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Downsizing, how far will you go?

My only passenger is my Mosko Moto Rackless 80 setup...never whines or complains about needing to stop to pee! 😉

Neither does mine...

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She does, however, like the occasional nap...

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She doubles as our photo documentarian, with skills...

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And will go anywhere...

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I really like my set up... :happay
 
It would be a better road bike but less capable off road. I guess it really depends on what he meant by "light DS" :dunno

Sounds like you're a perfect candidate for a Versys-X 300.

...ken...


I have no interest in a Versys.
I'd prefer this one as a light duty DS

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I Sold the Super Tenere Last Year, I think I am done with big bikes.



I still have my heavy duty DS in the CRF450
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I'm getting there. The Road King is a big, heavy bike. Somehow, it's gotten more awkward and unforgiving in recent years. I want to continue loving to ride it, but dealing with it in town and such is getting downright unpleasant.

Was out the other day on the little Moto Guzzi V50. I rode that bike better. It's easier to handle, and I can move it around much more easily. From backing it in the driveway to simply inching forward at a stop sign. I'm smoother on it than I am the Harley.
 
I see this topic of downsizing brought up many places recently. Seems it usually boils down to guys struggling with the idea of giving up strong engines in order to not be stuck with a heavy bike.

I was building an '83 CB1100F a while back. It was incredibly heavy, but I wanted to experience that engine after all I'd heard about it. An air cooled four with 110hp and 70+ torqs that only has to rev to 8k? Hell yeah, sign me up! [UWSL]I shed a full 75lbs off that bike and it was still over 500lbs. I lost interest in it. [/UWSL]

My current street bike is a '16 FZ 09. I don't think I could be happy with less power ever again. Yes, it's blazing fast, but it's the endless torque that I'm hooked on. It's 415lbs with a full tank of fuel. I mean, it's way lighter than a KLR 650 with nearly triple the power and only giving up a little fuel mileage. I[UWSL] looked at, and was really excited about, a RE Interceptor. Again, way heavier (and you could feel it) than the FZ 09 and less than half the power. [/UWSL]

I have no brand loyalty and don't have any particular style/fashion I'm trying to aim for. Motorcycles are purely function and performance to me. My point of view on downsizing is: you don't need to ride a heavy bike just have a strong engine. You might just need to look somewhere you wouldn't normally look to find what you want.

With today's technology, there's no reason for a Standard bike (aka UJM) to be much over 400 lbs, and 75-100hp are dead easy power numbers to hit while still being easy on fuel and deadly reliable. Bikes are great. Technology is great. The two combined are simply wonderful.

For sub 300lb dual sport stuff, CRF450 and KTM 500 are unbeatable. Anyone still dealing with a KLR,DR,etc in the woods is just doing it to themselves. Recovering KLR owner here. Those "bulletproof" KLR's and XR's I fought for plenty long enough only wish they were as well built as the KTM's everyone rags on. My own KTM is an old RFS dinosaur, so I'm not a modern bike snob. I don't have to constantly patch up my XR 400 anymore, I just hop on the KTM and it works. It's freeing.

There's lots of light powerful bikes out there. We all want lighter bikes, we don't really want to give up power. You CAN have both. You might have to give up some ego and change brands. I used to bleed Honda Red, but there's no Honda's in my garage these days.
 
// a 450cc feels like cheating in the twisties too.

I only time I miss the 1200cc big bike, is if I have to make time on a highway or interstate.

give me back roads 99% of the time
Modern big bore thumpers ( doesn't have to be sumo'd) are THE KING of rough , sub -60mph back roads. Nothing can touch them. That thumper torque will launch harder than any sport bike out there and be super easy to ride while doing it. You can't beat em!
 
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My own KTM is an old RFS dinosaur, so I'm not a modern bike snob. I don't have to constantly patch up my XR 400 anymore, I just hop on the KTM and it works. It's freeing.

I used to bleed Honda Red, but there's no Honda's in my garage these days.

I sold a 2004 KTM 400EXC RFS to fund the CRF450 Purchase.
At the end of the day the KTM turned into a maintenance whore and there is something nice about a new bike to replace a 15yo worn out one.

