After riding for nearly 60 years, I decided to ride a 2023 KTM 350 EXC-F for local technical off-road, and a 2017 KTM 1090R for longer distance fast pavement rides and easier off-road adventures. Having two bikes is the only option for me. I love motorcycles, and the 350/1090 mentioned above give me the best of both worlds. Great video, thank you for sharing your experience.
Yes, those are very very sweet bikes man. The KTM 350 was always my dream bike for the longest time. Unfortunately KTM it's quite expensive these days and not to mention that they are having some very very difficult times right now with their stock. Very, very low and not that many sales happening. Also, even though they are reliable these days, they don't compare to the Hondas and Yamahas yet
Vegas, I wish you the best, I have been following for long, I value quality of the content you produce and your honesty. It's always good to see your videos.
I need a lot more people like you man , about 59900 as of right now , but you are unique and i appreciate your comment and the fact that you are still subscribed
A AJP PR 7 is the closest bike I know to the perfect dual sport. Fully legal Euro 5, so it can be plated and insured in Europe, also cross legally any border. Able to make 1200 km in the day on a European highway easily, and also able to cross the Mauritanian desert dunes without any problem. A French guy has made a little travel of 40000 km in Asia crossing deserts, his bike has now 60000 km. Plenty have made long travels on road and off road with the AJP. 150 kg dry, 17 liters central gas tank, almost 12 inches suspensions, the best seat I've tried on a bike. 48 hp Euro 5, a little work and you get the original 64 hp. Easy engine, imperial handling.
Okay, I just did look it up and it's available in USA as a pre-order so it's hard to find a dealer that deals them. But man that bike looks good. It's a little bit pricey. So you're looking about $15,000 out the door here United States, but that's a nice bike
@@VegasRoManiac Yes the bike is pricey around 12000€, about the same as the 690 KTM, in France. But very important point, a part the luggage, there is nothing to do. The suspensions are first rate and tunable, the geometry excellent , the seat fabulous, it has a tower with a 7" tablet, the air filter can be cleaned in minutes (important in desert), no problem with the cooling even going fast on a Moroccan fast trail by 40C 100F. The engine is pretty elastic and reliable. It's the well known good old Husqvarna 630 with a good injection (Athena ECU) and a few tweaks by SWM. Not all is perfect, you need some experience of offroad to ride it as it must be ridden. It's not for small people as the seat is pretty high, unless being experiencied with enduro bikes. The engine's grunt may surprise some. If you're short and/or beginner a 450 MT will be a better choice.
Damn that sucks about your old channel! But you're right, you don't need the vids, you have the memories. And I have the memories of your old vids. LOL 🤘
Ordered my new xpro 250 dualsport. Chinese.weighs 180lbs.1500 dollars.will be a perfect small trail bike for lake havasu Arizona. Thanks for taking me along for your ride.i enjoyed all of it.
The DRZ400 is capable of doing both street and off road quite well...a little heavy but the suspension is much better than the Honda CRF300 and the Kawasaki 300 plus the DRZ has more horsepower and torque. I bought a DRZ400SM and installed a set of 18/21 wheels...that gave me a lower seat height than the S model and better forks than the S model.
I agree that DRC is a really good bike and not to mention that the latest update in 2025 has some really really good perks on it, but it's a little bit expensive and if it's too close to the CRF 450l then I'm a little bit worried which one is better
@VegasRoManiac the honda 450 will have better everything and the msrp is $10,100...the 2024 DRZ $7,199. The honda requires 91 pon octane where the drz is 87. The honda is about 40 pounds lighter.
@@VegasRoManiac You said the new 2025 DRZ4S replacing the DRZ400 is a little expensive. Suzuki has not released any pricing yet for the DRZ4S, what did you hear?
I also rode the 250L for a year with very little offroad experience. Got tired of the lack of power after a year and bought myself the DRZ 400S which Ive had for a year now. It is an amazing bike which im very satisfied with. Got it for 3000 euros ish, 15000km's and 22 years old still holding strong & looking fresh. Dont forget the cost aspect of the bikes and what you can do in terms of mods and still be way off the cost of a new ktm 500 or AJP. Good videos, keep them coming!
I know I'm going to hear the raw Truth when I click on your channel. Started @ 14 ,now 71yr.old wr 250 on single track, Triumph 900 street scrambler for street/ fire roads
Yes, I see that most people that write me comments are happier with two bikes and that was maybe my biggest problem because it was always so hard to pick which one I'm going to take out because I had them too close like I had a 250 and a 450 so both mostly did the same thing in different ways. But you're right, you might be on the right track. Just get a very very small one and light one for crazy stuff and then a bigger one. So the decision which one to take out of the garage is not going to be as hard
Thanks man , problem is till i get to 1000 subs i cant get any shared revenue , sad RUclips makes all the money , but glad to see you again on my comments, always appreciated your imput
After years of this b.s., I finally got a pickup truck. Next, a non-street legal dirt bike. And I’ll keep the drz for now. Now, if only I could sell that Sportster.
You’re 100% correct. I’ve had to compromise. My YZ250FX is my dual sport only if the ride is less than 120 miles and no more than 65 mph on the road. Anything above 120 miles, it then turns into a light adventure using my Honda 300L Rally and less technical trails due to the 320 lbs weight. I wish the 300L would have 35 HP. It would be almost perfect.
I have built up my crf300l with suspension, tune, air box mods, gearing, protection. That little sucker will do 90moh flat out and now is way better off road. I ride it almost every day as a commuter as well.
@@csiautodetail It is the standard engine, with a modified stock exhaust, air filter, airbox lid an 550 91 tune. I also *reduced* the front gearing to a 13 tooth and that's the key. 6th gear is useless on the stock motor. Dropping the gearing allows 6th to pull as a gear and oddly enough, gain top speed. You are totally right it will barely do 75 on stock gearing. It does need a full tuck and a good long stretch but it will creep up to it. I have corrected the speedo with a 12 o clock labs speedo corrector.
