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Difference between super moto, enduro, dual sport, adventure, and dirt bike.

Warrior Princess

Warrior Princess

Freedom Equity Group
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Location
Vallejo
Moto(s)
96 Tiger 885
Name
Joanne
I have always wondered the difference between these bikes. I kinda know the difference between dirt bike and the others, OFF ROAD ONLY, but the others I don't know.

Anyone have a good answer.
 
Supermoto: a dirt bike with 17" wheels and/or street/race tires.

Enduro: a dirtbike with a headlight and probably more fuel capacity.

Dual spurt: a motorcycle that is not particularly great for riding on- or off-road.

Adventure: marketing bullshit. I blame BMW and KTM.

Dirt bike: a totally nebulous term that basically means a motorcycle that someone has decided to ride in the dirt.

Hope that helps! :)
 
Specialization allows one to skew performance for a particular environment. Each bike is the best in it's niche, which can limit their versatility.
 
^^^ I can see that. But as far as the terms used among bikers like when they say a supermoto or supermotard ride just wondering what kinda ride that they would be on and what kinda bike they would be riding.

I am starting into off pavement riding and was wondering what kinda bike is what kinda bike and for what usage are they used for.
 
I'll take a stab at it - then everyone else can correct me and point out where I'm wrong. :p

Dirt bike:
Usually a motocross bike, although true enduros also fall into this category. The 250 and 450 four stroke motocross bikes that are raced nearly every weekend are good examples. There are a bunch of smaller dirt bikes for kids or less serious riders. A few big ones like the XR650R are designed for desert racing or faster off road riding where nimbleness isn't as important.

Enduro:
Back in the olden days, what a Dual Sport was called. The ones actually designed for riding in enduro competitions are basically motocross bikes with lights, tuned for more low-end power and less of a top end hit.

Dual Sport:
Any street legal dirt bike. Some are more dirt worthy than others. Sizes usually range up to 650 ccs or so.

Adventure:
BMW started this category with the GS, KTM added to it with a more dirt worthy version, then everyone else jumped in with with various tall bikes having a bit more ground clearance. There is an interesting two-part test of the big ones at these two links: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/N...un1112-video-extreme-adventure-test-part-one/, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak6-l4QON0I&feature=g-u-u

You can probably guess which one won. :cool

Super moto:
Any of the above with 17 inch wheels and sticky tires. Really good at going around corners and getting insane lean angles.
 
SuMo: like rump says, 17s and sportbike-sized brake discs on a motocrosser, enduro or dual sport. May be street legal or not, may be homemade or factory built. Look for a DRZ400SM as the poster child here.

Enduro: I think today it means a trial-riding model like Honda's CRF450X or the Yammie WR250F. In the old days it meant a dual-sport, but today even though it has marker lights that look like headlamp/tail light, not street legal. So it will have full knobbies not intended for pavement.

Motocrosser: lighter, race-oriented version of an enduro that is for closed-course motocross racing, although you see them on trails. CRF250F is a good example.

Dual-sport: a road-legal Enduro, so all its equipment is a compromise between street and dirt, which, as Rump sayeth, means it sucks at both. The most popular dual-sports are better for street than dirt, but are still very fun and capable on graded, easier sorts of trails: KLR650, DR650, BMW GS series.

Adventure-Tourer: a large, heavy, fast and comfortable bike the looks like a dual-sport but is really best on pavement. Some of these whales are over 600 pounds, but some, like the KTM Adventurer are actually pretty good off road, or so I'm told--my off-road skills are pretty minimal.
 
Well, I just bought a KTM 950 "Supermoto". It isn't really a Supermoto. It's a streetbike, with a bit longer travel suspension, dirt bike bars, and it sits pretty high. Most real "Supermotos" are dirt bikes with 17" wheels and sticky street tires. The difference is, on the freeway, most converted dirt bikes are running out of steam at 80 or 90. And kind of twitchy, sort of scary going that fast. But around a tight track or in town, those 450s and 525s and whatnot (the 250 4 strokes are too slow for the street, in my opinion), really fuckin' haul ass. But if the road opens up at all, the 450s are getting wound pretty tight.

Now I've also got a pure street Ducati S4, a Monster with a 916 engine in it. It's lower, stiffer, and really hauls ass when you want to. But if the road gets bumpy, the KTM gets the nod, it is really, really composed in bumpy turns, not quite as fast in all out speed.

I've had Sport Bikes. I've had Standards. I've even got a Sportster, which is a piece of shit. But I'm liking the big so-called Supermotos, just for comfort.

As far as those "Adventure" bikes go, I just can't imagine laying underneath one on the side of a hill somewhere, that's why they invented real dirt bikes.
 
I got an F800GS "enduro". It's mostly a great "all around" street bike / durable touring bike that can also do some serious off-roading with the right tires and a skilled rider. It's technically a dual sport. BMW has an R1200GS "Adventure" edition with huge fuel capacity and better suspension and other off-road features. If you've seen Long Way Round or Long Way Down, the BMW R1150/R1200GS is their ride, though I actually think KTM made one of the biggest mistakes of their entire existence not giving the the KTM dual sports...1 I think they would have been better off and 2 the R1200GS became BMWs best selling motorcycle.

