Small/light/fun/goes in the back of my Caddy Maxi easily...?

[mboy]

As per the title... I'm after a bike that's small, light and a lot of fun, that I can get in the back of my Caddy Maxi easily (on my own)... I realise that I have had my old Superduke GT in the back of it (with the screen and mirrors removed), but would never have managed doing so on my own... So needs to be quite a bit smaller, but still decent fun...

My first thought was of course a KTM/Husky/Gasgas 690/701/700 Supermoto... However, they are quite long and pretty tall despite their low weight. Anybody confirm they will or won't go in the back of a Caddy Maxi easily enough?

Also been thinking Duke 690... Physically shorter and lower than the SMCR, same engine, still very light.

But then there's the Duke 790/890 which are physically no longer or taller than the 690, albeit about 20kg heavier... But would that small extra heft be an issue getting the bike into the van on my own?

I'm open to suggestions...

The reason for this is I am going to be spending a lot of time in Ireland over the coming year or two for work... Often 2/3 weeks at a time. I'd very much like to take a motorbike with me to enjoy my downtime on. I have just come back from a 9day tour of the west coast on my 1290SAS, and it was epic! I want something that's going to be huge fun on the twisty back roads, doesn't need to be practical as such (solo fun only), but that can live in the back of my van with relatively little hassle whilst I'm away.

Thoughts...?

[weeksy]

Santa Cruz Nomad

[Yorick]

Maybe a trailer will give you a wider choice?

[Ditchfinder]

Street triples always amaze me with how compact they are when you see them in the flesh

[KungFooBob]

Duke 390, current SV650 is tiny too.

[ajlog]

Husqvarna Svartpilen or Vitpilen 401, they’re both small and lightweight, based on the KTM 390 Duke.

[Dodgy69]

Kylie Minogue..

[mboy]

Santa Cruz Nomad

From the original KTM 690 evangelist himself?!?! Besides… I didn’t say my Orbea wouldn’t be in there too… But the coastal roads are a lot more fun on a motorbike and whilst there’s plenty of mountains in Ireland, you have to travel quite some distance for any decent mountain biking a lot of the time.

[mangocrazy]

As long as you're using a ramp to load the bike into the Caddy and not trying to deadlift it in, then the choice of bike is wide. And there's no need to push the bike up the ramp, just (carefully) drive it up. I've been doing this for the last 30 years and not had a problem.

As for the bike, I'd go for a Duke 690 every time, as I'm biased. But while they are light and short they are also surprisingly tall. You may need to remove the mirrors to get it in.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've been doing this for the last 30 years

He'll get it in there one day!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

A 350LC would be ideal, but they're stupid money for a 40 year old two stroke commuter

[mboy]

As long as you're using a ramp to load the bike into the Caddy and not trying to deadlift it in, then the choice of bike is wide. And there's no need to push the bike up the ramp, just (carefully) drive it up. I've been doing this for the last 30 years and not had a problem.

As for the bike, I'd go for a Duke 690 every time, as I'm biased. But while they are light and short they are also surprisingly tall. You may need to remove the mirrors to get it in.

Yeah of course using a ramp... The issue is that the Caddy is VERY low inside... Meaning it's nigh on impossible to walk a bike in without being extremely careful. The internal door height is about 114cm (though internally the van is about 10-15cm taller), so realistically nothing taller than 110cm (removing mirrors on anything is a given, and certainly no screens). Hence my initial thought about getting a 690 SMCR is having to be re-thought... Though I do know people who transport their MX bikes in Caddy's, so I guess it's doable... Maybe just need to ratchet the front suspension down first...

As it happens, I have had my old Superduke GT in the back of the van a couple of times, albeit screen (only 4 bolts) and mirrors (just twist off) off, and I needed the help of my GF to steady it as I walked it in (210kg dry, so a good 60kg+ heavier than a 690). I'd feel a lot more confident putting a 150kg bike worth maybe £5k in on my own than I did a 210kg bike worth £12k, so that's kinda my point on the weight...

The only thing I'm thinking now, given it's only 15kg heavier but the same length and height and they have depreciated more, that a Duke 790 might be a better option after all...

Duke 390, current SV650 is tiny too.

I originally thought about the 390, but they're like 44bhp. Not much fun on open roads to be honest. Fine in a suburban environment but given the 690 is only a few kg heavier I figured what would be the point in the 390...?

Rode a current SV650 the other week, probably didn't help that it was a courtesy bike whilst my Tuono V4 Factory was in for a service... Quite possibly the most anodyne motorbike I have ever ridden in my life! Coming from someone who lusted after an original SV650 when I was a teenager when they came out in 1999, it was shockingly bland!

Street triples always amaze me with how compact they are when you see them in the flesh

Yeah, they are small bikes for sure... Do they float my boat though? I'd always considered them a bit too smooth for their own good, not enough of a party attitude. But know a couple of people with 765 versions that love them to be fair.

A 350LC would be ideal, but they're stupid money for a 40 year old two stroke commuter

It would be anything but ideal... I want something to ride, not to spend my evenings fixing/rebuilding! Everyone looks back on them with rose tinted specs... 46bhp and 155kg might have felt incredible on narrow crossplies with drum brakes, especially given a relatively narrow powerband. The reality is that time hasn't been kind to say the least!

[mboy]

Well... Kinda predictably, I went with my first instincts in the end... The price I got offered on a pre-reg Gasgas SM700 was too much of a saving to turn down (paid less for a brand new bike than you would have to part with for a 2yr old KTM SMC R 690 or Husky 701...



So whilst it won't go straight in the van without a bit of jiggery pokery (either need to compress the forks with a ratchet strap, or as another owner has suggested, remove the front wheel and install a wheelbarrow wheel for transportation), it should hopefully be worth the effort!

Never owned a Supermoto before, it has always been on the list though, and at a price where realistically I can own it for 2yrs with almost zero depreciation, it seemed like a signal that now was the time to do it!

[Scuffmark]

I sold an ktm exc in supermoto trim and the fella collected it with an Astra combo van. Stood at the side of the van it looked an impossible fit but a couple of ratchet straps to compress the forks and it went in and the rear doors of the van closed.

Enjoy the GasGas.

[Supermofo]

Nice, those GasGas look great. As a owner of a 690 for 6 years I have a massive soft spot for 690s, cracking bikes.