Thinking of selling my sportbike and getting a SM

[Frankienuckles]

Fun, yes! Highways, not so much. Good second bike!

[JReazor]

It sounds like what you really need is a Burgman. I've heard that those are good.



 

[Kraz]

Commuting in Chicago?  I'd want something with quite a bit of wind protection and a decent alternator that takes hardbags.  A DRZ is not that.  

I wouldn't really want a sport bike either.  I would go for an ST bike, or an ADV bike for the potholes and more comfort.

SM would be fun for a romp around town or a short commute, and some dirt roads - but that's about it.

[superfuzz]

I always wanted an Aprilia SVX 5.5 supermoto as my second bike. Like a DRZ but with more balls.  *sigh*  Too many kids to pay for tho'

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[1000lbs]

I'll agree with the nake/standard as a better fit for that commute.  With your commute and wanting a SM/DS a Versys might be a nice fit.  Longer softer suspension then the street fighters, and lighter and more narrow then a big bore machine.

For the SM/DS.  I've spent time on both the DR650 and DRZ400s.  On the freeway the DR has the upper hand and I had some fun on paved twisties even with the 21.  The DRZ wins in the dirt.  They'll both go the same places, but the DR is a pig and will require a lot more effort and skill.

[wibornz]

A Versys would be a great bike for what the OP is looking for.

[Fourstring]

Yeah, I guess I needed to sleep on it.


A big part of this was financially neutral.  We're buying a house next year so a commuter/ST mount really isn't in the works.  So I'm sticking with what I've got.  

[Orson]

I hate to be Captain Obvious   but a Guzzi will cure whut ails ya  

[Rincewind]

Yeah, I guess I needed to sleep on it.


A big part of this was financially neutral.  We're buying a house next year so a commuter/ST mount really isn't in the works.  So I'm sticking with what I've got.  

Sounds like a smart move, and you did say how much you love the Ninja.  It seems your dilemma is about getting the time to ride more than what you are riding.  It may mean you need to block off some "me" time on a few weekends a month.  

[Fourstring]

It seems your dilemma is about getting the time to ride more than what you are riding.  It may mean you need to block off some "me" time on a few weekends hours a month.  

FTFY  

FWIW, here's the bike that kinda inspired the thought process.  Looks like a pretty good deal, and it's at a dealer I'd absolutely trust.

[mxvet57]

Just looked at the pic's and talk about ridden hard and put away wet.

Looks like they didn't even try to clean it up for sale.

[Hunter]

4

What kind of mileage are you getting on your 9? I average around 40 hooning it up in the mountains. I-state droning, while I've never truly bothered to figure it out, I would think around 50. I'm using stock gearing fwiw also and still can't keep the front end down..

Unless your commute is mostly secondary streets I think you'd probably grow to hate the DRZ. The power for the highway is anemic at best and while it will do 75 on the freeway the engine is screaming and gulping fuel. Peg'd downhill I got 92 indicated on my DRZ. The tank is tiny @ 2.6 gallons and ringing the snot out of it (which while fun for a while became tiring) regularly returned about 80 miles to a tank. The stock seat should be a violation of the Geneva convention, it's that bad. Aftermarket to the rescue but it's $$$. The stock suspension also sucks donkey balls.

In town riding is about the only place were it was kinda fun. Jumping curbs and such and hooning it up a lower speeds (cause that's all it's got) is about the only saving grace the bike had for me but it wasn't enough love for me to keep it around so off it went.

The DRZ might make it as a third bike in the garage, that one you pull out occasionally to run to the store for milk and such but not as a work commuter me thinks. If it was me, I'd be looking for a Nighthawk 750 with a decent sized wind screen. It screams commuter. There cheap used, ugly yes but cheap and reliable. Hydraulic valves so no maintenance other than a carb clean and sync to go with the occasional spark plug change and oil change. It has chain final drive but a scott oiler and that becomes a no maintenance issue once you get the drip rate correct. I've seen some on C-list with ridiculously low mileage going in the 1500 to 2k range, garage bikes owned by older folks who just took them out on pretty sundays is my guess.

This isn't a "buy my bike" post either, the N-hawk 750 is too ugly for me. Sorry I'm cheap and shallow but if they had made it to look like the 84 - 86 N-hawk 700 S I'd have one in the garage. Awesome bike in it's day.

[Jeff]

Nate, I had a WR250X for a couple years. I never commuted in Chicago, but for around Ottawa, it was PERFECT. After I traded it for the Sprint, I realized that the Sprint is completely wrong for the riding I do, as I never have the chance to go on long rides. If I could magically turn the Sprint into a Street Triple or something like that, I'd do it in a second.  In hindsight I quite liked having the SM. I could ride like a complete tool and not get in trouble because I was only doing 40 mph. And the same time was getting 50+ mpg. I sat bolt upright, and pretty high, so I could see over the hoods of the cars and trucks next to me, it was totally agile which made abrupt lane changes easy, moving around in the garage easy, riding through friends' yards over curbs easy, it was just good clean hooligan fun.

I also rode it to the Peoria TT one year. I had about 9 miles of interstate to ride. That was the only 9 miles of interstate I had ever been on with that bike for a reason. Reason being that it was 9 miles of hell. Slab and SMs do not mix.

On the way home from the TT I rode back with bomber, and while he was on his Tiger riding in relaxing peace at about 70, I was behind him on the WR-X, also doing 70, but instead of relaxing peace the bike was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!  

That all is the long way of saying, in my experience, short rides, slow speeds, SMs are great, but if there is ANY slab at all, think of something else.

Jeff

[bomber]

Buy a beater.

Ride the Twat.

Sell the beater.

Revenue neutral.

See? I'm here to help.

[02Tac]

What about a Strom?

[Jeff]

Ride the Twat.

What I want to know is, is that a typo, or did you just tell Nate to ride the twat?  

[bomber]

What I want to know is, is that a typo, or did you just tell Nate to ride the twat?  

Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail.

;-}

Mostly dirt, gravel, dual and single track from Galena to Lake Superior.

[black hills]

get a SM, learn the proper "backing it in" technique and enjoy

[Jeff]

Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail.

;-}

Mostly dirt, gravel, dual and single track from Galena to Lake Superior.

Ohhhh!

[Dan K]

Yeah, I guess I needed to sleep on it.


A big part of this was financially neutral.  We're buying a house next year so a commuter/ST mount really isn't in the works.  So I'm sticking with what I've got.  

You should buy Jeff's ST.  Perfect for a long highway commute, great wind/weather protection, and still can handle the twisties.  With Jeff's Ohlins set up, you could still enjoy it at the track I took the Sprint to Putnam for my first ever track day, was a blast.  Jeff's bike is likely to be at least as agile as the bike you're replacing.  Cost? He's practically giving it away - close to cost of a decent DRZ400SM.  Jeff's bike is a steal and it's what you need.  Storage? Check.  Great for highway? Check.  Cost as much as a Ninja 1000?  NOPE.

- Dan