To introduce myself, i'm UK born living in Santa Cruz since 2007 and next year for my 35th birthday thought it would be fun to get into adventure touring. I've done lot's of mountain bike touring in England and found it fun. I was thinking about trying the continental divide trail because it's something i've always wanted to do on a mountain bike but don't have the inclination to pedal all that way, and I've heard it's relatively easy in terms of fireroads most of the way. Ideally a few friends would make it out from the UK and be looking to buy and then sell on afterwards. The trip would likely start from my house in Santa Cruz, but doesn't have to.

I don't have a huge amount (well any) experience with buying motorbikes but from what I've read the used KLR 650 and the DR650 seem to be best bets for this type of adventure. I guess my biggest question is for those coming from the UK:
Is it better to buy in CA and try and tool up and sell on, or rent something, are there other options because rental seems expensive with limited options for a dual sport. Has anyone done this type of buying and quick sell before? There seem to be various folks who are willing to help buy a bike and help set it up for foreigners, any thoughts on who they are or how much they charge?

Thanks very much for any help.

Hugo

I prefer to buy and sell and have done so many times without any drama, the 2 websites I use not including HU are below.

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Renting will cost you a heap with zero return. ADV Rider has a good selection of adventure ready bikes, once you buy, advertise it for sale immediately. Be prepared to travel to buy and sell the bike. You might also consider looking for something with service history, accessories and low miles, it will be far more reliable and easier to pass on.