Counterbalancer or not?

[mtiberio]

Want a 229cc pushrod enduro/dualsport. Figure it will be 90% street. Is it worth it getting one with a counterbalancer?

[Merlin]

I have the counterbalanced one and for the street its great. Very smooth ride.

[A1R 250 bob]

Originally Posted by mtiberio

Want a 229cc pushrod enduro/dualsport. Figure it will be 90% street. Is it worth it getting one with a counterbalancer?

It depends on budget and the normal speed you will be operating. My TBR7 is pretty buzzy at plus 45 MPH. Under 45 it is comfortable. Padded grips and rubber foot pegs make it tolerable for longer street rides.

[Mudflap]

I've owned both and prefer the non balance version. Not everyone will agree with me but the sound and feel is more natural without the balance shaft. Fewer wear parts too.

[Megadan]

If the bike is going to be almost exclusively a road bike, then get a counter balanced engine and the smaller wheels/tires like that of the Brozz.

I personally don't mind the non-balanced engine, but I can also tolerate vibrations more than many people on this forum it seems.

[mtiberio]

Originally Posted by Megadan

If the bike is going to be almost exclusively a road bike, then get a counter balanced engine and the smaller wheels/tires like that of the Brozz.

I personally don't mind the non-balanced engine, but I can also tolerate vibrations more than many people on this forum it seems.

Ooh, I like the Brozz. Has decent looking chain tension adjusters. Not the crap hunk of sheet metal my TT250 had. With smaller wheels, seat height lower?

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by mtiberio

Ooh, I like the Brozz. Has decent looking chain tension adjusters. Not the crap hunk of sheet metal my TT250 had. With smaller wheels, seat height lower?

Yep, about a 2 to 3 inch lower seat and 17 rear 19 front wheels. IMHO the Brozz Recon/Blue Eagle are probably the best bang for buck street oriented dual sport on the market. If I only had one desire it would be to see an option for the 18 rear and 21 inch front wheels for guys that want them.

Another Bashan/Rocketa option that is mostly street oriented is the DB-47 250.. 17 inch cast wheels with sumo sized tires. Looks pretty cool too and also counter balanced

[OneLeggedRider]

You're not buying a street/touring bike, you're buying a dualsport. Are you taking a 500 mile trip? These bikes are barely fast enough for the highway and definitely aren't freeway capable. Buy something else if you wanna spend hours on the pavement. As Megadan said the difference is negligible at most, and the uncomfortable seat will probably affect you more than the vibration on a long haul. If you wanna know what actual vibration feels like ride an old school Harley or a big bore 2 stroke.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by OneLeggedRider

You're not buying a street/touring bike, you're buying a dualsport. Are you taking a 500 mile trip? These bikes are barely fast enough for the highway and definitely aren't freeway capable.

He didn't really mention highway or freeway use, just "street."

I do agree that if you do want a highway capable bike these aren't the best suited, but they CAN do highway riding to some degree as long as they are geared for it and you don't really need to maintain speeds greater than say 60mph for an extended period of time. I use mine to travel state highways quite regularly for moderate distances.

I do agree that the seats are the real enemy for long rides.

[mtiberio]

Originally Posted by OneLeggedRider

You're not buying a street/touring bike, you're buying a dualsport. Are you taking a 500 mile trip? These bikes are barely fast enough for the highway and definitely aren't freeway capable. Buy something else if you wanna spend hours on the pavement. As Megadan said the difference is negligible at most, and the uncomfortable seat will probably affect you more than the vibration on a long haul. If you wanna know what actual vibration feels like ride an old school Harley or a big bore 2 stroke.

No worries, I had a CSC TT250, regeared. Good for short trips on an interstate if you were only going a short exit or two. After years of riding mopeds and scooters, I know how to survive on an underpowered bike. And oh yes, I have had my share of big Harleys, Road Stars, Guzzis, etc so I know vibration. As I get older, my joints tolerate it less. Really looking for an urban assault vehicle that can also do graded dirt roads. I'll probably go for a Brozz, new it ends up about $500 cheaper than a TT250.

