Suggest me a bike

[chris-red]

Right I'm seriously considering taking the plunge and just buying a Offroad type bike, but I'm completely clueless.

I assume I will need a set of boots lid googles etc as well

Price about £1k-£1.5k

My experiance is limited to 1 day at an offroad school

I want something that is easy to work out, cheap ish to run and a good performer, I'm large 6'5 and 18 stone. I was thinking something 250ish?

Head says 4 stroke heart says 2 stroke.

how cheap are they to run? I know they need alot of oil changes but is there much maintaince other than that.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[tatters]

Honda CRM250 MK3 or AR can be picked up for around 1K, very good trail bikes and a good bike to start on plus for a 2-stoke there bullet proof.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[KevTM]

I know of a mint KDX200 for sale, stripped down to bare enduro stuff with aftermarket exhaust/expansion chamber, reed valves, etc.. very well kept and in superb condition. recently powdercoated frame etc.. ready to race.

Was going to buy it myself but I have to book a flight to California amongst other stuff so unfortunately I can't.

If you're interested I'm sure I can give you the guys email.

[boundy]

have i mentioned i've got a gas gas ec300 for sale? i came from a crm 250 and found the gas gas easyer to ride

[chris-red]

I would rather a standard bike, TBH, did I also mention it needs to be road legal.

Would I have trouble getting parts for a GasGas? After my ride the other day I had trashed 1 lever and my mate 2 I imagine they are counted as consumables.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Paxovasa]

Yamaha wr250.

Are you after something like the bike in the link?


https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2006-YAMAHA-WR-250-F-BLUE-/120561570512?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item1c120792d0
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Suzuki GSF600 K3 (in the fastest colour, black).

[motoman]

have a look at a yamaha ttr 250 . 4 stroke, reliable, 70 mpg , road legal, in your price range.

[boundy]

[michael j]

I've had a gasgas ec300 for 3 years now and I've never had a problem getting parts for it from mx graphics. I also think its a great bike despite me neglecting and abusing it.

[.....]

Gas Gas, manly bikes, not like the girly 4 strokes.

Parts are next day delivery from dealers.

[chris-red]

[Paxovasa]

This is a little over budget, but you might be able to knock the price down

WR250
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Suzuki GSF600 K3 (in the fastest colour, black).

[MarJay]

I never had problems getting parts for my GasGas.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[G]

To my mind a big 2 stroke competition enduro bike (250 or 300cc) is the most flexible choice.
They can handle everything from riding roads before the trail to motocross. They are light, but have lots of low down power.

Don’t focus on cc specifically – an 85cc big wheel will be faster than many 350cc bikes easily!

Unlike the standard perception of 2 strokes being less reliable in road bikes, in off-road bikes they tend to be more reliable and have a lot wider spacing on their service intervals.

What the competition enduro bikes don’t offer is engine braking or nice road manners for long distance trips – if you’re looking to be able to go distance, I’d look at an air-cooled 4 stroke like an XR250/400, DR600, or one of the more modern water cooled examples like the DRZ400, XR650R, KTM LC4 enduro models. All the bikes just listed are a decent chunk heavier than the 2 stroke competition bikes. The weight is more of a hindrance when you’re starting out, as you get more comfortable you may be happier on a bigger bike, but I still choose a lighter bike where possible.

The 4 stroke actual competition bikes give you engine braking, but not much else of use over the 2 stroke competition bikes, however they do add weight which means their suspension isn’t quite as good for motocross an the like. They tend to need a fair bit more maintenance, though do have some other advantages – for instance not having big exhausts to get damaged in bad crashes.

2 stroke trail bikes like the CRM250 are a good compromise to get some road manners, but still keep light weight and they have a reasonable amount of low down power.

If the weather isn’t appropriate for my other activities, I’ll probably be out at a play-track somewhere with a couple of bikes this weekend/Monday at some point, if you’d like a play on my selection feel free to come along – should have a KTM690 enduro with adventure stuff, a KTM200EXC 2 stroke, a Beta Rev 3 trials bike and a c90.

[chris-red]

I might be up for that G, I was almost swayed to 2T but no engine braking? Thats one of the things I liked doing the Offroad day, I could go round the whole course without using the brakes other than on one of the long straights.

