Dirtbike Reccomendations for Hitch Mount Knockin About!

[HenryJ]

...I find the TW, while a hoot to ride, a wee bit under powered...

A well stocked quiver is a nice thing to have, but if a person needs one do-it-all bike, personal compromises varies from one person to the next.

Amen and I totally agree. Pulling hills or with a stiff headwind the TW200 will really struggle to maintain 55 mph. Two up works it pretty hard. I am sure it and the cockroaches will be the only survivors of a disaster. You just can not kill either.
My high desert terrain and forest roads are going to be different than others might normally traverse. My idea of a fun ride might differ too.

As with any tool, some work better for a given task. I prefer to ride the KLR650 as my commuter now. It handles two up better and highway speeds. If I need to cover lots of miles I have my old V65 Sabre in the garage.

[Kermit]

How is it getting tires for TW's while on the road?

Seems like an odd ball size, and not all shops would carry them.

I have sliced tires beyond repair on the dirt bike, and usually 99% of the time I can buy a new tire quite easily. Even carry two spares, typically a buddy who didn't bring spares has a problem, then uses mine...then it seems like it snowballs....

Had to buy tires at least 4 different trips while on the road in the past.

[HenryJ]

How is it getting tires for TW's while on the road?

They do really good. Less vibe than a knobby on the KLR. I put a Maxis up front in place of the stock tire for a bit more bite offroad.
The rear is a comparable size to the fronts on a quad, so there are a few to choose from. I like the original tire the best out back though.

Seems like an odd ball size, and not all shops would carry them.

If you did trash one, a front off a quad and a rear off a dirt bike would work. Not as hard to find and more selection than the rear tire on my KLR650 , in my experience.

I have sliced tires beyond repair on the dirt bike, and usually 99% of the time I can buy a new tire quite easily. Even carry two spares, typically a buddy who didn't bring spares has a problem, then uses mine...then it seems like it snowballs....

Had to buy tires at least 4 different trips while on the road in the past.

The TW lacks the power to really shred a tire. These tires are heavy and take lots of abuse. I can see shredding a dirt bike tire, but have no fear of that on the TW.
I too might want a spare for a cross country expedition, but then I think I'd also like a few more cc than the TW has

[Kermit]

Good to know, thanks HenryJ

[RHINO]

all the best choices will be real limiting on the two up at 55MPH requirement, but i think something like an XT225 might be a better choice than a tdub if only because of tire selection while travelling. i'd really like to get my hands on a tricker, but thats a different conversation.

[Stumpalump]

XR 250L or street legal XR 250R are great bikes that are built to last forever and will run out on the interstate if needed.

[Stumpalump]

I just bumped a XR 400 with a street title in the bikes for sale section. I forgot I had it when I mentioned the 250. The best things about XRs is they are bulletproof reliable and super easy to ride. I'm north of Phoenix if you want to take it for a spin.

[SWbySWesty]

I'll chime in on my experience with my drz400sm and hitch carrier. It's light enough to be on the hitch at just over 300lbs wet. It'll do highway two-up, but just note that you'll definitely know she's back there no matter how light she is. Also note that it's a dirtbike, so the seat is narrow - and gets narrower for the passenger.

-Able to carry two adults (350 lbs. combined weight) for heading into town for groceries (6 miles) CHECK
-Reliable CHECK
-Reasonably quiet CHECK (KEEP THE STOCK EXHAUST FOR QUIET)
-Fast enough for occasional use on pavement with speeds around 55-60mph It's great for cruising around, grabbing groceries, exploring trails. Are you looking for more pavement or offroad use? I actually find that with my gearing (for the track), it cruises better at 50-60mph than 75mph.
-Available used in the $2K to $4K range. CHECK - although depending on if you get a dirt drz or the supermoto depends on how much dirt you plan to do.

[jkam]

I carry a Super Sherpa on the back of my Lazy Daze with a custom rack.
The Sherpa is an awesome bike for just about everything. It will run all day at 65 mph on the highway, is geared low enough for off road use and is fine 2 up as long as you don't plan on getting anywhere fast. Plenty or racks available for adding a top case, I use a small Actionpacker and a Polar Bear soft cooler to do my grocery getting and laundry.
If you can find one, they usually are in the $2000 range as they hold their value rather nicely. Kawasaki brought it back for 2009 but for some reason stopped selling it again and I've seen the 2009's selling for about 3,400 new from dealers wanting to get rid of it.

If I were looking at new bikes this size, I'd look at the 2013 Yamaha xt 250, it is now fuel injected which can be nice.

[billy bee]

My vote would be for a DRz SM or a KTM LC4 SM 400/640. The KTM is a more expensive to operate, but you won't want for power like you might on a stock DRz.

And I would get an SM. they are generally geared for steet use right out of the box. But, with the right tires (Distanzia, Scorpion), can handle miles and miles of fire roads and even single track. The TKC80 is soon to be available in a 120/70-17 for the front of an SM.

I would also go with a KTM because of weight. They are lighter than most anything of comparable displacement. And they are orange...

Bill