Off road motorcycles

[CruisingDog]

For my summer hobbies I am thinking of getting a dirt/trail bike for going on the mountain trails and would like to know what's out there and what I should be looking for.

I've looked at the Honda 450 (can't recall the exact model # off hand) and it looks like it will fit the bill. However it's quite expensive. I'm looking at getting a trailer as well, so finding a bike at a reasonable cost is important since all the nik-naks add up.

I'm not after the extreme dirt-bike kinda thing but moreso for the forest trails and dirt track stuff.

Please mention whether I should look at road-legal also (I'm not sure if all the trails are forestry/BLM) and I'm very new to this sport.

Basically any info is good info ....

BTW, this all started last year when I was talking to a chap in my local Honda Dealer. He had an enclosed trailer which he put a couple of beds/cots when they (him and his kids) were out over the weekends. When traveling he had the bikes tied down in the trailer. Pretty nifty set-up actually.

:-)

[toypro1]

here are 2 good sites with a lot of info


http://www.advrider.com/forums/index.php

http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/

[BigTom]

KLR, KLR, KLR <the crowd continues the chant, softly>

The classic "will get you home with bailing wire and bubble gum" MC. You can find really good examples for less than $3,000. Huge gas tank, electric start, rock solid.

There are some pretty good web sites, lots and lots and lots of KLR's and KLR people around. Oh, and they are farkle able with lots of accessories if that is your desire.

<KLR, KLR, KLR>

[sherob]

KLR is your best bet... all kinds of mods... cheap to keep ;)

[BigTom]

Hey, Hey, Hey

Guess what I saw today? Right here in the Foothills of Yuma, Arizona?

Trans Alp. Yep, on the street, a Trans Alp. First time for me!

[fredz43]

I would say that you need to decide what type of off road you want to ride. While the KLR650 is a wonderful bike (I have owned one recently) and is great on gravel roads and 2 track trails, it can be a handful if you get into any tight stuff as it is pretty heavy.

A smaller bike like the TTR250 Yamaha is a great bike for any kind of trail riding and can still motor down the road, but it is not as touring capable as the KLR. The XR250R series of Hondas are good bikes, but are kick start. The XL650 is electric start, but kind of tall. It is more dirt focused than the KLR. but not as comfortable for a full day in the saddle.The CRF450X is the enduro version of the CRF450 motocrosser and while it does require more maint than the older tech bikes, it doesn't need a new piston every 15 hours. If you are just starting out on dirt bikes, it would be a bit much for you, I believe. Suzuki and Kaw make some nice 450 dual sport bikes that don't require the maint of the CRf450X and are still good in the dirt or on the road for a bit and are lighter than the KLR.

As I said, you need to think about what degree of dirt riding you want to tackle then look for a bike that fits that category. If you get more focused on the dirt, you will see that there are many different classes of dirt bike. Presently I have 6 dirt bikes in what I would call 4 different classes.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts, best of luck with your decision.

[sherob]

Hey, Hey, Hey

Guess what I saw today? Right here in the Foothills of Yuma, Arizona?

Trans Alp. Yep, on the street, a Trans Alp. First time for me!


There was one at WeSTOC :)

[RP3]

Suzuki offers the DR series for their dual sport. Air cooled, solid, straightforward machine that is available in sizes up to 650 for some reasonable money. Most mountain roads and beaches are considered roads and do require that you have a street legal machine with a plate. My brother recently acquired a Chinese made copy of a Honda CT using a 90cc engine with a four speed clutchless trans that is plated and fully lighted for around 1100 bucks brand new. It will go 50-55 flat out with a 235 pound driver and is a real kick to ride. I love that thing-it reminds me of the real Honda 70 that Dad brought home to him for his birthday back in the late seventies.

Check out www.multisurfacemotorcycling.com to see more about full sized bikes for doing it all.

[BigTom]

Quote by Sherob
There was one at WeSTOC

Yeah, but I didn't see it:) So it wasn't really there!

I'm telling you, the KLR is a beaut for trail and track riding. Like Fredz43 says, it's a little heavy for technical dirt riding, or racing, for that matter. The new DRZ 650 Suzuki looks pretty good, too. I have no report, is pretty new. The 650 XL Honda might be my choice, except for the pee wee tank. For a couple of hundred you can take it to 3 gallons. Not enough for in and out in this part of the world. Just in isn't so much fun:) I think it is better in the schmootz than the KLR, it is 80# lighter, I think the front suspension is better, too.

Oh, schmootz is a technical dirt term. Could be wash gravel, loose sand, poorly positioned rocks, or any combination of:)

Schmootz is also a technical cleaning term. As in "Wipe that schmootz out from behind the toilette, OK?"

[fredz43]

The Honda service interval for the piston on CRF is 15 hours. Of course it will go longer but not much, double it and you will be buying a motor. You don't want to see what happens to these motors when the piston lets go, they are trash.
These are not play bikes.

Paul

You are correct, my friend in that the manual does call for that. In practice, that has proven to be excessive. As an example, Dirt Rider magazine has a CRF450X long term test bike that they run the heck out of. In one test they rode it and 3 other brand 450's for 24 hours straight with no problems. They tore it down at a bit over 100 hours with the original piston still in it. No blown motors in the mean time. They did replace a wheel bearing at 60 hours and switched to Honda synthetic blend at that time.

The 450X makes an excellent play bike for someone that knows what they are doing, but would be a bit much for an inexperienced dirt rider. The engine, while powerful, has a very friendly powerband. I have several friends who run them as well as the CRF250X and their main maintenance concern is to do a good valve inspection at 15 hours or so.

"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is"

[hig4s]

CRF450Xs are racing machings and require plenty of maintenance, as will any racing machine,,

As far as street legal,, the Kawasaki KLR250S will out dirt most bikes out there that are and street legal. If you want something bigger,

The KTM 450EXC & 525exc and the Husqvarna TE250, TE450 & TE510,, are serious enduro racing machines with just enough done to them to make them street legal,, not really good for distances on pavement and still need all the maintenance of any other racing machine. The Husky TE610 is designed more as a dualsport so a little better on pavement. They are all great if you want a serious dirt bike that can still run down the street, but if you thought the Honda was expensive.

if you want to see the Husky and KTMs,, www.husqvarnausa.com and www.ktmusa.com