Bike to compliment a S10?
- Thread starter RogerRZ
- Start date
I had a WR250R for 5 years to compliment my street bikes before I got a T12 back in 2015.
The thing is that legal trail riding is hard to come by in my neck of the woods - which was one of the reasons I let the WR250R go back in 2014.
After a few years with only the T12, I missed having a smaller/lighter bike for local off road and single trail excursions.
In the end I decided to get me one of these:
I've had it for little over a year now and really enjoy it - not least because I can legally ride any trail I want - and no trail is to gnarly.
It's dead reliable, cheap and easy to maintain, and it even has tubeless wheels.
The thing is that legal trail riding is hard to come by in my neck of the woods - which was one of the reasons I let the WR250R go back in 2014.
After a few years with only the T12, I missed having a smaller/lighter bike for local off road and single trail excursions.
In the end I decided to get me one of these:
I've had it for little over a year now and really enjoy it - not least because I can legally ride any trail I want - and no trail is to gnarly.
It's dead reliable, cheap and easy to maintain, and it even has tubeless wheels.
EricV
Riding, farkling, riding...
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Nice hardtail. In the US, even MTB has its share of trail restrictions and battles with other trail users. Equestrians are the most vocal since the near silent MTBs spook the horses on the trail. Some similar issues with 5% of the riders making 90% of the problems due to ignorance and being inconsiderate to other users, on both sides of the dispute.
I commuted by MTB for a couple of years and rode trails on the weekends. Great for cardio.
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
A friend wants to sell me this, for a very fair price (cheaper than 5 year old CRF250L's go for). He claims that if you follow "the procedure " it's not too bad to start--he also has a CR500, so I'm not to sure what to make of it. At any rate, if this doesn't work, it would be easy to flip...
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ballisticexchris
Guest
I had that bike. I recommend keeping it and getting an electric starter for it. You have to keep looking on Ebay. Baja Designs and Joe Race products made them. They come up every once in a while. There is no better bike even to this day for high speed desert.
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
I don't do any desert, but get lots of this:
Oh, an alternative fuel vehicle. Great mileage!!
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
False alarm. The dude got cold feet after figuring out what he had... Back to the quest...
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ballisticexchris
Guest
At the time I sold mine I was getting into the District 37 Hare and Hound racing. It was desert but the 650R was just too much bike for the slower rocky sections. I got a KTM300 and it was much easier to handle for my skill level. The 650R has one purpose. To scream at high speeds for long periods in really rough terrain. It also can be outfitted to make a very reliable lightweight touring bike.
You might want to consider late model 500 KTM or any other lightweight dual sport for a second bike. Are going to be using it for long highway miles between the trails? If so, then the big bores are a better choice. My 498 is good for a solid 300 mile day of riding before it starts to beat me up.
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
No highway. The Tenere will be doing that. Same as high speed gravel roads (see above photo--the Tenere showed over 100mph on that road). This will be doing mostly flat terrain, the odd mud hole, maybe a bit of sand, directly out of my yard, don't need to touch pavement. I looked at higher strung four strokes, but without knowing exactly how it's been maintained, I'm hesitant to Roll the dice on something that might grenade in the next twenty miles, along with the $2500 bill. Cheap RFS's are like cheap Ferraris-ain't nothin' cheap about them... There is a KTM200XCW that caught my eye, local-ish. I'm in no big rush, so l won't pull the trigger at the first thing that comes along...
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
Looking at an ´04 KDX220. Everything I've read on them says it's hard to go wrong with one of them. Only problem, it's six hours away. Kind of takes away bargaining leverage. Once you're there, the other guy is holding the big end of the stick...
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
That said, even if the top end isn't fresh, as advertised, what's the risk, a couple of hundred bucks? I like those odds compared to some RFS that's one trip to the rev limiter away from a $2500 valve and other wiggly bits bill..
Someday I’ll own a KDX. Just about bought one that was local, plated and in great shape.
I struggle because I have a RFS in the garage, that I need to get back up and running. Just needs a carb clean a new battery and the fork seals refreshed.
I struggle because I have a RFS in the garage, that I need to get back up and running. Just needs a carb clean a new battery and the fork seals refreshed.
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ballisticexchris
Guest
I'm done with kick start bikes.
Cycledude
Well-Known Member
my last kick start motorcycle was a 650 Yamaha bought brandnew back in about 1974, I gave it to one of my brothers and he still owns it, it has both electric and kick start, it was very reliable, even with a completely dead battery it would usually start with one or two kicks.
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ballisticexchris
Guest
Ironically my 2012 Beta was my first electric start dirt bike. It is amazing where you can take it and not worry about stalling. It is one of the last years of having a carb.
The good thing about the 2 stokes is with a little flywheel weight they are almost impossible to stall. And now with fuel injection being advanced plus having a Rekluse, almost everything is stall proof!!
The good thing about the 2 stokes is with a little flywheel weight they are almost impossible to stall. And now with fuel injection being advanced plus having a Rekluse, almost everything is stall proof!!
The last one, and only one, I had was the '77 360XS. I snapped off the kick lever one day after school. Had to push start it. Was pissed at the bike and yelling at it, hammering through the gears, looked up....s**t. It was also the day I received my first (of many) traffic citation.
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
I decided to not make the six hour trek out to look at the KDX. I did, however, put out a wanted ad, for a late model 200/220, and yesterday, a gentleman answered and he has a 220 that he says needs nothing to ride, had bought it for his kids and they have no interest. 20 minutes away, and half the price of the one I was going to look at. He's out for the week, but next weekend, I'll go out and look it over. Good thing with one of those old two-strokes, if it completely comes apart as soon as I buy it, I can do a complete rebuild for less than four figures...
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
He was out for a little longer, it turns out, but I looked at it today. It's no trailer queen, but it's all there, and runs. Has a factory service manual, new clutch/basket, ant two new sprockets, still in the package. It also has the RB carb and head mods. I made him an offer that comapred to extra clean ones here, leaves me with $2k to freshen up/fix. He accepted, and I'll be over next weekend to pick it up.
Just taking it off the stand, feels like a bicycle, compared to the S10...
Just taking it off the stand, feels like a bicycle, compared to the S10...
RogerRZ
Well-Known Member
And the winner is...