Why don't many people ride motards on the road?

**bosslady** · 11th May 2013, 20:15

Originally Posted by pete-blen

Apart from the XTX which has a diffrent front end / brake / radiator shrouds to the XTR or Tenere

.........say what?

**Ocean1** · 11th May 2013, 20:16

Originally Posted by bosslady

So lots of these tards aren't registered or warranted or have any mods to make them suitable for road use.

Not? There's a few race bikes out there, straight MX bikes with 17" rims and big brakes, and a fair few that claim to be but are poorly bodged up copies. You need to stay away from anything remotely like either of those, they're never going to be a workable commuter/tourer and won't last the month out.

Any motard suitable for your intended use will probably have started out that way, factory built. That means either a trail bike simply fitted with more road-oriented tyres or a trail bike with 17" rims and bigger front brakes fitted by the factory.

And that's a DRZ400SM, and bugger all else commonly available that I can think of.

**leathel** · 11th May 2013, 20:19

Originally Posted by bosslady

So lots of these tards aren't registered or warranted or have any mods to make them suitable for road use. What does one need to do to make it suitable? what are the costs associated approx?

Are yu talking ones that people have built up that have never been road registered.... Look on the LTSA site...but that may not help as it is pretty confusing

I think its easy if it was once registered on the road but I have no idea if its never been registered

**bosslady** · 11th May 2013, 20:23

English? sorry... not following, been looking at dr650s or drz400s etc. but not registered or warranted? what are the costs? how much do new rims cost for road tyres? would I likely need to change sprockets too?

**bosslady** · 11th May 2013, 20:25

Originally Posted by leathel

Are yu talking ones that people have built up that have never been road registered.... Look on the LTSA site...but that may not help as it is pretty confusing

I think its easy if it was once registered on the road but I have no idea if its never been registered

I think I am talking about factory ones used for trail riding but never registered on the road?

**leathel** · 11th May 2013, 20:27

sprockets most likely

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicle/regi...n/process.html

some info on that site

**Ocean1** · 11th May 2013, 20:50

Originally Posted by bosslady

I think I am talking about factory ones used for trail riding but never registered on the road?

OK, sorry. Yes there's a lot of DRZs in particular that were bought as straight dirt bikes. They called a DRZ400E and have 18" rear wheels and 21" front wheels and minimal road equipment, although they do have head and tail lights. They were built for markets where enduro bikes have to have those minimum requirements, but they're a bit different to their DRZ400SM brother. The SM has 17" wheels, that's the most common road tyre size for most road bikes. The tune is slightly less agressive on the SM too, although the difference isn't much.

And there's one in between those two, that's sold new as a road legal trail bike, with dirt bike wheels. The Suzuki version I think is just called a DRZ400, and just to confuse the issue further there's a Kawasaki version that's the same as the Suzuki DRZ400E that's road legal. It's called a KLX400 and instead of vomit yellow they're snot green, I used to have one and for me it was the pick of that family.

All DR650s are the same, slightly older technology, (air cooled) a bigger, heavier bike that only comes in trail bike form.

There's other brands/models, easier to answer specific questions if you see something you like, eh?

Edit: there's enough of both of the above on the market often enough that you don't have to compromise, you can comply and register a DRZ400 that's lapsed, (not a DRZ400E that never had one), but why would you bother, there's plenty of roadable ones around.

**bosslady** · 11th May 2013, 21:13

Originally Posted by Ocean1

OK, sorry. Yes there's a lot of DRZs in particular that were bought as straight dirt bikes. They called a DRZ400E and have 18" rear wheels and 21" front wheels and minimal road equipment, although they do have head and tail lights. They were built for markets where enduro bikes have to have those minimum requirements, but they're a bit different to their DRZ400SM brother. The SM has 17" wheels, that's the most common road tyre size for most road bikes. The tune is slightly less agressive on the SM too, although the difference isn't much.

And there's one in between those two, that's sold new as a road legal trail bike, with dirt bike wheels. The Suzuki version I think is just called a DRZ400, and just to confuse the issue further there's a Kawasaki version that's the same as the Suzuki DRZ400E that's road legal. It's called a KLX400 and instead of vomit yellow they're snot green, I used to have one and for me it was the pick of that family.

