2004 Motorcycle Buyer's Guide - Dual Sports

<<< Return to Main Buyer's Guide >>>
Dual Sport Models
Aprilia	{{{BMW}}}	{{{Honda}}}
Kawasaki	KTM	{{{Suzuki}}}

Triumph	Yamaha
<<< Return to Main Buyer's Guide >>>

Aprilia — _Sponsored By: _

	Manufacturer and Model:|Aprilia ETV1000 Caponord
MSRP:	$10,999
Engine Type:	l-c 8v
Displacement:	998 V-twin
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	474 lb.
Seat Height:	32.3 in.
Description:	The Caponord is back essentially unchanged for 2004. It's a big, tall adventure tourer, in the mold of the BMW R1150GS. These puppies are all the rage in Europe, where people love one motorcycle to do just about everything--think an SUV that loves to wheelie. Not for the short of inseam.

BMW — _Sponsored By: _

	Manufacturer and Model:|BMW R1150GS Adventure
MSRP:	$15,{{{200}}}
Engine Type:	a/o-c 8v
Displacement:	1130 opposed-twin
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/shaft
Claimed Dry Weight:	547 lb.
Seat Height:	35.1 in.
Description:	The GS is not just a motorcycle, it's a way of life. The two-spark engine is new, as on all BMW boxers. The more adventurous Adventure features more suspension travel, big aluminum side cases, engine guards and other Sahara-ready goodies. The upscale GS also has a shorter first gear for tiptoeing through the tules, and ABS II.

	Manufacturer and Model:|BMW R1150GS
MSRP:	$14,500
Engine Type:	a/o-c 8v
Displacement:	1130 opposed twin
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/shaft
Claimed Dry Weight:	544 lb.
Seat Height:	33.1 in.
Description:	Good roads, bad roads or no roads; BMW's omnivorous GS has been taking travelers farther off the beaten tracks for more than two decades now. Although unchanged from last year, this one can still take you to work today and to Tierra del {{{Fuego}}} tomorrow. Heated grips are standard, as are Partial Integral/EVO brakes with ABS and an adjustable windshield.

Honda — _Sponsored By: _

	Manufacturer and Model:|Honda XR650L
MSRP:	$5499
Engine Type:	a/c 4v
Displacement:	644 single
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	5/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	324 lb.
Seat Height:	37.0 in.
Description:	Compared to current, liquid-cooled dirt four-strokes, the air-cooled XR650L is big, fat and old. Only problem is, it works wonderfully--the perfect motorcycle for people who want to ride everywhere and see everything. A legend from {{{Baja}}} to Bangor, it may be responsible for the popularity of dual-sport riding today.

Kawasaki — _Sponsored By: _

	Manufacturer and Model:|Kawasaki KLR650
MSRP:	$4999
Engine Type:	l/c 4v
Displacement:	651 single
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	5/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	337 lb.
Seat Height:	35.0 in.
Description:	Kawasaki's big DP single is a little more street-oriented than the Honda XR650L, with a liquid-cooled engine and better wind protection at the cost of a little extra weight. It's a combat tourer, it's a canyon carver, it's an off-road plonker, it's a Baja blaster. And it even comes in red, confusing the heck out of all the Honda riders at Mike's {{{Sky}}} Rancho.

	Manufacturer and Model:|Kawasaki KLR250
MSRP:	$3999
Engine Type:	l/c 4v
Displacement:	249 single
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	258 lb.
Seat Height:	33.7 in.
Description:	High-tech yet compellingly friendly, the KLR250 is the kind of kinder, gentler dirt bike you see strapped to the back of adventure-bound motor homes. It'll go almost anywhere--it just won't do it particularly fast. Four valves and two counterbalancers make power and smoothness, respectively. No changes of note for 2004.

KTM — _Sponsored By: _

	Manufacturer and Model:|KTM 950 Adventure S
MSRP:	$12,498
Engine Type:	l/c 8v
Displacement:	942 V-twin
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	436 lb.
Seat Height:	36 in.
Description:	This street version of KTM's big rally racer is more fun than a bathtub full of Jell-O. The engine is wonderful: compact and torquey. The chassis reminds us just how good a streetbike can be. The S version is 1.4 inches taller, with new rally graphics.

