I think a dirt bike would better suit your wallet and specs.

Dual sport bikes are usually more expensive and have some kind of electric system.

I happen to like these dual sport bikes:
Honda XL 600R around $2-3k

Suzuki DR 600 S or identical SP 600 F $1000-1500

 

I have a klr 650. Nice bike. Too expensive.

The Dr 400 is used as a go to bullet proof bike for adventure tours here. How much are they worth over there?

Or even smaller the Yamaha wr250r is supposed to be pretty good.

 

i plan to get a larger dualsport at some point, like a yamaha XT500, or a honda CL350, but not right now, i want something smaller, lighter, cheaper, that can also serve as a reliable commuter, it doesnt need to be able to achieve highway speeds

 

i hear the engines on the CT90/110 was pretty bad.. anyone know what it would take to upgrade it?.. i doubt a small air cooled diesel would fit on the frame, but that would be really cool if it did

 

They are slow but are as near to bulletproof as you can get with a motorcycle engine. They have been to more corners of the planet than any other bike and worked harder than rosanne barrs consealer cream.

The lifan 140cc engines meant to be an easier upgrade for hp

 

The basis of the ct90 engine was the 50cc ohv super cub engine which became the 50cc ohc then on to the 70cc and 90cc.

If there was going to be a motorcycle that survives a shtf scenario it will be a Honda cub/honda trail.

 

so a 140cc lifan engine can fit in a CT90/110?.. would this actually get me highway speed capability at that point? it looks like these bikes could also use a suspension upgrade too

so do you guys think it would be possible to run one of these on a magneto with no battery, only needing to rely on a manual starting method?.. thats what id like to achieve.. wouldnt mind maybe building a new frame though that can fit a single cylinder recoil-start diesel engine at some point which would be REALLY cool to have a diesel honda trail

but i think ill pick one up then and make it able to handle any scenario

 

im finding yamaha XT250s within my price range.. needing a bit of a tune up and some maintenance, but run.. what are your opinions on 1980s XT250s?

 

At your price point If there is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. Then it is the right bike.

Yamaha don't make actual lemons. So the bike will be fine. Mabye there would be a slightly better bike for your job. But otherwise it will do fine.

As far as a kick start go. You cab but the kit. So non kick start should not be a deal breaker.

 

The CT-90 has to have a battery to run, it is also one of the worst handling bikes out there, steering geometry is more geared for trials riding at low speeds. I would opt for a CL/scrambler version if you really want a 90 and if you can find one. I have had a few as well as several CT's but I am down to one CL-90 and on CL-125 twin.

I think you would be better served with an SL or the later XL although they also require a battery to run, but someone might have conversion kits for them. You can usually find a decent running SL or XL on Craigslist for under $1k, but I would steer away from the two cylinder models as they are heavier than the singles.

 

You would be hard pressed to find a better bike then an xr200.

 

my budget for now is around $500

 

I'd be looking at something from Honda, followed closely by Yamaha. I lucked into a deal on a low miles Honda XR650 several years ago, and can't speak highly enough of it. With the help of a shop manual and You-tube, I've done most of the work on it mylself (mild upgrades and general maintenance)I was considering selling it a while back and upgrading to a brand new bike, and asked a guy I know that REALLY knows his stuff about bikes,going back decades, and he said the Honda XR's were hands-down the hardest bikes to kill, and he said he's actually TRIED to trash an XR, and sinply couldn't do it.
he said I should keep it, maintain it, and ride it till it finally dies, and that's the plan.


I just noticed this post. Unfortunately, you can barely get a decent used BICYCLE for $500, much less a motorcycle. You should save your money for something decent, or come up with a new plan.
Do what you want, but that's the reality.

 

Can't find much that runs for $500 around here, and CT-90's are in high demand and will usually go for over $1k if in halfway decent shape. Good luck and keep your eyes open, but try to save some more money as you are waiting to find something.

