some thumping power would be nice. Seems a 200-250 might meet my needs, but don't really know.

The KLR250, XT225, and DR 200SE, all fit. Honda doesn't seem to make a street legal DP bike. Need info from you concerning power, speed, reliability, other options, etc.

Thanks, ...gK

 

[Brian]

If you're going the dual purpose route, I'd suggest you take a look at the DRZ 400 street legal model. It's supposed to be a much better dirt bike than any other competitors, but still a decent on-road bike :)

 

[gK]

It is a good looking bike and the weight is something I could deal with. Certainly it would have more power than any of those I mentioned.

The only problem is the seat height. With my 28" inseam, the 36.8" seat on the 400 would be difficult to throw a leg over and really hard to reach the ground, once seated.

Thanks ...gK

 

[Dr.Zaius]

Check out the DR650, the new ones are more street oriented. Veery low seat, close to your inseam. Good power, too! ;)
But the 400 is nice. Shave the seat down, get a Kouba lowering link and softer susp. settings, you're down to about 33-34 inches on the seat. Good luck, cool to see people getting back into the sport! :cool:

 

[The^^Rock]

Have a look at the TTR 250 or even the XR250L...the XRL is street legal, donno how it would handle on the road though :)

 

[Moose95]

gk,
I believe that Kawasaki makes a DP bike called the Shirpa (sp) they come in a 250cc size and look to be about the model/size that your looking for. From my point of view (take it with a grain of salt) they looke to be about 89.9% street and 10.1% dirt. May be what your looking for. Good luck! P.S. My Dad is 63 and still rides!!

 

[cmott]

I hava a Yamaha XT350 that is great for on and off road. I can climb some pretty steep stuff and still do 75 on the highway. the seat hight is 33". They stopped making them a few years ago but you can find some good deals on used ones.

 

[86_kx]

i would say the dr is the way to go as they are way more on road suited for a dual sport!

 

[bluerider125]

my dad has a 86(?) xt or tt 350 (they painted it with spraypaint, cant tell which) anyway, it has NO problems in the power department, and its got a head/tail light. i am 5'7 and seat it fine. we got an awesome deal at $200 and it RAN!!! all it needed was a carb cleaning and new rubbers, and it runs great now!

well, enough yelling. :)

all im trying to say is it is a great trail bike, we dont have any inkling to put it on the road, but it is quieter than my tt-r and has lights, so it is most likely road legal.