@@VegasRoManiacReviews Yeah, the factory speedo is off a good bit. I made the correction 12 o clock labs recommended. One of the cool things about the corrector is top speed recall. It's at the aerodynamic wall definitely, as I also wrung it out down a long 12% hill flat like this and it would not go much faster. ....my other bike is a ZX14R so, this little thing ain't warping space and time for me. 😆
AJP PR7 - at least it’s my unicorn right out of the box with NOTHING else to spend 😊 60 HP; old school reliable 610 thumper ex Husky and BMW still made in the Italian factory - with balance shaft for smooth hwy miles in SIXTH gear; lower maintenance intervals compared to many and dead easy to work on as no electronics other than EFI which is set and forget; gear ratio works for me and there’s tonnes of low down torque; 17L tank under the seat for lower gravity; best seat ever (!); tower with good wind resistance; first rate SACHS suspension; Brembo brakes; Domino grips..
Three bikes work for me. I used to ride XR650R, CR250R, XR200R, now I'm older and slower and ride XR400R, CRF250X AND KLX140 with 21" & 18" wheels. Only the big bikes have been street legal, and the small and medium are off-road/trail only. This way I don't get bored riding the same bike every week and I have a spare bike for my son or a friend. I used to have street bikes, but they were too boring and I don't like speed limits when I ride!
Interesting. I never had three bikes in my garage. I only had two and even then it was a hard decision which one I'm going to take out even though they were very different. But you're right, if you have the money in the room, three bikes is nice
I think it's going to be amazing. It depends very much of what kind of expectations you have from it, but it depends very much of your riding and this is going to be the most happy time of your life
Xr650r..keeper...emduro wheels during winter,supermoto during summer ...140kg with full tank(10l),61hp,60 Nm torque..:),160-170km/h...kick start only,no batteries...best bike ever,never gonna sell it...I'm 51 now,but with those supermoto wheels,I feel 21..:)...safe ride to all you guys...
Thank you for sharing your story and experience. Couldn’t agree with you anymore. I recently decided to go with a mid adventure bike and keep my trials bike for the deep woods😉
Yeah, I've never owned a proper adventure bike to be very honest with you except the KLR 650 which I always hated because it was so heavy. But you're right, that would be the magical bullet
Excellent overview of dual sport. Sorry that you lost your footage. For $20 a year or about that amount, you could have a Google account and simply save your footage to the Google cloud. In that way, even if a hacker gets to your data, you'll still have a secure backup in a secondary location
Don't give up! it's not passive income as before, but maybe it's a opportunity to find joy riding dirt bikes again, the liability is there, but on my group we have people in their 20's and some 50+... it's all about respecting not only your limits as a rider, but the limits on your body... good luck Chris!
@ my bike charging system was built for lead acid, and the maximum cca was found at 130cca, I want to go for lithium battery but no one recommended, this problem seem to be known worldwide, I think that's a very interesting topic for your next video.
Always enjoyed your channel, subscribed. If you get a chance give the 450L a try. By the time you add a seat, 20L tank, wrap arounds, better skid plate etc you're at 152kg wet or 335lbs. Best dual sport I've tried but pricey with all the add-ons required.
Coming from dual sports and dirt bikes, then trying an ADV bike. In the first 10 mins offroad, I realized I was wrong all along. ITS GREAT. They're actually awesome offroad. Can't blast whoops or hop big logs, other than that, ITS FINE. Don't get the weight in your head.
If KTM would just properly balance the engine on the EXC500F, give it more oil capacity, and install a cushion drive hub, a bigger fuel tank, and a Seat Concepts Comfort seat, they would have it.
True but the starting price is already too high .. at that price .. you have so many other options that are half prices and almost as good ... Because the problem is that if you offer somebody $7,000 discount for an extra 30 lb, they will take it
I wouldn't want to recommend the things that I haven't experienced so also that depends very much on what kind of a budget do you have because if money would not be a problem, we kind of like all know what people would pick as far as the best dirt bike or dual sport. But when you start to add the money factor in it then everything changes. But somebody wrote me about ajp r7 and I've never heard about this brand till I googled it man. That thing is looks good
@VegasRoManiac I just sold a 2007 & a 2020 WR250F.... One was mine and the other was for my son to ride, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of getting them street legal in order to ride the California BDR. So I'll keep the search for the right bikes going.
I'm sorry for your loss of content and channel hijack, I'm sure you've learned your lesson and that you will continue on new adventures and with better security. You are young and strong and you have a long journey ahead. I'm sort of where you are but I use a Kawasaki KLX230, a slightly smaller bike than the CRF but nontheless capable. I have several bikes but the KLX is my adventure bike. Like you I've been looking for 'the perfect allround bike' that can take me to my work, on longer trips, offroad adventures, etc. And it can, only not very well in every case. And also like you I was thinking about modifying my KLX with larger tank, other suspension, only if I did it wouldn't be that bike anymore. It would become a freak that would only be worse in just about everything. So you need more bikes, you need an offroad like your Yamaha to practice dirt track and smaller jumps and enduro, AND you need a heavier cruiser on which you also can give your girl a ride. Then .. but this is for you pleasure only, something with an awesome motor and sound that will rip on any surface. For that I use my Caballero 500 rally. It is a 450cc smaller monster with custom pipes and only one cylinder. I'm sure you have similar bikes where you live, so go try other bikes. Experiment and discover more motorcycles. It is what life is about.
