The best Dual Purpose Motorcycles
Many years ago the learned Leonard Setright wrote an article in BIKE magazine with the title: "Biker's dozen". In it he listed the twelve motorcycles which would best meet his varying needs. With such a large and varied collection, there would be no need even to consider a dual-purpose bike, with its attendant compromises so offensive to his meticulously purist sensibilities. Much as I admire Setright, the only motoring journalist to never split an infinitive or use a preposition to end a sentence with, I can afford only one bike at a time. It follows then that I can't afford to have anything too specialised.
Let's see now; what dual-purpose bikes have I known? For what two purposes were they made?
In the beginning (for me, about 1971), dual-purpose meant a trailbike, such as the Suzuki 250 Savage or the Yamaha DT1. They were competent off the road, and satisfactory on it; in fact, they tended to steer and handle better than their road-only counterparts and were more comfortable too. Lighter and more economical also come to mind.
In the eighties, the dual-purpose bike of the future appeared, and I first got to ride one in 1983 on a dealer's demonstration track day. It was much bigger and heavier than the older-style trailbikes, and someone had listened to people who preferred trailbikes on the road but who had to cover long distances and ride fast at night. This bike had a 19-litre fuel tank (later versions had up to 35), a 12-volt electrical system and a real headlight. It was fast on the track, with remarkable lean angles, very comfortable and had an off-road ability which made it feel smaller than it really was. It was the BMW R80 G/S.
These days there is a bewildering range of dual-purpose machinery available.
In my opinion the best sports-tourers are the Honda VFR800, the BMW R1200ST and the Triumph Sprint, with an honourable mention for the Ducati ST3 and the Suzuki SV650. Trailbikes? I'm not sure; I'm years out of touch there, but the Yamaha XT660 seems to be highly regarded. Commuter/tourers? The best appears to be the Kawasaki Versys.
Used-bike buyers are similarly spoilt for choice. Decide what you want one bike to do, decide on a price limit and go shopping.
My personal choice? I really liked the BMW R80 GS, but I couldn't afford one. I have an R65 (1986), and I'm impressed with its versatility. It's fast enough and agile enough and comfortable enough for touring, small enough for more local riding (I live within easy walking distance of work, so commuting is not an issue). Recently it's been getting very dirty, because a farmer friend offered me free firewood, as much as I need. All I have to do to get it is to ride to the farm, and ride about half a mile through mud and deep puddles to where it's stacked, and ride back the same way with a heavy sack of wood on the back. It copes superbly with this treatment, better than some more specialised off-road bikes I've tried in the past.
No dual-purpose motorcycle will perform any one task as well as one specifically designed for that task. BMWs and Guzzis do not feature prominently at trackdays. An R1200 GS will not keep up with a KTM off the road. But a good dual-purpose bike will be adequate, even good, in a wide range of uses. If you mix good and bad roads, and sometimes dispense with roads altogether, and you don't mind a fairly heavy machine, I'd recommend a BMW R1200 GS.
