I'm in with the DR650 suggestions. It's a much lighter bike than the KLR and all of the problems that come from the factory i.e. small gas tank, undersprung suspension, and lousey factory seat can easily be overcome with aftermarket items. You can probably pick up a used one with some or all of these already done. There are parts available everywhere and other than mostly cosmetic changes, the bikes are the same from 1996-2026. Good luck with your search!

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
KLR with a lot of nice mods, if you can swing it I'd pay the extra for the shock.

https://www.facebook.com/marke...b5-9df0-4fc34bcd5f83

That is nice, and not too far away. I've still got a few months before I'll be ready to buy, though...still in the research phase. Plenty of time to explore the DR650 rabbit hole, too, and hopefully stop by some showrooms and see stuff in person. I feel a little bad doing that since there's no way I'm buying new, but I'll probably use them for parts and some service on whatever I end up with.

If you do decide get a DR650, talk to me about these seats that have been on a garage shelf for years. One's a Corbin, the other a Sargent.

https://www.sargentcycle.com/s.../suzuki/dr650?page=1


https://www.corbin.com/suzuki/dr650.shtml

Thanks again Richard! I got your email and responded...I'll definitely keep that in mind!

Just an update for everybody else: The class is this weekend, so assuming I don't totally suck and fail, I should have my endorsement next week.

I've been saving my pennies and watching the local market. There's some interesting stuff out there, but so far I've just been watching.

I know I said I was steering away from BMWs due to the complexity, but just yesterday somebody listed a 2010 F650GS Twin that's within my price range. Looks to be lighter than a KLR but produces quite a bit more power with a detuned version of the same 800cc motor out of the F800 that will run on 87 octane. The bike is nicely set up with a lot of extras, and I feel like I need to at least give it a look. Anybody have any experience with that series of BMW? I've watched a few maintenance videos, and while it looks to be quite a bit more complex than a DR650 or KLR, it's nothing I couldn't handle. I'm sure parts would be more expensive and maybe harder to find than those for a Japanese bike, though.

I had an 09 F650GS Twin and liked it. After riding it here for a year or 2 I ended up leaving in Phoenix to be able to fly out and ride in spring and fall. It had plenty of power and was a smooth running engine. Stock final gearing is fairly tall so it's very relaxed on the highway. The frames are not made for serious off road but I rode mine on both paved and dirt roads all over Arizona, California, and Utah.

I can't recall what I did to mine but not much. I know I added hard panniers and probably changed the seat. The OEM chain didn't last long maybe 10K. It had good range because of it getting great mpg.

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
I had an 09 F650GS Twin and liked it. After riding it here for a year or 2 I ended up leaving in Phoenix to be able to fly out and ride in spring and fall. It had plenty of power and was a smooth running engine. Stock final gearing is fairly tall so it's very relaxed on the highway. The frames are not made for serious off road but I rode mine on both paved and dirt roads all over Arizona, California, and Utah.

I can't recall what I did to mine but not much. I know I added hard panniers and probably changed the seat. The OEM chain didn't last long maybe 10K. It had good range because of it getting great mpg.

Thanks. If that one is still available next week I'll probably go give it a look. I'm 6'5" and wear pants with a 34" or 36" inseam...do you think it will be big enough?

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

Thanks. If that one is still available next week I'll probably go give it a look. I'm 6'5" and wear pants with a 34" or 36" inseam...do you think it will be big enough?

I believe so, these are not small motorcycles in fact it has a considerably longer wheelbase than BMW's R1250/1300GS. What *might* be a bit tight on long rides could be the seat to peg distance but if that's so on this bike you're going to find that on almost all motorcycles (excluding the KLR650). I imagine someone like Knight Design offers lower pegs or probably someone can make a taller custom seat to get you another inch or so.

Took the Indiana ABATE MC class this weekend, and passed with a perfect score. My son passed too, and did very well, but he stalled once during the practical and lost points for that, so he's just second best....which I was sure to remind him of . In all seriousness, though, I've still got a long way to go before I'm confident riding a "real" bike on a "real" road, and I'm sure my first few weeks are going to be spent on back roads and in parking lots getting comfortable with the bike.

The class itself was awesome. The two instructors we had were excellent. You could tell they were very knowledgeable and passionate about riding, both were very personable and excellent communicators, and they had known and worked with each other for a long time so their coordination management of the class was on point. There were 12 students with a broad range of ability and experience, and these 2 guys still did an excellent job of meeting each individual where they were at and pushing them to improve, not just teaching to the test. I learned a ton, and had a great time doing it.

Now I just need to go into the BMV when they open on Tuesday and get my endorsement added to my license.

As to bikes...the BMW sold on Friday 2 hours before I had the money put together. But a 2015 KLR with some nice extras popped up at a local shop about the same time. They're closed tomorrow, but open Tuesday and I'm off, so I'm planning to head over there after the BMV and see if I can test ride it. If it fits me well and is as nice as it looks in the pictures, it may come home.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 92fstech,

Congratulations, Mr. PerfectScore!

You'll be outrunning Nazis and jumping fences in no time.

What bikes did you and son ride in the class?