The KLX 230 I never owned but I did have about 16 bikes in my life, not all of them I've enjoyed. I think maybe the worst was a dr200 that was really old and I thought they're like something magical about these bikes because the older folk always loved them but I couldn't handle the poor suspension and everything else on it was just terrible. Probably my favorite bike I ever had was my YZ250fx. It was just perfect but the riding days are all behind me and I sold it
I am taking the CRF out the backroads around my area today. It winter and cold but, I got good gear and heated everything, it ain't raining so, I'll run. 😀
I had a lot of fun men on that CRF but the problem is that the CRF always brings the worst out of me when I'm on the road and I'm afraid somebody's going to hit me. So I think I'm going to prefer to drive when I'm a lot more calm and then just carry the bike in the back of my car
@@VegasRoManiac I get that. I have towed the CRF and the ZX to places where I can ride. I have a significant auto-immune disorder so, I need to manage efforts and energy so, sometimes the ride out can take too much out of me. The little CRF gets me back to places I didn't think I'd be able to get to any more, physically. I have a little railside trailer I tow behind my 2014 Mustang GT.
IMHO you should build a bike for the rides you take. I have a dual sport for riding in sand, mud, often alone. Bought an adv for riding further on easier terrain (gravel) with friends, riding buddies, who can help picking the bike up :)
I completely agree. My biggest conundrum was when I was leaving the garage when I had a dual sport and a dirt bike because with my friends you never know where you going to end up. So even though we started on the street, all of a sudden one of the guys wanted to go off-roading + now the entire group felt like they were on the wrong bike. So there is a decision to make when you leave the garage and you have multiple bikes and I don't necessarily can say I liked it
i wonder if the compromises of the ktm/husqvarna/gasgas 690/701/700 will be more suited to your needs. assuming you're willing/able to pay much more for it.
Off road I wish my bike was lighter, on road I wish it was heavier. So I figure it's probably a fair compromise. The tires I put on are a compromise, I changed the sprockets to more of a compromise. Anyone seeing a pattern here?I bought a dual sport because I want exactly what the name says. A dual sport!
The two-stroke has a couple of major problems including the fuel consumption which is quite elevated because it's just a stroke and the fact that you always have to carry oil with you when you refill at a gas station and doing the math is quite complicated now. Of course you could go to the new model that has the separate oil tank for everything, but in the same time it's hard to make them street legal so it's quite complicated
@VegasRoManiac How did you find the engine parts life between 2 stroke and 4 stroke, like bearings, pistons, reeds/valves? I thought i remember you having a ktm 300 a while back. It is a shame what happened to your old channel, what kinda a hole would do such a thing?! I think a dual sported 250/300 2 stroke would be sweet if the engine life is acceptable. With a small windscreen, big fueltank, and cushdrive hub would be alot nicer on road. That kove 450 looks like a cool bike, the Everide channel had a great comparison video of it vs a $20,000 something Ktm rally bike, both ridden by a pro racer. Biggest downside is made in china and the associated anxiety/uncertainty of parts and aftermarket support.
@VegasRoManiac What is your opinion of the ktm 690 enduro if you have ridden one? Looks like an awesome all round bike, except the price 😯. one of my favorite vids of yours was years back, talking about how people live beyond their means, and you showed your cheap car, dirtbike, and trailer or camper trailer. It def made an impression, and i think you talked about buying a duplex so you can get some income and pay off mortgage early. Love the idea of that, wish i had been in a better position before housing market went insane. I do have some investments and still fairly young. Im sure others as well as me would enjoy any videos you made on finances.
Bummer about your channel. You covered this topic well, no one bike is great at everything. My Street legal WR 450 and my XR650R were about as good as it gets for dual sporting, but they are still a compromise.
2012-16 ktm 500exc. It does it all perfectly. So much smoother than the 2017+ 500`s (I know. I have one as well.) 10 lbs heavier than the newer ones; but very welcome when blowing past everything on the road... Especially big fat "Adventure" bikes. Why did KTM "improve" the greatest machine of any kind ever made? Very sad. (EE soft seat works EVERYWHERE plus HAAN cush-drive hub (for asphalt/dirt), JD jetting piggyback, FMF snap intake insert, FMF 4.1 RCT w/quiet core spark arrestor, ODI Rogue lock on grips with cam dremelled in throttle tamer stage 1 style, Baja Designs Squadron Pro, 13/49 Dirt Tricks, D-Tricks counter shaft washer then get ready to have your mind BLOWN every ride and wish you could keep going through the evening until the sun comes up but ya gotta eat sometime!) BRING BACK THE 1st Gen 500 PLEASE! Now you all know the SECRET RECIPE that has been hiding in plain sight. ENJOY MOTO BROTHERS AND SISTERS. REJOICE!!! I have seen the promised land! -Terry Slade- aka "The Central Scrutinizer" Many thanks to Chance Clements at Bullet Proof Designs who started it all way back when...
This vkdeo hihjlihhts yhe drz400 dr350 longevity ...keep it simple also wot other reliable engine do we have like the cb500 , kwak twin 300-400 and wot frames can they be used
Dude a 200 lb bike on the road would be a nightmare. It would be getting blown all over the road. Not a good idea. Also service intervals are a big concern. How often do you need to check your valves on the wr450 ???
