Convert dirtbike for onroad use

[phlegm2]

When changing the tyres on a baja to onroad, is there anything to look out for? What are the specs for the tyres? Need to use different wheels or just change tyres on existing?

Anything else needed after changing tyres?

btw, the whole reason I am doing this is because I assume offroad tyres are unsafe on tarmac, esp during rain, am I correct in making this assumption? I want to make the bike safer for onroad riding, as I dropped the bike when riding with nobblies on wet tarmac a while back and don't want it happening again, as ye can imagine mates

 

[dirthonk]

phlegm, yes putting onroad tyres on your baja to ride on the road will help a lot. for your existing 21 and 18in wheels you might be looking at a tyre that was made for a chopper. still works though!
if you mess around changing the wheels its gonna start costing you some more money. stick with the originals for now and if its not good enough then you can change to some 17s. bear in mind though that it will never become a proper onroad bike unless you get the brakes and suspension sorted aswell.
good luck

 

[Pikey]

Here's a couple of pics of AK47wildwacko/Hondahonky/SuzukiLuke proving just what you can do on an XR250 shoed with std wheels and road tyres from a chopper (note the ACU approved "racing plimsoles"!)

At the time I had an XR400 with proper motard wheels e.t.c and he passed me with ease after a few laps of Chiang Mai Speedway. Then again, Luke is half my age and has bollocks twice the size of mine! ;-)

Also, if you want to retain the original functionality of the bike, take a look at dualsport tyres such as the Thai made Dunlop 605's - 3000 THB or so for both wheels and pretty decent on and offroad.

Cheers,

Pikey.

 

[gobs]

What can be done as well, is getting two sets of wheels. One for the off-road 18" and 21" and one for the on-road 17" and 17", fitted with the proper tyres.

Just make a search to purchase a pair of hubs or wheels (front and rear) on the second hand market to get mounted with the new on-road 17" wheels with tyres...

So, as your taste in the moment, you change in half an hour from off-road to on-road and conversely...
Furthermore, you'll have a better choice of tyres in 17" for the on-road...

But at higher cost for sure! :roll:

Cheers,
Gobs

 

[phlegm2]

Yeah its probably easier to have different wheels for the different tyres, if you were switching between the two. Anyways, assuming that the wheels on the baja are 18/21", is it difficult to find road tyres of these sizes?

 

[dirthonk]

they are chopper tyres dude, so start off with.......chopper shops. also G3 near nakorn bridge or the piston shop will be able to source the tyres for you.

P.S pikey ive had far worse injuries since i started wearing proper kit. go figure!?? reckon im going back to the converse and index hat!

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

Phlegm2-

I am always debating this topic with these guys. It depends on YOU the rider and what you really want to do. I have thousands of kilometers (not exagerating) on my DR250 and DR650 all over Thailand and Laos on DUAL PURPOSE tires.

This photo is on Dunlop 605's with 18 inch rear and 21 inch front, stock. The same track as Luke. I ride some pretty tough off road and also run with the best of them on the paved twisties. Many with larger cc and road tires cannot leave me behind on my dual purpose tires on BOTH bikes.

I say save your money. If you are a VERY GOOD rider, and can use the full capacity of the tires to the point of them not being up to your skill, then change. Happy Feet, Big & Tall, Luke and a few others may fit this category (I am not). Most I would say cannot use the tires to their max anyway and there is not a saftey issue with a quality set of dual purpose tires on the road.

Unless you are really riding at the limit, and are good, save the time and money and just ride the damn thing :lol:

 

[klx250]

just change the tyres/tires to a more road oriented type. I've had those dunlops d605's on a trail bike and thought they were great for cornering on tarmac.

 

[phlegm2]

Silverhawk, are you saying that it doesn't really make a big difference either way, road or offroad tyres are not that different? The road tyres are no safer than offroad tyres on tarmac?

 

[SilverhawkUSA]

It depends on what you mean by "safer". A good dual purpose tire is not going to fail or have any problem when used on the road. As for handling they are good in all conditions. A pure road tire would be better on the road when pushed to it's limit. A pure dirt tire would be better on the dirt when pushed to it's limit. If you are riding on both types of surfaces, and not an out and out racer, a dual purpose is more than capable of handling both situations. I assume by the nature of the question that you are not an expert rider (no offense, neither am I), so you are unlikely to have a problem because you reach the limit of your tire's abilility. You reach the limit of your riding ability long before that. It is a waste of time and money to keep changing tires. IMHO.

I am leaving Chiang Mai for Laos on Monday and I will be riding my DR650 with Metzeler Sahara dual purpose tires. My DR250 will be left at home where the girlfriend will be doing highway riding with Dunlop 605 dual purpose tires.

When you buy an enduro bike it comes as a street legal bike. It is sold with dual purpose tires. If it weren't "safe" on the road it couldn't be sold in countries like the US, UK, OZ etc.

When I am riding on pavement and I see a dirt road or mountain trail I want to take, I just turn and take it. If you had street tires & "chopper wheels" you would probably need to go home and change your wheels first (as i said earlier, unless you are a highly skilled rider like the guys I mentioned and few others). Up to you.

 

[KZ]

I installed Pirelli MT60s on my XR650L, DR650SE and KLR250 - great street tires and good for light off-road duty. To me they were the perfect street/dirt compromise. They may be a bit on the pricey side but it's worth spending money on tires - what's the use of a top-notch bike if it runs on Cheng Shins? Check them out:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/ ... -Tire.aspx
http://www.us.pirelli.com/web/catalog/m ... _ONOFF.xml

 

[phlegm2]

what about sissy bars on a baja!? Know it sounds a bit loony but how come I never seen a baja or dirtbike with these??