Comparative Specs For Leading Enduro And Dual-Purpose Bikes
Comparative Specs For Leading Enduro and Dual-Purpose Bikes
If you’re in the market for a dual-purpose or enduro machine, the comparative chart presented here should be a great help. It will make you aware of all the brands and models available in the major displacement categories and give you the opportunity to compare features that are not included in typical sales brochures.
In order to simplify reading the chart, we listed street-legal and competition machines in different sections. Street-legal, or dual-purpose bikes as we call them, are presented first. In general, all of these units are suitable for casual trail riding as well as local commuting around town. They are all quiet, they all have turn signals, speedometers and the like.
Next come pure enduro and/or ISDT-type competition motorcycles. These are in no way street-legal. Some have speedometers and informal lights. Some don’t. They are, however, quiet enough to be inoffensive.
To locate the machine you are interested in, glance at the brand names on the left side of the chart. They are listed in alphabetical order. Small-displacement machines are presented first, then 175s, 250s, etc.
The next few columns concern themselves with common engine specifications and gear ratios that reveal potential versatility. In other words, some of these bikes lend themselves readily to cross-country racing in addition to enduros or cowtrailing. A sixor seven-speed transmission is the tip-off here.
Suspension is all-important on dirt bikes, so we did a lot of research on the subject. Brand of components is important, as is total travel front and rear. Complementing this are columns on frame rake and trail.
Following some common frame specifications is comparative data on tires and rims. We feel this information is particularly useful because tires and rims are areas of strong preference and constitute items easily replaced by owners and potential buyers.
Frame and fuel tank material is an indication of machine quality and is therefore something to think about. Generally speaking, chrome-moly is stronger than mild steel. Plastic tanks are more durable than fiberglass or aluminum ones.
All of these things influence weight. In the dirt, lighter bikes are easier to ride. On the street, weight is not too important. On machines we have tested, weight is listed as wet. Wet means that the bike is completely serviced and has half a tank of gas. The remaining machines are listed with dry weights. That means no oil and no gas. Gas weighs 6 lb. per gallon. Oil in the transmission and forks usually accounts for an additional 2-4 lb. For a ball park wet figure, then, add 10 lb. to the dry figure. That’s about where you’ll end up ready to ride.
Finally, there’s a section on warranty. Keep in mind here that it is common practice not to offer warranties on competition machinery, so in any of the enduro categories it is a definite bonus.
