Need your recommendations for my next bike

[MattR]

Sorry for the long-winded introduction, but I need your help!

Everyone here (and the other GG forum) have been very open and honest about your bike experiences... it's one of the things I like best about being a GG owner. So, I'm looking for your recommendations on my next bike.

Next year, I plan to buy a 4T bike for dual sporting... don't worry my XC250 is not up for sale. I know many of you have/had experiences with KTM, Husqvarna, and Husaberg. At this point, I'm open to all brands. I would like to commute to work several times a week. The distance is not long only 15 miles (each way) with speeds ranging from 35 mph to 55 mph. I also plan to go on some longer "adventure" rides in Northern Michigan with the endless miles of singletrack.

Here are my current "2007 model" selections and their ranking:
1) KTM 450EXC or 525EXC
2) Husqvarna TE450 or TE510
3) Husaberg FE450 or FE550
4) GasGas FSE450 or FSE500 (if they ever release one)

KTM and Husqvarna are at the top of my list because I want an easy-to-register street legal machine... no hassles. Yes, I went through the process with my current bike and it was doable, but a PIA. If needed, I will do it again but it must be justified.

Right now, I'm leaning towards the 500's since I believe they will be better on the road. Personally, I think I would be happier with the 450's since their easy to handle in the woods. My biggest fear is killing the 450 engine on my daily commutes.

Also, I'm undecided at this point for wheel choices...
Option #1) Put some good DOT rubber on the stock wheels and use it for both road and offroad all of the time.
Option #2) Buy another set of stock wheels (21" front / 18" rear) with good road-worthy rubber for commuting. Then, swap wheel sets for my trail rides with good offroad-worthy rubber already mounted. NOTE: I would stay with standard rim sizes to minimize change-over issues (like chain and brakes). Yes, a fully deck-out supermoto is cool, but too many parts to switch back and forth... no thanks.

What is your recommendation for the best dual-sport bike and wheel setup?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[kim]

Have ridden both the 450 and 550 Husaberg. Like them both, but the 550 feels (to me) too long in the stroke for woods riding, would be fine on more open terrain.
Off course they also make a 650, if you feel like being propelled into orbit....
I think they are all great bikes
Std rims with road tyres with sprockets and chain to swap only, should only take 15 minutes. Any knobblies on the bitumen is a bad compromise, considering the blind people in cars (enemy no 1 on the road).
GG is fuel injected, never have to jet again, gotta be good.
For longer road trips vibration/noise becomes an issue pretty quick and you would want the beast with the least of each.
Hope this helps

[eff]

I rode a Husky TE450 a few weeks back. I would not hesitate to buy one if I was going to buy a 4t. It had a trials tire on it and I would do the same, that also solves your DOT tire requirement.

Things I liked:
1. Magic button. Really nice for short guys like me.
2. Very planted and great tractable power. Great torque and with a crack of the throttle accelleration was excellent.
3. Inspired confidence on slippery rocks and hills. I felt like I could climb a verticle cliff. Rock hill climbs are my Achilles and they gave me no problems.

Things I didn't like:
1. Engine breaking.
2. Weight.

I think the likes outweigh the dislikes.

[Eric K]

While, I really like my GasGas motorcycles, I always objectively look at each motorcycle purchase to see what the best choice is for my riding purpose. My purchase options this year came down to a GasGas EC300 and a KTM 525 EXC. I went with the GasGas EC300 since most of the time I am on tight, technical trails and that is where the GasGas EC300 excels. I ride logging roads to connect trails. My GasGas EC300 has not seen pavement except for my paved driveway.

If I were going to commute, I would get a KTM 525 EXC.

I have ridden my friends '03 535 EXC on numerous occaisions. He has many thousands of miles on it with no major work.

Strong points....

1) Awesome torque down to idle. It can be geared up for commuting.
2) Great fuel mileage cruising on the road.
3) Strong, reliable e-start that takes an amazing amount of abuse.
4) Extremely reliable engine.
5) Handles very well for a 4 stroke.
6) Great aftermarket part supply.

The biggest downsides of the 525 EXC are...

1) it has a very top heavy 4 stroke feeling, especially when compared to a GasGas 2 stroke.
2) suspension is not as good as GasGas.

These are minor issues for commuting.

[MattR]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I would love to hear more opinions!

My friend has a KTM 525EXC and it was not the "fire breathing monster" I thought it would be. The power was manageable with great low end torque. I could do without the engine braking and higher CG. However, I think that is typical of 4T bikes.

Any opinions on the 450 vs 525?

[Eric K]

Matt,

I would rather have a 525 over a 450. I am 270# geared up ready to ride, so I like lots of low end torque. That is what the 525 delivers. If you want more zip out of the 525, it is available. Jetting changes alone yield quite a bit as they come very lean from the factory.

If you really want monster thrust, get a Husaberg 550. However, they are a different beast.

[Hawkeye]

Matt,

I'm a huge GG fan. That being said, I have a 2001 KTM 400EXC that I use very similarly to what you are trying to do. Hate to say it but my KTM has been stone reliable, valves are easy to adjust, I even have the stock battery which is pushing 5 years! I commute 4 miles to work on gravel roads, and have raced hare scrambles and trailrode this bike in the UP. KTM has to get credit, they have their EXC's well sorted out. My bike is stock except for WER revalved suspension from it's previous owner. I have two sets of dirt wheels, and use up my old race bike knobbies on the "commuting" rims. I paid $700 for a used set of KTM rims from their hard parts catalog. I really like getting free commuting tires off my GG300 and my buddies' bikes. I don't baby the KTM, it gets an oil change every 10-12 hours and the valves looked at once every couple of years. It went from Sept. 2003 to May of 2006 and the valves were within .002 tolerance. Granted I don't put a ton of hours on it with the short commute, but that is pretty great. Oil filters are changed every other oil change, and I like the paper ones.

