Suggestions on a dual sport

Coloradogoose · 12-19-2022, 11:21 PM

Hoping for some feedback on the bikes I'm looking at. I live in Colorado and ride anywhere from an elevation of 6,000 feet up over 13,000 feet. It's all dirt roads and rocky 4x4 passes. I tend to stay away from singletrack. I've owned a CRF250L, and while I loved it, I just can't justify the expense on something I won't ride all that often.

I currently ride a Goldwing, a Royal Enfield Himalayan, and a Lifan KPM200. The Himma is set up for ADV riding with hard boxes, so I'd rather lean more towards the dirt side with this bike. I plan to do some overnights, but I have a good rackless softbag setup I can use. Being able to go 65 MPH for 10-15 miles at a time would be appreciated, but not a deal breaker. I can ride to my rides here so no trailering this bike. I still need it to tractor at slow speeds, so torque is a plus. I'd like to stick close to $2000 if possible.

The bikes I've considered and my thoughts so far:

Templar regular, X, or M. : I like the suspension adjustability (X) and the 249cc engine. Carbed, which has caused problems at elevation in my old Super Sherpa. Also, it's not DOT approved from what I can see, and I haven't found a thread where anyone from Colorado has gotten one registered.

Brozz 250 Recon: Seems like a pretty tough bike at a good price. Carbed, which can be a problem with elevation changes.

Hawk: lots of user info out there. EFI, which is good for elevation. Feel like the early ones were hit or miss on quality. Has that gotten better? DOT approved.

CSC TT250: I mention this one because I did look into it, but with shipping, fees, etc, it ses to be a bit high priced for not offering EFI. (I realize that's good for some, but I really like EFI at elevation). Is the quality that much better to be worth saving a bit longer?

Anything else to look at? I've always worked on my own bikes but appreciate little quality improvements between companies. I'd love any thoughts from anyone. I am also well aware this is a cheap Chinese bike, so just hoping for what will be the best out of the options but not perfection.

12-19-2022, 11:21 PM	#1
Coloradogoose Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 91	Suggestions on a dual sport Hoping for some feedback on the bikes I'm looking at. I live in Colorado and ride anywhere from an elevation of 6,000 feet up over 13,000 feet. It's all dirt roads and rocky 4x4 passes. I tend to stay away from singletrack. I've owned a CRF250L, and while I loved it, I just can't justify the expense on something I won't ride all that often. I currently ride a Goldwing, a Royal Enfield Himalayan, and a Lifan KPM200. The Himma is set up for ADV riding with hard boxes, so I'd rather lean more towards the dirt side with this bike. I plan to do some overnights, but I have a good rackless softbag setup I can use. Being able to go 65 MPH for 10-15 miles at a time would be appreciated, but not a deal breaker. I can ride to my rides here so no trailering this bike. I still need it to tractor at slow speeds, so torque is a plus. I'd like to stick close to $2000 if possible. The bikes I've considered and my thoughts so far: Templar regular, X, or M. : I like the suspension adjustability (X) and the 249cc engine. Carbed, which has caused problems at elevation in my old Super Sherpa. Also, it's not DOT approved from what I can see, and I haven't found a thread where anyone from Colorado has gotten one registered. Brozz 250 Recon: Seems like a pretty tough bike at a good price. Carbed, which can be a problem with elevation changes. Hawk: lots of user info out there. EFI, which is good for elevation. Feel like the early ones were hit or miss on quality. Has that gotten better? DOT approved. CSC TT250: I mention this one because I did look into it, but with shipping, fees, etc, it ses to be a bit high priced for not offering EFI. (I realize that's good for some, but I really like EFI at elevation). Is the quality that much better to be worth saving a bit longer? Anything else to look at? I've always worked on my own bikes but appreciate little quality improvements between companies. I'd love any thoughts from anyone. I am also well aware this is a cheap Chinese bike, so just hoping for what will be the best out of the options but not perfection.
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