While I was snowed in at home out of work. (Sucks, don't it?) I tried a couple of times to ride my Savage in the snow.

My first attempt was lazy... I didn't even get it turned around before I gave up and pushed it back in the shed.

The second attempt was more successful. I got it a little ways out. Funny thing is-- I think I had to push it, spinning out, going down hill.  . Now that was a workout getting it back in the shed that time.  

The Savage in substantial snow is virtually hopeless, at least with stock setup. It just sinks up and digs a hole.

Are there any bikes (dirt/DS, I assume) out there that can ride in substantial snow without getting stuck, or is snow the achilles heel of all two wheelers?

This kinda got me interested in dual sports. I would like to get into dirt riding. I'm not sure where to ride it except for my family's land. Do dirt riders have special places to go ride, or are they all mean little trespassers?  

I would like a balanced DS for commuting in less than the best conditions (Of course, that would be everyday by some people's standards) as well as some beginner mountain forest riding.

I have been thinking about the old DR350. It is air-cooled, light enough for a balance of uses, barely enough engine for the highway, and can be fitted with a kickstart.

For a long time, I was kinda interested in the KLR 650, but it's heavy and water-cooled. From what I gather, water cooling on a dirt bike is stupid  . Yeah, it has its advantages. However, what's the first thing that happens to one of these things in the woods? cough: stick through radiator :cough  . It turns out that many of the newer dual sports are water cooled. The DRZ400 that took the DR350's place is liquid-cooled. Not to mention the mental frustration of additional complexity compounded by an additional fluid to worry about! From what I gather-- a potentially corrosive fluid.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!!!

I like something a little simpler, thank you! Optional kick start would be appreciated, too. But some manufacturers are phasing those out too.  

For all it's worth, I've read people on the bike forums with aviation experience. At least one has mentioned that there are not many liquid-cooled airplane engines. Supposedly, in that field, reliability is everything, so if you want to know the most indestructible engine designs, look at airplane engines.

I am kinda interested in the DR650 as well, but it is either kick-only (early) or electric only (late) ERRRR! Like the Savage, there isn't much fitting of a kicker on the electric starts.
Besides that, they say its heavy. It's a little lighter than the KLR, but it is still heavy.

Why can't someone... ANYONE make some cheap, reliable, simple, indestructible aircooled, electric/kickstart bikes with enough power. to run the 70-75 mph all day, yet light enough to be able to hold in the mountains and enough gears to get it all done comfortably. Why do the manufacturers have to screw it up somehow!

Let me guess... EPA (que Darth Vader music)

In Cycle World March 2016 issue is an article called "CHINESE TAKEOUT" .   Its about a bike noted as : CSC MOTORCYCLES' RX3 CYCLONE.

Price New      : $3495.00
Engine          :  SOHC single
Displacement : 250cc
Seat Height    : 31.3"
Fuel Capacity  : 4.2 gal.

http://ridermagazine.com/latest-news/csc-motorcycles-to-import-the-rx-3-cyclo...

Don't know if its anyone's dream-come-true , but there is something like it.

So : Question is ???    Does the DR350 have points and condenser or is it trouble free ?  


http://www.cscmotorcycles.com/RX3-CYCLONE-s/108.htm

Get a bicycle. My ten speed went All over Odessa Texas in snow and ice.

Don't try to ride to work.
Just have fun. You can giggle and get in shape.

KTM 380 gets very good reviews for a light two stroke.    

How much do you weigh?   Smaller bikes require smaller people ......

Hooligan's very best motorsickle .....








There is a KTM 390 Duke, a four stroke that is more sedate.

Cheap, if you want a true dual sport, it has to be in the neighborhood of 400cc, period
the 650s, as you noted, are too heavy for serious dirt riding
the 250s are not highway capable in any realistic sense
There's a guy (everide ADV) on you tube that covered this in a few videos
Now the DRZ 400 is going to be less than comfy on the slab, but it'll shine in the rest of your ride
no kick start but the Ign is a CDI so may be self energizing, like the one on the Rebel. which means easy push starts in an emergency
It is liquid cooled
Unless you ride through brush, that carries no penalties aside fro the required maintenance and one more thing to fail
If you can't deal with that look around at other 400 dual sports, but everide LOVES his DRZ and rides it to the exclusion of other bikes he's owned, like his KLR 650 and the 250 he had before

cheapnewb24 wrote on 01/24/16 at 10:29:17:


Because......some people only ride in the dirt, and never go onto a road.  Lights/turn signals/horns only add extra weight and expense, and are easily broken when you fall down.  True dirt bikes are very rugged and not easily damaged in a simple fall - and the close ratio gearing, compliant suspension and soft knobby tires are not good on pavement.

(Pretty much the same reasoning that folks don't buy tractors for their daily commute to work - or use their Lexus to do the spring plowing).

yes, the compromise is THAT noticeable
and besides, if you don't want to ride paved roads (some people absolutely do not) why would you pay a bunch more for stuff you don't need
not everyone is interested in street riding, not everyone is interested in trying to make one bike do it all
a dual sport is not as good on the dirt as a pure dirt bike
it's not as good on the slab as a true streetbike
it CAN, if ridden well and equipped with sticky street tire, flat embarrass a 'real' sportbike on tight stuff, like the dragon, but in most cases a street bike will be a better streetbike, and a dirtbike will be better off road
when you make one machine do it all, you compromise
and you. my fiend, represent a SMALL percentage of the motorcycling community, as do I (I like DSs too)