I've been thinking about getting something like the 500. 450 maybe. I need a street legal dual sport that can do short freeway bursts, hours at 55 mph, and light enough for singletrack.
My 450 lb Aprilia adv bike is great on the highway, but too heavy off road. My Suzuki RL250 trials bike climbs like a goat, but the 25 mph top speed is a bit limiting.
Don't count out a 12-16 model. They hold a little more oil and are super reliable. That is if you can find one at a reasonable price. I found a '15 500XCW last summer with 800 miles, but I still paid a pandemic premium of $8000, it had about $1500 worth of crap thrown on it. I bought a 15 450XCW with 250 miles on it in 2016 for $7500 with about $3000 worth of stuff bolted on. I took the 450 on an 8 day trip with no issues and am now building the 500 to be my lightweight ADV bike.I've been thinking about getting something like the 500. 450 maybe. I need a street legal dual sport that can do short freeway bursts, hours at 55 mph, and light enough for singletrack.
My 450 lb Aprilia adv bike is great on the highway, but too heavy off road. My Suzuki RL250 trials bike climbs like a goat, but the 25 mph top speed is a bit limiting.
I think I read that they changed the gear ratios after 2014, creating a gap between 4th and 5th. Does it just act like a separation between off road and highway gears.Don't count out a 12-16 model. They hold a little more oil and are super reliable. That is if you can find one at a reasonable price. I found a '15 500XCW last summer with 800 miles, but I still paid a pandemic premium of $8000, it had about $1500 worth of crap thrown on it. I bought a 15 450XCW with 250 miles on it in 2016 for $7500 with about $3000 worth of stuff bolted on. I took the 450 on an 8 day trip with no issues and am now building the 500 to be my lightweight ADV bike.
I don't notice it, maybe it's a newer model issue. It seems like every bike I've ever owned people complain about the gearbox, it's either "too tall" (my 701 for example), "too close" (my old TE510), or "needs another gear" (my old DRZ).I think I read that they changed the gear ratios after 2014, creating a gap between 4th and 5th. Does it just act like a separation between off road and highway gears.
2017+ has the fucky 5th gear, and Xplor Jiggle-Poof forksI think I read that they changed the gear ratios after 2014, creating a gap between 4th and 5th. Does it just act like a separation between off road and highway gears.
It does. Annoying on fast fire roads. There is a fix from what I understand. 17 450SXF 5th gear set. 79433005100 & 79433015200. Annoying, but not quite annoying enough to crack the cases... yet.2017+ has the fucky 5th gear, and Xplor Jiggle-Poof forks
Where was the photo taken? Looks like south east ok.
Picked up this 2013 XC-W, tires, oil change and air filter this morning. And chain clean and lube. Ready to go. After the bars, risers ,skid plate, Tusk hand gaurds and signals....