 

so far ive found CT90s, and yamaha XT250s for about $500, running but needing some work.. i dont need something in pristine condition

 

i found an XT200 for $350, i could probably talk him down to less, needs some wiring, new exhaust, and has a stripped header bolt, i could do those repairs with the money saved and get it back into working order.. the XT200 would be capable of highway speeds, and if im not mistaken those can already run without a battery

 

Sounds lke a total money pit, but you seem as commited to getting a motorcycle, as my little brother, who once stole his motorcycle back from inside the Sheriff's evidence/impound yard, many years ago ( I'm serious,LOL!!)
And by the way, that old XT200 would probably be coming apart at the seams at ''highway speeds'', if it got there at all.

 

i know how to work on old bikes and ive rebuilt them in the past.. certain bikes just arent worth the effort but a good, solid dualsport is always worth the effort, also, i dont think you really need anything bigger then a 200-250 if youre not running any races, you certainly wont be going 80mph offroad and id rather have less weight and better handling vs a bigger, heavier dualsport.. so i think 250cc is my max on such a bike

 

You might want to save up for a Yamaha XT225. They can be had for around $2000 here. The old yamaha and Kawasaki two strokes were pretty tough and good performing. Old Hondas are great but some require re wiring.I had a 360 scrambler that was fun but had problems both carbs and points. The advance mechanism had rusted solid. I got it to move but never worked right and also shorted out. Nearly all Japanese bikes require batteries. I have had pre electric start European bikes that ran on magnetos, like a Ducati, a Norton, some old Triumphs and I think Bultaco and a few more.
For off road I had a pull start 200 ATC that did not use a battery. The Army had diesel powered KLRs. I don't know where you would find one. BTW the 250 KLR is kick start.
Another option is a KTM Enduro converted to be street legal.
Sounds like a fun project.

 

Yamaha TW200 no kick start but have I push started, Massive tires, love mine and you can buy them used cheap.
http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/jpg/201308/yamaha-tw200w.jpg

 

i think im going to pick up a honda trail 90.. theyre so lightweight, simple, easy to work on, tons of following behind them, and with the 140cc lifan engine upgrade these things are reaching 55mph with the stock 140cc engine, tweak the engine a bit and you could probably get 60-65 out of them while still being able to pick up by hand to put on a reinforced bike rack onto the bck of my truck or camper for transportation.. i will probably upgrade the front end for better handling and brakes too... but it looks like a very versatile, widely popular bike thatll be a solid commuter and great shtf type of transport

so thats my plan, upgrade a CT90 and at some point swap to a new lifan 140cc engine.. later on i may get something a bit bigger, like perhaps a yamaha XT series bike from the 70s or 80s or a suzuki DR400 or even the XL hondas, but for now a trail 90 will get me started

 

Sounds good. Look so long as it is not a bucket of crap any name brand bike will get you started.

We do the ct 110 as postie bikes. People ride around Australia in them.

 

Vespa p200...for the win!

 

me and my brother just dead lifted a CB550F into the back of the moving truck.. tweaked my already bad back but considering the weight of those being over 400lbs and the CT90 being 180lbs dry, if i needed to pick the CT90 up and out of something i could, or if i needed to put it in the back of my truck without a ramp, i could

 

Just out of curiosity, have you ever owned or ridden a motorcycle before? Not that it is a big issue, but if you haven't, starting small is a good idea. I have personally owned over 200 motorcycles over the past 50 years (more than that if you count non-running). I do currently own a '76 CB550F myself.

 

ive owned two motorcycles and ridden both for a long time, my first one was a '78 CX500 and honestly if i go back to another road bike im going to go back with one of those.. incredibly low maintenance, even seen one converted to an offroad bike before and personally took mine on trails as well

second bike i had was the '76 CB550F i had now, runs, however it started having issues, has new ignition coils, rebuilt the carbs, and i was planning to do a cafe racer project with it but i learned something important.. i absolutely hate 4-cylinder bikes, KISS and its a PITA the sync four carburetors together.. two carbs only have to be synced to eachother, one not at all and the maintenance and work is 4x as much... so ill never own anything more than 2 cylinders now and honestly ive become a huge fan of single cylinder bikes