I'd look for a deal on a leftover 525 if I were you and shop for some used wheels to use for commuting. Good luck, and realize how lucky you are to have all that fabulous trail at your disposal.

[MattR]

Thanks for all of the responses. While there has been a range of different views, it seems like the clear winners are KTM and Husky (as far as favorites go). Husky has the "exotic" appeal to me, but I will probably go with the well- proven KTM 525EXC. Their design has been around for several years and there is plenty of history/tech tips available online.

I love my GG 2-stroke, but I just don't think GG has a top performnig 4-stroke yet. Starting in 2005, it appears that many of the earlier issues have been worked out. If you look at the WEC and ISDE, the EC250/300 has been dominate compared to their FSE450. This alone indicates to me the lack of confidence the team has in the FSE450 design. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see GG have a great 4-stroke bike to compete against the top runners... I just don't see it happening for a couple years.

Hawkeye,
I like your idea of reusing knobbies on the road. I was planning to get a second set of stock wheels to mount "smoother" dual-sport tires. Recycled knobbies is a good way to go.

[Metalefty]

Originally Posted by MattR

Thanks for all of the responses. While there has been a range of different views, it seems like the clear winners are KTM and Husky (as far as favorites go). Husky has the "exotic" appeal to me, but I will probably go with the well- proven KTM 525EXC. Their design has been around for several years and there is plenty of history/tech tips available online.

I love my GG 2-stroke, but I just don't think GG has a top performnig 4-stroke yet. Starting in 2005, it appears that many of the earlier issues have been worked out. If you look at the WEC and ISDE, the EC250/300 has been dominate compared to their FSE450. This alone indicates to me the lack of confidence the team has in the FSE450 design. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see GG have a great 4-stroke bike to compete against the top runners... I just don't see it happening for a couple years.

Hawkeye,
I like your idea of reusing knobbies on the road. I was planning to get a second set of stock wheels to mount "smoother" dual-sport tires. Recycled knobbies is a good way to go.

That seems like an odd way to choose a bike that your not that serious about. You originaly stated that you were looking for a dual sport then you said you were going to use your GG250 for most of your singletrack work then you choose a bike on popularity and pro race particapation. Even if the GG450 wasn't good enough to race at pro level you would never be able to bring out the flaws in the bike anyways, so why would you want a "top performer" especially for just dual sporting? If more people own a certain bike then of course more people are going to say they like it, that doesn't mean it's better. If GG doesn't have a top rider on there 450 I don't think that means they don't have confidence in there product. I guess it seems odd to me to purchase a $7-8K bike on what OTHER riders think especially since you don't know what kind of riders they are or if there brand loyal biased. That's a lot of money to have someone sway a decision for you. What are the dealers like in your area? Since most riders can't bring out all of the performance in these bikes maybe choosing a dealer first would help best. How many of the bikes your interested in are you able to ride or have ridden?
I didn't mean for it to sound like a rant, I was just surprised by your last post.

[MattR]

Originally Posted by Metalefty

That seems like an odd way to choose a bike that your not that serious about. You originaly stated that you were looking for a dual sport then you said you were going to use your GG250 for most of your singletrack work then you choose a bike on popularity and pro race particapation.

Yes, I'm keeping my GG XC250 for most singletrack. I don't call choosing my next bike a "popularity contest". I asked for recommendations from folks here that I know have a long history of riding/racing. Many folks have been fortunate effort to have ridden or owned some of the bikes that I listed. Getting their first hand feedback is valuable.

Originally Posted by Metalefty

Even if the GG450 wasn't good enough to race at pro level you would never be able to bring out the flaws in the bike anyways, so why would you want a "top performer" especially for just dual sporting? If more people own a certain bike then of course more people are going to say they like it, that doesn't mean it's better. If GG doesn't have a top rider on there 450 I don't think that means they don't have confidence in there product.

If I wanted a "plain/lazy" dualsport, then I would just buy a Honda XR650L. However, I want a "top performer" because my adventure rides up in North Michigan will need it. I'm not talking about just some dirt road riding... this bike will need to handle singletrack on the same level as my GG XC250, but also needs to get me from trail system A to trail system B.

By GG not having riders on their 450's just sends out a red flag to me. Maybe they are great bikes now, but their presence is not shown in racing where reliability and performance are key. Just my $0.02.

Originally Posted by Metalefty

I guess it seems odd to me to purchase a $7-8K bike on what OTHER riders think especially since you don't know what kind of riders they are or if there brand loyal biased. That's a lot of money to have someone sway a decision for you.

$7k is a lot of money and that is why I'm asking for feedback. All of the bikes listed in my first post are great bikes. I would be happy with any of them. I know most riders here from the Smackover forum and I respect their opinions. I want to know the gritty details that the bike magazines don't publish.

Originally Posted by Metalefty

What are the dealers like in your area? Since most riders can't bring out all of the performance in these bikes maybe choosing a dealer first would help best. How many of the bikes your interested in are you able to ride or have ridden?

The local dealers suck in my area. I bought my GG out-of-state and had it shipped to me. I probably will do this again just to get a good shop. My riding buddies have only KTM's so I can try their bikes. No one around me owns Husky, Husaberg, or GG four-strokes... hence my reasoning for making this thread.