Actually, a 200 lb bike on the road would not be a problem. If the ergonomics are good, you're going to be blown all over the place regardless if you have 200 or $350, but the valve part I've covered on the WR and you're right around 10,000, mi. The load tolerance on the motor is starting to feel it. Compression goes out and then you start to have big problems
It IS possible: (1) In 1992 it was, why not today ? In 1992 I bought a new DR350. After a few mods it was weighting 270lbs/120kg. 2 Liter engine Oil, so long maintenance intervalls. I did once 1300km in one day Warsaw-France riding 75mph/120km/h on the motorway thanks to the nice 6-Speed gear. Seat was comfortable enough. I had a long range tank with lower shrouds taht kept the weight down. It had low vibrations and a cushioned rear wheel hub. Yes, earplugs, any biker would use earplug on long streches, except if you have a very well isolated road helmet. Wind on the chest, yes, no windscreen, but clean, non-turbulent air, so not shaky. Using Rally-Type Tyres is a good compromise until 75mph/120kmh, unless you need to ride a lot of mud or want to achieve best times at offroad competitions. It was also quite silen. Very agile and capable offroad. (2) I now have a Husqvarna 701 (which is a KTM 690 with a more confortable seat), I modified it to be as light as it gets. It ticks also all the boxes as the DR350 did, except it is still heavier, so I won't do the most gnarly stuff (the one yone spends lots of time pushing bikes), although it gets easily over quite tough terrain, and it is very good on the road until 75mph/120 kmh. Has cushioned rear wheel hub. One does need to balance the wheels to get a smooth road ride. (3) Modern KTM 500 has too much vibe for a dual-sport, but for example the 2012-2016 models did not, and my 2012 KTM 500 was my dual sport, very easy maintenance on that bike.
@@VegasRoManiac Yep. The 350 had a hybrid air/oil cooling with oil circulating through the frame. It was so light because the first years was kick-starter only, so one could remove the battery completely (and put a tiny resistor)+ the usual stuff, like passenger pegs, heavy mirrors, heavy steel handlebars, and also the far rear loop made on steel could be entirely removed, with the licence plate screwed on the plastics that were pointing sufficiently down.
I think if I have to look back buying a dual sport was a better idea than actually building one. Everything else that you said as far as buying gas in a map and tires, it's really what I should have done
He also KTM was always a bike that I always looked at, especially the 350. The problem is that it's a little bit expensive and when you could buy so many other bikes with a lot less money. Basically the Honda and the Kawasaki KLX are more than half of what the KTM 350 costs is quite hard to go that way if you're not willing to spend that much money
@ozadv in race conditions. Many riders rode and performed maintenance interval based on their riding and conditions. They're lots of rider who sent their engine oil for analysis and they changed their oil too early for their riding condition. I neglected my 350 but is still fine, so 🤷.
@VegasRoManiac I was in the same predicament but learned real quick with "weight, price, performance, pick 2." That's why is hard to go back to a Japanese dual sport bike. My bike checked all the boxes I need it to do w/o issue.
The CRF is very tempting because of the price and because it looks good and because there's certain places in the world where the other bikes are not available. For example, the Kawasaki was not available in Europe and I was riding the CRF and the DRZ was hard to find and also a lot more expensive so there are circumstances
After riding for nearly 60 years, I decided to ride a 2023 KTM 350 EXC-F for local technical off-road, and a 2017 KTM 1090R for longer distance fast pavement rides and easier off-road adventures. Having two bikes is the only option for me. I love motorcycles, and the 350/1090 mentioned above give me the best of both worlds. Great video, thank you for sharing your experience.
Yes, those are very very sweet bikes man. The KTM 350 was always my dream bike for the longest time. Unfortunately KTM it's quite expensive these days and not to mention that they are having some very very difficult times right now with their stock. Very, very low and not that many sales happening. Also, even though they are reliable these days, they don't compare to the Hondas and Yamahas yet
Great video, you really summed up the challenges a lot of us face. My Kove 450 Rally is the closest to the unicorn I have found
I'm glad I was able to entertain , thanks for watching
Vegas, I wish you the best, I have been following for long, I value quality of the content you produce and your honesty. It's always good to see your videos.
I need a lot more people like you man , about 59900 as of right now , but you are unique and i appreciate your comment and the fact that you are still subscribed
I've had 'em all: XRs, WRs, EXCs. And now I have 2 bikes: Husky 701 & KTM 300 EXC TPI. There's no way for having one and only bike. that's true.
Yeah I had top find this the hard way , but my quest was super fun, I see you had a similar quest
A AJP PR 7 is the closest bike I know to the perfect dual sport. Fully legal Euro 5, so it can be plated and insured in Europe, also cross legally any border. Able to make 1200 km in the day on a European highway easily, and also able to cross the Mauritanian desert dunes without any problem.
A French guy has made a little travel of 40000 km in Asia crossing deserts, his bike has now 60000 km. Plenty have made long travels on road and off road with the AJP.
150 kg dry, 17 liters central gas tank, almost 12 inches suspensions, the best seat I've tried on a bike. 48 hp Euro 5, a little work and you get the original 64 hp. Easy engine, imperial handling.
I don't think that motorcycle is available in where I live but I got to look it up so I'm going to Google it like right now. Thanks for the comment
Okay, I just did look it up and it's available in USA as a pre-order so it's hard to find a dealer that deals them. But man that bike looks good. It's a little bit pricey. So you're looking about $15,000 out the door here United States, but that's a nice bike
@@VegasRoManiac Yes the bike is pricey around 12000€, about the same as the 690 KTM, in France.
But very important point, a part the luggage, there is nothing to do. The suspensions are first rate and tunable, the geometry excellent , the seat fabulous, it has a tower with a 7" tablet, the air filter can be cleaned in minutes (important in desert), no problem with the cooling even going fast on a Moroccan fast trail by 40C 100F. The engine is pretty elastic and reliable. It's the well known good old Husqvarna 630 with a good injection (Athena ECU) and a few tweaks by SWM.
Not all is perfect, you need some experience of offroad to ride it as it must be ridden. It's not for small people as the seat is pretty high, unless being experiencied with enduro bikes. The engine's grunt may surprise some.
If you're short and/or beginner a 450 MT will be a better choice.
....And will probably end up going to the coffee shop and some regular trails after your impassioned speech😀
Damn that sucks about your old channel! But you're right, you don't need the vids, you have the memories. And I have the memories of your old vids. LOL 🤘
Oh man. I was so depressed for about 1 month , now I feel better about it and trying to get back on the horse
@@VegasRoManiac I kinda know the feeling.. I lost a full 4TB HDD w/ lots and lots of old pics and vids. It definitely sucks!
