Why should I get a motard?

**george formby** · 29th June 2011, 15:26

Their is a lot to be said for a bike you can ride the knackers off all the time. Less is usually more on the road IMHO. I just put some dual purpose tires on my fatty bloater TDM & it still hammers through the twisties but now it does the same on gravel too. Been giggling like a girl for 2 days & the tires are not even scrubbed in yet.
Go for it, if I could I would.
Would be nice to get 30km/L too...

**blackdog** · 29th June 2011, 16:00

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/mod...rmoto%2009.htm

Not a difficult decision over a ZX12 for me (sorry Madness)

**racefactory** · 29th June 2011, 16:03

man they are totally sick but I wouldn't call them a real motard.

motorcross derived motards should be the definition of the word. 450s and pretty much anything up to the 640sm is what you'd call a motard. It HAS to be single cylinder at least, come on!!!

the 990 doesn't really have any of the advantages of a true motard in the sense of light weight, crashability and simplicity; these things are essential for the motard formula. you'd be weeping for weeks on end if you dropped that at all. its sick as hell though, holy shit.

**blackdog** · 29th June 2011, 16:23

Originally Posted by racefactory

they are totally sick but I wouldn't call them a real motard.

motorcross derived motards should be the definition of the word. 450s and pretty much anything up to the 640sm is what you'd call a motard. It HAS to be single cylinder at least, come on!!!

the 990 doesn't really have any of the advantages of a true motard in the sense of light weight, crashability and simplicity; these things are essential for the motard formula. you'd be weeping for weeks on end if you dropped that at all. its sick as hell though, holy shit.

Agreed. I have to compromise though 'coz a like a good litre of bike.

**racefactory** · 29th June 2011, 16:34

This might be enough for you to justify getting a motard.

**Ricardo S** · 30th June 2011, 20:34

he was in the same place as you a few weeks back...and as you can see, he digs it big time

**Muppet** · 30th June 2011, 22:04

Originally Posted by racefactory

There is a simple answer for this one but it's not nice. If you are a straight line hero then motards are not for you, but if you enjoy riding for the physics and the sensations riding brings- cornering hard, leaning, the feeling of no limits and the sense of freedom then they are the best thing ever.

One thing that's particularly rewarding about going from superbikes to a motard is the way that you actually own the bike. Usually the bike owns you; you are always afraid of that scratch on the fairing, dropping the bike in the driveway, the fear of the rain, that little squiggle from the rear over the tar seal, leaning it just that bit too far and the lowside that will cost you 2000 dollars in fairings, clip ons and expensive hard to find parts. With a motard none of these factors exist anymore... you have fun lowsiding it, you actually try to get it to highside you in the rain, you throw on all those MX bike goodies, parts are so plentiful, there is no crash damage- you command the bike and it obeys.

The other advantages worth mentioning I feel are:

- Fuel economy. Seriously they are so good on fuel even gunning it around everywhere. Something not to be overlooked in these tough economic times. I'm getting nearly 30km/L.

- You can ride it over curbs and jump it off ledges and speed bumps.

- You look forward to twisty roads with bumps and potholes.

- It's so narrow you can squeeze through any gap

- You have such good visibility over hills and traffic

- It's so much fun to ride in the rain. You can just lean it and gas it till it skids and the forgiving geometry of it will laugh back at you.

- Off roading. This is a whole new dimension to riding and it's just insane fun. Throwing some off road wheels on and heading off to the sandpit is too much fun.

- Cheap track days. If you have access to a large asphalt expanse or have a local kart track then you can have all the track time you want for next to no dollar. It's so much fun to take these on kart tracks.

- Maintenance simplicity. Even if you are going for a high performance 450- changing a piston, throwing in a new crank and what not is such a breeze. Pistons and engine parts are readily available.

Basically the image below shows what motards are all about. As silly as it might sound, part of the reason I changed from sportbikes to motards is because I no longer wanted to be part of the posing image that is associated with them all too much. There is no substitute for the sensations of sports bikes on a large, fast track and the forces of braking and accelerating at such velocities but when most riding is on the road there is just no need for them; it's pure posing for the most part.

Hey thanks for the advice Racefactory, you've put a lot of thought into that. I have a friend who has owned 3 of the 7 (or is it 8?) bikes I have over the last decade CBR600/r1150gs/Firestorm and he is now on a KTM690SM and just swears by it.

Knowing Jack' about motards, I've been doing a bit of research and the Yamaha XT660X looks like a good bike too. And as far as the bit about fear of damaging a bike with full fairings goes-you're not wrong there, at all.

**Muppet** · 30th June 2011, 22:15

Off topic but I'd thought you'd enjoy this

http://www.zapiks.fr/share/player.swf?file=50284

I call it a snowtard!

Thanks for the tips.

**Rocket** · 1st July 2011, 19:52

**orangeback** · 1st July 2011, 20:08

Originally Posted by Muppet

Off topic but I'd thought you'd enjoy this

http://www.zapiks.fr/share/player.swf?file=50284

I call it a snowtard!

Thanks for the tips.

thats not a snow tard, this is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIEByJlO_Qw

**orangeback** · 2nd July 2011, 07:10

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIEByJlO_Qw

**orangeback** · 2nd July 2011, 07:10

http://<a href="http://www.youtube.c...IEByJlO_Qw</a>

**racefactory** · 3rd July 2011, 14:22

Also I don't know what people are on about when they say they're uncomfortable... for me it's far more comfortable with wide dirt bike bars and upright seating position than a crouched over RR sport bike that gives you a back and neck ache after a long time riding. Only thing I can say about comfort is at very high speed the air resistance becomes a little uncomfortable... it feels pretty intense at 160kph on the DRZ400 motard. But honestly, who buys a bike for comfort anyway ffs? Get a car if you are for that...

**Motardman** · 13th July 2011, 17:55

I use my KTM 525exc moootard everyday, goes great, 100% reliable, fast, economical and soooooo much fun in the traffic. To be honest if you're not going to get a 'proper' motard then I wouldn't bother.

The DRZ400SM is too heavy and slow, the XT660X is too big, slow and flawed. May was well get an adventure bike if you're leaning towards the DR 650 or similar.
Motards should be all about power, lightness/nimble handling and crazy stunts

I oil/filter/valve check every 20 hours and the motor is perfect after 13,000km, starts everytime and still pulls my arms outta my sockets