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"What Makes the Best Street Tard" SUPERTHREAD!!!

284K views 671 replies 315 participants last post by  maverick9611 
#1 ·
bdmmotard moderator edit, merge and pic:
You may have noticed, oh a couple "what makes the best street tard?" threads. soooooo, I decided to merge all the good street tard threads into one uber thread. Newbies, this thread's for you.

but to answer the question, the best street tard is a 98 wr400! (typed before blowing up said wr :D)

Original post(s):
I'm looking to purchase a street tard for a 5 mile commute to work each day and for having fun on the weekends. My commute includes a stretch of 50 mph+ twisties and surface roads with lots of frost heaves and potholes. I want something reasonably light and nimble as I'm used to riding a 240 pound 150cc Vespa but I'd also like the bike to be capable of handling short trips on the highway. I don't want a bike that requires weekly oil changes or a strict maintenance schedule.

Right now I'm looking at two street legal supermoto conversions that are for sale on ebay.

2001 Honda xr650r:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...ry=50012&item=4560374165&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

2001 KTM 520 MXC:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...ory=6711&item=4561184622&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I'm looking for advice on whether these will meet my needs, whether one is a better purchase than the other, or whether I'd be better off looking at something else entirely.

Thanks for your time and advice.

Josh
 
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#227 ·
There IS aftermarket support for the DR. It's just more limited than the Honda. But I'd suggest that it's up to the level of mods that makes financial sense to invest into the big DR.

I have to agree with the DRZ SM suggestion. IT's done and it's ready to play. Uncork it lightly for a few $ and call it a done deal. The liquid cooled engines generally run a higher compression ratio than the old air cooled mills. And torque can come from two things, displacement and compression ratio. Mod the DRZ lightly for a modest power boost and it would still be quite reliable if the work is done correctly and the right mods chosen. It still would not meet the Euro bikes but it'll put a big grin on your face for a street bike and the final price for a newer DRZSM that you don't need to do much to will come out far cheaper than a clean older bike that you dump a couple of grand into for wheels and brakes.

Seriously, sit down and do some searching on prices for the options. Used older bike plus wheels and brakes plus a repair budget (it's old after all) and a used but near new DRZSM. I think the decision will be clear then.
 
#231 ·
Where are you located Mattydiah?
I feel I have to stand up for the DRs. I'd allow a testride with maybe a "you wreck it, you pay for it" clause.
My bike is pretty basic. I haven't had the money to do the suspension yet.
 
#232 ·
Ok, I have thought it over, and I am going to give the DRZ another chance. An XLR would probably be prohibitively expensive to modify, and I test drove one yesterday, and wasnt all that impressed with the power.

If i get a DRZ, I will have to do some power mods though :D
 
#233 ·
bdmmotard said:
klr650's are excellent mileage munchers, and would make a very fun super-touring-moto. often called the "poor man's gs", but in alot of ways it's a better call. for real miles, that's the only one i'd consider. dr650's are also very good mile munchers.
KLR Motarded....they sure handle better in this configuration..

http://motard.concode.com/images/motard/kawasaki/daklx1.jpg
 
#234 ·
Firebolter said:
What makes you think the Jap bikes are more reliable than the KTM's or Husky's? Cause their not.............QUOTE]

put down the crack pipe. euro bikes better performance out of the box? yep. a husky just as reliable as a drz? no f'n way. i've had enough street tards, done enough miles, and read enough posts to know there's no way that is true. i'm pretty good at blowing up motards, and the drz is pretty damm tough.
 
#237 ·
What SuperMoto for New Rider?

Hello all,
I am brand new to the motorcycle world. Wanting a motorcycle to save money on gas and have something that is a blast to ride but also a good commuter. I am not into cruiser type bikes, and hate seeing everybody and their brother with their jap rockets. I really like the supermotos! Just wondering which is going to be the best for me. I am really leaning twards the DRZ SM but just wondering if there is something better for me out there that I am over looking. My budget would be not much more then 6k. Thanks for the help.
Davis in Iraq:arsenal
 
#239 ·
diabloblanco said:
You know, looking back I think I should have bought a used DRZSM or the husky 610. Look in the forsale section people buy these damn things and put a 100 miles on it and then sell it will all goodies and pretty low prices.
Agree. In your price range, that would be an excellent choice. They're pretty much bullet-proof too.
 
