What's your ideal light, nimble, inexpensive project?

So, Taiden, do you have an engine preference?

500 miles on a dirt bike = welcome to iron butt land

Have you seen the suzuki DRZ400 SM? My friend had one he commuted on for a year... 30 mins each way. Seat was super uncomfortable for me, but wheelies and stoppies and other hooligan things (hopping curbs, climbing stairs, etc) were just a finger's grab away.

Pretty neat bike, and ones with cosmetic damage are in your price range. I've seen nice drivers going for $2k in private sales.

alex wrote: So, Taiden, do you have an engine preference?

Are you talking layout?

They each have their advantages.

I do like the vtwins though. If I were going to rock an older cafe style bike a CB350 four would be exciting tho. It seems like most hooligan bikes are singles...

It really depends. If I were to pick only one I would guess vtwin.

That's what I'm talking about. As much as I appreciate modern I-4s for their incredible technological sophistication, they do nothing for me when I ride 'em. I'm a twin and single guy all the way. Gotta have the torque.

For around that money, you should be able to find something fairly modern that won't cause headaches over parts availability and aftermarket support. Somebody mentioned it earlier, but the SV650 is the Miata of sportbikes, just because it's so good at what it does, and it doing it cheaply, and with an easily moddable platform. You'd have to do a little digging, but you should be able to get an SV in rideable condition for around that money, and be able to mod as you go.

It was a bit of a fluke, but I got my TL1000S for $1300 from the classifieds at a bike-specific forum, either TLZone or TLPlanet. Often those specific site are where you find the best deals.

If you have a dealer near you, you may want to check out Hyosungs as well. I used to sell the things, and I was quite intrigued by the platform. They can be had for cheap used, but you'll have to deal with a lesser support network for OEM and aftermarket parts. It's coming along, though.

Either way, it sounds to me like something along the lines of 'streetfigher' is what you're looking for: minimal bodywork, higher bars for maneuverability. The SV is basically that bike stock, Hyosungs are there or close, depending on the model. Hell if you're not as cold with fours as I am, you could easily find a crashed-up sportbike and give it the proper streetfighter treatment. (And you'd get a lot of performance for your money that way.)

If you're intrigued by motards, I'd also look at older Suzuki DR-Z400 models with light kits. Even though they were dirt-oriented dual sports, they make pretty good streetbikes, and they're only a wheel swap away from full motardness. Bone stock, they'll cruise at 80 on the highway, but they're not long-distance comfy doing it. The Kaw KLX650 is a lesser known model that was also very dirt oriented, but can pretty easily be converted. Depends on where your priorities lie.

If you're going with a 4 the Bandit 600 is tough to beat, too. I'd still take the SV650, though.

The latest issue of Motorcycle Classics magazine has an article on the Steve McQueen edition Triumph Metisse. They're expensive but I want one.

Another one to consider in the vein of lightweight, nimble, exciting but not overpowered bikes is the Bandit 400: link

14000rpm, under 400lb, IMO very sexy looking for its age... not sure why these haven't become the cult bike that the HGT has. Is the twin really that important? (says the guy who has never ridden a twin, heh)

I found one of these a couple years ago in NH for $1000 on craigslist and I am STILL mad at myself for not making the time to go take a look at it before it was gone.

Josh wrote: Another one to consider in the vein of lightweight, nimble, exciting but not overpowered bikes is the Bandit 400: link 14000rpm, under 400lb, IMO very sexy looking for its age... not sure why these haven't become the cult bike that the HGT has. Is the twin really that important? (says the guy who has never ridden a twin, heh) I found one of these a couple years ago in NH for $1000 on craigslist and I am STILL mad at myself for not making the time to go take a look at it before it was gone.

COOL bike! I like it. I wish it was a vtwin tho... Is there anything out there like this that is a vtwin? Aren't GS500s vtwins?

I really, really like the Bandit 400, especially the nekkid red one with white wheels. Unfortunately they're pretty rare and I've never been able to find one for sale for a reasonable price.

The GS500 is a vertical twin. Outside of the SV, I don't think Suzuki ever built any small bore V-twin sporty bikes (at least not that were sold in the US.)

stuart in mn wrote: I really, really like the Bandit 400, especially the nekkid red one with white wheels. Unfortunately they're pretty rare and I've never been able to find one for sale for a reasonable price. The GS500 is a vertical twin. Outside of the SV, I don't think Suzuki ever built any small bore V-twin sporty bikes (at least not that were sold in the US.)

Oh my. I didn't even know they put straight-two motors in bikes. What is the most noticeable difference between a <90 vtwin, a 90 vtwin, and a straight two?

I had a honda cb-1 that still recurs in random dreams. Awesome small bore if you can find one. The sad thing is two strokes don't get great gas mileage(I'm talking RD/RZ's here, not little strokers). Bandit 400 is great(i hear). What about a ninja/EX 500? A big single has whomp, and still gets 50+ mpg. I agree with the SV 650 statement above. Got a 650 V-Strom that is great.Seca 600? A Supermotarded single is more fun than most mortals can handle.Hawks are awesome, but about as hard to find as a CB-1.

