Lois should know she rode a long way on her 250. As did her other half Austin Vince who has taken his 350 round the world. I find the 250 a perfect trail riding bike and it behaviour on the road is good as well. I quite happily ride it distances but I wouldn't expect to do much more than 200miles in a day on it.

 

One day i pulled up to a light and a big old fat bearded guy on a full dressed harley looks over and asked "what's that weigh?" "280 pounds" he laughs and says "my front tire weighs that much"

You can ride a small bike anywhere, but you can't ride a big bike everywhere.

 

I've gone through 5 bikes since my daughter was 1 (now 5), and my KLX is still my favorite. I love my newer Versys, but when the sun is out, and I just want to joy ride for 15 or 20 minutes, I hop on it and have fun. Even though it is completely set up for off road, it's still a blast. I even like it more than my old KTM 200. REALLY. I am kind of a goofball though, according to my daughter and all the preschool kids at the co-op. So....this my be completely silly.

 

Feexed it

 

I also love riding my KLX. I do like smaller, lighter bikes. Since I couldn't find one bike that took care of all my riding desires, I have a 2007 Vstrom 650 ABS for long tours, my 2011 KLX250s for the dirt and shorter rides, and a 2004 ZZR250 for commuting and running errands and generally shorter rides around town. (the ZZR250 is a Canadian/Australian/UK/Japan only version of the Ninja 250, but is better looking, aluminum frame, adjustable rear suspension, higher bars, softer seat - basically a somewhat sport-touring ninja 250)

The Vstrom is a great bike, and fantastic on road trips, but riding around town, I can always seem to feel that extra weight (it's about 490Lbs wet). So, I ride the ZZR250 around town mostly. The KLX has so much low-end grunt compared to the ZZR250 - it makes it easier to ride around for the most part.

The ZZR250 is 'deceptively slow' for a bike - it feels much faster than it is - what I like about it. I can be just tearing around having a great time without really going that fast (and without risking getting into too much trouble). It's about 14.5 second 1/4 mile. The Vstrom is quite the opposite, very calm and comfortable, but with about a 12.5 second 1/4 mile. the KLX is about 15.5 second 1/4 mile (although mine might be a little faster because of the 13T front sprocket.)

I took a ride on my CBR250R (my first bike - last year, but no longer have it) with my brother and his wife on their Harleys from Vancouver, Canada to Winthrop, WA (through the north Cascades). He was talking about how the 250 wouldn't be able to keep up etc. with his 1700cc Harley. Granted, it couldn't keep up in a straight line, but in the twisties, it had no problem, and I'd only been riding for a month at the time. I had no issues riding that bike on that trip - a couple of times had to downshift from 6th into 5th or 4th going up steep hills, but really was not a problem.

 

My first reaction - from 40+ years of riding and 22 years in motorcycle sales... They're idiots! Period!

I have street ridden everything from a 50cc Honda MB5 to a 1500 Vulcan Drifter on all types of paved roads. The only thing that makes a bike dangerous by size is the rider. You have to know your limits and ride within them. That includes the big bores too. I found I am too small for any kind of off roading beyond a groomed trail with my KLX650 dual sport, but fine on the roads riding in any fashion. I love playing Joe Supermoto on it on the paved back roads and Joe Flat Track on a good pea gravel sweeper. I rode the KLX250 my brother looked at and did buy - like having a mountain bike under me compared to the 650. So I found and bought one too. Now to learn my limits off road without getting busted up. I know it can do anything I'd want on the road, but the 650 will do most of that for me.

The whole prejudice is pure foolishness and misinformation. Don't believe any of it. Same kind of gang of idiots will tell you that you should have at least a 1000cc street bike too. I went from an 1100 Gold Wing to a KLX650 dual sport as my all around bike. I then bought a 550 for the street. Now I got a 250 to actually go off road for true dual sporting and plan to sell off the 550 and use the KLX650 as my street bike. I ride it faster and harder than the 550 and know up front it can handle with a sport bike on the street... personal experience. The 650 is intimidating in rougher off road, but the 250 is NOT intimidating or lacking for safety on road.

Have a blast with the 250, the only thing that's as much fun is a mid size scooter to dink around the burbs. I want a Zuma!

 

I'm sure there's plenty of us here old enough to remember when 650's & 750's were big bikes!

Jill - how do you like that Tiger 800? I'm seriously considering getting a Tiger 800 XC.

 

You know...the xrl650l can be had for around 315-320 lbs with a little modding...that's a good combo of 650 and light weight

 

Yeah, I remember the first Z1 coming out in 72. I remember seeing one guy who built bikes at the local Honda dealership riding into the city park to see friends on the first 69 Honda CB750 K0. I thought "may as well buy a car!" big bikes were BSA and Triumphs with the Sportster XLCH as another hot number... but not for long. Most bikes around town were the 160, 250, and 305 Scramblers, Dreams, and Hawks. They were like 600 supersports are now.

I rode a fairly hot bike in 75, a Kawasaki 400 triple, my brother had an RD400. My how things have changed... Of course now both of us have gone to 250s for dual sporting from 650s. Just makes sense for eastern Ohio's winding tight trails.

 

when was a kid my dad has a honda 160.cb350 then a 500. my uncle got the new cb750 my dad said no way i'am i getting one of those way to big. i feel much safer on the 250, a few times i've went thru yards, cross ditches to get out of drivers way hate to do that on my versys.