Voted most helpful review
Reviewed on August 13, 2002
I have owned two of these bikes so far. One day I'll be smart enough to quit getting rid of them! These bikes have not changed much over the years. I believe 94 was the last mechanical change. This is a very good bike with a few factory faults that seem to give it a bad rap in magazine reveiws. One...
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I have owned two of these bikes so far. One day I'll be smart enough to quit getting rid of them! These bikes have not changed much over the years. I believe 94 was the last mechanical change. This is a very good bike with a few factory faults that seem to give it a bad rap in magazine reveiws. One factory fault is the gearing. Before you leave the dealer, get him to spring for a 15 dollar counter shaft sprocket. Stock gearing it will do 55 in third. A bit tall I would say. Also the jetting is extremly lean. You can get a kit from baja design to ditch the emissions and rejet, this is worth it's weight believe me. The stock air filter is paper. Replace it with a K&N and it will last forever. Once you do these simple mods to the bike which all together cost under a 100 bucks it is a whole new creature. You can get great roll on acceleration from the bike and have alot of fun. It is a very stable bike, great at sliding sideways on fire roads. It loves to climb hills as well. It will handle the average trail with ease. Get into motocross style tracks and you be reminded of the 340 pound weight. In really slick mud it is a bit of a handful as well(again weight). But dual sporting is about doing everything well. The bike will handle mud if you change the tires but then it will be scary on the street. BUT the absolute best thing about this bike is it will become anything you want it to be. If you want to jump it you can add moto tire and springs and a power up kit and go nuts. You want to commute to work or take trips? Add a big gas tank and go for it. that's what keeps me coming back to this bike. It will do everything and take on any kind of weather. I have ridden in floods, snow, mud, sand and huge rocks. It will do it all and start every morning for you for years. The aftermarket parts for this bike is endless. Power up kits from white brothers or thumper racing. Gas tanks, tires, gel cell batteries, different pastic. It is one of my favorite bikes and to date I have owned 19 different bikes so far, so that is saying something. Great bike if you use it where it was intened, aka not motocross. And for street riding it is one of the safest. Your head light is right in peoples back windows and the soft suspension makes the head light bob alot so people always seem to see me right away. I also hit a basket ball size peice of pavement that a came out of a pothole, I was doing 40mph! The bike ran it right over. I didn't crash, partly luck but.. If I was on a road bike I guarrantee I would have been going faster and I would have crashed for sure. I also hit a racoon that looked like he was half grizzle bear! I survived that with out a scratch as well, can't say the same for ol'Racky though. Very safe bike for road hazards. For all the versatility you can't beat the price.
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