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I see this topic of downsizing brought up many places recently. Seems it usually boils down to guys struggling with the idea of giving up strong engines in order to not be stuck with a heavy bike.
I have found that I really don't need that much horsepower. My Versys with 58 RWHP feels like a rocket compared to my other bikes. It's nice to be able to actually use all the power a bike has without immediately being in the lose your license zone. I think that how much HP you feel you need will depend a lot on where and how you ride. I ride a lot on roads where speeds tend to be fairly low. A rarely get over 80 any more. When I lived in San Diego I rarely went for a ride without hitting triple digit speeds.
These days I am often riding roads with really tight curves and they are often very narrow with limited visibility. On some of those roads 40 feels pretty fast. The bike I ride the most has 13.4 HP and I can wring it out riding around town or on tight back roads. My two up touring bike has a 395cc single with around 33 HP. I still find myself going faster than most of the other traffic on the road.

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I sold a 2004 KTM 400EXC RFS to fund the CRF450 Purchase.
At the end of the day the KTM turned into a maintenance whore and there is something nice about a new bike to replace a 15yo worn out one.

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I was deciding between a KTM 500 and a 450L when they came out. I was able to test ride them back to back. They're both awesome machines that I'd be happy to own. I was having trouble deciding which to buy.

I'm a low rpm torque lover. A 520exc popped up 15min away for $1600 so I took a chance. It turned out to be perfect for me. There's nowhere around me to use a dual sport so I end up doing all my dirt riding on private land. I couldn't justify dropping $10k just to have an easy tag. Now I find myself eyeballing those 350's 😬 It never ends!
 
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In 50+ years of riding and owning 20+ bikes the biggest bike I owned was a 2006 KLR 650 I bought in 2020. All the bikes I have owned have been single cylinder pure dirt bike or off road capable. The KLR fell over in my driveway the day I bought it home (only time it hit the ground) and I picked it up without drama. My current bikes are a Husky te 300 and a Honda CRF 450RL so no need to downsize for this 60+ guy. I have wanted to ride a 200 2T woods bike or a Husky te 150i to see if I like it...maybe someday.
 
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In 50+ years of riding and owning 20+ bikes the biggest bike I owned was a 2006 KLR 650 I bought in 2020. All the bikes I have owned have been single cylinder pure dirt bike or off road capable. The KLR fell over in my driveway the day I bought it home (only time it hit the ground) and I picked it up without drama. My current bikes are a Husky te 300 and a Honda CRF 450RL so no need to downsize for this 60+ guy. I have wanted to ride a 200 2T woods bike or a Husky te 150i to see if I like it...maybe someday.
Funny you mention a woods bike. In addition to a KLX for daily riding, CRF for desert fun, I'd like to try a YZ250FX for an afternoon in the woods.

Jury is still out on it, as some claim it is tame, others a freaking monster handful...
 
Funny you mention a woods bike. In addition to a KLX for daily riding, CRF for desert fun, I'd like to try a YZ250FX for an afternoon in the woods.

Jury is still out on it, as some claim it is tame, others a freaking monster handful...

Twist that throttle to the throttle stop and don’t let the motor dip below 6000rpm, that is how the manufacturer intends it to be ridden. My KTM150 was that same way, it was a blast to ride a bike using every last HP the motor could put out. There is something soul crushing about listening to some people ride bikes at 300rpm because they are scared to crack that throttle.
 
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Twist that throttle to the throttle stop and don’t let the motor dip below 6000rpm, that is how the manufacturer intends it to be ridden. My KTM150 was that same way, it was a blast to ride a bike using every last HP the motor could put out. There is something soul crushing about listening to some people ride bikes at 300rpm because they are scare to crack that throttle.
Meh, 3500- 6000 RPM is more realistic for my riding
 
I‘m mid 60s, been riding over 50 years, and have owned 85+ motorcycles. I just bought a new Super Tenere ES which is mainly used for long day rides and trips as it is comfortable for me, has cruise control, and doesn‘t get blown around much due to the 600 lb weight. It will probably be my last heavyweight bike as I intend to keep it into my early 70s.

My daily go to motorcycles are my Tracer 900 GT and Tenere 700. They both feel like flyweights compared to the Super Tenere, but are not as good for long distance travel. Both have outstanding engines that are easy to live with and the Tracer is super nimble and feels lighter than it is.

I am patiently waiting for Honda to bring out a new Transalp 750 DCT equipped motorcycle. I would probably sell the Tracer and Tenere 700 if that would occur. I also see possible ownership of an electric motorcycle if the prices ever come down and the range goes up as technology evolves.

Lighter motorcycle are definitely the way I am going as I age.
 
Meh, 3500- 6000 RPM is more realistic for my riding

You are probably not going to be happy with a 250. Even the Elle and KTM500s I have ridden, were happier when the motor was singing. I am just not fit enough to ride them at that pace for more than short periods of time.
 
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