DR650 vs Rally Raid CB500x
I'll be in the market for a new bike soon, and I've more-or-less narrowed it down to two options: The Suzuki DR650 and the Honda CB500x with Rally Raid kit.
I've been around bikes for a while, and I've done a lot of reading, so I'm pretty knowledgeable about both (and other) bikes, but I've found it always helps to get some perspective from others.
About ten years ago, I took a three-month trip through Mexico and Central America on a 2005 V-Strom that was pretty much stock. The bike did great. I considered it to be about the perfect bike for me on the trip. I did hit a few gnarly roads that I had to go slow on, but outside of a couple of places like that, the V-Strom was just right.
I sold the V-Strom a few years ago and moved to Colorado, just outside Denver. It's time to get a new bike.
I do a ton of mixed riding and I put a lot of miles on my bikes. When I sold the V-Strom, it had 135,000 miles on it after about seven years of ownership and it never needed anything other than normal maintenance. My biggest complaint about the V-Strom was the low ground clearance and weight.
I'm not an adrenaline junkie, nor do I typically do long days in the saddle. My average touring mileage is about 225-250 miles per day, though a 500-mile day is not unheard of. I enjoy paved roads, gravel roads, and even some unimproved dirt roads, though I've never been a true dual-sport rider.
In the next couple of years, I'd like to head back south, through Mexico, Central America, maybe cross over to South America, and then beyond that, who knows? My next bike will almost certainly be the bike that I do that on.
I've always been a fan of the DR650, though I've never actually ridden one. My biggest concern right now is longevity. From what I've read, I should expect the single-cylinder engine to go about 75-80,000 miles before I'll need some major work. I don't like the idea of that. I'd really like to get something that can go well over 100,000 miles without blinking.
As for the CB500x, I have not ridden that either, but it looks like an amazing setup, but compared to the DR650, it's 50-60 lbs heavier and therefore a bit more of a handful off-pavement. I prefer lighter bikes. I have no worries that the Honda would take me probably 200,000 miles and it would probably be more comfortable in everyday riding.
So... what do you think? What bike would you like to have in and around Colorado, and eventually to the end of the earth?
Jamie
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