What bike do I want?

[virus]

Im looking for a new offroader because my CG doesnt have the grunt I need for some trails now.

Must be:

2stroke
Reliable
cheap
30-60bhp


Not too fussed on cc, I just want a road legal interesting offroader, the older the better really as I dont get along with modern stuff at all.


Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[baldy]

how about a ''88 DT250? This was my first ever bike, cheap, reliable and simple. Cost me £280 for a road registered one in 1998.
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One day i will rule the world, just not today.

[G]

KTM 550 . Very rare in the UK, though.

I suspect if you found a decent new bike and tried riding it off road you would 'get on' with it.

What's your actual budget (cheap could mean from £50 to £5000) and what's the intended use? Mind doing occasional maitenance (ie rings etc)?

[virus]

Budget is as low as possible, Under a grand

Dont mind doing maintenance, but would like a pretty maintenance free and cheap to run bike, for arsing around on trails and doing a fair bit of mileage on road.



Cheers
John
____________________
own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Gazdaman]

In that case I'd be looking 4 stroke and 250. Like an XR250 or a KLR.

Gaz

[G]

I'd almost consider two bikes.

A while ago I had an 87 KTM350 enduro. Got it for £350 with v5 but no mot. Apart from a problem that I solved just before I sold it and was very simple, it was pretty reliable and usable on the street, but not sure I'd choose it for that.
It made a claimed 50 hp, which is way more than anyone bar top-flight racers need for off-road really. No powervalve so you got a decent kick when it came 'on-pipe', as opposed to modern ones which are really flat.

Heavier, but the DR600s I had also weren't too bad as true 'dual sports'. Cost me £600 each.

CRM250, KMX220 (and similar) are both pretty decent trail bikes that can handle general use on the road. I'm not that up on older bikes, but you tend to start to suffer worse suspension, etc, if you do.

[highland biker]

KLX 250? its pretty much exactly the same as the KLR but down geared a little for more acceleration, my dads got one and its bulletproof its never seen maintanence and only had new oil put in it once since he bought it in 1999ish (its a 93 model)

[JBurrows88]

Thats sounds like an abused bike which is on the the edge of blowing up. It must have had oil changes at services, etc. 1800miles on the drz was way too many for the oil.

DR350 is right at the bottom of the bhp and a 4stroke which ment to be good on the road! The drz400 has a "little" more power and again reasonably good on the road with quite a range of easily accessed parts.

I would love a 2smoke trail/Sm bike, but anything which is 'cheap' usually is old and nackared. This is especially the case with 2 strokes!
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Dave
XJR400 Kenney Roberts Paint Job

[G]

Even if older 2 strokes are knackered, they should be relatively cheap to make good again, providing you can find the parts.

[highland biker]