Dual-Sport Motorcycles are a type of motorcycle designed for racing purposes as well as for use on and off-road. They are often referred to as All Road Bikes or Dual Purpose Bikes. These motorcycles are equipped with specific gear such as a speedometer, horns, mirrors, lights, license plates and mufflers that make it legal for these bikes to be used on the road, of course with the requisite license. The Adventure series from KTM, GS series from BMW, the KLR from Kawasaki, the V-Storm and DR-Z400 from Suzuki, the Yamaha XT and the Honda XL are classic examples of these
Dual-Sport Motorcycles.
The
Dual-Sport Motorcycles are grouped by their weight and for what purpose they are used for.
- The lightest dual-sport bike weighs up to 300lbs, sometimes even less. The high fenders on these bikes as well as the high ground clearance are coupled with a really long travel suspension. The aggressive tires on these machines are particularly for the dirt races and these are known as ‘knobbies’.
- The bikes in the next category range from 300lbs to around 350lbs. Their suspensions are less superior to the lightweight ones and so is the ground clearance. The tires on these machines can tread on both dirt and pavement and are most suitable for pavements and graded dirt roads.
- The heavyweight bikes weigh more than 350lbs. The design of this machine has primarily been made for long distance road travel with occasional runs on dirt tracks. The tires on these machines are a lot smoother and perform really well on roadways. These bikes are also known as adventure bikes in some areas.
These are just a few groups in the
Dual-Sport Motorcycles range. Different modifications lead these machines to becoming a different kind of machine. These motorcycles are used for many purposes but they are mostly used in the dirt racing industry where the lightweight models are all the rage and stir up quite a storm with their performance. The riding comfort may not be the best but these bikes give an awe-inspiring sense of adventure.
