Why a Dual Sport is the Perfect Starter Bike
Whether you’re thinking about getting your motorcycle license, are taking steps to do so, or just passed your dedicated class M license test (congrats!), you will inevitably have to decide on a bike soon after. This process can seem pretty daunting as you also have to worry about the different riding gear you’ll need, insurance, and convincing your family and friends you’re not crazy. But the starting point is always, what bike to get? How do you decide, when you’ve never even really ridden? Or maybe, you rode a little years ago, but never got the chance to go further with it as you’d like.
Before I get into why dual sports are the perfect starter bike, you must ask yourself “what do I want to get out of riding?” Stopping to seriously consider this is what will help you to determine what kind of bike you want. But how do you know what you really want to get out of riding, if you’ve never really ridden?
Different strokes, different folks
No, I’m not going to get into the literal different strokes on motorcycles, but I will briefly highlight the different motorcycle categories and their appeal. These descriptions are brief and not meant to be an in-depth analysis of all the differences between them, as there are many great articles detailing that already. Honestly, when I started riding all the numbers and specs thrown at me went way over my head anyway.
Cruiser Bikes
You’ve seen them and you’ve definitely heard them, the cruiser bikes. However, despite the stereotype that comes to mind with these, they’re not all Harleys! Cruisers are very similar to your standard motorcycles, but the seating position is a lot lower. This helps when you come to a full stop on the bike as you’re more likely to plant both feet on the ground and maintain balance. Their lower seating position makes this bike more comfortable for, as stated in the name, cruising around.
Cruiser bikes you’ll see around are the Harley Softail, the popular with beginners Honda Rebel, and the Indian Scout
Touring Bikes
Touring Bikes are basically cruisers on steroids. Many lists will include cruiser bikes and touring bikes interchangeably, but they do have their differences. They are very large, and very heavy, but also very comfortable and make riding for hours a breeze, pun-intended. They often come with radio, cup-holders, and GPS since they are meant for rides that would require, or at least benefit greatly, from them. Because of their size and weight, I don’t think these make for good beginner bikes, even if you are looking for comfortable long-distance rides.
Some touring bikes enjoying the wide open road are the Harley Electra Glide, Indian Roadmaster, and the Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero.
Standard Bikes
Though often confused with cruisers at first glance, standard bikes have a seating position that is more upright and generally have less fairings than a cruiser bike. Having less fairings makes these bikes lighter but exposes the rider to more wind resistance out on the road. As a rider, you’ll feel more upright instead of the slouched back riding style cruisers offer. You may also sit a little farther from the ground on one of these so, instead of planting both feet on the ground at a full stop, you may only be able to plant one. However, their lighter nature does make them a bit more beginner friendly.
Examples of these include the very popular Ducati Scrambler, Triumph Street Twin, and the eye-catching Husqvarna Svartpilen.
Sport Bikes
Almost as popular as the cruisers are the sport bikes. These bikes are generally featured as the bad-ass bikes in movies and pop culture, and they certainly look it. They are built to be aerodynamic and agile, so they are generally much lighter than their cruiser counterparts. Because this bike is built for aerodynamics and speed, the pegs are placed a little higher and the seating position is a little further back. When you sit on a sports bike, the rider can somewhat lay onto the tank and crouch into the bike. It sounds a little confusing but the seating position wills the rider into this position naturally. Due to this, it can be a little difficult to plant both feet on the ground on a sports bike. There are smaller sports bikes (looking at you Ninja) that are known for being friendly for shorter/short legged riders. These bikes are great for high speeds and really leaning into curves. They can get uncomfortable pretty quickly and are not meant for long, scenic rides. That’s not to say it hasn’t been done before and can’t be done again. But get ready for lots of stops for stretches if you go down this route.
While I think sports bikes look super cool and even menacing at times, they are not the bike for me. I like to watch them in action and admire them on the track when they’re performing at their best. But I have yet to get bitten by the sports bike bug and feel that thrill of extreme leans and fast speeds they offer.
