Dual Sport bikes go where you want to go.
From the street to desert trails, along backcountry routes or adjacent to a roaring river then back to work when the weekend ends (you can even spin a few laps on a Motocross track if you want) a Dual Sport bike offers this, that and more giving you freedom like none other.
The growing appeal of Dual Sport bikes comes with little surprise as these versatile bikes allow you to leave from home and actually ride to the point of destination. In complete compliance with the law. The Dual Sport bike features a license plate, mirrors, lights, horn, muffler and speedometer to ride legally on the street and comes equipped with the tires, suspension and handling to slip off the highway and blaze a trail.
The Dual Sport bike effectively combines the ruggedness of a dirt bike with the creamy texture of a cruiser offering unprecedented riding excursions that leave everyone else on the street or in the trailer.
In many respects Dual Sport riding began with the first motorcycle. Back then paved streets were a thing of the future as everyone rode basically on trails. As dirt turned into pavement motorcycles followed the path and before long manufacturers took notice offering adaptable machines like the Yamaha DT-1, a 250cc 2-stroke introduced in 1968 that maneuvered across pavement tracks and trails. A few decades later Suzuki marketed its DR350 as a "dirt bike with a license plate" in 1990. The three categories of Dual Sport bikes include lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight and over time the "sport" took on several names including:
- Dualie
- All-purpose
- All-road
- On-off road bike
- Enduros
- Scramblers
Riding Dual Sport gives you the option of a day-long trip or an overnight journey to just about anywhere. A duffel bag that holds everything you need packs safely and conveniently on the back of your ride and if you get low on gas just hit the road again until you find the fueling station up ahead.
No need to tie-down your motorcycle in the back of a trailer or truck and then leave your belongings unattended for hours while exploring. And gone are the days when you return tired but elated only to face the daunting task of loading your dirt bike before the long car ride home.
Have you ever wasted time looking for a place to A camp that included the best place to ride? Only then to realize you picked wrong? After you unpacked and spent an hour riding. Dual Sport eliminates this headache because you can simply ride somewhere else and best yet you explore different worlds while on the bike. So finding the primo spot turns into an adventure anyway and nothing gained equals nothing lost as you move on two wheels to the next possibility.
A Dual Sport bike doubles as a cruiser when you only want the smooth sounds of pavement or as a 450 off-road dirt bike tackling vicious turns, climbing over tire busting boulders and traversing flowing streams. Then at any time during your trip of one or the other you can always change plans and head down the highway or get off it.
Before heading out on any Dual Sport adventure ensure you have the appropriate off-road tags for the trails you expect to ride and make a list of what you need for extended travel which includes a change of clothes, toiletries, and cash/credit cards. Depending on the miles traveled, bring spare parts like a spark plug, oil and air and oil filter or research your route for nearby auto parts stores.
Keep in mind when investing in Dual Sport expect just one problem. You might find yourself alone either on the road or the trails because your dirt bike riding buddies can't ride with you from home and your street riding friends wave goodbye once the pavement ends.
