A bike for back roads

[slowlydoesit]

A while back I asked for and got some useful advice on a bike for a rural commute but eventually I took a different job and commuting by bike is no longer an option. It's now been a year since I was last on two wheels and I'm missing riding. I can only spare limited time away from the family for biking so outings will be limited to the odd 2-hour blast here and there.

My home is deep in rural Wales, so my riding diet would likely be 60% back road, 30% B-road and 10% A-road. All rural, no urban. The local back roads are potholed, muddy, bumpy, hilly, narrow - sometimes with grass growing down the middle - twisty and mostly empty. They could be fun with the right bike, not riding balls-out, just zipping round the corners and chugging up and down the hills.

This seems to rule out a big supersports or tourer. Even my CBR400RR didn't like really tight mountain roads and that was small and fairly agile. Also my days of riding like a suicidal maniac are over and I don't want a fast bike that will lead me into temptation. A big adventure bike would probably be overkill and beyond my budget, plus I'm only 5'8" so seat height may be an issue. My colleague's 1200GS was physically too big for me.

On the face of it the KTM 390 Duke is a decent candidate though I'm a bit concerned about build quality (several niggling faults described in the latest edition of Bike magazine, which has a 390 on long term test) and whether the 390 would be unsettled by rough roads. It's light and the shock is budget so...? Bit worried that I would want to cane it all the time - it seems to be a fairly manic machine.

At this point I'm thinking of a small trailie or supermoto. Unfortunately my knowledge of them is entirely theoretical. One option is a DR350 / DRZ400, but there don't seem to be many of these about and the good ones aren't cheap. £2,500 or more seems to be the going rate for a nice model, which feels like a lot for a small bike getting on for 10 years old.

The, er, sensible option might be a nearly new CRF250L. Despite (because of?) its limited power the CRF has had very positive reviews by people who have actually ridden it. It would also no doubt Just Work (tm) whereas a DRZ400 that has been cheerfully thrashed all over the landscape for the past half-decade might be a different story. I don't want to be spending time and money on fixing a bike that's new to me or changing the oil every 500 miles.

But I'm open to ideas and would like to hear what the collective wisdom of BCF can come up with...

[doggone]

It sounds like very similar to round here - North York Moors.
The CRF would be good, it's not a serious off-roader but is excellent on twisty bumpy single tracks and has no problem on gravel roads and such.
Ridden gently it will do around 80mpg and servicing interval is long at 8000miles (but I'll be changing oil and filter annually at less than that on mine).

On fast A roads it can do 70mph and a bit more if need be, but it really isn't happy there and it would be a nightmare to do a long trip, not least because the seat is not comfortable more than a couple of hours.
I have a different bike for that

[slowlydoesit]

[pinkyfloyd]

My XJ6N is great fun on back roads. OK its down on power to the other bikes in the group, CBF, Hornet, GSR, ER6 but for grin factor and chuckability its great fun.

I've got a friend who owns a Stripple and they are reputed to be as agile as a teenager, he borrowed it for an hour and came back grinning like an idiot saying it can be thrown around like a 125 bike, it feels so light.
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[stevo as b4]

I'd say a perky 30bhp lightish bike is what you really want here for a limited amount of use and something fun but thrashable on small or rough roads and where you can use everything the bike can offer (more satisfaction this way).

So with that in mind if the roads are not particulary smooth or well surfaced then a supermoto or trail bike would be my choice. If the roads are good but just very tight and twisty then a small sporty bike under 150kg would be a good alternative IMO.

I'd probably go for a 125cc or 200cc 2stroke or a 250cc-350cc 4stroke. I think the CRF250X with about 26-30bhp could be thrashed everywhere and give you plenty of smiles, as would say an Aprilia SX125 or even something like a KTM EXC or GasGas enduro bike etc.
The CRM250AR with supermoto wheels is possibly the ultimate bike for this application though?

[deadwolf]

If you plan to stay on the tarmac and avoid offroading, I have a left-field suggestion: Honda Bros 650.

Narrow, fairly light (188kg wet) and weight is down low. Detuned engine that probably makes about 45-50hp nowadays. It's the best handling 'big' bike I've ever ridden, corners without you having to even think. All qualities that's made it a cult bike in the US and elsewhere. Not sure how well it'll handle the potholes though.

I do a lot of riding now on a 150cc dual sport, on twisty roads with plenty of potholes, manhole covers and a lot of corners that get covered in dirt from erosion. The long suspension travel and knobbies let you get away with a lot. You can go over potholes, manholes and the hilarious manhole-in-pothole combos all while cornering, stuff I would have avoided if riding a sportbike or commuter.
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[slowlydoesit]

[slowlydoesit]

[stevo as b4]

The bad bit is the CRM AR is hard to find and really expensive for a 250cc trail bike.

The best bit is that it has the most torquey and possibly most reliable 250cc 2stroke engine of all time!

A good one is not a bike to ever let go of, and you'll probably be attached to it, and aware of it's appriciating prices too.

[slowlydoesit]

[The Tot]

You not tweaked the suspension on your bike to make it work better for the conditions? That could be the first option?

The reason I say that was that I love using the FireBlade on B-roads and farmer tracks. You can be going very quickly in those conditions without realising it. I had my suspension rebuilt and set up at HM Racing and it works so well on the little local rat runs in the cotswolds - you know, the lanes connecting adjacent farms and thorough woods!

The weight doesn't bother me since it's only about 190ish kg wet. You probably could settle for a DR400? or an XR?
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

A very left field suggestion

https://www.bikez.com/pictures/husqvarna/2007/24761_0_1_2_smr510%20supermoto_Image%20credits%20-%20Husqvarna.jpg

Husqvarna SMR 510 with some dirt wheels to change out as required.
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[slowlydoesit]

[slowlydoesit]

[Timbo Foggins]

Yamaha XT660 Tenere , BMW F650GS (the old single -new G650GS equivalent) or cheaper/older options like a Honda NX650 Dominator?

Comfortable enough for a few hours, decent fuel range, not massively powerful but enough torque to be fun at lower speeds on back roads/B roads.

Heavier than a DRZ400 and not significantly more powerful though.

[stevo as b4]

It all depends on the roads it's going to used on, but for quite back lanes and rough twisty narrow roads, is a near competition Husqvarna 510 with I'm guessing 50bhp or more not a bit too much motor?

We'll have someone on here soon suggesting a downgeared R1 with renthal bars soon at this rate!

[slowlydoesit]

[CG Sam]

CG 125 of course! Capable of 65mph, light and agile, good fun on little back roads, can be had with 12 months MOT for 500 quid and cost nothing to run!
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[Northern Monkey]

[slowlydoesit]