So I'll be breaking free of my 250 restriction soon and I've been thinking about my next bike. I'm going into University this year, so theres a bit of a limit as far as money's concerned. Originally I wanted a ZXR750 because it's Green, and it's got a good balance of usable power for a sportsbike, and the front end is a mechanical work of art, and it's not a Honda. But a few mates have been trying to convince me into getting one of them freaky Motard things. A few nighst ago I actually had a nightmare about the confused machines, and I woke up realizing that a Motard will do everything I want out of a sportsbike (Except going stupidly fast), for a lot cheaper.
So I've been looking around for good mud slingers to give a good dose of road refinement to. Obviously I'd prefer a Kawasaki because I don't want anyone to think I'm a wuss. The Kawa enduro series, the KLXs have caught my eye. I don't know a lot about dirt bikes, but my bro tells me these are a pretty good lot. The options would therefore be the 250, 400, 450 or the 650. I've been on 250s for two years now, so I'm sick of the highway power defecit, even though the light weight of the 250 is really appealing. The 400 and 450 are both pretty modern bikes that are a bit out of the price range, even though they're both sweet machines that would make beutiful motards. That leaves the old, heavy ones (kinda like Roger.) I'm seriously considering the 650s because the price is right, and 650 motards have the extra ponies that makes highways possible where low-geared, torque-tuned 450s and 250s can't hack it. The disadvantage is the bike is a lot heavier, obviously still rideable, but I'm worried that the extra kilos will eat into the fun factor on the bike which, as a motard, is all about light weight. I've also heard that these 650 mud slingers tend to be good for midrange, not so much low-down. Have I been misled?
Then theres the conversion to do. I'm going into an engineering course so I'd like to try and bulid it myself. I've got an article that I'm yet to read about the whle thing but as I understand it the basic mods are wheels, suspension, gearing and engine tuning. It's pretty straightforward except for the wheels. I've heard horror stories of road rims getting fitted, and then putting a decent rear hoop on only to discover that it wont fit in the confines of the dirtbike swingarm. What's usually done to overcome this?
I'm sure there's some of you out there into this freaky, confused form of motorcycling. I remember reading somthing Roger posted about playing with Motards, but I don't belive him because a man of his proportions can ride nothing smaller that a Prime mover.
So I've been looking around for good mud slingers to give a good dose of road refinement to. Obviously I'd prefer a Kawasaki because I don't want anyone to think I'm a wuss. The Kawa enduro series, the KLXs have caught my eye. I don't know a lot about dirt bikes, but my bro tells me these are a pretty good lot. The options would therefore be the 250, 400, 450 or the 650. I've been on 250s for two years now, so I'm sick of the highway power defecit, even though the light weight of the 250 is really appealing. The 400 and 450 are both pretty modern bikes that are a bit out of the price range, even though they're both sweet machines that would make beutiful motards. That leaves the old, heavy ones (kinda like Roger.) I'm seriously considering the 650s because the price is right, and 650 motards have the extra ponies that makes highways possible where low-geared, torque-tuned 450s and 250s can't hack it. The disadvantage is the bike is a lot heavier, obviously still rideable, but I'm worried that the extra kilos will eat into the fun factor on the bike which, as a motard, is all about light weight. I've also heard that these 650 mud slingers tend to be good for midrange, not so much low-down. Have I been misled?
Then theres the conversion to do. I'm going into an engineering course so I'd like to try and bulid it myself. I've got an article that I'm yet to read about the whle thing but as I understand it the basic mods are wheels, suspension, gearing and engine tuning. It's pretty straightforward except for the wheels. I've heard horror stories of road rims getting fitted, and then putting a decent rear hoop on only to discover that it wont fit in the confines of the dirtbike swingarm. What's usually done to overcome this?
I'm sure there's some of you out there into this freaky, confused form of motorcycling. I remember reading somthing Roger posted about playing with Motards, but I don't belive him because a man of his proportions can ride nothing smaller that a Prime mover.
