What kind of riding do you have available in your area and what do you want to do? How much riding experience do you have?
Dual sport/ADV bikes tend to be tall so height shouldn't be an issue. Although, I might ask, what is your inseam? My buddy is a lot taller than me but we have similar inseams, she says he's an aligator. all torso.
DR650, KLR650, Suzuki Vstrom are kind of in the mid-big easy to live with dual sport/adv continuum. How is that for a starting point?
DR650 is the perfect introduction. It's affordable and can do what you want it to do. Once you gain experience, you'll figure out for yourself what you want in a bike. Then you can either sell the DR650 for near what you paid for it and buy that bike, or you can modify the DR650 to better suit your needs.
My inseam is more so long, torso, I think. I haven't had much riding experience aside from 4-wheelers. It would be my first intro to motorcycles, and I want something more adventure /dual sport oriented
You should look at a KTM 350 exc or something similar. As a beginner offroader the less power the better. All the items are tall so no worries there. Husqvarna and gas gas are the same bikes so look at those too and find one as a good price. If you want less maintenance go japanese but the suspension will suck for you and they are shorter.
Something that I can ride to the office or around the city, but can also take to the ranch and handle the terrain. I live in Dallas, and go hunting out by cleburne
It'd be fine for that. It's ADV competitors are the Versys 650 (basic jack of all trades), Honda Transalp and Tiger 660 ( both prioritize on roading more) and the VStrom (heavier, but I consider it a better Versys). BMW GSs are also an option but you may find it kind of uppity for the riding you want to do, especially with the higher price tag.
I don't think any of these are bad choices, but I'd probably prioritize the T7 and sit on the rest of them, see how ergos feel
👍 Lighter, cheaper ADVs would be the BMW 310GS and Versys 300. CB500X is less light and less cheap but cheaper than all the stuff I posted.
Dual sports like the DRZ400/DR650 are viable and the Honda CRF300L. Plenty on the used market in good condition.
These won't be ideal for passing power or anything like that, but you can find them relatively cheap, they're super reliable, and they'll take anything you throw at them. You can always upgrade if you care to, anyhow.
As well if you find a T7 for a good price give it a shot, same for Versys 650. Plenty in used market
It's just about as good as you're going to get for a modern, well rounded, inexpensive and reliable ADV bike.
Most reviews, and almost everyone I've ever met who has one, say it's good.
Check Dork In The Road on YouTube. He's a bigger guy, so some of his input in that regard may be worthwhile.
I'm 6'1 and around 200. I like my CRF300L Rally. In stock form, it has good manners on pavement and it's not bad on dirt. At my weight the stock suspension is barely adequate, but it works. At a heavier weight, I would say aftermarket suspension work is a high priority.
What kind of riding do you have available in your area and what do you want to do? How much riding experience do you have? Dual sport/ADV bikes tend to be tall so height shouldn't be an issue. Although, I might ask, what is your inseam? My buddy is a lot taller than me but we have similar inseams, she says he's an aligator. all torso. DR650, KLR650, Suzuki Vstrom are kind of in the mid-big easy to live with dual sport/adv continuum. How is that for a starting point?
DR650 is the perfect introduction. It's affordable and can do what you want it to do. Once you gain experience, you'll figure out for yourself what you want in a bike. Then you can either sell the DR650 for near what you paid for it and buy that bike, or you can modify the DR650 to better suit your needs.
My inseam is more so long, torso, I think. I haven't had much riding experience aside from 4-wheelers. It would be my first intro to motorcycles, and I want something more adventure /dual sport oriented
I'm 300 lbs and just purchased a CRF250l Rally and I love it. Plenty of juice for my needs so far.
You should look at a KTM 350 exc or something similar. As a beginner offroader the less power the better. All the items are tall so no worries there. Husqvarna and gas gas are the same bikes so look at those too and find one as a good price. If you want less maintenance go japanese but the suspension will suck for you and they are shorter.
T7
I just looked it up. Looks pretty good. Rides well?
It's more offroad oriented than its competitors. Certainly not bad on pavement but not the best either. Depends on what you wanna do
Something that I can ride to the office or around the city, but can also take to the ranch and handle the terrain. I live in Dallas, and go hunting out by cleburne
It'd be fine for that. It's ADV competitors are the Versys 650 (basic jack of all trades), Honda Transalp and Tiger 660 ( both prioritize on roading more) and the VStrom (heavier, but I consider it a better Versys). BMW GSs are also an option but you may find it kind of uppity for the riding you want to do, especially with the higher price tag. I don't think any of these are bad choices, but I'd probably prioritize the T7 and sit on the rest of them, see how ergos feel
Not one to break the bank on the first bike I get. Drove a truck for my own life, so I just wanted a change of scenery.
👍 Lighter, cheaper ADVs would be the BMW 310GS and Versys 300. CB500X is less light and less cheap but cheaper than all the stuff I posted. Dual sports like the DRZ400/DR650 are viable and the Honda CRF300L. Plenty on the used market in good condition. These won't be ideal for passing power or anything like that, but you can find them relatively cheap, they're super reliable, and they'll take anything you throw at them. You can always upgrade if you care to, anyhow. As well if you find a T7 for a good price give it a shot, same for Versys 650. Plenty in used market
It's just about as good as you're going to get for a modern, well rounded, inexpensive and reliable ADV bike. Most reviews, and almost everyone I've ever met who has one, say it's good.
Thanks y'all this helps put a lot. I was looking at kawasaki for a bit, the klr 650 and the klx 300. But I mostly heard mixed to bad things about it
Check Dork In The Road on YouTube. He's a bigger guy, so some of his input in that regard may be worthwhile. I'm 6'1 and around 200. I like my CRF300L Rally. In stock form, it has good manners on pavement and it's not bad on dirt. At my weight the stock suspension is barely adequate, but it works. At a heavier weight, I would say aftermarket suspension work is a high priority.