dual sport v.s. pure dirt bike

vice108 · 07-07-2007, 07:48 PM

A question for the China bike veterans. I want a bike for primarily off road use. Not MX racing or anything - just riding trails, powerlines, exploring, etc.. Are the china dirtbikes significantly better in the dirt and tougher than the dual sports or do the dual sports perform as well? Even though it will be primarily for offroad, being able to also ride on the street would open up many more trail posibilities. Thanks for any advice.

culcune · 07-07-2007, 08:24 PM

Just my opinion, but judgeing from the posts from pure dirt guys seem to indicate their bikes hold up a little better than us enduro guys' bikes. Enduros are probably a little more comfortable, though.

ambassador · 07-07-2007, 10:19 PM

I'd have to say that an enduro would be OK for trail riding but I'd stay away from any hardcore stuff... Keep in mind they're made in China...
If you got a trailer then you can go anywhere...

Ferrit · 07-07-2007, 10:38 PM

Ah, but the attration is to connect those trails without the need for a truck or trailer. Properly setup the enduros will go anywhere you care to point it just don't get in a hurry when you are on the pavement. A lot of the issues we have with the enduros IMO is from sustained runs were vibrations have time to set up harmonic waves. This will cause bolts to vibrate loose or fail, electrical maladies, and other assorted malfunctions. In the dirt not counting the deserts you are constantly on and off the gas and you never have a sustained vibration at one level.

TeamCheap · 07-07-2007, 11:02 PM

AHHH theres not much I enjoy more than popping out of a trail and blasting down a road fully legal.

I been riding mine and the wifes dual-sport bikes up north in the sandy trails and they do surprizingly well as long as you can keep them moving.The sand is very deep at these trails and a handful at the slower speeds with lots of turns but totally doable.In fact even the other people riding full on dirt bikes from the big 4 still have some problems at the trails we ride at.

YES yes the dirt bikes suspensions are far superior to mine but my bike still gets me out there and having fun.

knothead · 07-08-2007, 12:33 AM

Vice,
If you live in tennessee all you need is an MSO and bill of sale to get tagged, to be street legal you need a working headlight and tail/stop light. Had I know this before I bought my street/trail I would have bought pure dirt and added the lights and a computer (tach,speedo,trip) myself. The dirt only bikes are built better, they have better rear suspensions and don't use the engine as part of the frame (generally speaking)

vice108 · 07-08-2007, 01:14 PM

I also notice looking at the measurements of the various bikes that the dual sports are bigger than the dirt bikes in almost all ways including wheel size. At 6,2 and 230 lbs that might be a factor for me.

07-07-2007, 07:48 PM	#1
vice108 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Maine Posts: 8	dual sport v.s. pure dirt bike A question for the China bike veterans. I want a bike for primarily off road use. Not MX racing or anything - just riding trails, powerlines, exploring, etc.. Are the china dirtbikes significantly better in the dirt and tougher than the dual sports or do the dual sports perform as well? Even though it will be primarily for offroad, being able to also ride on the street would open up many more trail posibilities. Thanks for any advice.
	0

07-07-2007, 08:24 PM	#2
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	Just my opinion, but judgeing from the posts from pure dirt guys seem to indicate their bikes hold up a little better than us enduro guys' bikes. Enduros are probably a little more comfortable, though. __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
	0

07-07-2007, 10:19 PM	#3
ambassador Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bradenton, Florida Posts: 1,200	I'd have to say that an enduro would be OK for trail riding but I'd stay away from any hardcore stuff... Keep in mind they're made in China... If you got a trailer then you can go anywhere... __________________ 06 Lifan 200 GY-5
	0

07-07-2007, 10:38 PM	#4
Ferrit Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lawrenceburg, KY Posts: 178	Ah, but the attration is to connect those trails without the need for a truck or trailer. Properly setup the enduros will go anywhere you care to point it just don't get in a hurry when you are on the pavement. A lot of the issues we have with the enduros IMO is from sustained runs were vibrations have time to set up harmonic waves. This will cause bolts to vibrate loose or fail, electrical maladies, and other assorted malfunctions. In the dirt not counting the deserts you are constantly on and off the gas and you never have a sustained vibration at one level.
	0

07-07-2007, 11:02 PM	#5
TeamCheap Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: directly under the earths sun............NOW Posts: 2,302	AHHH theres not much I enjoy more than popping out of a trail and blasting down a road fully legal. I been riding mine and the wifes dual-sport bikes up north in the sandy trails and they do surprizingly well as long as you can keep them moving.The sand is very deep at these trails and a handful at the slower speeds with lots of turns but totally doable.In fact even the other people riding full on dirt bikes from the big 4 still have some problems at the trails we ride at. YES yes the dirt bikes suspensions are far superior to mine but my bike still gets me out there and having fun.
	0

07-08-2007, 12:33 AM	#6
knothead Join Date: May 2007 Location: In the land of the busted up ricebowl Posts: 815	Vice, If you live in tennessee all you need is an MSO and bill of sale to get tagged, to be street legal you need a working headlight and tail/stop light. Had I know this before I bought my street/trail I would have bought pure dirt and added the lights and a computer (tach,speedo,trip) myself. The dirt only bikes are built better, they have better rear suspensions and don't use the engine as part of the frame (generally speaking)
	0

07-08-2007, 01:14 PM	#7
vice108 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Maine Posts: 8	I also notice looking at the measurements of the various bikes that the dual sports are bigger than the dirt bikes in almost all ways including wheel size. At 6,2 and 230 lbs that might be a factor for me.
	0