Would appreciate some advice on buying my first bike.

Hello! I am a total newbie to the world of motorcycles. I have always wanted one, but never had the opportunity until now.

I live on a fairly desolate island off the coast of BC, Canada. Because of its isolated nature the roads are terrible at best, and always in a state of disrepair. Most of the roads are that terrible wannabe asphalt that is really just tar sprayed onto gravel. The rest are just plain ol' gravel. Some roads are very steep as well, reaching up to 20% grade. As far as off the road much of the island is medium density mountainous forest, with some swampy and muddy areas. Because of these factors I have become strongly interested in enduro bikes. Durability is what I need most, and so far I've heard some pretty good things about Huskys.... Not to mention they are very aesthetically pleasing.

Perusing the local craigslist and trading sites I have come across a few used Huskys. The most notable being a 2010 510 TXC (which I really like the look of) and a 2011 WR300. I would most definitely buy another set of rims with some SM tyres so I could switch back and forth.

I am 5'11 with an inseam of about 29" and I weigh about 210lbs. I would consider myself to be a fairly careful and observant driver. I understand that enduros can require more maintenance than other bikes. I've never worked on a bike, but I'm a quick learner and not afraid of throwing some wrenches. Also I'm definitely going to sign up for a training/safety course beforehand.

So I guess my questions are:

-Is the 510 going to be to much to handle for someone who has never ridden?
-With my stunty legs will shaving the seat down be enough to be rideable?
-When I go off island I need to take a freeway, would a 250 or 300 have enough power to be safe?
-Are there any other models that might suit my needs better?
-Will rain and snow make things difficult? (Other than me getting wet)
-Any other useful information you wanna throw at me!


Things to keep in mind:

-This is my first motorcycle. Ever.
-I live on a big island with only 280 population. You can practically hear a pin drop from a mile away. This is where I will be learning the ropes.
-This is going to be my daily driver. I don't have another vehicle.
-Will be driven on road about 50% of the time. 40% of the time will be offroad. 10% on the freeway

Sorry if this was incredibly long and bored you to death! For the few who made it this far thank you! xD

Buy a Suzuki DR 650 . If I lived somewhere like you the last thing I would want is a Husky, KTM , Beta or any high end off-road enduro bike. You need extreme dependability or you will be spending lots of money and time dicking around looking for parts. You will be much happier and spend much more time riding than doing maintenance .

Don't let the 650 intimidate you, it has around 38 hp that's less than a uncorked 310. The 650 makes up in torque . I road one for a few years, put 50,000 on it. I would go this route and jump into a full blooded enduro later after you have gained experience .

Honda XR650 is air cooled. One less thing to worry about.

Might wanna look at a Yamaha WR250R. 26,000 mile valve check intervals and will do 60-65 on the highway all day long with a bit of a gear change, not 75 though. Oil change intervals are nice and long as well. You will do much less maintenance and the WR's are bulletproof.

Just FYI, the 650's weigh 350+ pounds, where the WR250R weighs less than 300 wet. Will you be going on any roads with speed limits over 65? Also, the WR gets 70 mpg, where the 650's will get more like 50 mpg. The 650's have a lot of torque, but if you aren't going to use it then it will just make the bike harder to ride, especially for a beginner. All my opinion of course, but I have ridden all of these bikes.

I'd agree with what these guys are saying. For a 1st bike- and if you're indeed going to be doing freeways with any routine- then I'd strongly vote for the XR650L or the DR650...and also throw in the DRZ400S to the list of bikes being considered. The DRZ is another bullet-proof all-arounder bike and parts are plentiful. It does highways fine (comfy up to about 70, then gets a little buzzy, and can go beyond that w/ some sprocket swapping.) Also- don't get hung up on looks. We all like/want a hot looking bike but it sounds as though practicality is going to have to remain high on your list of priorities.

I absolutely agree with Bryce. Look for a 250 dual sport. It's much better to buy small, learn and upgrade later once you've got a grasp on everything and know what you need.

The weight of a 250 will be much better off road. And if you're daily routine is not freeways then you'll be perfectly happy with it. Long stretches of freeway are really not great on any bike that's going to be good off road. So, I'd say save the hassle offroad, and look at that WR250R, KLX250S, or CRF250L (XR250L). If you're confident a bit extra weight won't hurt you, I really like the DRZ400s. A bit more weight, a bit more power. Other than crappy batteries, they are very dependable and will grow with you. It's more of the second step bike in my opinion though. I'd search for a used Japanese 250 dual sport for year 1. Look to sell it next year, then move to the DRZ (new as it will be one you'll be wanting to keep -- and Suzuki tends to have crazy financing deals, 0% for 5 years? OK).

And the TXC510 is an absolute blast at 53+ hp
The 510 is an enduro weapon and not really a daily driving learner bike.

I tend to agree with the 650 suggestions, however, Bryce has a valid point with the WR250R
Just keep in mind... You will become a better offroad rider sooner on a bike like the wr250r than you will on the 650's.