After 5000 miles on the BMW I guess my only "complaint" (after upgrading the squishy fork springs) is that it's not a sports bike. It's just not that "Fast", but has tons of torque and is almost impossible to stall. I think in retrospect the R1200GS would have been better for me but I didn't want to spend the extra $7000.
 
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Well I have my Tiger and it is a large street bike, but I have goggled them and seen pics where they are doing some outrages dirt riding on them. I am not that good but I would like to be in the dirt.
 
My personal experience of owning all of them, and racing many of them, is that my newly acquired 690 enduro is THE perfect single motorcycle. Got back today from riding 1200 miles of offroad around Oregon with 3 friends, 2 of who are amateur racers, and one is a retired pro and none of us could pick a better bike (pro on a 450 rxv). My other bikes will be collecting dust.
 
Gabe said:
SuMo: like rump says, 17s and sportbike-sized brake discs on a motocrosser, enduro or dual sport. May be street legal or not, may be homemade or factory built. Look for a DRZ400SM as the poster child here.

Enduro: I think today it means a trial-riding model like Honda's CRF450X or the Yammie WR250F. In the old days it meant a dual-sport, but today even though it has marker lights that look like headlamp/tail light, not street legal. So it will have full knobbies not intended for pavement.

Motocrosser: lighter, race-oriented version of an enduro that is for closed-course motocross racing, although you see them on trails. CRF250F is a good example.

Dual-sport: a road-legal Enduro, so all its equipment is a compromise between street and dirt, which, as Rump sayeth, means it sucks at both. The most popular dual-sports are better for street than dirt, but are still very fun and capable on graded, easier sorts of trails: KLR650, DR650, BMW GS series.

Adventure-Tourer: a large, heavy, fast and comfortable bike the looks like a dual-sport but is really best on pavement. Some of these whales are over 600 pounds, but some, like the KTM Adventurer are actually pretty good off road, or so I'm told--my off-road skills are pretty minimal.
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That's what I would have said if you didn't get here first.
Adventure bikes are good touring bikes that can get you there when the pavement ends, but they're not all that much fun at it.

(a 1965 BMW R69S, when mounted with the right tires, is actually more fun that a BMW R1200GS on the forest service roads, and can probably make better time on them, speaking from personal experience with both)
 
I can hardly believe it when I see guys riding 1000cc adventure bikes offroad. Yes I know people do it all the time but I just dont see the fun to pushing those things through mud and pickings them up from a spill.
I sweat my ass off yesterday evening on a 250 climbing over some tricky rock sections to the top of an abandoned ski resort. I bet there are guys that could have done it on a 990, not a chance I could.
 

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It would be nice if I could do it. but like you I dont ever expect to get to that level. Just want to ride down not maintained roads. If I wanted to trail ride I would get a smaller bike.
 
Blankpage said:
I can hardly believe it when I see guys riding 1000cc adventure bikes offroad. Yes I know people do it all the time but I just dont see the fun to pushing those things through mud and pickings them up from a spill.
I sweat my ass off yesterday evening on a 250 climbing over some tricky rock sections to the top of an abandoned ski resort. I bet there are guys that could have done it on a 990, not a chance I could.
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I doubt it. Why punish yourself with a 600 lb bike, trying to make it where a 220 lb bike is hurting you? There might be few guys, but many just want that "Adventurer" image. I bet they are just as comfortable as the full dress tourers for the hi-mileage guys.
 
Motard riders get arrested by the police.
Enduro riders get arrested by the sheriff.
Dual sport riders get arrested by either the police or the sheriff.
Adventure riders get arrested by the highway patrol or foreign police/military forces.
Dirt bike riders get arrested by park rangers.
 
wsmc831 said:
My personal experience of owning all of them, and racing many of them, is that my newly acquired 690 enduro is THE perfect single motorcycle. Got back today from riding 1200 miles of offroad around Oregon with 3 friends, 2 of who are amateur racers, and one is a retired pro and none of us could pick a better bike (pro on a 450 rxv). My other bikes will be collecting dust.
Click to expand...

I picked up a 690 SM their first year out and was looking forwards to a real "690" enduro only to find out that my toes are unable to get close to touching the ground. Great bike if you are tall enough.
 
HappyHighwayman said:
...
After 5000 miles on the BMW I guess my only "complaint" (after upgrading the squishy fork springs) is that it's not a sports bike. ...
Click to expand...

Well, of course not. Foolish to think that it is.
IMO dual sports are not for everyone... few in fact. Since they are not as good at either, it's up to the rider to make up the slack.

People buy dual sports and say, whine whine whine it's not stable at 80mph, whine whine whine it's got soft suspension, whine whine whine it's slow...and so on.

To that I say, "Well, of course not."

BTW: Motard, supermoto, sumo, SuMo .... all the same.
 
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