Favorite "small" bike for bopping around town

[Guest]

Have been considering a Grom or one of those Kymco Spades for a bit now, for trips to restaurants and stores that are close by (>3 miles) and are surface street only kinda trips. Also would like to have something on hand if the girlfriend decides she wants to learn to ride as well (has been talking about it for months, hoping she takes the leap and does an MSF course this spring/summer), so would want it to be beginner friendly as well just in case. Can be a classic or a new production, give me some of your favorite little bikes outside of the Grom/Spade/Z125.

 

[RichDesmond]

It's hard to beat a scooter for that sort of riding. We have a Honda PCX 125 (newer ones are 150s) and it's a blast around town.

 

[Burque73]

We had a Yamaha XT225 for a while. That was fun to ride on short runs. My wife really prefers the GS now but only as a passenger. In fact she won't even sit on the KLR.

What about a Suzuki TU250X or VanVan maybe even Yamaha TW200? I've never ridden any of these but between Jedz and Hyabuser's posts they seem like great little bikes. A friend has a TW200 and rides it everywhere in town.

 

[BigD_83]

I tend to haul a bit about town with me, so usually defer to the 650G. My550ES is too cramped for comfortable city-bopping. I very much like whipping the Rebel 250 around when I don't need to cover any ground on the major highways, but there are times I feel very small next to some of the larger/motorcycle blinded drivers in the city core.

To me, an ideal errand runner would be something like a Super Sherpa, XT225/250, CRF250, etc...especially so if I lived in a less than urban area and could get out onto some gravelly road once in awhile. There are lowering links available for the Sherpa to bring the ride height down a few inches, making it a rather more popular choice for those who are more vertically challenged.

 

[posplayr]

I had a Kymoco 250cc Scooter for bobbing around Santa Barbara. Would not dare taking it on the freeway. Step through and has a small carrier on the rear. With under seat storage, you can carry quite a bit of groceries.

 

[Steve]

My small bike is my 850G"K".

My other bike is my Goldwing. :-\\\

I have no problem taking either one of them a block or three to grab a gallon of milk.

Also have no problem taking either one two or three states over, for a cup of coffee. :encouragement:

.

 

[NavyDad]

I have a Honda Reflex 250 (The Yellow Blur) it's a pretty good pack mule or grocery getter and I have taken it on a few over night runs. It is comfy enough for a 300 mile day and does well on any road, but I do avoid the freeway. My twelve year old granddaughter christened it The Yellow Blur.

​

 

[Burque73]

I have a Honda Reflex 250 (The Yellow Blur) it's a pretty good pack mule or grocery getter and I have taken it on a few over night runs. It is comfy enough for a 300 mile day and does well on any road, but I do avoid the freeway. My twelve year old granddaughter christened it The Yellow Blur.

​

Not a bad looking scoot!

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I think a KLR 650 would be a nice small bike.

But yeah, the VanVan looks like way too much fun!

 

[Guest]

+1 on the vanvan, the grom looks like a hoot too...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SVKlG9Iiak

 

[Downs]

TW200 is great if you don't have to ride highway speeds. Has the advantage of being a little tractor off pavement if you feel like exploring anything around you.

My favorite smallish/midsize bike was my ex-wife's SV650, or my old FZ6. That thing was perfect for dang near anything.

 

[exdirtbiker]

KLR650 and "small bike" should not be in the same sentence!

Any under-500 cc dirtbike would be a blast, but DMV requirements may have something to say about that.

Electric start is a must, of course.

 

[bwringer]

I think a KLR 650 would be a nice small bike.

It is!

A KLR650 makes an excellent urban commuter/errand runner. You sit up high, so you can see better, and it's light, narrow, and maneuverable (at least compared to larger multicylinder bikes), and of course go-anywhere suspension lets you mostly ignore pavement imperfections. And if you get stuck in traffic, it's often helpful to split lanes for a bit, dodge through a gap in a hedge or fence, buzz through a parking lot or hop across a sidewalk.

I think another advantage of a KLR or dual-sport in the city is that, frankly, it looks weird. It tends to attract attention, so your odds of being noticed are a bit better.

When it's warm and I'm bored, I'll often head out on the KLR for late night exploration jaunts through the city.

 

[exdirtbiker]

before we turn this into a "KLR vs- whatever" debate, lets just agree that any dual sport has a great riding postilion, is a hoot around town, and a DR400 is more capable on or off road, and feels 400 lbs lighter than KLR

 

[Laker]

How about a vintage 2stroke? Nothing is more fun then that..

 

[bwringer]

before we turn this into a "KLR vs- whatever" debate, lets just agree that any dual sport has a great riding postilion, is a hoot around town, and a DR400 is more capable on or off road, and feels 400 lbs lighter than KLR

Agreed. And the Supermoto (SM) version is another brand of fun.

But you can find 20 or 30 KLRs for sale for every DR. And you can load a KLR down like a rented mule, bolt on all kinds of farkles from a healthy aftermarket, and go places far away.

I guess if you're a galoot like me, a KLR can actually feel small.

 

[trippivot]

I have a elite 80 Honda scooter that has a big basket on the back and is easy to carry my tool box on . it is my 80 mpg mini truck - plus your legs stay dry if the roads are still wet.

 

[Allie]

My dream little 'go getter' is a Yamaha RD350. My God what fun that would be. Perhaps not as beginner friendly as some alternatives. You could always go RD250.

 

[Hayabuser]

Groms are fun but they're really too tiny to be anything but a toy. The TW200 has been around forever but still has an old-skool carbureted engine with all of the downsides that come with that. Hence, the VanVan wins! It's lightweight but adult-sized, is fuel injected (I'm getting over 90mpg ripping around) and fun as hell. Mine came with a 5 year warranty as well. :applause:

And just look at it!