For those of you with off-road capable bikes...

[slowside]

...how often (and for that matter where) do you take them off-road?

And, with the benefit of hind-sight, would you buy one again?

Day-dream me thinks that something like a CRF250 or KLX250 would be a good stablemate for my Sprint.
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Triumph Sprint RS 955i - Sold
Triumph Street Triple R 675

[kgm]

I use my CRF250L off road quite regularly, nothing too gnarly given its weight but I live near to a large off road centre. I bought mine to mod into a lightweight adventure bike for a future long distance trip (which may or may not happen due to recent family circumstances) but use it regularly for trips in the highlands where being able to get off the beaten track a little is a bonus for camping.

I use mine on the road a lot too and it can actually be quite fun on the right roads. Even on my longer trips I enjoy it because the experience is different to my bigger bikes. I see more, explore little roads I wouldn't on the big bike and stop for more photos. It's great for exploring. See my Kinloch Hourn trip in the ride reports for photos.

That said, if you want a toy purely for off road use I'd recommend something a little more focussed. For all the CRF-L is a decent enough trail bike, it is quite heavy for an off road bike and isn't that powerful.

It'll get through most stuff with the right tyres but a lighter weight enduro bike will be easier to handle and allow you to learn enduro type skills easier, if you fancy that.

Edit: where in the country are you?

[slowside]

Cheers, helpful reply.

I'm in Northants, so lots of very flat arable land broken up with minute lengths of greenlane.

I'm not looking for a serious enduro bike, more or small light (compared to my Sprint) jack of all trades I can have fun on at modest speeds. I doubt I'd ever take it on any seriously challenging terrain, but it's nice to be able to explore.
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Triumph Sprint RS 955i - Sold
Triumph Street Triple R 675

[MCN]

I don't take mine off-road unless the coppers are chasing me and it's not actually my bike.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[om15]

I do green laning on my Himalayan, it is a bit heavy but quite gentle compared to my old XT500 anyway, trouble is there aren't any cheap second hand ones about yet, but I definitely think it is a great bike for tracks and off road, recommended.
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Alcohol doesn't solve problems, but neither does milk

[stinkwheel]

Seem to be getting out every couple of weeks at the moment on my Trials Enfield. When it comes to offroad, a little can go a long way.

I want to do more competative long distance trials on it. Picked a bad year to start really. Those let you go places you wouldn't normally be allowed to go. A couple of those in a year is probably enough though.

However, I've been pleasantly surprised that there are still a reasonable number of unclassifieds/BOATS in my area, some of which are almost never used (and some of which are totally impassable) for me to go and explore.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[blurredman]

I do have a specific bike to go offroading/greenlaning.

But.. I really have to make an effort to go anywhere on any bike that isn't going to work and back, therefore I have only covered 600 miles on the poor thing in 5 years.. And most of that is transfering between lockups/new houses. However I do appreciate the experience when I do use it.
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

[TbirdX]

You want two things really, light as possible and above all else, an electric leg.

Nothing will knacker you quicker than having to prod something into life every fifteen minutes.

I have a TTR250, not great on the road but perfectly adequate for everything off road. It's not fast but it'll go anywhere off road your average racing KTM will, just not as fast
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VFR800X - CFMoto 450MT - TTR250

[slowside]

I’m very happy with slow and steady vs fast and frantic.

Problem seems to be prices, very few cheap options around it seems. A reasonable dual sport is looking to be more expensive than my main bike.
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Triumph Sprint RS 955i - Sold
Triumph Street Triple R 675

[TbirdX]

I've had my TTR about 2 years I think, I reckon I could sell it now for more than I paid for it tbh.
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VFR800X - CFMoto 450MT - TTR250

[kgm]

A lot of the older ones are up for mad prices, I ended up buying my CRF new because I didn't see the value of older ones (particular DRZs). That was a first for me.

[Pigeon]

[wr6133]

Are you wanting to go just in nice weather? Also what do "Greenlanes", look like in your neck of the woods?

I take a Racer styled Enfield all over Salisbury Plain. It has more shortcomings offroad than I can be bothered to list but if you only venture out in decent weather and stick to the 30mph speed limits it does the job, it has the 3 main things.... light(ish), upright and torquey motor that just pulls over anything. See the "Where have you been on your bike today", thread for photos of the places I manage to get the thing.

My long boring point is, you don't need to spend a fortune on an actual offroad bike. Almost anything light and upright (and without silly BHP) will greenlane. You can even modify a cheap old 125/250 if the need arises (bash plate, knobblies, etc). It wont be as good as a proper piece of kit but it may well be all you need and much cheaper than a KTM.

[garth]

200EXC here. Occasional green lanes, few enduros. Favourite bike I've owned, and there's been a few!
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[doggone]

I would go for it, you will likely use it in winter a fair bit keeping main bikes out of the salt.
I got a CRF250L about seven years ago and it has been a load of fun really.
Not particularly capable but my ability and confidence on it is much improved over that time.
But there are hundreds of miles of unmade roads within 20 mile radius here.
Plus I use it to go round sheep

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50012789147_7a2a76f182_b.jpg

[kgm]

The 250L is more capable than people given it credit for. Sure the stock tyres aren't amazing off road (decent on road and they're passable outside of mud) and the suspension is too soft (max out preload or get a new shock, this is it's biggest weakness) but I'm regularly impressed by the stuff I manage to wangle mine through and the hills that it'll climb with a bit of commitment. A 13T front sprocket is s great £15 mod for bikes used mostly off road (though it knocks the Speedo off). I haven't bothered on my adv orientated CRF because it covers long road rides but I ride another with the 13T which is used primarily about town and off road and it works well.

It's more work of course than a light weight, more dedicated off roader but it offers plenty of your riding style is more adventure orientated than race orientated. I enjoy muscling mine through forests and things the most.

Where it falls down is higher speeds on tracks or bumpy hard pack, the suspension becomes overwhelmed.

It's a good way to experience road riding from a different, more explorative angle and good fun on tight twisty roads. It's also s good way to find your feet off road and decide if it's for you. My plan is to add a Beta Xtrainer alongside it for skills development and gnarlier terrain.

[slowside]

[kgm]

See this thread for lots of photos from my last CRF trip.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=4670289

[A100man]

[stinkwheel]

If you fitted knobblies and a bash plate to a CG125 and geared it down some, you'd have a surprisingly capable green-laner. Sure you're not going to be getting big air and it'll rattle your teeth if you go too fast but I bet there are very few roads (in the very loosest definition of "road") you couldn't tackle on one.

Add a pair of cheap chinese over-standard shocks with the preload wound right down and you're laughing. i might want folding pegs too but that's easy done.

Or an MZ. They used to dominate ISDT competition in the 60's.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Bhud]

[Fizzer Thou]

Much like Pigeon with his XR250R/SM,my XR400R/SM has the same capabilities.

But the KTM 450EXC is now my dedicated green lane and occassional race bike and is ideal for this purpose.

Knowing the reliability of the Honda CRF I would go with one of those.Several people that I know have one and enjoy the overall nimbleness of the bike on tarmac and the ease of riding sometimes on unsurfaced roads or BOATs,of which there are quite a number around the south-east.

A friend bought a new KLX300R grey import and when the engine went wrong in a big way as it did,the importer did not want to honour the warranty.This is not to say that all KLXs are unreliable...just that experience tends to cloud one's choice at some time or another.
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'