Dualsport
Be sure to visit our videos to see the highlights from some of these rides! Each month we try to cover something in the world of dualsport—whether it be a bike review, a dualsport ride (with map), or a product review. This section describes the Dualsport articles from previous issues. If you would like to order the
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March 2012 2012 BMW G 650 GS Sertão
Adventure-touring motorcycles are growing by leaps and bounds in popularity, and in response BMW has added the new G 650 GS Sertão to its line of 650cc single-cylinder machines. The name Sertão comes from the Portuguese language and refers to an arid savanna region in Northern Brazil, where these bikes would presumably perform well…
January 2012 West Glacier, Montana
Back in October we traveled through Glacier National Park (GNP) in Montana on our street bikes. This park has such a rugged beauty that it practically begged us to explore it some more, but this time via dualsports. So let's take a ride along the western edge of GNP by starting out in the town of West Glacier… Download the Tankbag Tearsheet!
June 2011 Suzuki DR-Z400S
Browse through the motorcycle manufacturers' websites and you will find that dualsports don't seem to get the respect they deserve. Usually the dualsport category is buried under a couple of levels of bikes. On one manufacturer's website, you have to go through the sport motorcycle category and then through the street motorcycle category before finally reaching the dualsport (or dual purpose, as it is often written) category. Another website makes it easy to find the dualsport bikes they offer—all two of them. That manufacturer stopped production on one of those models after 2009, but it looks like they are starting it up again for 2012. If they are truly going to bring back that one model, then maybe there is more hope for dualsports than I surmise…
May 2011 Santa Rosa Mountain, California
TChoosing between lowlands and mountains for dualsport rides in southern California is a no-brainer for me. For one, I am not a big fan of the sandbox that the lowlands usually are, although I suppose I could get better at riding in sand if I practiced more. What I find attractive about mountain riding is the terrain—a mixture of sand (but not too much!), dirt (and sometimes mud), gravel, and boulders through which I ride. The views that come with changes in elevation coupled with the cool silence of the mountains when I stop for a break make me feel as if I've found heaven on earth. So let's enjoy a small slice of heaven in the Santa Rosa Mountains, just 19 miles southwest of Palm Desert…
April 2011 Bodie, California
Mention the Sierra Nevada Mountains to a motorcyclist, and you're likely to induce a trance as the rider imagines himself riding Tioga, Ebbets, or Sonora Pass. Yes, there's good street riding to be had in them thar hills, but there's also some good dualsporting available—especially if you throw in a visit to a ghost town such as Bodie…
March 2011 Red Mountain, Part 2
Last month we visited 6S22—the road to Red Mountain lookout, which is just a few miles from Anza, California. In that article, we mentioned that some other dualsport roads spidered off 6S22 and that one day we would ride them. Since the winter weather has been so good lately, it's difficult to want to ride anywhere else, so this month we check out the 'spider' roads: 6S89, 7S04, and Juan Diego Flats Road…
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