Motorcycle Advice

[Reg]

Eddie,
Congrats on your now long term freedom from the "booze bug".
I don't admit to having been an alcoholic, just that I was a heavy habitual drinker... a dozen years or so ago.

I do admit to having been very drunk on motorcycles, kinda hard to remember how big chunks of sod hanging off the footpeg got there the night before.
Only good fortune got me through and maybe a bit of sub-conscious skill, maybe.

One of the things you will learn a lot more about is road surfaces, I know you plan to ride on the road, but surface changes matter a lot more to you when on two wheels.
I was thinking about this while driving a truck and trailer today, in particular the change in levels between lanes when they re-pave.
Do NOT try to cross from the low old surface to the new high raised surface, BAD things happen, just stay in your lane.

We have a lot of sand on the roads up here right now, it is worth studying where it windrows to, even when you're just driving a car/truck (-:

 

[Dmace]

The thing about dual sports in my eyes is that they don't do anything really well. They are OK off-road and OK on-road but hardly really good at either so is it really worth it? I would much rather have a good street bike that does everything on-road well and spend a little for a dirt bike (if needed) that does everything off-road well. I hate the feeling of those enduro knobby tires on pavement, it's like riding a street bike on those metal grate bridges constantly. Again, that's just my opinion...

 

[Reg]

The thing about dual sports in my eyes is that they don't do anything really well. They are OK off-road and OK on-road but hardly really good at either so is it really worth it? I would much rather have a good street bike that does everything on-road well and spend a little for a dirt bike (if needed) that does everything off-road well. I hate the feeling of those enduro knobby tires on pavement, it's like riding a street bike on those metal grate bridges constantly. Again, that's just my opinion...

Agreed.
Well, sort of.
"Street" bikes aren't all equally good as "commuter scooters" and "track day play racers", neither are their tires.

As a FIRST bike (the context of THIS thread) the DP as a compromise may well be the best compromise and a good platform to figure which type, size, etc the NEXT bike will be.
{Always a next bike ? not always,...}

I would vote against "Enduro Knobbies" (close to MX) but for two digit speeds Trials tires work OK.

Metal grate bridges ? Might as well get comfortable with the feeling early on (-:

 

[RedRocker]

If you are set in your mind for a motorcycle Eddie, I recommend a dual sport also. 500-650 range. Enought grunt for the highway, and you can ride it on your property. I have DOT approved full knobbies on my Suzuki DR650S. The rear tire is 6 ply. I also have the full engine/sump aluminum guard, and the factory rear luggage rack. And yes I have used it to just zip into town, for a hardware store run. It is a great ride, and does 70mph all day without huffing and puffing. After the smoothness of a streetbike, it does take some getting used to a big thumper. You can also have a great time in the dirt with it.

Dual Sport tires: C858 / C913 / C914 Dual Sport Tu

I've got a KLR 650, fun bike to ride, 50 to 55 mpg and can be had for three or four grand.

 

[deepNdirt]

I'm not sure how enjoyable of a ride this would be My neighbor custom builds 3 wheelers from old VW rear trans axles and cycle front ends, he owns a real nice HD but he rather ride his 3 wheeler, he and his Friends get together and rattle the neighborhood with these things, some of them have trunk compartments and others have small truck beds, some have rear seats some have big beverage coolers built on them,:drink: some have stainless steel kegs for fuel tanks and a draft drawn lever for a shifter, he builds them and sells them for around 5-k and they are registered to be driven as a cycle :thumbsup:

 

[aburnell]

I would also strongly recommend a harley.. good quality bike.. gotta love the sound of a harley.

_________________
Large Machining

 

[czechsonofagun]

I've got a KLR 650, fun bike to ride, 50 to 55 mpg and can be had for three or four grand.

I was wondering when somebody mentions that besides me. I had always street bikes but KLR is my choice for the - hopefully - near future.

 

[The Haymaker]

Is there one ?

Not a practical one, no.

 

[The Haymaker]

Bike choices? So many! I have two bikes to suit different riding styles off road, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum. An XR650R and a KTM200EXC. I'd do the same for the street, but settled for my first ever Kawi, a Ninja650R. It looks like a crotch rocket, but offers a more upright, cushy, ride and peaks out at 55mpg if I behave myself.

I agree with the others on a MSC before riding. I'd worry more about your defensive skills than actually riding. Get comfortable, don't end up like my wife's niece this past weekend.

'She only got to ride her bike one day' | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME

Anyway, now for what I think would be your bike.

Because of your property, as others have suggested, I'd go with something like a DRZ400.

It's big enough to do some highway cruising, but light and nimble off road. I miss my DS bikes, being able to go from pavement to dirt was nice. I had intended on DS'ing the big XR for years, as it is idling at 65, but got to wound up into woods riding so didn't want all the extra stuff to break off.

Either way, get a bike, learn what life really is!

 

[Boondox]

Eddie -- I'll chime in here. Having ridden for 40+ years I feel strongly that there are major differences between a starter (or getting back into it) bike and a forever bike. The "over 35 and getting back into riding" demographic has a very high rate of crashes. I'm not sure why, but in my personal observations I think those riders may assume they have more residual skills than they actually have.

It's not like it used to be. When I was a younger rider there were threats on four wheels, but back then folks got behind the wheel to get somewhere. Today you have cell phones, texting drivers, sound systems so loud you can hear them a hundred yards away, and IMO roads full of people who feel driving is all about their rights and who have forgotten all about the responsibilities of being behind the wheel.

I ride a BMW R1200GS primarily for the fantastic ergonomics (important in middle age), great alternator output to power auxiliary lighting to make me more visible, incredible brakes, and a high riding position that not only makes me more visible, but allows me to see over much of the traffic around me. That said, this is not a starter/returning rider bike.

I'm not a big fan of the cruiser type, regardless of the brand. The forward footpegs and the weak brakes for their size and weight have no appeal for me. And the low slung, all black thing in a world of distracted drivers is asking for trouble. YMMV.

There have been a lot of recommendations for good, dependable bikes in this thread, but so very few of them IMO would meet your immediate needs as a returning rider. I'd put the KLR 650 right up there at the top of the suitable list. Light and nimble enough for you to get back into it, enough power to keep up with traffic or put distance between you and trouble, easy to pick back up at gas station drops, and not overly expensive if you low side. I'd get something in that displacement used, keep it a year, then revisit your needs.

When your comfort and confidence have returned, and that returning rider bravado (most experience this) has dimmed a bit, I'd look for a forever bike putting ergonomics and safety at the top of the list. For me, that short list would include: Triumph Tiger 1050, Suzuki V-Strom or Wee-Strom, Kawasaki Verslys, and other bikes of that ilk. Whatever you get, be sure it fits.

Pete

Loud pipes lose rights.