Let me know where you plan on going if you do and I could pop out.

I feel much more than 300 would be too big and heavy for what I want it for.

I have found this track near by, is there anything wrong with me turning up with a new bike and going round the track probably alot slower than everyone else.

https://www.essexmx.co.uk
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[G]

Again, stop focusing on cc . There’s plenty of 125cc 4 stroke bikes that weigh more than a Maico 700cc 2 stroke, or indeed a Husaberg 501 4 stroke – and these mentioned 125cc 4 strokes are probably a lot less strong etc.

I won’t know really know what I’m doing until 7:30pm or so tonight as then it will be decided based on the weather forecast.

If you just want to stick to motocross tracks, then a motocross bike is probably most suitable as it goes - however as I’ve said elsewhere, for me I prefer enduro really for the variety it offers. Of course a motocross bike can be road registered, but it’s more hassle than an enduro bike designed with it in mind – and a 2 stroke enduro bike doesn’t lose out too much on a motocross track.

You should be ok to turn up to a track like the above, providing you’re happy to have most people flying past you in the ‘slow’ group – presuming you’re no faster than me, which isn’t very fast .

As for the engine braking – it’s like going to a trackday and not using the brakes at all because you’ve got a big twin. Sure it’ll make you smoother, but it won’t make you faster and loses a bit of the fun. In a lot of situations you’ll find you can still stoppy, dispite being on dirt etc – which is certainly going to be more braking than engine braking alone.
Though, can remember at Gingers gabbing a go on Michael J’s Gas Gas 300 and almost running in to the people standing on the outside of the first bit I turned on as I knocking it down a couple of gears as I did on the Hussaberg 501 didn’t have quite the same affect.

Note that my 200EXC is a bit of a snappy monster compared to the pussy-cat smooth delivery of the 250/300s – it’s basically a big-bore 125. Properly ‘on it’, it’s not much difference for someone of my skill – presumably a little slower, but not too much that I’d notice riding it and a 300 back to back, at least until getting to steep hills anyway!
Taking it easy it’s a lot slower, but not too bad, going at a moderate pace can be a lot more fraught however, as it tries to jump into the powerband and paw the sky mid-corner! I suspect it’s fairly similar to a 125cc 2 stroke motocross bike, perhaps with a bit more upper-midrange.

[chris-red]

I was looking at road legal enduro but I can forsee it getting most of it's use at an MX track as there do not seem to be many lanes near me. I woouldn't mind coming out with the SE Mud Monkeys I believe you meet at box hill right? The only thing is I'm 50 miles away from Box so it will be harder for me to get there. Seeing as I don't drive it would have to be road legal and would need to handle short road stints.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[chris-red]

Without sounding like a helpless little girl, can someone find me my nearest green lanes? I have tried looking at the maps and following some links on here and from google but can't seem to find any.

My Postcode is RM126SY

Cheers!
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[.....]

[chris-red]

Already read it, either there are no lanes my side of the M25 Or I can't read the maps properly.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[G]

Normal suggestion is to join your local TRF to find lanes.

There’s also enduro practices, enduros, three stage trials and a variety of other such activities to get muddy.
Think it was the sidcup long distance trial I was just looking at that’s basically a 96 mile trail ride with ‘special sections’ in between – ok you’ve got to pay a tenner to play I think it was, but they don’t mind if you miss out some or all sections and just go along for the ride.
(Long distance trials and I believe 3 stage are generally less hardcore in regards to the trials, favouring trail/enduro bikes that can ride a decent distance – believe 3 stage have timed sections too.)

[drzsta]

[G]

I've seen big blokes on 125s and even some pretty well built people 85s still ripping it up - the 35hp or whatever from a 125 still isn't bad.
Add clothes normal in and I'm probably getting of for 16 stone right now - but my 200 (only slightly more power than a 125 enduro) makes more than enough power for me.
However, I wasn't suggesting he get one - just not focus on CC - a 125EXC will still make a load more power than a XR250 with a lower combined rider and bike weight.
Infact, I was suggesting he get a 250/300 which should be plenty enough power, but more importantly easy to use power .

[Blue_SV650S]

[J D]

My kdx 250 might be for sale
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m0l0t0v wrote: Chris, just so you know, JD is a nutter