ground up build help... request for pictures

[Eddie]

My girlfriend just passed the basic MSF Ridercourse yesterday. Finding her a good "1st bike" isn't going to be easy. For the beginner's confident-inspiring low seat height, there are basically cruisers and......more cruisers. Even a 650 Star, Honda VLX or Shadow 750 are heavy. And the VLX has a 4-speed trans! Geez. No thanks. We could get her a Ninja 250 and live with having to wring it's neck, rpm-wise, until she outgrows it. But, it might be frustrating to her and the narrow handlebars invite a drop if she stalled it. Ditto the new 2011 CBR250R {niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice looking small bike, btw!} Suzuki surprised me when they offered the TU250 standard here. But, I wish it came with a larger engine. If it were a 500 or even a 650(!), I'd get one of those for me and a 250 for her and we'd have a training pair until time to sell the 250 and get her a small d.p. bike to go play on dirt roads along side my KLR. eddie

> [Original Message] > From: > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 11/1/2010 7:25:06 AM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re:KLR vereses the Yamaha Tenere > > Agree with ya Criswel but there is such a bike. Couple from KTM. Just

rode with a guy who had a 690 Enduro. Only thing is they cost double a KLR and won't carry / haul goods or a piliion way the KLR does. I lusted after a Hodaka back in the day. DT's, CT's, AT's ruled the roost. For the life of me can't understand why one company hasn't made a DRZ type 650?

[Craig Kahler]

A TW200 is a small light DP. Seat hight is low (for a DP bike). Top speed is 65 mph, so it may not work if you need freeway speeds. The Vulcan 500 may work. But it's a cruiser. Not many small standard bikes being made now. Is she willing to go with an older bike, like a CB350?

--- On [b]Mon, 11/1/10, eddie [i][/i][/b] wrote:

From: eddie Subject: [DSN_KLR650] NKLR but more why don't they make a ___ ? To: "KLR650 list" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Date: Monday, November 1, 2010, 7:47 AM   My girlfriend just passed the basic MSF Ridercourse yesterday. Finding her a good "1st bike" isn't going to be easy. For the beginner's confident-inspiring low seat height, there are basically cruisers and......more cruisers. Even a 650 Star, Honda VLX or Shadow 750 are heavy. And the VLX has a 4-speed trans! Geez. No thanks. We could get her a Ninja 250 and live with having to wring it's neck, rpm-wise, until she outgrows it. But, it might be frustrating to her and the narrow handlebars invite a drop if she stalled it. Ditto the new 2011 CBR250R {niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice looking small bike, btw!} Suzuki surprised me when they offered the TU250 standard here. But, I wish it came with a larger engine. If it were a 500 or even a 650(!), I'd get one of those for me and a 250 for her and we'd have a training pair until time to sell the 250 and get her a small d.p. bike to go play on dirt roads along side my KLR. eddie > [Original Message] > From: cycletip@...> > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 11/1/2010 7:25:06 AM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re:KLR vereses the Yamaha Tenere > > Agree with ya Criswel but there is such a bike. Couple from KTM. Just rode with a guy who had a 690 Enduro. Only thing is they cost double a KLR and won't carry / haul goods or a piliion way the KLR does. I lusted after a Hodaka back in the day. DT's, CT's, AT's ruled the roost. For the life of me can't understand why one company hasn't made a DRZ type 650?

[JAMES BUCK]

How about a Buell Blast? On Nov 1, 2010, at 9:33 AM, Craig Kahler wrote:

  A TW200 is a small light DP. Seat hight is low (for a DP bike). Top speed is 65 mph, so it may not work if you need freeway speeds. The Vulcan 500 may work. But it's a cruiser. Not many small standard bikes being made now. Is she willing to go with an older bike, like a CB350? --- On [b]Mon, 11/1/10, eddie [i][/i][/b] wrote: From: eddie Subject: [DSN_KLR650] NKLR but more why don't they make a ___ ? To: "KLR650 list" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Date: Monday, November 1, 2010, 7:47 AM   My girlfriend just passed the basic MSF Ridercourse yesterday. Finding her a good "1st bike" isn't going to be easy. For the beginner's confident-inspiring low seat height, there are basically cruisers and......more cruisers. Even a 650 Star, Honda VLX or Shadow 750 are heavy. And the VLX has a 4-speed trans! Geez. No thanks. We could get her a Ninja 250 and live with having to wring it's neck, rpm-wise, until she outgrows it. But, it might be frustrating to her and the narrow handlebars invite a drop if she stalled it. Ditto the new 2011 CBR250R {niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice looking small bike, btw!} Suzuki surprised me when they offered the TU250 standard here. But, I wish it came with a larger engine. If it were a 500 or even a 650(!), I'd get one of those for me and a 250 for her and we'd have a training pair until time to sell the 250 and get her a small d.p. bike to go play on dirt roads along side my KLR. eddie > [Original Message] > From: cycletip@...> > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 11/1/2010 7:25:06 AM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re:KLR vereses the Yamaha Tenere > > Agree with ya Criswel but there is such a bike. Couple from KTM. Just rode with a guy who had a 690 Enduro. Only thing is they cost double a KLR and won't carry / haul goods or a piliion way the KLR does. I lusted after a Hodaka back in the day. DT's, CT's, AT's ruled the roost. For the life of me can't understand why one company hasn't made a DRZ type 650?

