Why are Dual sports so heavy?

[Mr Lefty]

watch'n The Long Way Round... I notice how many problems they had with the bikes being so heavy... so it made me wonder... why... why do they need to be so massive? those BMW's can't be picked up by one person... WTF!? that's insane... especially with how tall they are.

are all the TOURING Dual sports that big? or just the BMW's?

[nhgunnut]

watch'n The Long Way Round... I notice how many problems they had with the bikes being so heavy... so it made me wonder... why... why do they need to be so massive? those BMW's can't be picked up by one person... WTF!? that's insane... especially with how tall they are.

are all the TOURING Dual sports that big? or just the BMW's?

The Key word is adventure Touring, and the GS is heavy even for its class .. I lust after the KTM 990 Adventure.. Regardless of weight this is a Very
fun class of bike The high ride height long suspension travel and sport bike motors make them insanely fun to ride and opens up lots of new places to ride. The bike I most regret selling (while not quite in the same class) is my 04 V-Strom 1000. there was road that wasn't fun to ride on.

[Katherine]

Not sure why, but I had a friend that took his Yamaha FJR out on the track and rode the hell out of it at the Gap. I find they make it easier to fix mistakes when you ride.

[upshift]

I dont really think its because its that their so heavy, but because the weight is located much more towards the top of the bike than a sport bike. My 230 is pretty hard to pick up when down and it only weighs 236lbs. You have to lift it alot higher in order to get it up on two again. Also, the reason why they are so tall is so that they can clear trees, hills, etc. and not get stuck on the engine case.

[ceo012384]

I dont really think its because its that their so heavy, but because the weight is located much more towards the top of the bike than a sport bike. My 230 is pretty hard to pick up when down and it only weighs 236lbs. You have to lift it alot higher in order to get it up on two again. Also, the reason why they are so tall is so that they can clear trees, hills, etc. and not get stuck on the engine case.

Exactly what I was thinking. A full size engine (say like a bimmer or a 650 or whatever) that's up that high, with long travel forks and everything... that's a long ass moment arm to lift/pivot the weight around.

[fnfalman]

Let's make a couple of distinctions here vis-a-vis dual sports versus adventure bikes.

Dual sports are like the Suzuki DR650, KLR650, a couple of Honda 450s, Yamaha 250s, street legal Aprilia RXV, and a couple of KTM thumpers. These bikes are dirt bikes that are either barely street legal with lights and emission compliant exhausts (RXV, DRZ, et al) or they have chasses that are designed for street riding as well as offroading ala DR650 and KLR650. A bike chassis for street riding is heavier than offroading because of the high speeds involved so they need to be stiffer with less flex. That's part of the reason for the weight. More fairings, heavier wheels and tires, other niceties that a dirt bike doesn't require, they all add up to additional weight.

Adventure bikes like the BMW GS, KTM Adventure, the Aprilia Caponord, V-Strom, etc. are both touring bikes AND dual sport (more or less on the dual sport). So, coupled with the much bigger engines and other touring design doodads, next thing you know, you have a heavy bike. THEN you add your camping gears and guess what? Frankly Obiwan and his boytoy Boorman were better saved by the BMW F650GS than the big ass boxer twin R1150GS or R1200GS, but then the little thumper GS isn't as "sexy".

[Mr Lefty]

Let's make a couple of distinctions here vis-a-vis dual sports versus adventure bikes.

Dual sports are like the Suzuki DR650, KLR650, a couple of Honda 450s, Yamaha 250s, street legal Aprilia RXV, and a couple of KTM thumpers. These bikes are dirt bikes that are either barely street legal with lights and emission compliant exhausts (RXV, DRZ, et al) or they have chasses that are designed for street riding as well as offroading ala DR650 and KLR650. A bike chassis for street riding is heavier than offroading because of the high speeds involved so they need to be stiffer with less flex. That's part of the reason for the weight. More fairings, heavier wheels and tires, other niceties that a dirt bike doesn't require, they all add up to additional weight.

Adventure bikes like the BMW GS, KTM Adventure, the Aprilia Caponord, V-Strom, etc. are both touring bikes AND dual sport (more or less on the dual sport). So, coupled with the much bigger engines and other touring design doodads, next thing you know, you have a heavy bike. THEN you add your camping gears and guess what? Frankly Obiwan and his boytoy Boorman were better saved by the BMW F650GS than the big ass boxer twin R1150GS or R1200GS, but then the little thumper GS isn't as "sexy".

ok my bad... didn't realize the diffrence between adventure and dual sports...


and yeah I though the little GS would have done well for them... wonder if it was because BMW wanted to display their "flagship" bike and not the little 650... don't think they'd have near the problems they did if they were on the lighter bike... :2cents: though where Ewan gets hit in Canada.. the bigger bike probably saved him

[fnfalman]

I'm sure that BMW wanted them to ride the flagship GS too. But I gotta give it to those two dudes. It's a motherfucker manhandling those things offroad.

[Mr Lefty]

yeah I was like FUCK THAT! watching them ride in mongolia... especially when Claudio (sp?) the cameraman's bike fucked up and they bought a little Russian bike... he rode through no issues... cause it was so light... and the BMW's sunk like fuck'n tanks!

[No Worries]

On the first episode of Long Way Round, they wanted to get the KTM bikes, but KTM didn't think it could be done (go around the world), so KTM would not give them the bikes.

[Mr Lefty]

Yeah I saw that... I lost lots of respect for KTM for that...

bet they kicked themselves a little when the show came out...

[fnfalman]

On the first episode of Long Way Round, they wanted to get the KTM bikes, but KTM didn't think it could be done (go around the world), so KTM would not give them the bikes.

No, that's not the case at all. They wanted KTM to foot the bills, provide the bikes and technical supports. KTM told them to shove it.

[Mr Lefty]

They proposed the idea to KTM and BMW... both offered to provide bikes, and tech support... but KTM wanted to have them meet with an "expert" first... and took that expert's recomindation... and decided that they probably wouldn't make it.

what ever I still think KTM pussed out... they weren't going to "foot the bill" for the trip... just provide the bike and tech support. the trip was funded by the production company and my Ewan and Charlie... to which they were repaid for by their books and the movie.

Those BMW's were just HUGE beasts... they should have used the model Charlie used for the Race to Dakar series... but it's all moot... they made it... so no harm no foul.

though i did find it interesting only 1 out of the 3 bikes didn't have the sub frame break...