Ordered my new xpro 250 dualsport. Chinese.weighs 180lbs.1500 dollars.will be a perfect small trail bike for lake havasu Arizona. Thanks for taking me along for your ride.i enjoyed all of it.
at that price that bike is super tempting, what did you end up paying out the door out of pocket when all the dust settles !?
Excellent Vid. Bro. Peace
I super appriceate it
A seriously well balanced video that had me hooked right to the end. Thanks from NZ Vegas.
Man , nz as in new Zeeland ? The only place I still have in my list to visit 😁, the rest of places in this world doesn't interest me anymore
@VegasRoManiac Keep in touch I'm well connected all the remote riding in the world here in New Zealand 👍
The DRZ400 is capable of doing both street and off road quite well...a little heavy but the suspension is much better than the Honda CRF300 and the Kawasaki 300 plus the DRZ has more horsepower and torque. I bought a DRZ400SM and installed a set of 18/21 wheels...that gave me a lower seat height than the S model and better forks than the S model.
I agree that DRC is a really good bike and not to mention that the latest update in 2025 has some really really good perks on it, but it's a little bit expensive and if it's too close to the CRF 450l then I'm a little bit worried which one is better
@VegasRoManiac the honda 450 will have better everything and the msrp is $10,100...the 2024 DRZ $7,199. The honda requires 91 pon octane where the drz is 87. The honda is about 40 pounds lighter.
@@VegasRoManiac You said the new 2025 DRZ4S replacing the DRZ400 is a little expensive. Suzuki has not released any pricing yet for the DRZ4S, what did you hear?
@@terrareconI think it's going to be 7999 plus tax
Hey thanks for the wisdom. It's good to hear from you again. BTW I still have years of your videos in my memory.
Glad to see you that you found me again, yes, I'll try to share some of my thoughts on these things on this new channel that is rising from the ashes
I also rode the 250L for a year with very little offroad experience. Got tired of the lack of power after a year and bought myself the DRZ 400S which Ive had for a year now. It is an amazing bike which im very satisfied with. Got it for 3000 euros ish, 15000km's and 22 years old still holding strong & looking fresh.
Dont forget the cost aspect of the bikes and what you can do in terms of mods and still be way off the cost of a new ktm 500 or AJP.
Good videos, keep them coming!
You didn't go the wrong way that's for sure
After decades of riding I have found the best ALL AROUND bike for me is the DRZ 400
and they are coming with a even better one , drz4s
I know I'm going to hear the raw Truth when I click on your channel. Started @ 14 ,now 71yr.old wr 250 on single track, Triumph 900 street scrambler for street/ fire roads
Yes, I see that most people that write me comments are happier with two bikes and that was maybe my biggest problem because it was always so hard to pick which one I'm going to take out because I had them too close like I had a 250 and a 450 so both mostly did the same thing in different ways. But you're right, you might be on the right track. Just get a very very small one and light one for crazy stuff and then a bigger one. So the decision which one to take out of the garage is not going to be as hard
One positive thing, Vegas, there are ads popping up on your videos. I don't think many people got more out of a CRF250 L ,than you did.
Thanks man , problem is till i get to 1000 subs i cant get any shared revenue , sad RUclips makes all the money , but glad to see you again on my comments, always appreciated your imput
A perfect dual sport is the one we most often ride compared to a project bike sitting in one's garage.✌️
@@wilson5377 true ..
After years of this b.s., I finally got a pickup truck. Next, a non-street legal dirt bike. And I’ll keep the drz for now. Now, if only I could sell that Sportster.
Ohh I see , I'm not the only one that feels this way
You’re 100% correct. I’ve had to compromise. My YZ250FX is my dual sport only if the ride is less than 120 miles and no more than 65 mph on the road. Anything above 120 miles, it then turns into a light adventure using my Honda 300L Rally and less technical trails due to the 320 lbs weight. I wish the 300L would have 35 HP. It would be almost perfect.
I'm glad you agree
I have built up my crf300l with suspension, tune, air box mods, gearing, protection. That little sucker will do 90moh flat out and now is way better off road. I ride it almost every day as a commuter as well.
I'm impressed .. 90 mph on GPS or dash, my Honda was doing 80 on the dash .. but it was a big lie .. barely hitting 70
You have the fattest 300 CRF of the world...80 a good day would be already excellent for the 25 hp of the engine.
what engine did you swap the 300 with? my 300l with all the mods barely hits a real 75mph.
@@csiautodetail It is the standard engine, with a modified stock exhaust, air filter, airbox lid an 550 91 tune. I also *reduced* the front gearing to a 13 tooth and that's the key. 6th gear is useless on the stock motor. Dropping the gearing allows 6th to pull as a gear and oddly enough, gain top speed. You are totally right it will barely do 75 on stock gearing. It does need a full tuck and a good long stretch but it will creep up to it. I have corrected the speedo with a 12 o clock labs speedo corrector.
@@VegasRoManiacReviews Yeah, the factory speedo is off a good bit. I made the correction 12 o clock labs recommended. One of the cool things about the corrector is top speed recall. It's at the aerodynamic wall definitely, as I also wrung it out down a long 12% hill flat like this and it would not go much faster. ....my other bike is a ZX14R so, this little thing ain't warping space and time for me. 😆
AJP PR7 - at least it’s my unicorn right out of the box with NOTHING else to spend 😊
60 HP; old school reliable 610 thumper ex Husky and BMW still made in the Italian factory - with balance shaft for smooth hwy miles in SIXTH gear; lower maintenance intervals compared to many and dead easy to work on as no electronics other than EFI which is set and forget; gear ratio works for me and there’s tonnes of low down torque; 17L tank under the seat for lower gravity; best seat ever (!); tower with good wind resistance; first rate SACHS suspension; Brembo brakes; Domino grips..
