Mild Off Roader wanted - recommendations?
Discussion
Hi,
I'm thinking of going back to a bit of offroading. I did a bit in the past, with some KTM weekends when they used to run them down in Plymouth. Plus I had a couple of bikes myself (DR, WR) so not a total amateur, but I'm older now and I land like an Egg in a frying pan when I fall off. Which I'm good at. I'm looking for an easier ride to just go exploring on and splash through a few puddles.
I always enjoyed lighter off roaders more - I did a weekend long ago at John Deacons BMW school and it put me off big off roaders for ever. But I now live 30 "A" road miles from the biggest legal playground round here (Salisbury Plain - chalk, mud and byways with tanks) so it has to do a road trip of that length at sensible speeds without imploding. And I dont want to be rebuilding it every 20 hours or so. I'm not lofty - 5'8" - my old DRZ always felt too big.
If the exact right bike wont do the road part then I could use the Van - but its hassle unloading it first to load up, then the reverse at the end - but not out of the question. Budget ? £4Kish. I looked at a Honda 250 Rally but its not making me want it - not sure why.
Any suggestions gratefully received. Ta
I'm thinking of going back to a bit of offroading. I did a bit in the past, with some KTM weekends when they used to run them down in Plymouth. Plus I had a couple of bikes myself (DR, WR) so not a total amateur, but I'm older now and I land like an Egg in a frying pan when I fall off. Which I'm good at. I'm looking for an easier ride to just go exploring on and splash through a few puddles.
I always enjoyed lighter off roaders more - I did a weekend long ago at John Deacons BMW school and it put me off big off roaders for ever. But I now live 30 "A" road miles from the biggest legal playground round here (Salisbury Plain - chalk, mud and byways with tanks) so it has to do a road trip of that length at sensible speeds without imploding. And I dont want to be rebuilding it every 20 hours or so. I'm not lofty - 5'8" - my old DRZ always felt too big.
If the exact right bike wont do the road part then I could use the Van - but its hassle unloading it first to load up, then the reverse at the end - but not out of the question. Budget ? £4Kish. I looked at a Honda 250 Rally but its not making me want it - not sure why.
Any suggestions gratefully received. Ta
Bigger the motor will handle road miles better, of course. I always use competition enduros, WRs, CRFs etc, but for something like you say, how about a Tenere 660?
The best answer is probably a 2t or 250F and use the van, maybe you could organise it to not have to unload it, just make space for the bike?
I'd love to be within 30 miles of Salisbury Plain, BTW, last time I rode there, i had travelled down off road from somewhere near Abington i think it was, about 15 miles south of Oxford. We got to Stonehenge in the day and only did about 10 miles on roads all day. Dont ask me where we went i was a guest and had no clue where we were going, which was shame as i was always miles out in front! I do recall seeing this big massive spaceship looking building that was some research place the guy said, it looked amazing.
The best answer is probably a 2t or 250F and use the van, maybe you could organise it to not have to unload it, just make space for the bike?
I'd love to be within 30 miles of Salisbury Plain, BTW, last time I rode there, i had travelled down off road from somewhere near Abington i think it was, about 15 miles south of Oxford. We got to Stonehenge in the day and only did about 10 miles on roads all day. Dont ask me where we went i was a guest and had no clue where we were going, which was shame as i was always miles out in front! I do recall seeing this big massive spaceship looking building that was some research place the guy said, it looked amazing.
Don’t write off the Honda 250. It’s designed for exactly your use. I’ve got a CRF 300 Rally and I use for about 70% road 30% green lane. I will spend more time on green lanes when it’s a bit less muddy and wet than right now but I’m a bit of a wuss in the cold weather.
I didn’t have any desire to buy one until I spent a day on a 300L in north Wales and realised it was exactly what I was looking for. Obviously the 300 is newer and improved with a little bit more poke and better gearing but the concept is the same.
I didn’t have any desire to buy one until I spent a day on a 300L in north Wales and realised it was exactly what I was looking for. Obviously the 300 is newer and improved with a little bit more poke and better gearing but the concept is the same.
