What supermoto...?

[milbourne]

I no you have probably heard this question a million times, but i will ask it again . Also i understand that i can't buy a bike without test riding etc. i am just here for some background knowledge really... in general my bike knowledge is very good... but supermoto's are where my knowledge is weak.

firstly i will tell you a bit about me... i started riding motobikes when i was 4 on a qr50 and started racing motocross when i was 6, i got to eastern centre and british school boy championship level befor having a big crash and having to stop due to my injuries. I then looked towards road racing aqquired a race spec rgv250... started doing track days and getting some times in, but couldn't find the funds or the sponsors to the dream came to an end.

I passed my bike test 28/04/2006... so soon my restriction has ran out whoop whoop! currently i ride a streetfightered 600 bandit. But now because i also have a car i'm looking more for a toy, a fun bike, than something that is my form of transport and that is why i am here.

There is just a few rules.

I dont want a drz400. i personally think they are flat and guttless, but mayb i am comparing it to my m tech tuned cr125 which was 2 stroke.
No yamaha's its a family tradition .
Has to look aggressive, look like a moto-x bike

i have been browsing and found a couple bikes, links below.

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KTM-525-EXC-SUPERMOTO-2004_W0QQitemZ180222473679QQihZ008QQcategoryZ9926QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HUSQVARNA-TE-570-SUPERMOTO-ENDURO-HONDA-SUZUKI-YAMAHA_W0QQitemZ220209928196QQihZ012QQcategoryZ424QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

or an lc4!

i also thought about a ccm, but they don't look very moto-x bike like

I just want something that is going to be fun, that i can throw around and be semi reliable, i do around 3-4k miles a year and no more than 150miles in a day.

How are parts to get hold of?
What is servicing costs like?
What else is out there?

is you need to no more give me a shout

thanks for your help
milbourne

(p.s. sorry about the essay)[/url]

[G]

If you don't want 'flat and gutless' then you're going to have to make a sacrifice in either weight or servicing.
(Though the DRZ-SM version is pretty lardy anyway.)

What's your budget?

If you're going for a heavier bike with longer service intervals (around 140kg dry weight), look for:
KTM 625/660 (LC4 based models, but a more go / less weight than the standard LC4s.)
Husky TE610
Converted XR650?
BMW G650 thingy (probably looks wrong for you)

Lighter bikes (110-115kgs) tend to have service intervals listed in hours and be less 'useful' on the road, but serious fun if you actually make use of the lean/lightweight. (Of course 99% of people won't and 99% of the time the 1% that do won't be anyway, but it's all about that 1% ).
Also these should be pretty decent in most cases off road.
KTM 450/525/530 etc
Husaberg 450/550/650 (if you want a seriously 'mad' 4 stroke, go for a big bore on the 650 'berg)
Husky TE510 (think the 570 is just a bigger bore version of this, not 100%)

Parts generally aren't a problem for any of the above.
Servicing will be quite expensive for the lighter 'competition' bikes - from about every 10 hours for an oil change / 60 hours for more major stuff. However newer ones may be a bit better and there may be ways to increase that, for instance by an extra oil radiator.

The CCMs are 'streetmotos' - I've got a 404e and it's nice enough bike, but definitely not got so aggressive power compared to my Husaberg 501e. Weight is a bit up at a listed 120kg. However, it does have 4000 mile service intervals and the relatively low tuned DRZ engine.
The CCM644 (incidentally, if you buy these in Dual sport version they come with more off road looking plastics) is a bit heavier, using the DR650 engine - about the claimed weight of the heavier bikes listed above, but a fair bit less power.

If you like 2 strokes, something like a KTM 300 EXC-E is definitely worth a look. Performance isn't that far off the 525, but it has less weight (105kgs with electric start) and better service intervals. Servicing is generally simpler because it's a 2 stroke.
If you want something /really/ interesting in 2 stroke form, have a look at Maico, who offer up to a 620cc 2 stroke supermoto with claimed weight of 101kgs and a 685 'coming soon'. Don't know much about them, apart from that I want to try one .

[milbourne]

I do like two strokes but i think i need to be realistic, and look more towards an lc4 or something.

I want a supermoto or a streemoto, but i don't want to be working on it every 5 minutes. So i think either the husky 610 or an 625 smc, would be a more "realistic" bike to choose...

Which would you pick out of the two?

Based purely on cost, servicing cost, parts, because i don't recon there will be major amounts of difference in performance. Well not enough for me to notice on british roads... i don't plan to take the bike off road... so that doesn't bother me so much just want a summer toy.

Im working 2-10 so i will reply when i get in tonight. thanks for your help

[G]

Out of those I would choose the TE610 for me - but I want something that can handle off road better too.

On costs servicing and parts I don't think there's much in it really to be honest. Husky is now owned by BMW and KTM are quite big.
Both I believe have 5000km / 3000 mile service intervals, so pretty similar and you've got about the same to do to each.
Price is going to depend on what you can find - both fairly similar I think, KTM might be slightly more expensive.
The new KTM 690SMC could be interesting, as I believe it has a 6 speed box, now.

I haven't ridden those two specific models, but some info I have found out about them:
TE610 (2006+):
6 gears with wide ration giving tall 6th and short 1st (ideal for mixing trail and road without changing gearing), smoother engine.
Suspension out of the box may not be perfectly setup - though this is problems with the trail version being a bit stiff at the back, not SM version that I've seen.

KTM:
Engine has been around for longer. 5 gears. Maybe a little (but not much in it) more 'bite' from the engine. More vibes.
Suspension might be setup a bit better 'out of the box'.

[chrisstone]

husky 610 good second hand bike i had one years ago it was fun and you can get one for about £1600 in good nick

[MetalheadA7X]

What about a CRF450X converted to be street legal with SM wheels?


Tbh i think your family tradition is abit pointless seeing that my ideal supermoto is a WRF450 with SM wheels.

Miles better than the CRFX in every review i have read. And they are not slow!

[G]

Both of those are going to have fairly nasty servicing I believe, as they're both comp' enduro bikes.

If you're looking at that sorta bike, I'd have thought it's worth going for one of the European manufacturers that sell then in supermoto form 'off the shelf' - that way you get suspension, drive train etc setup for supermoto.
And the option of bigger engine sizes - which generally don't make a faster bike, but make an easier to ride and often less-stressed bike.

[edit]Oops, though you were the OP, oh well, my comments still stand anyway [/edit]

[mad4it028]

how about a road legal cr500 supermoto great toy easy to get parts fast as fek

maintanence will be high fuel costs will be high and there bastards to start but as a toy no other supermoto can equil them for grin factor
____________________
always looking to buy bikes crashed ,unfinished projects,none runners pm me
currently riding kawasaki z1000 only bike ive ever loved

[chrisstone]

i got cr500 they are mad just mad but starting it what a bugger
thats why got new aprilia sxv550 just as fast with electric start still kept cr500 that smell and its a diff sort of rush of power amazing thing love it to bits when it starts...

has any one seen that husky on ebay all carbon and bits think is called noz edition or some thing do you know any thing about them might go buy it this week end its a 570husky looks amazing 5k only seems bargin 109 k about 65bhp a bit of collectors thing i think