[Mike Frey]

A good companion to the KLR is a 250 Super Sherpa. 2 other choices with low seat heights are the Yamaha XT-225 or (the newer) XT-250 and the Honda CRF230L. Rounding out the small Dual Sports is the Suzuki DR200SE. All are good bikes but the Sherpa is lower priced than the others and (obviously I am biased) the best of them. The problem is finding one. I've seen a few new 2009s for sale at dealers.

>> We could get her a Ninja 250 and live with having to wring it's neck,

>> rpm-wise,

Don't bet on that one, especially with the newer Ninja 250. And, even if you do wring it's neck, the bike loves it. Mike James Buck wrote:

How about a Buell Blast? On Nov 1, 2010, at 9:33 AM, Craig Kahler wrote: A TW200 is a small light DP. Seat hight is low (for a DP bike). Top speed is 65 mph, so it may not work if you need freeway speeds. The Vulcan 500 may work. But it's a cruiser. Not many small standard bikes being made now. Is she willing to go with an older bike, like a CB350? --- On [b]Mon, 11/1/10, eddie [i][/i][/b] wrote: From: eddie Subject: [DSN_KLR650] NKLR but more why don't they make a ___ ? To: "KLR650 list" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Date: Monday, November 1, 2010, 7:47 AM My girlfriend just passed the basic MSF Ridercourse yesterday. Finding her a good "1st bike" isn't going to be easy. For the beginner's confident-inspiring low seat height, there are basically cruisers and......more cruisers. Even a 650 Star, Honda VLX or Shadow 750 are heavy. And the VLX has a 4-speed trans! Geez. No thanks. We could get her a Ninja 250 and live with having to wring it's neck, rpm-wise, until she outgrows it. But, it might be frustrating to her and the narrow handlebars invite a drop if she stalled it. Ditto the new 2011 CBR250R {niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice looking small bike, btw!} Suzuki surprised me when they offered the TU250 standard here. But, I wish it came with a larger engine. If it were a 500 or even a 650(!), I'd get one of those for me and a 250 for her and we'd have a training pair until time to sell the 250 and get her a small d.p. bike to go play on dirt roads along side my KLR. eddie > [Original Message] > From: cycletip@...> > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 11/1/2010 7:25:06 AM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re:KLR vereses the Yamaha Tenere > > Agree with ya Criswel but there is such a bike. Couple from KTM. Just rode with a guy who had a 690 Enduro. Only thing is they cost double a KLR and won't carry / haul goods or a piliion way the KLR does. I lusted after a Hodaka back in the day. DT's, CT's, AT's ruled the roost. For the life of me can't understand why one company hasn't made a DRZ type 650?

[Jud]

I like the middle-aged Suzuki GS500s for this purpose. Cheaper to get into than a decent dual sport, not heavy, and capable of going all over the country.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "eddie" wrote: > > > My girlfriend just passed the basic MSF Ridercourse yesterday. Finding her > a good "1st bike" isn't going to be easy. > For the beginner's confident-inspiring low seat height, there are basically > cruisers and......more cruisers. Even a 650 Star, Honda VLX or Shadow 750 > are heavy. And the VLX has a 4-speed trans! Geez. No thanks. > > We could get her a Ninja 250 and live with having to wring it's neck, > rpm-wise, until she outgrows it. But, it might be frustrating to her and > the narrow handlebars invite a drop if she stalled it. Ditto the new 2011 > CBR250R {niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice looking small bike, btw!} > Suzuki surprised me when they offered the TU250 standard here. But, I wish > it came with a larger engine. If it were a 500 or even a 650(!), I'd get > one of those for me and a 250 for her and we'd have a training pair until > time to sell the 250 and get her a small d.p. bike to go play on dirt roads > along side my KLR. > > eddie > > > > [Original Message] > > From: > > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > > Date: 11/1/2010 7:25:06 AM > > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re:KLR vereses the Yamaha Tenere > > > > Agree with ya Criswel but there is such a bike. Couple from KTM. Just > rode with a guy who had a 690 Enduro. Only thing is they cost double a KLR > and won't carry / haul goods or a piliion way the KLR does. I lusted after > a Hodaka back in the day. DT's, CT's, AT's ruled the roost. For the life of > me can't understand why one company hasn't made a DRZ type 650? >

[Kevin Powers]

On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 2:47 PM, Jud wrote: I like the middle-aged Suzuki GS500s for this purpose. Cheaper to get into than a decent dual sport, not heavy, and capable of going all over the country.

