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Sportsbike vs Supermoto

F

Finesze

New member
Joined
Oct 27, 2015
Location
Bay Area
Moto(s)
2004 Honda CBR 600RR
Hey guys, was wondering if anybody made the transition from a sportsbike to a supermoto. What was the transition like? Do you miss your sportsbike? Regret your decision? I have a 04 600rr that I might be getting rid of to buy a drz400SM or Wr250x. :ride Would love have two bikes but can't financially at the moment. (My eyes are on a 07/08 600rr in the future as a second bike)
 
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Depends on your riding. If you do lot of hwy, you'll probably miss the CBR. I commute one day a week on my KTM (mostly Fridays) just for fun. Otherwise, I always commute and do daily tasks on my GSXR.

I love sumos,but wouldn't want that as my only bike.
 
Its not a transition its evolution.
The only reason I would want to get a super sport is if I want to do track days imho
 
I had a TL1000S as a "play bike" for over a decade; my preference if I was forced to have just one moto is a light weight ST.

As a "play bike" the TL was great but when I bought the DRZSM the TL just sat so I sold it. Didn't miss it at all to be honest, even that bike, tame by today's literbike hp numbers, was simply too much for the street and on the roads I prefer to ride for fun, the DRZ was every bit as fast, (bumpy tight backroads), and far more fun.

If I had a short commute and no desire to tour the DRZ would be fine as an only bike.

It's a perfect second bike, one I don't plan to get rid of soon.
 
Sharky said:
Depends on your riding. If you do lot of hwy, you'll probably miss the CBR. I commute one day a week on my KTM (mostly Fridays) just for fun. Otherwise, I always commute and do daily tasks on my GSXR.

I love sumos,but wouldn't want that as my only bike.
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This.

Commuting on the freeway isn't great for the SM. Twisty, Street and a little bit of offroad is where the SM should live.

The RR on the other hand will work on the street but should be on the track. Unless you are young and flexible, the sportbike egro might get to you after 20 mins of slabbing it. But if I had to choose one sports bike with good egros for street, it would be the RR.
 
Commuting on the freeway isn't great for the SM. Twisty, Street and a little bit of offroad is where the SM should live.
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yes.

not really tolerable on a KTM 690. bearable but no reserve power.
 
Also depends where you ride. If you ride in SF, a SM makes a lot of sense. They eat up the potholes like its nothing, and it becomes a whole new world in terms of city riding.

I would also recommend one for Oakland but that's about it. Everywhere else, you will be sitting a long traffic lights and those SMs get really hot.

Also, look at DRZs being pushed at freeway speeds, it doesn't look fun at all if more than 5 miles. There are other options for upright ergos and many which are still considered sport bikes - just need to do your homework.
 
airrix said:
This.

Commuting on the freeway isn't great for the SM. Twisty, Street and a little bit of offroad is where the SM should live.

The RR on the other hand will work on the street but should be on the track. Unless you are young and flexible, the sportbike egro might get to you after 20 mins of slabbing it. But if I had to choose one sports bike with good egros for street, it would be the RR.
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I am north of 40 and I ride my SS for 1hr+ stints all the time.
 
Finesze said:
Hey guys, was wondering if anybody made the transition from a sportsbike to a supermoto. What was the transition like? Do you miss your sportsbike? Regret your decision? I have a 04 600rr that I might be getting rid of to buy a drz400SM or Wr250x. :ride Would love have two bikes but can't financially at the moment. (My eyes are on a 07/08 600rr in the future)
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Like already mentioned it really depends a lot where and how you like to ride.
Between the two options, the sportbike is a better freeway commuter fer sure.
But as a fun bike in the real world of Bay Area riding the supermoto wins easily.
Easier to ride, cheaper to insure and maintain, far more forgiving to abusive riding, crashes way better and it you can keep up with sportbikes on paved roads and with dual-sports on unpaved roads.
I've had my DRZ-SM's on go-kart tracks and motocross tracks and always with a big smile on my face.
I loved my R6 and R1 but after riding tard's the only reason I would ever want a sportbike is as a dedicated track tool.
 
Corb said:
Like already mentioned it really depends a lot where and how you like to ride.
Between the two options, the sportbike is a better freeway commuter fer sure.
But as a fun bike in the real world of Bay Area riding the supermoto wins easily.
Easier to ride, cheaper to insure and maintain, far more forgiving to abusive riding, crashes way better and it you can keep up with sportbikes on paved roads and with dual-sports on unpaved roads.
I've had my DRZ-SM's on go-kart tracks and motocross tracks and always with a big smile on my face.
I loved my R6 and R1 but after riding tard's the only reason I would ever want a sportbike is as a dedicated track tool.
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I ride in SF, but I would also like to go touring (which makes me want to keep the rr) however, I mainly ride in the city + commute. I also want to learn how to stunt, which makes me want a supermoto. + I have the option to go offroading :thumbup Torn off the decision, but I'll probably go through with it. I'll keep the supermoto and get another CBR in the future:party
 
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hypermotard or something similar for best of both worlds! fun track bike, great in twisties, and I don't mind freeway miles on it either. even with woodcraft rearsets that sit much higher, it's very comfortable.
 
ktM 950 SMR would be okay on the highway right?
 
I went from Yamaha R1 to KTM 990 SMR and will never by a sportsbike again !
 
Bought wr250x, sold my r6 a mere few weeks after. So much fun, never gonna get a sportbike for the street ever again. I'm mostly city commute and sometimes twisties so SM is perfect.

Hell, I know someone who toured from SF to Seattle on a WR250R so distance is doable. Maybe not ideal, but doable.
 
My 950 SM flat out gets it on. Docile/small enough to get around town just fine, it's an absolute weapon nearly everywhere else. Not really a Supermoto per se, but enough beans to do 130ish on the highway, pull the front wheel off in 3rd coming out of turns, brakes good enough to do massive stoppies and enough grunt to light the tire coming out of turns when you aren't wheelying.

Seriously, probably the most fun bike I've ever owned. 8 1/4 inches of suspension, comfortable to ride, it is a really good bike.
 
Finesze said:
Hey guys, was wondering if anybody made the transition from a sportsbike to a supermoto. What was the transition like? Do you miss your sportsbike? Regret your decision? I have a 04 600rr that I might be getting rid of to buy a drz400SM or Wr250x. :ride Would love have two bikes but can't financially at the moment. (My eyes are on a 07/08 600rr in the future)
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I went from a Ducati 1098 to the Aprilia SXV550.

The supermoto is WAY more fun and it's almost limitless in where you can go and what you can do. I miss my 1098 A LOT though because I used to do lots of touring on my sportbikes. Can't do those all day, hundreds of miles per day rides. The sumo kills my ass during the half day 150 miles rides I do. I consider the sumo the most fun under 55 mph you can possibly have. It's always on one wheel and every hump/bump is a new chance to go airborne. I have ridiculous fun just the short 10 minutes to work and back.

Two bikes is definitely the way to go. Right now, it's my only ride.
 
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