You are the second guy that mentions that bike
@@VegasRoManiac the downside - well, it's not necessarily cheap.. ;)
Three bikes work for me. I used to ride XR650R, CR250R, XR200R, now I'm older and slower and ride XR400R, CRF250X AND KLX140 with 21" & 18" wheels. Only the big bikes have been street legal, and the small and medium are off-road/trail only. This way I don't get bored riding the same bike every week and I have a spare bike for my son or a friend. I used to have street bikes, but they were too boring and I don't like speed limits when I ride!
Interesting. I never had three bikes in my garage. I only had two and even then it was a hard decision which one I'm going to take out even though they were very different. But you're right, if you have the money in the room, three bikes is nice
Great video ! sorry to hear about your being hacked . KDX + CRF 250 L currently
Thanks man, the past is the past, the future is what it all matters, thanks for subscribing
I bought a dr650se and I see it as an ideal dual-sport motorcycle
I think it's going to be amazing. It depends very much of what kind of expectations you have from it, but it depends very much of your riding and this is going to be the most happy time of your life
Xr650r..keeper...emduro wheels during winter,supermoto during summer ...140kg with full tank(10l),61hp,60 Nm torque..:),160-170km/h...kick start only,no batteries...best bike ever,never gonna sell it...I'm 51 now,but with those supermoto wheels,I feel 21..:)...safe ride to all you guys...
that bike was awesome , but the kick-start its a bummer , scary when it blows back, I'm glad you made it work for you ...
well tuned,easy-peasy👌
...I also strapped a 1.5 gallon Rotopax on a hard point on the rear rack.....
I was not as smart I carried a bottle of coke , 2l , in the backpack
Thank you for sharing your story and experience. Couldn’t agree with you anymore. I recently decided to go with a mid adventure bike and keep my trials bike for the deep woods😉
Yeah, I've never owned a proper adventure bike to be very honest with you except the KLR 650 which I always hated because it was so heavy. But you're right, that would be the magical bullet
I gave up on finding the perfect bike. I now have a plated xr650r for dual sport and a yz250f for enduro. It's the closest I've been to happy.
Yes, it seems that most of the people that have two bikes are the happiest and maybe that is the secret sauce. Thanks for the comment
Excellent overview of dual sport. Sorry that you lost your footage. For $20 a year or about that amount, you could have a Google account and simply save your footage to the Google cloud. In that way, even if a hacker gets to your data, you'll still have a secure backup in a secondary location
They hacked my Gmail account erased my Google drive also and stolen all my tax information , I'm worried about the future
Clouds blow away derrr
Don't give up! it's not passive income as before, but maybe it's a opportunity to find joy riding dirt bikes again, the liability is there, but on my group we have people in their 20's and some 50+... it's all about respecting not only your limits as a rider, but the limits on your body... good luck Chris!
That's very true. I have to put that thing behind me because I can't get back to it and I cannot let it run my life
I'm having both crf250l and wr450f,
even my wr e-start can't start the bike, but i enjoy it so much more than the crf.
Now you made me curious what it can't start the bike, did you try with car battery , maybe you need more amps
@
my bike charging system was built for lead acid, and the maximum cca was found at 130cca, I want to go for lithium battery but no one recommended, this problem seem to be known worldwide, I think that's a very interesting topic for your next video.
Always enjoyed your channel, subscribed. If you get a chance give the 450L a try. By the time you add a seat, 20L tank, wrap arounds, better skid plate etc you're at 152kg wet or 335lbs. Best dual sport I've tried but pricey with all the add-ons required.
I have a friend in town that has one. I wonder if he would let me ride it. I'll ask
This is also the solution that I landed on. The only drawback I have found is the short recommended oil & filter service interval.
@@VegasRoManiacReviews You''l want a fuelling solution and either a flywheel weight or Rekluse for the type of riding in your old videos.
Coming from dual sports and dirt bikes, then trying an ADV bike. In the first 10 mins offroad, I realized I was wrong all along. ITS GREAT. They're actually awesome offroad. Can't blast whoops or hop big logs, other than that, ITS FINE. Don't get the weight in your head.
Yeah, the weight is not a problem until you have to pick it up as my favorite saying as a dual sport rider
If KTM would just properly balance the engine on the EXC500F, give it more oil capacity, and install a cushion drive hub, a bigger fuel tank, and a Seat Concepts Comfort seat, they would have it.
True but the starting price is already too high .. at that price .. you have so many other options that are half prices and almost as good ... Because the problem is that if you offer somebody $7,000 discount for an extra 30 lb, they will take it
Good to see you sir! What specific bike would you recommend for a BDR ride? 80% off road and 20% on ?
I wouldn't want to recommend the things that I haven't experienced so also that depends very much on what kind of a budget do you have because if money would not be a problem, we kind of like all know what people would pick as far as the best dirt bike or dual sport. But when you start to add the money factor in it then everything changes. But somebody wrote me about ajp r7 and I've never heard about this brand till I googled it man. That thing is looks good
@VegasRoManiac I just sold a 2007 & a 2020 WR250F.... One was mine and the other was for my son to ride, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of getting them street legal in order to ride the California BDR. So I'll keep the search for the right bikes going.
