Motards???

[HurricaneHeather]

I think I want a motard...eventually.

Tell me about em. D

Anyone?

Opinions?

Favorties?

(if you go off talking about a certain model and don't include the make, I will have no idea what you are talking about. I don't know who makes a 472ll7 or a 213htc or x12bbrfq)

[TYEster]

Haha where would you like me to begin?

Pros:

I can hit H2R one day, or even half of a day, and then go STRAIGHT to the motocross track and ride it competently without changing a thing. Just add fuel!
The street legal ones are DIRT CHEAP to insure, and get decent gas mileage if ride them right.
They use smaller tires which COULD mean cheaper tires.
Depending on what bike you get, you might have to change the oil(s) often, but again, model dependent some last just like regular streetbikes.

Cons:
The maintenance of a dirtbike converted motard is more than a streetbike because they are generally setup from the factory for hard motocross riding, thus require the attention to keep it running tip top.
Small gas tank - even street models have a small 2.5/3gal tank, of course you can always buy the bigger enduro style tanks, but I think they look stupid.
They're so fun you can get into trouble or so I've been told. I don't really hang around for the cops to find out what kinda laws I've broken.


I LOVE my converted Honda dirtbike motard. It's a pure offroad/track bike. Which is what I wanted. The downside is I can't take it on the street, but I rarely rode street with my ninja anyway so who cares. It handles great on the asphalt and after really testing it on the MX track, it seems to handles jumps and dirt riding just fine too. I couldn't ask for more, well I could but I'd just be getting greedy. :D Even though there's lots of "motards" out there, you need to decide what you'll use it most for and go from there. There's some factory motards(Suzuki DRZ400 & Yamaha WR250X) which are great street/"hooligan" bikes, but I probably would have no issue destroying their suspension at the MX track. And likewise if I were to take my motard out on the street, I'd run out of gas within a few miles and/or require an oil change after my venture. One option I would DEFINITELY recommend for YOU, is getting one with electric start. Lori has a bitch of a time kicking mine over, and I'm sure even though you're femur is broken on the non-kick leg, it can't be fun. LOTS of them come with E-start, however the "Big 4" Japanese makers full-MX bikes are kick only, HOWEVER their trail bikes come with electric start and full lights. KTMs and euro bikes most generally have E-start including their MX bikes aside from a few models. I'm sure there's more I missed, but I'll post up some more when I recall it.

[CasterTroy]

I'm too much of a wuss to utilize the "Jump" option on a motard, but I DO use the "flee from authority via stairs & sidewalks" frequently downtown.

In the mountains no one can catch me until we get to a straight, and then it’s a slaughter.
I have NOTHING……..I mean NOTHING between 70-100 but I’ve got decent power up TILL 70. A thumper does not rev out for crap….it lives for the low revs.

I decided to go with a FACTORY motard (MuZ Baghira 660SM) .....one that was heavier, longer wheelbased unit that does EVERYTHING well. Because of that I can do 105 on the hiway and not feel like a strong gust of wind would blast me into another lane, and it doesn’t wheelie as well as other motards, nor do I even want to attempt a stoppie. But I can ride mine all day long without pain. I've gone as many as 430 miles in one day on my motard and didn't have "issues" like everyone else. Brian couldn't ride his KTM Duke II 640 more than 50-70 miles in a day PERIOD. But mine doesn't cause as much pain or buzz like others do (weight and wheelbase)

MOST smaller CC motards are convertions (Dirtbike 450/500/650's) and featherweights (KTM +/-400's) that performs like a champ on the short course but feel like you’re riding a saw-buck off the track. But you can wheelie in 1-3 gears with ease and stoppies are sweet.

Motards are a GREAT 2nd or 3rd bike, but NEVER consider one as a sole bike. And don’t get one unless you have riding buddies with one as well. It will be short lived.

GREAT novelty hooligan bike but you MUST like to break the rules. These bikes are no fun on the street if you’re a tighty-whitey straight-laced kinda person.

Check out supermotojunkie for all the info you’d ever want to know about them


http://www.troybaker.com/mz/mz111.jpg
http://www.troybaker.com/mz/mz110.jpg

[TYEster]

Ah here's some MX action, I don't think I did too bad considering I havent "ridden" motocross for 2 years much less on a 450 supermoto.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8jCy4PESAo

*All the same gearing and everything I can run right at H2R too. The only differences is I use street tires with grooving versus slicks. I think it's an "ok" mix for both types of terrain.

[pdog]

<----- See picture

I don't regret buying my DRZ400SM but it's not good enough as an all-around bike to keep long term. I've already bought another SV650 to replace it. It's an acquired taste - you can't ride em for more than 30-40 minutes without pain and they vibrate like a mofo (they are thumpers, after all). I do love the upright riding position - the SV feels lower and like you are riding in the bike instead of on top of it with a motard.

[Sean]

Man, your parks are all nice and hardpack. I never ride my 'tard at the MX parks here because the dirt is has the consistency of freshly fallen snow. One hill and I'm toast!

[TYEster]

Man, your parks are all nice and hardpack. I never ride my 'tard at the MX parks here because the dirt is has the consistency of freshly fallen snow. One hill and I'm toast!

Well I went to this one because I saw on it's website it's more of a "quad" track and I knew there wouldn't be ruts thanks to that, but upon closer view of the vid, it looked harder packed.

There's ALOT of MX tracks around here who do prep it with grading and it becomes the soft dirt. The tard doesn't handle well in the loose stuff if you can see me go in the one soft section around the brush pile. It also does NOT function at all in the mud.


It wasn't my intention to ride it offroad so much, but the fact is I figured out I can and it works at that track($10 riding as long as there's daylight) I will! :D

[Trip]

Motards are good for city, track, and extremely curvy roads; otherwise they are uncomfortable, have no gas tank, and lack top end power. In their element, they are shit loads of fun.

[6doublefive321]

They are like crazy, crack head strippers. Lots of fun in small doses, but you don't want to be with one for the long haul.

[skiergirl]

Heather unless you plan on taking it off-road as much as on, I'd stick with a street bike. Kick starting a 450 is nearly impossible for me however I have no problems with the smaller bikes. It def takes a much bigger toll on you physically to ride off-road. I was tired as hell after that day at John's riding Brandon's bike. Will your leg be able to handle that? Even trail riding is more work than track/street riding to me because you rarely get to sit.

Personally I will keep a track bike and i want a dirt bike. Motard combo idea isn't my preference.

[TYEster]

Heather unless you plan on taking it off-road as much as on, I'd stick with a street bike. Kick starting a 450 is nearly impossible for me however I have no problems with the smaller bikes. It def takes a much bigger toll on you physically to ride off-road. I was tired as hell after that day at John's riding Brandon's bike. Will your leg be able to handle that? Even trail riding is more work than track/street riding to me because you rarely get to sit.

Personally I will keep a track bike and i want a dirt bike. Motard combo idea isn't my preference.

LOL goody this means you don't ever need to ride mine then! :P

[Sean]

I think most motard owners don't take theirs offroad. Around here we have a couple of kart tracks that open themselves up to motard days which is fun, cheap, super easy trackdays. I only ride mine in the dirt as a backup when someone else's dirty breaks and I give them my KTM. It will get around a trail, but once you see sand it's over. I wouldn't buy a motard if I was planning on using it like a dirt bike unless I had a 2nd set of wheels, they're too heavy and have too little grip on anything soft.