5’ 2”? Well a KLR is out.
Tom Cruise rode a Honda Honda CRF 250, the L model is a dual sport. :D
Check out 350 royal enfield. Classic.
I have a Honda Shadow 750. Very light. Good power. Low rider. Problem free.
A Suzuki DR200 is a good choice for a first dualsport. Low seat height, easy to maintain, and easy on wallet.
Royal Enfield 650 interceptor standard. You can touch ground, ABS, classic standard style and position. And skips a lot of the crapware microchip infested things Triumph and others load up the bikes with.
Look at the Honda Trail 125. Good for just knocking around and it is not likely to get away from you. Easy to ride. Good in the woods at slow speeds.
I know there are two kinds of riders…
Those who have had accidents, and
those who are going to have accidents…
5-2 ?
Good luck.
( I’m 5-5 and dual sport challenged also.)
Itchyboots is also short and she chose a
a single-cylinder
Honda CRF300L Rally
https://www.itchyboots.com/blog/my-upgraded-honda-crf300l-rally-2-0
I want a KLR 600 but it’s a one tippytoe bike at my height so that’s not something I’m comfortable with.
She’s rode that bike from the bottom of South America to the top of Alaska on mostly dirt roads ,, pretty impressive bike really.
Yamaha TW200 if you don’t need to go faster than about 45mph. It sits very low and is easy for a beginner to use off road.
It is probably the best motorcycle of its type on the market. Takes a little getting used to because of its height, but that's a dual sport for you.
I used it to ride country roads in my area on Sunday afternoons. It floats over sand like a surfboard.
I did extensive research before buying my bike.
I considered the KLR (too old fashioned technically and too heavy if you have to pick it up--and you will).
I looked at the Honda CB500x. Beautiful bike. Lower seating. Not as good on dirt roads but a beautiful bike.
I looked at a lot of other bikes but came back to the Honda because of the incredible dependability.
I am probably going to sell mine shortly because I have already ridden every pretty country road in my county and the ones nearby. I have ridden most of the roads twice. I love riding but I am the only person I know that rides like I do and it's a sport better shared with friends.
I bought my bike for exploring and it is perfect for that. If you haven't watched Itchy Boots on Youtube, you should. It's the travelogue of a girl who rides around the world on a dual sport (mostly a Honda CRF300L Rally just like mine).
If I understand your friend’s forested land to mean some dirt riding, test out a BMW G310GS. Fun bike to ride, only about 375LB. Good on dirt roads. They are in the $5k range new, but I’ve seen them for $3-4k used.
If I were younger, I’d get either an old Bultaco or a BSA Victor.
Not gonna happen on a dual sport. They need high ground clearance.
There are some great videos of tiny girls riding some really tall, heavy bikes (like the BMW GS). You will find out that height is not the bugaboo you might think. It's a bit like riding a horse. Just because you're short doesn't mean you want a pony.
My CRF300 is light and perfectly balanced so that if you shift your weight to one side to get your foot down, it doesn't feel scary. Actually, you adapt very quickly and don't even notice the height factor.
That said, I don't know how those tiny girls handle those huge BMW GS 1100's. They are great on long trips but they are beasts.
BTW, my CRF300L Rally is probably not the best for riding expressways cross country. But it is perfect for side roads. Extremely torqey and quite fast up to about 75 mph.
Would be nice if there was something for 6’3” 220 that doesn’t look like you’re riding your sister’s motorcycle.
Not big and heavy, just a larger frame that fits.
Very difficult, even with semi custom.
XT 250 YAMAHA and comes with a very low seat height, one of the lowest of its class and in the industry. Low maintenance and they’re pretty much bulletproof.
I know street bikes, but little to nothing about dual sport bikes. I can say that you don’t want a cruiser like a Shadow. The forward controls on cruisers are nice for streets, but not for dirt roads. No clearance and much harder to control on dirt or grass or gravel.
A 250 to 300 CC bike is all you need for what you describe.
You need to go to dealers and sit on a variety of bikes to get a feel for them and then look for a used version of what feels good. If you have a friend or friend of a friend that rides, yak with them.
What ever you wind up with, look into a Recluse auto clutch.
My last off-road bike was a 2006 KX 250f. My left hand was giving me fits.
I put a auto clutch on it. Worked great. Still had a lot of controI over the engine, and you could still use the clutch like normal if you desired.