I'll second the GS500 as a good starter bike. Also consider the Honda Nighthawk; these have low seats and also use hydraulic valve lifters so valves are never out of spec - one less thing to worry about when buying a used bike. -- Kevin Powers White Bear Lake, MN

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "eddie" wrote:

> > > My girlfriend just passed the basic MSF Ridercourse yesterday. Finding her > a good "1st bike" isn't going to be easy. > For the beginner's confident-inspiring low seat height, there are basically > cruisers and......more cruisers. Even a 650 Star, Honda VLX or Shadow 750 > are heavy. And the VLX has a 4-speed trans! Geez. No thanks. > > We could get her a Ninja 250 and live with having to wring it's neck, > rpm-wise, until she outgrows it. But, it might be frustrating to her and > the narrow handlebars invite a drop if she stalled it. Ditto the new 2011 > CBR250R {niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice looking small bike, btw!} > Suzuki surprised me when they offered the TU250 standard here. But, I wish > it came with a larger engine. If it were a 500 or even a 650(!), I'd get > one of those for me and a 250 for her and we'd have a training pair until > time to sell the 250 and get her a small d.p. bike to go play on dirt roads > along side my KLR. > > eddie >

Good on you eddie! and plus 1 for the lady! No physical dimensions of how tall your friend is... Perhaps-- WR250 is the bike you want. Height dependent of course. Go over to ADV, or straight to BIG DOG Adventure and read Mark Sampson's write up. Bike will do 70+ The Honda Rebel (250) might be the right bike as well. The size of the bike for now is not the size of the bike a year from now, as you well know. Let her get her sea-legs under her with a bike she can easily handle, then go for more CC's. One bad drop for many folks ends all future riding. IRT to first-bikes: I recently talked to the village idiot, "I believe you should learn on the bike you are going to ride." =83 sportster for his wife that had never ridden. "How's that working out for you?" "Well, we are almost ready to shift out of 1st gear." hmmm. "Would you like to borrow my XR100 Honda for a few hours?" Oh, no, that would NEVER do..... Sometimes, I wonder why I try to save people from themselves.... revmaaatin.

[dooden]

Yamaha TW 200 ? Dooden A15 Green Ape

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "eddie" wrote: > > > My girlfriend just passed the basic MSF Ridercourse yesterday. Finding her > a good "1st bike" isn't going to be easy. > For the beginner's confident-inspiring low seat height, there are basically > cruisers and......more cruisers. Even a 650 Star, Honda VLX or Shadow 750 > are heavy. And the VLX has a 4-speed trans! Geez. No thanks. > > We could get her a Ninja 250 and live with having to wring it's neck, > rpm-wise, until she outgrows it. But, it might be frustrating to her and > the narrow handlebars invite a drop if she stalled it. Ditto the new 2011 > CBR250R {niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice looking small bike, btw!} > Suzuki surprised me when they offered the TU250 standard here. But, I wish > it came with a larger engine. If it were a 500 or even a 650(!), I'd get > one of those for me and a 250 for her and we'd have a training pair until > time to sell the 250 and get her a small d.p. bike to go play on dirt roads > along side my KLR. > > eddie > > > > [Original Message] > > From: > > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > > Date: 11/1/2010 7:25:06 AM > > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re:KLR vereses the Yamaha Tenere > > > > Agree with ya Criswel but there is such a bike. Couple from KTM. Just > rode with a guy who had a 690 Enduro. Only thing is they cost double a KLR > and won't carry / haul goods or a piliion way the KLR does. I lusted after > a Hodaka back in the day. DT's, CT's, AT's ruled the roost. For the life of > me can't understand why one company hasn't made a DRZ type 650? >

[wollybugger]

Don't overlook the Royal Enfield -- inexpensive, unique, and will function as a DP. Joe Grove Jonesboro, AR

[cycletip]

Will be interesting to hear reports on the "improved" Enfield. Must say the old school look has always held an appeal (says something about my age) but the older models weren't too reliable. That said, I've seen some side-hack video taken at Death Valley which blew me away. Guess there's a bunch of Enfield enthusiast who meet there every year. If I were there and saw a gaggle of Enfield's it would be fascinating to say the least. Oh, last I heard these weren't being sold in CA. Something about our POS government and not meeting CARB (CA Air Resource Board) specs. So, even it they were the best bike to be had we'd be SOL. Thanks for nothing CA! Another gov bureaucracy we can't afford!

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "wollybugger" wrote: > > Don't overlook the Royal Enfield -- inexpensive, unique, and will function as a DP. > > Joe Grove > Jonesboro, AR >