Offroad Supermoto Vids...

[TYEster]

Been posted before, just reposting it to get some traffic in here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9M9oxbg1uI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8jCy...eature=related

[jtemple]

I always wondered how well a supermoto would handle on dirt. I want something I can ride on and off road, but I really don't like the dual sports available. I want something that won't handle like a big tank in the dirt, even if it means I'm on something that feels mushy and squirrely on the street.

The bottom line is I want more dirt bike than street bike, but I still want to be able to ride it on both surfaces.

[TYEster]

Originally Posted by jtemple

I always wondered how well a supermoto would handle on dirt. I want something I can ride on and off road, but I really don't like the dual sports available. I want something that won't handle like a big tank in the dirt, even if it means I'm on something that feels mushy and squirrely on the street.

The bottom line is I want more dirt bike than street bike, but I still want to be able to ride it on both surfaces.

I ride a converted CRF450. From what I can tell, it weighs similar to my friends' 450s I've ridden that are full dirt.

As far as traction, I'd rather have it on the asphalt than dirt. But when it comes to the converted supermoto, decent street tires will grip just fine when you've only got 400lbs of both rider AND bike on them.(vs 600+ for sportbikes) Dirt traction is limited to harder pack, and any MX track that has a soft loam prep will be pointless. Same goes for any kind of mud.

The idea behind tire choice is similar for the suspension. If you're going to ride asphalt mostly then just set the suspension for that. Whenever you have long travel, hitting jumps and bumps will still be fine under those settings. But if you set your bike to handle MX whoops and big doubles, you might loose some stability on when back on the asphalt.

Personally I couldn't be happier with this bike, other than wishing I had some MX wheels to swap out on it when getting serious in the dirt. But I just bought a separate bike for full MX duty anyway. It's crazy fun and the looks I get from hitting the jumps at the dirt track are hilarious.

[101lifts2]

Would suck if you crashed in that little water. lol

I'm thinking about getting a dirt bike to ride with my neighbor...but I have never ridden a dirtbike and have -0- clue what to get.

[TYEster]

Originally Posted by 101lifts2

Would suck if you crashed in that little water. lol

I'm thinking about getting a dirt bike to ride with my neighbor...but I have never ridden a dirtbike and have -0- clue what to get.

All part of the experience... But ya when it comes to offroad water, I avoid it like the plague.

If you wanna ride dirt there's really 2 choices - a trail bike or a full bore motocross bike. If you want to ride trails only, trail bike is best BUT an MX bike would suit you just fine also. If you want to ride MX and hit jumps and be super cool like that, you should use an MX bike. Certain trail bikes do not withstand the pressures of jumping and real hard riding.

*For example*

Yamaha YZ250F - single cyl, 4stroke, kickstart only, race ready - MX bike

Yamaha WR250X - single cyl, 4stroke, E-start, 20-30lbs heavier thanks to the lights and shit, suspension not as durable(but very similar to the YZ) - Trail bike

There's also the 450s, but if you've never ridden dirt, I would advise against it. The power/weight ratio to offroad riding is grossly substantial. The 250Fs have about 35hp and the 450s around 45-55(mine should be around the 55-60 range with the motorwork/exhaust). They ALL have serious kick because of the gearing and the torque produced by the motors. All of the Jap "big 4" produce decent dirt bikes, and the Euros put out some NICE MX'ers too, Husaberg, KTM, and Husqavarna but those are generally pricier. Since I live in Texas and there's more offroading to be had here, dirtbikes are dirt cheap. But you can pick up a decent 250(mx or trail) for around $2-3k depending on year/engine hours.(no odometer so they use hours to determine usage)

Personally I would stay away from 2-strokes, they're a dying breed in my eyes. Plus they are a mega pain in the ass to ride. Almost literally. It's like a normal bike up until about 10,000rpm and then it's a rocketship of hell. I really think satan designed this motor for motorcyclists to try and kill them. Plus you have to have special premix for this craphouse design of ancient combustion and quite frankly they just need to be ridden differently.