If you're short in the leg a KTM freeride 350 is good
If you want something that will do the miles a KTM 690 enduro and lower it
Whilst everyone talks about frequently rebuilding enduro bikes if you buy the right one for your kind of riding it should be ok
I ride a 450 and have done for 4 years and have only changed the oil every 3 rides (which is probably more than is required) it hasn't needed anything else (other than a chain / sprockets and fork seals, tyres) with green lane use
If you want a trail bike there is only really the CRF which is is a bit dull, all the older bikes are now seen as classics and priced horrifically
If you want something that will do the miles a KTM 690 enduro and lower it
Whilst everyone talks about frequently rebuilding enduro bikes if you buy the right one for your kind of riding it should be ok
I ride a 450 and have done for 4 years and have only changed the oil every 3 rides (which is probably more than is required) it hasn't needed anything else (other than a chain / sprockets and fork seals, tyres) with green lane use
If you want a trail bike there is only really the CRF which is is a bit dull, all the older bikes are now seen as classics and priced horrifically
Anything that you'd likely perceive as exciting, WRf, KTM EXC/F, Husq, Beta, GasGas, are going to need very regular maintenance and are a pain in the backside for road miles.
The CRF 250/300 may not be exciting but they are popular for very good reason. Pretty good on and off road, long service intervals and friendly.
The other option would be something like the KTM690 enduro but that is heavy in comparison and if you're out of practice might be a bit tricky to handle and even more so to repeatedly pick off the floor.
Otherwise have you considered something like an old DR or XT? A bit old school and having to get your hands dirty when it breaks down in the middle of nowhere isn't fun but it might suit.
Unfortunately CRF is the sensible answer.
The CRF 250/300 may not be exciting but they are popular for very good reason. Pretty good on and off road, long service intervals and friendly.
The other option would be something like the KTM690 enduro but that is heavy in comparison and if you're out of practice might be a bit tricky to handle and even more so to repeatedly pick off the floor.
Otherwise have you considered something like an old DR or XT? A bit old school and having to get your hands dirty when it breaks down in the middle of nowhere isn't fun but it might suit.
Unfortunately CRF is the sensible answer.
Nick928 said:
The CRF 250/300 may not be exciting but they are popular for very good reason. Pretty good on and off road, long service intervals and friendly.
The other option would be something like the KTM690 enduro but that is heavy in comparison
The 690 weighs approx the same as the CRF circa 150kgThe other option would be something like the KTM690 enduro but that is heavy in comparison
Most of the enduro bikes weigh circa 100kg
Most of the alternatives weigh circa 200kg (Tenere 700 etc)
Sorry to say but apart from being reliable and cheap the Honda Crf is too heavy with crap suspension the trailbikes of the previous generation which a lot of people did enduros on were better, TTR 250 , Honda CRM and XRs the Suzuki RMX250 and DR 250/350 Kawasaki KDX Hence they hold there value,
There is article in the TRF magazine about a guy’s KTM250 excf done 10,000 miles with just regular maintenance ,
I’ve got a 2020Yamaha Wr250f bit to tall and seat will cut you in half so I’ve ordered a seat concepts wide seat and I’m going to lower it slightly , the WR’s are very reliable so I’d recommend, or if it’s a easygoing lower bike to potter about on the Yamaha Serow is awesome.
There is article in the TRF magazine about a guy’s KTM250 excf done 10,000 miles with just regular maintenance ,
I’ve got a 2020Yamaha Wr250f bit to tall and seat will cut you in half so I’ve ordered a seat concepts wide seat and I’m going to lower it slightly , the WR’s are very reliable so I’d recommend, or if it’s a easygoing lower bike to potter about on the Yamaha Serow is awesome.
Seagoon said:
...But I now live 30 "A" road miles from the biggest legal playground round here (Salisbury Plain - chalk, mud and byways with tanks) so it has to do a road trip of that length at sensible speeds without imploding. And I dont want to be rebuilding it every 20 hours or so. I'm not lofty - 5'8" - my old DRZ always felt too big.
I went on an off road course in Spain with letsridespain.com a few years ago. They used KTM EXC350's which were amazing things. As a complete novice, I had no idea that it was so easy to go up over and around stuff on the dirt. I would suggest trying something like that but the 30 miles of A road wouldn't be much fun as the ones I was on were geared to about 50mph flat out. I did 120km+ days on a huge range of tracks and it was pretty awesome. The guy there rated them very highly in terms of reliability. I don't know how much maintenance they need but I was massively impressed.