I'm sorry for your loss of content and channel hijack, I'm sure you've learned your lesson and that you will continue on new adventures and with better security. You are young and strong and you have a long journey ahead. I'm sort of where you are but I use a Kawasaki KLX230, a slightly smaller bike than the CRF but nontheless capable. I have several bikes but the KLX is my adventure bike. Like you I've been looking for 'the perfect allround bike' that can take me to my work, on longer trips, offroad adventures, etc. And it can, only not very well in every case. And also like you I was thinking about modifying my KLX with larger tank, other suspension, only if I did it wouldn't be that bike anymore. It would become a freak that would only be worse in just about everything. So you need more bikes, you need an offroad like your Yamaha to practice dirt track and smaller jumps and enduro, AND you need a heavier cruiser on which you also can give your girl a ride. Then .. but this is for you pleasure only, something with an awesome motor and sound that will rip on any surface. For that I use my Caballero 500 rally. It is a 450cc smaller monster with custom pipes and only one cylinder. I'm sure you have similar bikes where you live, so go try other bikes. Experiment and discover more motorcycles. It is what life is about.
The KLX 230 I never owned but I did have about 16 bikes in my life, not all of them I've enjoyed. I think maybe the worst was a dr200 that was really old and I thought they're like something magical about these bikes because the older folk always loved them but I couldn't handle the poor suspension and everything else on it was just terrible. Probably my favorite bike I ever had was my YZ250fx. It was just perfect but the riding days are all behind me and I sold it
You only have one life with all the ups and downs it all belongs to you.
Amin
The clue is in the name
DUAL SPORT.
it describes a compromise.
Thats why its better to just buy a dirt bike and a bike for the road.
Ain't that true huh?
Pirrelli MT21, and get a smaller helmut
Purely and shinco make good tires In that trial category. But trust me once you get used to knobbies you don't really like those anymore
I am taking the CRF out the backroads around my area today. It winter and cold but, I got good gear and heated everything, it ain't raining so, I'll run. 😀
I had a lot of fun men on that CRF but the problem is that the CRF always brings the worst out of me when I'm on the road and I'm afraid somebody's going to hit me. So I think I'm going to prefer to drive when I'm a lot more calm and then just carry the bike in the back of my car
@@VegasRoManiac I get that. I have towed the CRF and the ZX to places where I can ride. I have a significant auto-immune disorder so, I need to manage efforts and energy so, sometimes the ride out can take too much out of me. The little CRF gets me back to places I didn't think I'd be able to get to any more, physically. I have a little railside trailer I tow behind my 2014 Mustang GT.
IMHO you should build a bike for the rides you take. I have a dual sport for riding in sand, mud, often alone. Bought an adv for riding further on easier terrain (gravel) with friends, riding buddies, who can help picking the bike up :)
I completely agree. My biggest conundrum was when I was leaving the garage when I had a dual sport and a dirt bike because with my friends you never know where you going to end up. So even though we started on the street, all of a sudden one of the guys wanted to go off-roading + now the entire group felt like they were on the wrong bike. So there is a decision to make when you leave the garage and you have multiple bikes and I don't necessarily can say I liked it
Best thumbnail of 2024!
I'm glad you like it. It was generated by AI
Maybe different helmet
Helmets help a bit but not much also better helmets for sound protection is bad for comfort
You need a KTM 500 brother keep it in the wind🍻🤙
Yeah I'm in the ktms 500s are quite amazing because they have the light framing so much power
i wonder if the compromises of the ktm/husqvarna/gasgas 690/701/700 will be more suited to your needs. assuming you're willing/able to pay much more for it.
I'm sure those bikes are amazing! And yes I think they will be great. The problem is as you said in the comment that price
Cant stomach to watch this video
Sorry about that
Off road I wish my bike was lighter, on road I wish it was heavier. So I figure it's probably a fair compromise. The tires I put on are a compromise, I changed the sprockets to more of a compromise. Anyone seeing a pattern here?I bought a dual sport because I want exactly what the name says. A dual sport!
Everybody seems to be going through the same struggles I went through. Thanks for sharing your story
How long would a 300 2stroke last as a dual sport? Im curious about the 690/701. The new drz4s looks promising as well
The two-stroke has a couple of major problems including the fuel consumption which is quite elevated because it's just a stroke and the fact that you always have to carry oil with you when you refill at a gas station and doing the math is quite complicated now. Of course you could go to the new model that has the separate oil tank for everything, but in the same time it's hard to make them street legal so it's quite complicated
@VegasRoManiac How did you find the engine parts life between 2 stroke and 4 stroke, like bearings, pistons, reeds/valves? I thought i remember you having a ktm 300 a while back. It is a shame what happened to your old channel, what kinda a hole would do such a thing?! I think a dual sported 250/300 2 stroke would be sweet if the engine life is acceptable. With a small windscreen, big fueltank, and cushdrive hub would be alot nicer on road. That kove 450 looks like a cool bike, the Everide channel had a great comparison video of it vs a $20,000 something Ktm rally bike, both ridden by a pro racer. Biggest downside is made in china and the associated anxiety/uncertainty of parts and aftermarket support.
@VegasRoManiac What is your opinion of the ktm 690 enduro if you have ridden one? Looks like an awesome all round bike, except the price 😯. one of my favorite vids of yours was years back, talking about how people live beyond their means, and you showed your cheap car, dirtbike, and trailer or camper trailer. It def made an impression, and i think you talked about buying a duplex so you can get some income and pay off mortgage early. Love the idea of that, wish i had been in a better position before housing market went insane. I do have some investments and still fairly young. Im sure others as well as me would enjoy any videos you made on finances.
Bummer about your channel. You covered this topic well, no one bike is great at everything. My Street legal WR 450 and my XR650R were about as good as it gets for dual sporting, but they are still a compromise.
Yeah man it sucks. BTW did you change your channel hash ? now you have numbers behind it !
@ I thought RUclips added those numbers automatically.
The CRF450L is the perfect bike and engine! Built for longevity and reliability. I have owned a WR250R and FE501S, the Honda outclasses both.
How does it outclass the wr250r? Certainly not in maintenance intervals. Everything is a trade off.