I am convincing myself to work on the bike a lot more this summer. I haven't touched it in a whole year, and man does it need some love. Here's one of the last pictures I took of it:

It's an RD350, fyi. And yes, that's my dad's amazing garage.

honda hornet 250 dohc i4, 40hp, 332lbs, 16krpm

Someone say GS500?

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/1118250837.html

I'm diggin the RD350.

I found one of these a couple years ago in NH for $1000 on craigslist and I am STILL mad at myself for not making the time to go take a look at it before it was gone.

Yeah, well we're all mad at you, too!

wheelsmithy wrote: Bandit 400 is great(i hear). What about a ninja/EX 500? A big single has whomp, and still gets 50+ mpg.

Not sure if the single was referencing the bandit, but the ninja/EX 500 is just like the Suzuki GS500....inline twin. Very fun little bike though, I had a '93 as my first one, plenty light and nimble, and even the ~40 hp was enough to scare yourself silly if you kept it on full-boil. Mine looked identical to this one:

Do you all think that a thumper like a DRZ400 or a XRR/XRL will handle better than a sport bike provided that it has supermoto wheels and sticky tires?

That seems to be the claims on thumpertalk and supermotojunkie.

If that's the case, it's hard for me to say no to a supermoto. Now I understand why people who are into bikes own more than three.

You're lucky that you are probably tall enough to straddle a supermoto flatfooted, I really like the idea but I'd drop it at every other stoplight.

Josh wrote: You're lucky that you are probably tall enough to straddle a supermoto flatfooted, I really like the idea but I'd drop it at every other stoplight.

Yeah, but the other side to that is you could rock something like a Husky 450 SMR and not feel cramped. :)

Oh, and I don't know if I mentioned it in this thread, but I am 6'3" 177 lbs.

Taiden wrote: Do you all think that a thumper like a DRZ400 or a XRR/XRL will handle better than a sport bike provided that it has supermoto wheels and sticky tires? That seems to be the claims on thumpertalk and supermotojunkie.

No. Way too tall center of gravity. Too long of suspension travel (even if your shorten the forks). Those supermoto guys must fall on their heads alot if they think that they handle better then a true sport bike. That is like a guy with a Ford Lighting thinking that his truck will handle better then a sports car just because it handles better then other trucks. Given a clean sheet of paper, what would an engineer come up with if tasked with designing a great handling motorcycle? Something that looks like a sport bike or something that looks like a dirt bike?

With modern bikes, it all comes down to the rider. They're all better machines than most people will ever realize.

Motards are tall, but cg isn't everything here. In fact, I'd say that their significantly lighter weight, lower rotational intertia and, as is often the case, skinnier tires, will make up for what they give away in cg.

And on a tight track, the motard will triumph by virtue of handlebar leverage and flickability. Hell, plenty of motards race on tracks with corners so tight my TL couldn't even get around them in one attempt (it thinks it's Italian).

To discount a motard on a twisty road is to prepare one's self for embarassment.

So, to finally answer your titular question, Taiden, here's my recommendation: find the cheapest 400-650 dirtbike you can find in a condition you're comfortable with working, spend the rest of the project money on motard wheels and tires* and refreshing the stock suspension and brakes - fork seals & oil, springs if they're sacked out, rebuild the shock if possible, new HH pads and brake fluid. You'll have a torquey, nimble streetbike with plenty of suspension to cover up bad asphalt to make general riding comfortable, with sticky rubber to handle the twisty bits.

Slap on a shorty front fender, and don't forget to paint it black. Motards always look best in black.

*Keep 'em skinny! You only need as much back tire as your engine is powerful. You're not trying to put down 200 hp, so you don't need a 190 rear tire, no matter what the forum geeks tell you. Skinny back tires make for extremely quick turn-in.

alex wrote: With modern bikes, it all comes down to the rider. They're all better machines than most people will ever realize. Motards are tall, but cg isn't everything here. In fact, I'd say that their significantly lighter weight, lower rotational intertia and, as is often the case, skinnier tires, will make up for what they give away in cg. And on a tight track, the motard will triumph by virtue of handlebar leverage and flickability. Hell, plenty of motards race on tracks with corners so tight my TL couldn't even get around them in one attempt (it thinks it's Italian). To discount a motard on a twisty road is to prepare one's self for embarassment.

Still doesn't mean that they handle better then a sport bike. What the hell is "lower rotational intertia" - the crank and motor internals? Sure that will make a difference if your last name is Rossi, but the fact that the wheelbase is 5" longer on a dirt bike will more then offset that.

When you say "on a tight track" - you mean a go kart track, not a race track. A sport bike will barley have the steering lock to make the corners at walking pace.

If you want to say that a supermoto will handle better given a incredibly unique set of circumstances, then sure they will handle better there.

Rotational inertia meaning gyroscopic inertia. Less brake rotor mass, skinnier tires, often lighter wheels.

In general, they're lighter bikes, more flickable into corners, with gobs of useable torque at corner exit.

I'll say it again: discount a motard on a twisty road, and you're begging to eat crow.