[net.cycle] Dual Purpose motercycles

dikiw@mmintl.UUCP (Diki Wozniak) (08/07/85)

Has anyone any experience with so called dual purpose bikes.  I am in the 
process of moving overseas for an assignment and was thinking that I might
get one rather than a car.  

I just sold my GpZ 550, and haven't done a lot of dirt riding since high
school, except for bicycles. 

In particular I am interested in the relative merits of 600cc vs. 350cc and 
the Honda XL's and Suzuki SP 600.   Responses appreciated.  Thanks.

marauder@fluke.UUCP (Bill Landsborough) (08/14/85)

Dual Purpose motOrcycles are typically not great for either dirt or street.
They tend to be too heavy and cumbersome for the dirt with all of the lights,
turn signals, and battery.  And they vibrate more that a strictly "street"
bike does because they are usually single cylinder. (I don't know of any
2 cylinder bikes anymore which call themselves "dual purpose".
  However if you wanted to commute, say 10 miles to work and you live 3 miles
down a dirt road and you plan to ride rain or shine, then you can't beat
a "dual purpose" bike.  But if you don't have a similar situation, and you
want to ride dirt, consider the new enduro type with minature lighting, no
turn signals, and good suspension.  However they cannot be "legally" licenced
for street in most states.

-- 

"Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not 
arrogant or rude... Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things."   1 Corinthians 13:4-7

jml@drutx.UUCP (LeonJM) (08/16/85)

Traditionally dual-purpose bikes have not been great on either dirt or
the street.  However, "great" is in the seat of the rider.  Magazines
usually have pro riders evaluate the machines and they have the ability
to decern minute differences between multi-kilo buck racing machines.
Since they are used to racers the dual-purpose bikes are naturally a
compromise.  Take their words (and everyone else's, I guess) with a grain
of salt.

I normally ride a large street bike, but I used to ride a lot of dirt several
years ago.  A dual-purpose bike now could blow away a strictly dirt bike of
the previous decade.  The quickness of dual-purpose bikes on street is
fairly good also.  A few months ago I followed a couple of Inteceptors
up a tight canyon on my Yamaha XT350.  I could no way pass them but,
when the pavement turned to dirt, I literally left them in my dust.  In
defense of the Inteceptors, the bikes were obviously brand new and the
riders were not winding them out.  However, they were trying to lose
me and it was loads of fun keeping up with them.

The key here is that dual-purpose bikes are great fun.  They may not
be racers on the dirt or street, but they can go were other bikes
can not.  I go on the freeways, fire breaks and dry river beds.  From
5,000 to 11,000 feet all day long.  Loads of fun!

John Leon  AT&T ISL Denver  ihnp4!drutx!jml

ttt@trsvax (08/20/85)

I currently have a 1984 Honda XL350 and just sold a 1982 Honda XL500.
I enjoy the 350 very much on the dirt, which i ride quite frequently,
it's not too heavy, at least not as much as the 500 was, and still has
mucho low end torque, no not as much as the 500, but enough.  Having a 
six (6) speed transmission helps on the freeway also, although you 
don't really want to go more than 70mph or so, as the bike is light,
about 320lbs.

I have just started looking at the Yamaha XT350, as I am a true
Yamaha fan, and I also notice some features on the Yamaha that
are not on the Honda, mainly a tach.

just wanted to throw in my 2 cents worth and possibly enlighten someone.


terry taylor
@ trsvax

darryl@ISM780.UUCP (08/21/85)

/* Written 12:43 pm  Aug 14, 1985 by marauder@vax4 in ISM780:net.cycle */
						     I don't know of any
2 cylinder bikes anymore which call themselves "dual purpose".
/* End of text from ISM780:net.cycle */

    You gotta be kidding!  What about the Honda XVR750 (or some such),
    Cagiva Elefant, or the BMW R80G/S.  All are big, multicylinder
    bikes claiming dual purpose, and are (reviewed by the magazines as
    being) comfortable to ride on the street while still being useful
    on unpaved roads...

	    --Darryl Richman, INTERACTIVE Systems Corp.
	    ...!cca!ima!ism780!darryl
	    The views expressed above are my opinions only.