Hi all,

I'm still asking myself which bike to take for my Central/South America tour next fall.
I would have like to take a 650 single but I'm too short. So buying one, lowering the suspension, adding the needed equipements to the bike begins to take some portion of my budget.

So now I'm wondering if I should buy a small, cheap and used xt225 or modify my CB750.

Here is why I would take my CB for the trip and what I would do to It :

- The bike is free I already have it. It's running fine but have some mileage: 70000km.
- I would have more money (no bike to buy) so I would be able to travel for a longer time.
- My CB is heavy (dry wheight 463lbs) but a BMW 1150 is more heavy than that. So I guest that if I bring not too much stuff and put dual-sport tyres I should be able to go where the big BMW go (gravel roads and tarmac).
- I would be less sorry if it gets stolen.

Mods:
- Put a set of dual-sport tires. My rear wheel is 17inch. No problem there but my front wheel is 18inch. So I would put a rear 18" tire to the front.
- Add a set of hand guard to probably save my levers a few times
- build custom box for luggages
- Try to make some kind of a skid plate for the exauhst pipe
- Change wheel bearing, clutch,battery
- Replace all fluids of course
- Check fork spring and shock spring free play and change them is necessary.


Why a xt225?

- There is not many 250cc dual-sport bike for sale around here that are road legal straight from the factory
- cheap bike.
- xt225 are sold in many countries in SA. Easy to gets parts if needed.
- Good Fuel consumption.
- Very light, I have to possibility to go trails riding.
- Lois made it with this bike. Thanks!!!

Negative points:
- The cruising speed whitout stressing the engine is probably 70km/h.
- The engine life: How many miles before exploding?


Any other mods I should do to the street bikes?

Anybody have some idea to help me choose my bike?

Would also like to hear comments from people who went there with street bike? What they like or not about their street bike?

Thanks,

Patrick