..a Supermoto bike...to take me on off-road adventures...

[malJohann]

Right. My next bike (late 2008, early 2009) will likely be a Supermoto bike, which per definition should be able to handle 70% tar and 30% dirt. I'm looking at buying either a Husqvarna SM610ie or a KTM 690SMC for this purpose, which one I choose depends solely on the test rides. I also want my next bike to be able to take me on off-road adventures as seen in Ride Reports. So, I have a couple of questions.

1st, would fitting (true) DS tyres to a modern Supermoto change the aforementioned percentages to more of a 50/50 ratio? 2nd, even the newest Supermoto bikes are being touted by the Superbike brigade as having soft suspension, thus would I be able to take one off-road with just bump, rebound and preload suspension adjustments? 3rd, how bad is 17" wheels off-road and would my bike and I be able to live with it?

[Sláinte Mhaith]

.

[Sláinte Mhaith]

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[topbox]

suspension and tire width

ideally you are looking at 2 separate bikes

[malJohann]

suspension and tire width

ideally you are looking at 2 separate bikes

Makes sense. The tire width is the clincher for me, as I think I'd be able to live with the suspension. So, the best compromise (for commuting and adventure rides) would be a KTM 690 Enduro?

[IDR]

suspension and tire width

ideally you are looking at 2 separate bikes

Or, as Slainche points out, 2 sets of rims... but then there is the practicality of brake disc diameters differing and speedometer readings having to be recalibrated (between 17" and 21" diameter rims)... it's a mess.

Just get yourself 1x Aprilia RXV550 and 1x Aprilia SXV550  

[letsgofishing]

Think you're choosing the wrong tool for the job.

[topbox]

motards have little suspension travel , nice on tar but shite for offroad
Motards are fun around town, 15 kms of highway is painful. short gearing and windblast
the highly strung ones have extreme service intervals measured in hours

an adventure bike can be used to commute though

[I&horse]

Duel Sport is called so for a reason, it is the best balance between off road and road.

A SM with DS tyres will be able to do dirt high ways and some trail riding, I wouldn't attempt serious offroad riding with those small wheels and short suspension travel.

The review on the KTM Prestige says its very capable off road, find out more....

[malJohann]

The review on the KTM Prestige says its very capable off road, find out more....

Link?

[the_wes]

what about a BMW X-Country? don't knock it till you've tried it - it's got aaaalmost supermoto type handling on tar, and is just as capable as a F650GS on dirt... if i had to get a "fun" "hooligan" "commuter" that can do dirt too, it'd be my first choice... a bit pricey though...

then again, a 690 KTM enduro would be awesome on dirt, and lekker for commuting too, but to be honest, a 70/30 split, is it neccessary

then again, i promise you, if you get a 690 enduro you're going to find yourself doing a lot more dirt than intended

and if you're planning on doing a lot of big trips try look at something a little comfier, like a Dakar. A 690 enduro will kill a Dakar on dirt, and the X-Country will be infinitely more fun for commuting than both, but a Dakar is the most comfy of the three for a tour. not as comfy as a 1200GS maybe, but a lot more comfy than some hooligan bike

[I&horse]

http://www.bikez.com/