The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is an ever-popular beginner sports bike, as is the Yamaha R3, and the Suzuki GSX 250.
Naked Bikes
Naked bikes refer to any bike that is stripped of its fairings and often windshields. Though standard bikes do fit into this category as well, it’s increasingly popular to find sport bike variations in this style. A naked sports bike offers a more comfortable seating position as it acts as the middle ground between the upright riding style and the crouched, or tucked in, style of the sports bikes. Their less aggressive seating gove them a more comfortable riding position, while still offering the responsive, quick speed thrill sport bikes are known for.
The Ducati Monster, KTM Duke 390, and the Yamaha MT-03 are popular Naked Sports bikes.
sport touring
Sport Touring bikes were made to be a balance for those that like the quick speed and look of a sports bike, while allowing room for comfort for longer rides. My only issue with this category of bike is that they’re often big, bulky, and heavy. While this is necessary for comfort, and of course there are “lighter” sport touring options, I don’t think they are the type of bike that inspires confidence in new riders.
Examples of these are the Honda VFR800, the BMW R1250RS, and the Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX.
Dirt Bikes
I won’t go deep into dirt bikes as they are not street legal and thus, there is no need for a motorcycle license in order to ride one. They are tall, they are fun, but if you can’t ride them on the road they are not applicable here.
Adventure Bikes
It can be argued that any motorcycle is an adventure bike! Why is there a specific category for adventure bikes when, you can go on adventures with any style of motorcycle? The title of ‘Adventure Bikes’ is the motorcycling world’s SUV equivalent. Dedicated adventure bikes are big, bulky, with ample room for storage. They can handle your on-road travels as well as your off-road adventures. This is very well documented in many moto travel series that feature the BMW GS as the bike of choice for these excursions. Due to their big and tall nature, they can be challenging for some riders. There are techniques and workarounds if you’re a shorter rider and are interested in these. However, the technique needed to get on these if you’re a shorter rider is not new rider friendly in my opinion, but easy to learn if you take some time to practice.
As I mentioned, the BMW 1200 GS is a very popular adventure bike, but other models include the KTM 1290 Adventure, and the Yamaha Tenere 700.
Dual Sports
Finally, let’s talk dual sports! These bikes meet in the middle of riding on the road as well as off-road and so, could be argued that they’re not ideal for any one of these styles. Can they go off-road? Yes! Are they the best off-road bikes? Definitely not. Can they go on the highway for longer trips? Yes! Are they great while doing so? Also, definitely not. Of course, you can add accessories and modify your bike for easier, or better riding in any of these conditions. But, as a beginner rider, you’re not really thinking about any of that. You just want to ride! With a dual sport, you can try a little bit of each before deciding what you really want to focus on as a rider or, what brings you the most joy behind two wheels. Which is why they are the best for new riders! How do you know you don’t like taking the road less traveled in the dirt and gravel if you’ve never tried it? A dual sport allows you do to do! How do you know you don’t like riding those scenic backroads on an early Sunday morning while listening to your favorite playlist if you’ve never tried? A dual sport allows you to do so! With a dual sport, you’re able to take a longer trip to try out a new coffee spot, explore some dirt roads nearby, and then hop on the highway to get home quicker.
They are taller bikers so, flat footing with these can be tricky but, you won’t feel like you’re losing control of the bike if you must be on your tiptoes at a stop sign or red light due to their lighter weight. Plus, parts are generally readily available and pretty cheap depending on which year and model you get as they don’t have a lot of tech or expensive parts. Due to this, they’re great for also learning the basics of how to work on your bike since there’s not very many things that can go wrong.
I started out with a Suzuki DR350 but upgraded to a DR650, the tried-and-true love of my life on two wheels, but there are other models like the Honda XR650, and the Suzuki DR-Z400.
With a dual sport, you’re rarely ever limited by the road choice. You can set out to explore trails or travel as you wish and really get a feel for all the different experiences and joys life on two wheels can offer before committing to one specific category making them, the perfect starter bike.