2012-16 ktm 500exc. It does it all perfectly. So much smoother than the 2017+ 500`s (I know. I have one as well.) 10 lbs heavier than the newer ones; but very welcome when blowing past everything on the road... Especially big fat "Adventure" bikes. Why did KTM "improve" the greatest machine of any kind ever made? Very sad. (EE soft seat works EVERYWHERE plus HAAN cush-drive hub (for asphalt/dirt), JD jetting piggyback, FMF snap intake insert, FMF 4.1 RCT w/quiet core spark arrestor, ODI Rogue lock on grips with cam dremelled in throttle tamer stage 1 style, Baja Designs Squadron Pro, 13/49 Dirt Tricks, D-Tricks counter shaft washer then get ready to have your mind BLOWN every ride and wish you could keep going through the evening until the sun comes up but ya gotta eat sometime!) BRING BACK THE 1st Gen 500 PLEASE! Now you all know the SECRET RECIPE that has been hiding in plain sight. ENJOY MOTO BROTHERS AND SISTERS. REJOICE!!! I have seen the promised land! -Terry Slade- aka "The Central Scrutinizer" Many thanks to Chance Clements at Bullet Proof Designs who started it all way back when...
This vkdeo hihjlihhts yhe drz400 dr350 longevity ...keep it simple also wot other reliable engine do we have like the cb500 , kwak twin 300-400 and wot frames can they be used
Yes, true, those were great bikes
Just curious why not look at the CRF450RL
Was not available at the time and was not available in Europe when I bought my crf250l
Dude a 200 lb bike on the road would be a nightmare. It would be getting blown all over the road. Not a good idea. Also service intervals are a big concern. How often do you need to check your valves on the wr450 ???
Actually, a 200 lb bike on the road would not be a problem. If the ergonomics are good, you're going to be blown all over the place regardless if you have 200 or $350, but the valve part I've covered on the WR and you're right around 10,000, mi. The load tolerance on the motor is starting to feel it. Compression goes out and then you start to have big problems
I’m doing it bruv
Awesome
It IS possible: (1) In 1992 it was, why not today ? In 1992 I bought a new DR350. After a few mods it was weighting 270lbs/120kg. 2 Liter engine Oil, so long maintenance intervalls. I did once 1300km in one day Warsaw-France riding 75mph/120km/h on the motorway thanks to the nice 6-Speed gear. Seat was comfortable enough. I had a long range tank with lower shrouds taht kept the weight down. It had low vibrations and a cushioned rear wheel hub. Yes, earplugs, any biker would use earplug on long streches, except if you have a very well isolated road helmet. Wind on the chest, yes, no windscreen, but clean, non-turbulent air, so not shaky. Using Rally-Type Tyres is a good compromise until 75mph/120kmh, unless you need to ride a lot of mud or want to achieve best times at offroad competitions. It was also quite silen. Very agile and capable offroad. (2) I now have a Husqvarna 701 (which is a KTM 690 with a more confortable seat), I modified it to be as light as it gets. It ticks also all the boxes as the DR350 did, except it is still heavier, so I won't do the most gnarly stuff (the one yone spends lots of time pushing bikes), although it gets easily over quite tough terrain, and it is very good on the road until 75mph/120 kmh. Has cushioned rear wheel hub. One does need to balance the wheels to get a smooth road ride. (3) Modern KTM 500 has too much vibe for a dual-sport, but for example the 2012-2016 models did not, and my 2012 KTM 500 was my dual sport, very easy maintenance on that bike.
Oh wow so that 350 was able to do 75 mi easy interesting. Was it air cooled or how come it was so light?
@@VegasRoManiac Yep. The 350 had a hybrid air/oil cooling with oil circulating through the frame. It was so light because the first years was kick-starter only, so one could remove the battery completely (and put a tiny resistor)+ the usual stuff, like passenger pegs, heavy mirrors, heavy steel handlebars, and also the far rear loop made on steel could be entirely removed, with the licence plate screwed on the plastics that were pointing sufficiently down.
I don't think those bikes can exist these days anymore because of the regulation , thanks for your answer, clarifying that, @@franckbrunie4759
Define the mission. List the acceptable compromises. Fix the ones you can't accept. Then just buy gas, tires and a map.
I think if I have to look back buying a dual sport was a better idea than actually building one. Everything else that you said as far as buying gas in a map and tires, it's really what I should have done
Get a 690, best of both worlds
Still has problems with the camp and oil starvation .. bad motor design
I have a friend that owns one , I'm super curious to see if he will let me ride it !
Sounds like your helmet should be a size or two smaller bro
Try a beta 480 or 500rs
My opinion is KTM excf 350! 225 lbs dry and has plenty for street.
He also KTM was always a bike that I always looked at, especially the 350. The problem is that it's a little bit expensive and when you could buy so many other bikes with a lot less money. Basically the Honda and the Kawasaki KLX are more than half of what the KTM 350 costs is quite hard to go that way if you're not willing to spend that much money
Oil and valves every 500 miles?!? Even if taking it easy and you stretch that to 1000 miles it’s not a realistic ADV bike IMO
@ozadv in race conditions. Many riders rode and performed maintenance interval based on their riding and conditions. They're lots of rider who sent their engine oil for analysis and they changed their oil too early for their riding condition.
I neglected my 350 but is still fine, so 🤷.
@VegasRoManiac I was in the same predicament but learned real quick with "weight, price, performance, pick 2."
That's why is hard to go back to a Japanese dual sport bike. My bike checked all the boxes I need it to do w/o issue.
Well i did skipped to the end. And I do have an out of context comment. But i'm sure u'll apreciate it anyway 😘
🤣
Why do you all buy that ridiculous CrfL? When you have the Drz, the WRR 250, even the Klx is better...
The CRF is very tempting because of the price and because it looks good and because there's certain places in the world where the other bikes are not available. For example, the Kawasaki was not available in Europe and I was riding the CRF and the DRZ was hard to find and also a lot more expensive so there are circumstances