[Goob]

Originally Posted by Megadan

Yep, about a 2 to 3 inch lower seat and 17 rear 19 front wheels. IMHO the Brozz Recon/Blue Eagle are probably the best bang for buck street oriented dual sport on the market. If I only had one desire it would be to see an option for the 18 rear and 21 inch front wheels for guys that want them.

Another Bashan/Rocketa option that is mostly street oriented is the DB-47 250.. 17 inch cast wheels with sumo sized tires. Looks pretty cool too and also counter balanced

I like that DB-47-250. Lighter weight and more street. 3 gallon tank. Tubeless tires! I didn't know it existed, but I see it on a bunch of on-line retailers now that you pointed it out. And, it is a pretty good deal at under $2K.

The Roteka site even has a Manual with a wiring diagram. Unusual for most of these bikes. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zNc...YR3MCF4cu/view

Do you think it is the Zongshen counterbalance engine....or do others make this too?

I am already "all in" on my TT250, but sure like this bike. Would like to find a low fender like this has for the inverted forks that would fit my bike and get rid of my "sail". I guess I'll start looking around for one.

Thanks.

[2LZ]

If they were legal here, i'd love to have a Brozz. Way nicer swing arm than the average china bike. USD forks, more street friendly tire and wheel setup, USD forks and a counterbalanced motor.

The Apollo Delux would be another at the top of the list.....but again, we CA folks don't have those options.

[NoBs]

Originally Posted by mtiberio

Want a 229cc pushrod enduro/dualsport. Figure it will be 90% street. Is it worth it getting one with a counterbalancer?

Most folks ( I think ) would want more than a 90/10 street bike in order to justify a dual sport bike. I think the question to answer first, which no one brought up, is what will be that 10 percent dirt be like ? Would it be simply a gravel highway occasionally or real honest to goodness dirt/trail riding ? Getting down and dirty in a real trail/dirt/rocky/hill climb/mud situation may have you wondering why you bought a dual sport in the first place, especially one geared for the highway. Answering that first should steer you toward what you should consider getting. As others have said, you wouldn't mind the vibration in the woods but at a 90 percent street usage it's certainly a valid concern.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by NoBs

Most folks ( I think ) would want more than a 90/10 street bike in order to justify a dual sport bike. I think the question to answer first, which no one brought up, is what will be that 10 percent dirt be like ? Would it be simply a gravel highway occasionally or real honest to goodness dirt/trail riding ? Getting down and dirty in a real trail/dirt/rocky/hill climb/mud situation may have you wondering why you bought a dual sport in the first place, especially one geared for the highway. Answering that first should steer you toward what you should consider getting. As others have said, you wouldn't mind the vibration in the woods but at a 90 percent street usage it's certainly a valid concern.

I would hazard a guess that like many here "Trail" would qualify more as a light to moderate trail, usually being single or dual track hard pack, gravel, or maybe sand. Most of these budget dual sports aren't really meant for more difficult terrain. It's not that they can't do it, but that they were never really intended for it. Even the Honda NX160 the Hawk and most of these bikes emulate was designed for what I could consider third world urban-suburban riding and low maintenance dirt roads. Not trekking the mountains or rain forest or doing jumps off of ramps.

[culcune]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

The Apollo Delux would be another at the top of the list.....but again, we CA folks don't have those options.

I haven't looked at the CARB EO list lately, but I believe they are Green Stickered up to the 2019 model year. So, you could own one in California to go offroading with. I know the suspension is a lot more street oriented, so why would one want one over its pure dirtbike stablemate? Lights in case you get caught out later than expected, especially in the winter. I know that a couple Pitster bikes are Red stickered for you Californians, including a couple of full-size ones. You can find the exact models on the CARB site, but they are not listed under 'Pitster Pro'.