Looking for a Dual sport to add to the stable. Help needed

[Cruiser]

Either the 525/530 or the husky 610/630.. The husky isnt quite as big as the LC4 but it does have longer legs.. The 450 is just a bit small,, The beta is a great choice if you can find one and the husy 550 or 650 is a great DS bike.. My buddy picked up a DS husaberg 550 for $3K in mint condition.. That thing rips down the slab and the trail.. but it can get away from you in the dirt.. it is a powerhouse..

[HydroDog]

Here is the bike you need at very good price with all the stuff you need for an eastern Oregon adventure.
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mcy/2536616871.html

I have one and they are great bikes both on the highway and dirt roads. Ya they are a little heavy but they have good suspension

[gasser]

Why are KLR450s never mentioned as a good dualsport bike? A friend has one and he loves that bike. I've ridden it and it is a much more capable bike than my DRZ was.

[CACTUSREID]

klr 450's are not street legal in a lot of places and a 5 speed close ratio tranny sucks as a dualsport machine! they are in my mind, a bike that completely missed the mark/target that they were shooting for.
my dualsport bike will crawl through the toughest snarliest baja single track in first gear, and then hit the highway late in the day and boogie into town for dinner and a beer at 130 km if i want to get there in a hurry. actually, it will hang at 150 kmh if you want to. that wide range of abilities is what a dualsport bike is to me in my world! when your knocking off all of this in one day,that some times is 350/375 km's per day, these things do add up.

[firffighter]

The KTM640 looks very nice.

I found a nice XR650R that is street legal with Baja Designs kit, large tank, etc., etc. I am going to go take a look at it. I think it might fit the bill nicely.

[mrkartoom]

I had a 2001 LC4-E and found it to be just about perfect for dirts roads and pretty manageable on all but the gnarliest single track. For my ds mount I wanted something I could actually go somewhere on and not get vibrated to death - a little more street oriented with a cush drive. I ended up selling that LC4 to upgrade to something newer and got TE610. I had a deposit on the KTM 690E and changed my mind. I could not be more happy. Not near as vibraty as the LC4, about as much power, and much better off-road. It's probably the most dirt-worthy of all the ds bikes out there IMO and pretty reliable.

[Cruiser]

If you go LC4 go 2003 and newer,, better crank bearings, less vibes, and better "high flow" head more HP.. The 610 is still nice.. wouldnt mind swinging a leg over a 610 or 630 to see if they would fill my current need..

[mrkartoom]

The Husky is counterbalanced pretty well and the vibes are controlled. Not sure about the 630, but a new seat is a must do mod on the 610. I suspect that issue remains on the 630. I can go about 100 miles on the 610 before monkey butt sets in with my Renazco, and that's a long day on the backroads. I was getting 55 mpg before I bypassed the O2 sensor, which is pretty darn good. Much better off-road then the LC4 or the 690.

[Phildo]

Get an Aprilia SXV550 (for road use). Shortly after, you won't be able to afford to have any bikes.

Get a 2006 or 2007 that hasn't had the engine sorted out properly and it will blow up pretty quick and you'll go broke trying to get it rebuilt.

Get a good 06/07 or 2008 onward and you'll go broke paying legal fees from the trouble that it will get you into.

[sierrarider]

I have a KTM 450, but if I were in your shoes, I'd go for the smokin' deal on the Beta! They have some nice bikes and I'm confident they are moving forward.