All DR650s are the same, slightly older technology, (air cooled) a bigger, heavier bike that only comes in trail bike form.

There's other brands/models, easier to answer specific questions if you see something you like, eh?

Edit: there's enough of both of the above on the market often enough that you don't have to compromise, you can comply and register a DRZ400 that's lapsed, (not a DRZ400E that never had one), but why would you bother, there's plenty of roadable ones around.

itsjust hard looking on trade me I don't know what I'm looking at you know? you've given me a better idea but still quite confusing! I just know basically I want anything 400cc and above

**FJRider** · 11th May 2013, 21:31

Originally Posted by bosslady

itsjust hard looking on trade me I don't know what I'm looking at you know? you've given me a better idea but still quite confusing! I just know basically I want anything 400cc and above

Until your full licence is done and dusted ... if the model does not appear on the LAMs list ...

Simply being under 660cc's is no certainty of being "On the list" ...

And models that DO ... the "No modifications for the purpose of (etc) " rule comes into force.

**Ocean1** · 11th May 2013, 21:43

Originally Posted by bosslady

itsjust hard looking on trade me I don't know what I'm looking at you know? you've given me a better idea but still quite confusing! I just know basically I want anything 400cc and above

Almost everything you're looking at are single cylinders. They generally make less horsepower than the multi cylinder engines used on most mid-range and larger road bikes. The exceptions are competition bike engines, and some motards are based on those. The trade-off for that horsepower from a single is a short life. Most trail bikes are a good compromise, though and the number of cylinders isn't the only performance factor. Those DRZ400s for example make the same HP as the DR650, mostly because their engines are water cooled. They're also about 30kg lighter. In fact given your riding profile the DRZ400SM is possibly the pick of the bunch, although you'd probably want to sort some luggage.

**bosslady** · 11th May 2013, 21:48

Originally Posted by FJRider

Until your full licence is done and dusted ... if the model does not appear on the LAMs list ...

Simply being under 660cc's is no certainty of being "On the list" ...

And models that DO ... the "No modifications for the purpose of (etc) " rule comes into force.

I am aware of that all.

**Phil.T.Tipp** · 13th May 2013, 15:53

Originally Posted by Ocean1

...the DRZ400SM is possibly the pick of the bunch...

I have to agree, although I am hideously biased, being legally responsible for my very own one.

Magic commuter, not-so-magic for m-way/dual journeys of any great length/duration (at around 60kiwilometers my arse goes numb) and the sustained human parachute effect can get a bit boring too. But that's not what they're for of course. Strictly for shits and giggles innit, it's designed for the road less travelled.

I'm averagely average at 5'9" with wee pegs, and so I just shift a bit in the saddle at the lights and get 1 boot on the deck easy. Comes with practice, although approaching queued traffic and light-controlled junctions at the correct speed, in the correct gear, having noted the speed of creep/change phase means, with enough practice one can trickle, balancing torque and clutch, negating the need for boots on the deck in any case.

From memory the DRZ400SM is on the LAMs list - surely better to get the test done and dusted though Mrs Bosslady, no more scabrous L plates a-flapping in the breeze

**bosslady** · 13th May 2013, 16:00

Sitting my restricted at some point mid next month, hopefully I pass... The DRZ400SM does look like a good option but don't seem easy to find at a more ahh affordable price, lol.

**FJRider** · 13th May 2013, 16:19

Originally Posted by Phil.T.Tipp

From memory the DRZ400SM is on the LAMs list - surely better to get the test done and dusted though Mrs Bosslady, no more scabrous L plates a-flapping in the breeze

You either have a bad memory or haven't read the LAM's list correctly. The DRZ400S is on the list.

The DRZ400SM is not listed as LAM's approved. They are two totally different variants.

**Phil.T.Tipp** · 13th May 2013, 17:08

...and in order to punish myself more fully for this evil malfeasance and mischief, I shall repeatedly slam the end of my willy in the cutlery drawer this evening.

Carry on.