im not looking for something small and light because im looking for any kind of a starter bike, im looking for something small and light because i like something light, nible, easy to handle, easy to push if i have to, also youre able to go as fast with less power and get generally better fuel economy.. my CB550F gets what?.. 40-60mpg max? while a CT90/110 driving around town or on back roads will get me just as far, just as fast at over 100mpg.. so when youre thinking shtf situation, double the range on the same amount of gas is handy

i will put a lifan 140cc engine in the CT90 at some point for more power and able to haul more gear.. maybe put a frame on the back where i can quick detach a couple ammo cans for saddlebags depending on the gear im wanting to take with me, id like to build one ammo can up as my tackle/fishing equipment, maybe a couple as "bugout bags" so i can grab whichever one i need, easily hook it on the bike and go

heres a pretty cool CX500, if i found one like i had before (bought it for $100 and it only needed a couple new muffers and a new headlight) then i may do something like this with it

http://images.mcn.bauercdn.com/upload/279399/images/cx500-1.jpg

 

How about buying an old street legal enduro type bike with a blown up motor (make sure it has a title) and grafting a Briggs and Stratton 5 horse engine with the CVT trans in it? It would run with no electrics like you want and uses a pull start. A battery would only be needed to run the lights.
This would be a cheap, fun project that would be EMP resistant.

 

You could even end up being this cool:

http://motorcyclephotooftheday.com/category/briggsand-stratton/

 

ive always thought about putting a briggs and stratton engine on something like an old royal enfield or triumph style frame probably made from scratch.. you know, so i could have a thumper that actually uses american made parts.. but if i was doing engine swaps id rather put a single cylinder hatz diesel engine into it.. its a recoil start diesel engine ive seen fit into frames as small as the CB125... how cool would that be to have a diesel dual sport?

 

Be a bit obvious as a daily driver.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z830kXJr7A

 

By the early to mid 1980s the dual sport/dirt bikes were pretty darn good. Any Yamaha or Honda should do fine. Might need some work, carb rebuild, but that's super easy to do. Mounting tires on these rims is very easy. People do it on the trail all the time. Carry a couple of extra tubes and a patch kit. Personally, I wouldn't graft in an engine. There may be balance and reliability issues from transmission main shaft to wheel alignment and engine mount modification issues. Get a four stroke. Don't screw around with a two stroke, there's fouling issues to cope with.

When I was in high school my buddy bought a Honda street trail bike. AS I recall it was a 125cc or something like that. Holy cow that bike was fun. Of course I was half the size I am now. I'd only consider a 250 or bigger. 400 and up would be even better. If you find one with leaky fork seals and such don't worry about it. If the fork chrome is still good the seals are inexpensive and easy to replace but, you'll likely need access to an impact wrench to break the bolt lose on the bottom of the slider. For fork oil lots of people just use transmission fluid. The weight is in that range. Harley Davidson fork oil looks and feels exactly like transmission fluid. Some people think that's what it is.

If you get one dont let some shop mount new tires. You need to learn to do your own, it's bloody easy. I have mounted my own tires on and off for 30 years. Now I do all my own motorcycle tires and that's for my HD Electraglide and my wife's sportster. If you can let the new tires sit in the sun for an hour before you put them on the rim it will be much easier.

The things you want to run from are, rats nest looking wiring repairs and bent frames. Wiring issues can be the bane of your existence. Bent frames aren't worth fixing. Bent forks, torn seats, gummed carbs, even blown engines can all be replaced if the price is right. Get in cheap to save funds on the back end like, mounting some panniers. I'm sure there's a straight bike somewhere that just needs some TLC.

 

ive rebuilt carbs on bikes, even rebuilt forks, had a CB550 i converted to cartridge style forks with new seals and springs too, ive done some wheel work like lacing a CB550 hub (1.85" wide) which originally had a rim almost impossible to find tires for, to a CB750 rim which used a wider, more common width.. so something that needs a bit of work im fine with.. still havent purchased one yet, but im starting to like the old yamaha XT200 this guy near me has for sale