Converting enduro bikes for dual sport: best bikes, mods & parts︱Cross Training Adventure

Is it worthwhile converting an enduro motorbike into a lightweight adventure motorbike? Which enduro models are best suited? What modifications and aftermarket parts are needed? Why the focus on light weight for some riders? It might be due to physical problems or old age. It's less tiring and safer in rough terrain. It definitely gives you more options to explore gnarly terrain or ride aggressively off-road. Generally the most popular model has been the KTM 500EXCF. Aiming for the lightest weight possible? You need an enduro to adventure bike conversion. For many riders the answer is an 'adventurised' 450 or 500 enduro motorbike to stay under 130kg or 285lb. And Terry is one of those riders. His WR450F is a work in progress. So far he has a cush drive hub, large fuel tank and tall gearing (15/48). Double Take mirrors. And he's loving it! Into enduro and dirt bikes? Check out our dirt bike videos. Extreme enduro training vids are our focus. It's proven to be bulletproof. It has a relatively long stroke engine compared to the others. It has an excellent spread of gear ratios. The 1.2L oil capacity is reasonable. Enduro to adventure conversions! Which are the best bikes to use? Which are the best mods? And is it worth it? Can you live with the compromise? We are covering a lot of topics. Use this index to find specific information. The 2023 and earlier models had a more impressive 1.5L capacity. There are oil coolers and larger clutch covers than allow adding another 300ml of capacity. There's a wide range of cush drive hubs, larger fuel tanks, and other aftermarket parts available. And some riders are chasing the 'unicorn. A motorbike that can do enduro rides and adventure rides if you can live with the compromises. What are the benefits and disadvantages of using a 450 or 500 enduro motorbike for adventure riding? The really obvious benefit is the light weight. you get a lot of horsepower with an enduro to adventure bike conversion. You get a lot of suspension and it's usually high quality too. If you want extreme enduro training see our playlists of enduro skills to learn. Try our training vids for working on your extreme enduro techniques. You can ride very aggressively off-road and have ridiculous amounts of fun. But the list of potential issues is long. Road riding is usually terrible for lots of reasons. It's not available in many countries but the AJP PR7 has proven popular in Europe and has suddenly started selling well in Australia. I now own one and love it. A surprise contender. The new AJP SPR 510R. We rode this recently and were impressed. A very healthy 1.7L oil capacity and 3000km oil changes. It has a bit of extra weight which makes it handle well on the road. It's very similar to the earlier SWM RS500R which many riders adapted for adventure riding. There's lots of engine noise and more vibration. You pay for all that engine performance with higher maintenance. The short stroke engines with small piston skirts mean you really shouldn't ride these motorbikes at low revs or you can dramatically increase piston wear. Oil capacity is usually quite small for any enduro to adventure bike conversion. See our video. It's probably worth mentioning the Suzuki DRZ4S as it had a major overhaul. Diehard DRZ fans mostly hate the changes. Others are raving about the improved suspension and fuel-injected engine. See our video and decide for yourselves. This has NOT been a comprehensive video of course, just a quick guide. Have you adventurised an enduro motorbike before? No windscreen. The light weight and steering geometry create instability at speed. The throttle response if often too snappy for comfortable road riding. The lack of a cush drive hub just makes this worse. If you are enduro riding get into our enduro training vids. Our dirt riding tips are great for developing your hard enduro skills. In some cases, you'll have a narrow range gearbox which sucks for dual sport and adventure riding. And of course Yamaha's WR450F. It only has five gears and a tiny 1L oil capacity. But it's an incredibly bulletproof engine and the big advantage is you can just use your phone to adjust the power delivery. Terry is currently using the 'Hollis smooth map' which has very gentle power at low revs but really ramps up in the higher revs. There's the Kove 450 Rally from China. It's cheap. It's proving to be quite reliable. We tested it thoroughly last year and reviewed it. If you don't mind the poor low to midrange power it's worth considering. The recommended oil change intervals are often as low as 1000km or 600 miles. The tall seat height can be awkward for a lot of shorter riders. And most of these enduro models have weak subframes so you can't put too much luggage on the rear. It also affects the handling badly. The fuel tanks are often incredibly small. #crosstrainingenduro #enduro #hardenduro #extremeenduro