#241 ·
Spoke to Experienced rider on chosing a Supermoto

Like many newbies to SM, I pull what little hair I have left on my head trying to decide from the limited choice I have for a good supermoto, so I decided to talk with a guy who has raced everything, and is literally amazing on a sportbike, esp. for being 43 years old, he could have raced professionally a long time ago, but sometimes it's not always in the cards. He does not ride supermoto, but has ridden all the bikes used for SM. He rode KTM, DRZ400, YZF, CRF. So, when I spoke with him, he basically said Supermoto is unique in that you do not have to be traveling at mach2 to have fun on a bike, he mentioned the only time a sportbike is fun is when you are going all out, the other 99% of real world riding a basic supermoto bike would be much more fun. He rides to race and win, that's it! He said he rode several SM bikes and said they are all fun, because the fun is had at 5 mph or 80 mph because it can do just about everything, bumps on the road are no longer avoided they are sought, staightaways are boring on anything once you get use dto traveling 140mph all the time, the real fun is the corners, again he said any SM can rip there. He told me, the KTM would definetly be more potent than the DRZ, but being faster on the straight is not the purpose of these bikes, if you plan on racing, then yes consider the KTM, but if you are going to race he said, get a MX bike YZF/CRF450 and convert it, add a little to it, and you'll need a KTM 525 to run with them, MX bikes are lighter than an EXC, if you race you don't want a bike with lights, blinkers, you want a screamer that is light as possible.
So, I asked what should I get if I want a mostly bike for the street, little highway use, nothing more than 70mph, and maybe give the track a try once in a while. He said you'd be dumb not to get the DRZ400, it's reliable, fun, can be piped/jetted for a little more punch, and is fast as anything around sweepers, the only short-coming is the big "hit", but as he said unless your objective is racing, get the DRZ. His last words to me was, kids today think riding a bike is all about top speed, and they are missing the fun of motorcycling, bike control, he sadi a 10 year old could go 130 mph on a bike if he could reach the gears. Get the DRZ you'll have more fun, and once you learn true bike control, abd maybe decide to race, look to convert a CRF or YZF, KTM is good too, but more money, and if it's not the MX version, you will be hauling more weight, which means slower. I think he gave some good advice for new riders and non- racers, any second opinions on going DRZ over KTM, if so please share?
 
#242 ·
There was much wisdom in the words imparted to you that you so kindly shared with us :D

If you are mainly road-going and only occassionally dabble on track, then drz is right for the budget minded. However, if you are wanting a sample of sm, but are pretty well intent on getting full-blown and only want to pay up once...then get the ktm smc.

The drz can be made to run quite well and is much more fun then any sportbike will ever be under 100 mph. However, the components and build of the ktm is what sets it apart. It is one of those derestrict and go bikes versus a bike that requires some moderate changes.

I think it will come down to cost of ownership...price of admission and upkeep. Obviously one is more technically superior, but for me I'd rather ride something today that I can afford versus having nothing and just dreaming about what I can't. So my advice to you is go out and determine which you like and if you can afford it...if so then get it.

This sport is about riding and having fun...not bench racing. Although bench can be fun in its own right, but that requires sitting still and overall that sucks.
 
#244 ·
I agree with your buddy 110%...my biggest reason for buying my 06 (picking it up this weekend) is the fact that I feel my R6 is a waste on the roads for how I like to ride it. I race as well...I'm still new to sportbikes and motorcycles in general however...I've noticed that as my lap times have dropped...the street gets more and more boring.

The words he stated about it being about control rather than speed are so accurate and true it's not even funny...I'm learning that the difference between the guys who win and the mid-pack guys is the fact that the guys up front "understand" how to ride...meanwhile the mid-pack guys are so focused on "being" fast that they miss out on the fine details it takes to get to the top step. Now...like I said I'm new but my approach is to understand and learn...slow at first equates to fast later!!!

Best of luck with the DR-Z...I have yet to hear anything bad about it!
 
#246 ·
I think I told you this once before but I own both.


I could have saved a lot of money had I just went with the KTM right off the bat. The DRZ is a great little bike, yeah little bike. Its slow, its heavy, it needs more HP and another gear. I ride on the street, do some trackdays and basically hooligan it up every chance I get. The DRZ is like riding a CR125 compared to riding a CR500. I could talk until I'm blue in the face, probably won't make any difference. But if you like riding the streets carving the corners and lifting the front wheel on every exit you'll want the hit of the real SM bikes...
 
#247 ·
I test rode the DRZ and liked it a lot. But it wasn't really that much better than my older DR350. Better for sure but not enough better to justify the cost of the upgrade. But 10 minutes after twisting the throttle on a Husky I knew I HAD to have one....

Sometimes it's not all about logic. Your friend is right on every count but the Husky makes me grin when it wants to constantly paw at the sky.
 
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