	Manufacturer and Model:|KTM 950 Adventure
MSRP:	$11,998
Engine Type:	l-c 8v
Displacement:	942 V-twin
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	436 lb.
Seat Height:	34.6 in
Description:	Aside from less suspension travel and a lower seat, KTM's basic Adventure twin is anything but. It's actually more accessible if you're not as tall as an NBA center. Available in orange, silver or black for '04, it carries nearly six gallons of fuel for the {{{90}}}-horse V-twin, and it's better behaved off road than you'd expect a 500-pound dual sport to be.

Suzuki — _Sponsored By: _

	Manufacturer and Model:|Suzuki DL1000 V-STROM
MSRP:	$8999
Engine Type:	l/c 8v
Displacement:	996 V-twin
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	456 lb.
Seat Height:	32.1 in.
Description:	If you like the idea of a go-anywhere big-twin but know you'll ride most of your miles on pavement, the big V-Strom is about right. It's lower than the Europeans and works as well, or better, on the dirt roads you're liable to travel. With optional bags, it can do it all.

	Manufacturer and Model:|Suzuki DL650 V-STROM
MSRP:	$6599
Engine Type:	l/c 8v
Displacement:	645 V-twin
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	417 lb.
Seat Height:	32.3 in.
Description:	We love the SV650 streetbike, and this adventure-tourer version should be extra-wonderful as well. With a compact yet semi-protective fairing, complete with adjustable windshield, it should make a swell middleweight sport-tourer. Less weight and a lower seat should make it even better than the 1000 on fire roads.

	Manufacturer and Model:|Suzuki DR-Z400S
MSRP:	$5499
Engine Type:	l/c 4v
Displacement:	398 single
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	5/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	291 lb.
Seat Height:	36.7 in.
Description:	More a dirt bike that you can take on the street, the DR-Z400S is the dual-sport for serious dirt people. The engine makes enough power for almost any off-road need, and the chassis and true long-travel suspension are easily up to the occasional enduro. Lights, license plate, action!

	Manufacturer and Model:|Suzuki DR650SE
MSRP:	$4999
Engine Type:	a/o-c 4v
Displacement:	644 single
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	5/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	324 lb.
Seat Height:	34.8 in.
Description:	Roost mightily on local trails, horrify the Starbucks barista with actual dirt on your face, then ride to work all week. Powered by a steadfast electric-start 644cc single, Suzuki's DR650SE acts like a garage full of motorcycles for less than ${{{5000}}}. Vertically challenged types can lower the seat 1.6 inches.

	Manufacturer and Model:|Suzuki DR200SE
MSRP:	$3899
Engine Type:	a/c 4v
Displacement:	199 single
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	5/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	249 lb.
Seat Height:	31.9 in
Description:	This is what Stinky Pete, the prospector from Toy Story, would have ridden out to his claim in the desert. Not tall, loud or exciting, the DR200E is nonetheless perfect for small, beginning or more casual riders. Nothing new for 2004, but what would you change?

Triumph — _Sponsored By: _

	Manufacturer and Model:|Triumph TIGER
MSRP:	$10,500
Engine Type:	l-c 12v
Displacement:	955 inline-triple
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	474 lb.
Seat Height:	33.1/33.8 in.
Description:	Unchanged for 2004, the Tiger is Triumph's shot at an adventure tourer. The injected, liquid-cooled 955, stolen from the gnarly Speed Triple, seems a little out of place in this twin-saturated segment, but you can't argue with its extra power out on the highway.

Yamaha — _Sponsored By: _

	Manufacturer and Model:|Yamaha XT225
MSRP:	$3999
Engine Type:	a/c 4v
Displacement:	223 single
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	6/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	238 lb.
Seat Height:	31.9 in.
Description:	If the XT225 were a person, it'd be old enough to date. Why is it still around? Because it's exactly what many casual dual-purpose riders want: a relatively low, relatively lightweight machine with just enough power to make life interesting. Call this the Hugginator.

	Manufacturer and Model:|Yamaha TW200
MSRP:	$3599
Engine Type:	a/c 2v
Displacement:	198 single
Transmission Speeds and Final Drive:	5/chain
Claimed Dry Weight:	260 lb.
Seat Height:	31.1 in.
Description:	OK, the TW may not look all that butch. But it foments a kind of silly fun all its own, with those big, floaty tires bouncing over the dunes like high-speed basketballs. Think of it not as a motorcycle, but as a street-legal ATV that lost a wheel a few years back.