Interesting long term review from an Australian guy. Starts off really negative but by 8 mins in he starts to eulogise about it. Finishes off by saying how much he loves it and says it's the best bike he's ever owned.
https://youtu.be/dLPfsk3zjd4
Ivan stewart said:
the trailbikes of the previous generation which a lot of people did enduros on were better, TTR 250 , Honda CRM and XRs the Suzuki RMX250 and DR 250/350 Kawasaki KDX Hence they hold there value,
The question is why did they stop making them ?I know there is more profit in the big adventure bikes but as these questions regularly pop up there clearly is a market for an old-fashioned trail bike
I freely admit I generally only use a fraction of my KTM 450's power and ability but there isn't a lot of choice circa £2k
KTMsm said:
Ivan stewart said:
the trailbikes of the previous generation which a lot of people did enduros on were better, TTR 250 , Honda CRM and XRs the Suzuki RMX250 and DR 250/350 Kawasaki KDX Hence they hold there value,
The question is why did they stop making them ?I know there is more profit in the big adventure bikes but as these questions regularly pop up there clearly is a market for an old-fashioned trail bike
I freely admit I generally only use a fraction of my KTM 450's power and ability but there isn't a lot of choice circa £2k
Edited by Ivan stewart on Tuesday 11th January 15:32
Ivan stewart said:
Sorry to say but apart from being reliable and cheap the Honda Crf is too heavy with crap suspension the trailbikes of the previous generation which a lot of people did enduros on were better, TTR 250 , Honda CRM and XRs the Suzuki RMX250 and DR 250/350 Kawasaki KDX Hence they hold there value,
There is article in the TRF magazine about a guy’s KTM250 excf done 10,000 miles with just regular maintenance ,
I’ve got a 2020Yamaha Wr250f bit to tall and seat will cut you in half so I’ve ordered a seat concepts wide seat and I’m going to lower it slightly , the WR’s are very reliable so I’d recommend, or if it’s a easygoing lower bike to potter about on the Yamaha Serow is awesome.
I’ve got a 2016 WR250f and the standard seat is indeed a device of torture. There is article in the TRF magazine about a guy’s KTM250 excf done 10,000 miles with just regular maintenance ,
I’ve got a 2020Yamaha Wr250f bit to tall and seat will cut you in half so I’ve ordered a seat concepts wide seat and I’m going to lower it slightly , the WR’s are very reliable so I’d recommend, or if it’s a easygoing lower bike to potter about on the Yamaha Serow is awesome.
Did you order direct from the US Seat Concepts site or did you manage to find a UK stockist?
I lived on the Plain for the last 25 years, it’s a big playground for walking, running, mtbing and motorcycling (just make sure you understand where is legit and where isn’t), most of the riding is on fairly open tracks, so although most peoples answer is a 250, if I had a decent ride to get there I’d be looking at a 400 / 450, my choice would be a 450 KTM.
Hey, thanks for all the replies, plenty of food for thought there.
Looks like the CRF Rally should be firmly on my list. I hear (not just here) the criticisms about suspension and according to the net a popular first mod seems to be a new shock and re-springing the forks. Anyone done that? The 300 looks like quite a step forward over the 250, so I guess I'll revisit my man maths to adjust the budget, or speak to the dealer about HP. It's gonna get marked up a bit so PCP's not really sensible.
I have a soft spot for KTMs - never owned a true KTM off roader but owned and loved most of the Dukes from now right back to the early days, so KTMs are on the menu too - my weekends down in Cornwall taught me (as said here) that the 450 is more than I will ever need. I was always impressed to see the bikes abused, beaten up and totally drowned but always running within 5 minutes after recovery, Tough cookies. I know the dealer quite well so I'll ask him for a road miles vs weight vs agility choice.
The Plain is big and open so don't think I really want what my heart tells me I need - a WR or some other weapon that will leave me hating it on the road. But if I have to try and drag a 200Kg Tenere out of a muddy ditch, I'll hate that too. Oh to have no financial restrictions and a bike for each type of trip and transport for it too when required!!
Thanks again,
Goonie.
Looks like the CRF Rally should be firmly on my list. I hear (not just here) the criticisms about suspension and according to the net a popular first mod seems to be a new shock and re-springing the forks. Anyone done that? The 300 looks like quite a step forward over the 250, so I guess I'll revisit my man maths to adjust the budget, or speak to the dealer about HP. It's gonna get marked up a bit so PCP's not really sensible.
I have a soft spot for KTMs - never owned a true KTM off roader but owned and loved most of the Dukes from now right back to the early days, so KTMs are on the menu too - my weekends down in Cornwall taught me (as said here) that the 450 is more than I will ever need. I was always impressed to see the bikes abused, beaten up and totally drowned but always running within 5 minutes after recovery, Tough cookies. I know the dealer quite well so I'll ask him for a road miles vs weight vs agility choice.
The Plain is big and open so don't think I really want what my heart tells me I need - a WR or some other weapon that will leave me hating it on the road. But if I have to try and drag a 200Kg Tenere out of a muddy ditch, I'll hate that too. Oh to have no financial restrictions and a bike for each type of trip and transport for it too when required!!
Thanks again,
Goonie.
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