^^^^^^^
The Indiana DMV provides Panigale V4s if I'm not mistaken.

quote:

Originally posted by Jupiter:
^^^^^^^
The Indiana DMV provides Panigale V4s if I'm not mistaken.

Hmmmmmmmmm ... its been a few years.
Might be worth a trip to Indiana for a refresher.

They had a collection of Nighthawk 250s, Rebel 250s, Kawasaki Eliminators, and some kind of older Suzuki 125. They said the Nighthawks would be best for the taller guys, so my son and I each took one of those. I was actually really impressed with the little bike...it needed the idle adjusted about half a turn when we first started, and then ran great for the rest of the class. It had quite a few battle scars, and I can only imagine how hard a life it had parking lot riding with beginners for 30 years. Great little machine.

Well, the local shop that had the KLR pissed me off. I took today off work to go buy the bike and hopefully get all the BMV paperwork done, etc. I went to the shop this morning after messaging them over the weekend and letting them know I was interested, and then tried to call this morning after they opened and didn't get an answer. I got there and the shop owner was like, "Oh yeah, I have that, but it's at home." Apparently they're selling it on consignment and he decided to ride it to his house and leave it there. One of the employees even offered to go get it, and he said no, they can come back tomorrow.

So here I was walking out the door with cash in my pocket, wasting a day off, and not even super confident that this guy even has the proper paperwork for the thing. So that gave me time to think about the F650 GS again, and the one that's listed almost 5 hours away in northern Michigan. I ended up getting in touch with that guy, had a great conversation with him on the phone, and he's supposed to be getting back to me with more pics and maintenance history this evening after work. If that all checks out, I'm driving 10 hours tomorrow to go buy a BMW in Michigan instead of the KLR 15 minutes down the road.

Maybe that's a poor decision, but I just didn't care for how the other guy does business.

Looks like you’re zeroed in on the BMW. I don’t know much about them, should be fine. There are plenty of used bikes out there, modest prices.

I have a 2014 CB 1100, not flashy, but very simple, reliable, lower maintenance.

I prefer quieter roads, light traffic, like everyone. I also operate super defensively, but not freaking about things. I’m due to go to Utah this Summer, ride with my son.

Spent 10 hours in the truck yesterday driving up to Traverse City and back. My FIL (who had just driven 14 hours the day before coming up from Pensacola) tagged along to keep me company. It wasn't a bad drive, and we even saw a 400+lb black bear run across the highway right in front of us just south of Cadillac. I think that's the first live wild bear I've ever seen east of the Mississippi, and it made my day.

The dude selling the bike was awesome. Great communication, super helpful, and willing to share his knowledge and experience. He was listing it for a friend, so it wasn't his bike, but he gave me a lot of useful pointers and even helped me load it and strap it down. Turns out he's even a Sig guy...my FIL was talking to him while I was out test riding and I guess he carries a P365 and a P226. I didn't find out about that till we were driving home, so I never talked guns with him, but Kyle, if you're on here, thanks for the great transaction!

Still gotta get to the BMV but I got insurance on it and rode it around the county block a couple of times this morning. I love this bike. It's not too heavy, corners great, has plenty of space even for my abnormally tall body, and the included Sargent seat is super comfortable. Power delivery is a little clunky, but a lot of that is probably me, and should clean up as I get better used to the gear ratios and what RPM it likes to live at. The engine definitely isn't Goldwing smooth, but it's well dampened and I didn't feel any vibration in the handlebars, even at 70mph, which it hit at about 4000rpm in 6th gear.

It came with some nice extras installed, too...crash bars, skid plate, Sargent seat (plus the original that I'll probably sell), and BMW factory plastic luggage that unlocks with the ignition key and has a handy quick-detach and expanding mechanism.

It's even got heated hand grips. So I guess I kinda went the opposite direction of the KLR/DR simplicity that I was originally looking for, but for under $4k it was hard to pass up. Now to spend some time on it and get some experience without killing myself in the process!

Looks nice and the same color mine was. I see it has handguards and aftermarket windshield too. IIRC these bikes deliver pretty good MPG too.

Nice! Congrats. Be safe.

quote:

Apparently they're selling it on consignment and he decided to ride it to his house and leave it there. One of the employees even offered to go get it, and he said no, they can come back tomorrow. Maybe that's a poor decision, but I just didn't care for how the other guy does business.

When I bought my first BMW motorcycle the sales guy wanted me to come back, I said if I leave I'm not coming back so he dropped whatever he was doing and we closed the deal. If I were you I'd have walked too once the sales guy said they can come back tomorrow. What kind of idiot thinks a customer ready to buy today is going to come back tomorrow because someone was to lazy or stupid to go get the bike so it could be sold. I'd be awful tempted to drive by that dealership and show off your new to you BMW. Ride safe...BMW's are great bikes and I should know since I've owned 11 of them.

Nice! That will make for a fun summer.

Nice bike, like the color, I'd keep the stock seat up on a shelf, put it in a bag and seal it up from rodents and such. You might want to sell this in the future and get a bigger bike or something different and it would be good to go with the bike to the new owner.

Heated grips will extend your riding into the late fall or early spring and come in handy...