So is the DR , it also has a factory over size front rotor for his SM ambition and a very large oil cooler , it's not water cooled.

Wow- such good advice everybody. Wish CH existed back when I started in '73![ might have needed the interweb too...] To the new rider- Congrats! You are going to enter a fine new world of Moto.
BC with all year riding is the perfect place. For your first bike I do agree- Keep It Simple.

I agree with these guys about maintenance items and parts. I live near a major metro area (Sacramento) and have more bike shops than I can count on my fingers within 1 hour drive. And I still have to mail-order each and every part. The Husky dealer is 15 minutes from my house they laugh when I call looking for parts. The KTM dealer is 10 minutes from my house. They say they want my business, and are very apologetic, but they haven't started getting Husky stuff yet.

BTW, I started on a KLR 650. For mostly street (commute to work) and some unpaved fire roads (commute to fishing). But then I got the full-on off-road bug so I started looking for a more dirt capable dual-sport. I was almost ready to buy a DRZ at the advice of the members of several forums. I was told the "plated race bikes" like the Husky and Beta and KTM would be too much for me -- all by the guys who have DRZs and XRs and KLRs. Then one guy who owns a Husky said, get the Husky and just be conservative and practice a lot. So that's what I did. I got the TE 511 and took it easy at first and the bike complies. Now that I'm more comfortable with the raw freeking power of Husky, I've got it when I need it, and already have the bike I wanted in the first place. No need to sell a DRZ/XR at a loss and buy the bike I wanted in the first place.

Being your first ever bike and the fact that you will be riding on-road, I highly recommend doing some reading about safety. And take safety seriously. There are some good books out there that describe how to be prepared for and handle the situations that come up on the road. I've read several and they were a real eye opener for me. Anyone can learn how to ride on pavement. But not everyone will be prepared to survive the experience.

If you really want a Husky, I would suggest a TE310R. They have screaming deals on new ones right now. You get a warranty and they are priced the same as some used bikes. If not a Husky, I would go with the Yamaha WR250R. Everyone seems to love them but they are down on power compared to the Husky 310.

Oh wow! Thank you all so much, what a great community! I wasn't expecting nearly this many replies, if any at all! Sorry for the late reply myself, was on the ferry going back to my island. Thank you Rearwheelin and Mike-AK for the suggestion of the DR and XR, they also definitely look like worthy candidates. The reliability and ease of acquiring parts is definitely a major plus. Also thank you to Bryce for mentioning the WR250. Totally get where you are coming from as I have heard many complaints about the big bore bikes being unable to handle sharp twisties and narrow tree gaps as fluently. And no I wont be taking it over 65 really. Also happens to be a used one in the area, so ill definitely be going and checking it out! Unfortunately i can't find any used DR650s or XR650s at this current time. Obviously I'm going to be keeping a sharp eye out. But there is a 'new' 2013 DR650 at a dealership, so I'll probably go give it a look there! And thank you everyone, especially Cosmokenney for your concerns regarding safety. I have signed up for Pacific Riding School and will be completing it before I make a purchase. I really understand the whole concept of pretending your invisible. Even when driving a car Im already paranoid about other drivers. Can't trust any of them! :P Also I forgot to mention that once I'm comfortable with the bike I get I will be wanting to fabricate a sidecar for it. I'm not sure if this changes any of your answers.. sorry.. The 510TXC is still on the list of candidates however. Mostly because the used 2010 is already registered, plated, tusk lights, alarm, tail rack with only 5 hours use for $5900. I'm going to be ignoring it for awhile and looking at other bikes, but if its still unsold in a month or so, I may just have to jump on it.


And as a total afterthought I definitely agree with you EricV. Appearance isn't everything. It is a nice bonus though :P

I have an 09 400DRZS & a 2012 TE511. I love my 511, though if in your situation I would only look at the DRZ or the
WR250 yamaha. I think the husky parts availability and maintenance would be a pain for someone newer who want
To ride.

I happen to believe that bikes with higher torque output are much easier to ride.

I also had a Suzuki DR 650 for three years,very easy to ride and bullet proof! Sold it to a first timer he picked up on it quick and loved it.. You can also change the ride height by a inch with the change of one bolt very easy to lower it..

Yam WR250F all the way, raced one for 3 years with zero engine issues. That bike took everything I could throw at it with minimal maintenance and was nothing short of perfect for a beginner.

kawasaki kmx 125 /200 mine was absolutly unkillable! big bikes are tough to get used to if your stubly like me.
i used it to commute 30 miles aday for about a year and a half missed a beat a few times but its cheap and easy to repair and in the unlikly event you do find yourself underneath it cus of ice! its light to kick off. yes its a 125/200 but fuel ecomomy and speed arnt bad. was getting 75mph full gas with std sprockets.

the suzuki dr 650 is aircooled but they weigh a ton the torque thing is good but not my first choice of bike third or tenth well i guess i wouldnt choose it but yes reliable.

the choice is really yours howmuch can you dispose of into a machine?
and whats available tend to rule more over what you think you want in most cases.