Please explain!

[TravisBickle]

I'm looking to dip my toe into some green laning (have been thinking about it for years but never done anything about it).

I've never done anything like this before, my riding experiences so far have been strictly limited to tarmac (apart from that one time I ended up in a field via a hedge), but I've got a friend who is involved in a group not too far from me, and an opportunity as presented itself to acquire a 2014 WR125R which I'm considering (not sure if that would be a good bike to get started on for green laning?).

I'm a bit confused as to the different bike categories though, I've tried Googling it but not really getting any conclusive answers.

I understand that adventure bikes are basically big heavy tall tourers with 19 inch front wheels (not really ideal for off-roading, but possible).

And I understand that supermotos are basically dual sports with 17 inch wheels (but no idea how a dual sport differs from an enduro or a trail bike).

I also understand that trials bikes have no seat, are intended for off-road use only at very very low speeds, technical/technique stuff standing up.

And I THINK motocross means it's for solely off-road competition/race use?

But the other categories in-between confuse me!

If I buy a bike; I'm looking for something that is road legal (headlight, indicators, horn, number plate etc.), measured in miles instead of hours (maintenance!), four stroke (maintenance again!), fuel injected (maintenance again!), 21 front and 18 rear, and as light and as possible, easy to manage as possible, and as off-road capable as possible.

Can someone please explain the differences (and ideally give relatively modern examples i.e. 2015 or newer to the UK market) between:

Dual sport
Enduro
Trail

Much appreciated!
____________________
2024 BMW M1000XR
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S
2016 Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport

[stinkwheel]

Dunno much about the classifications but what I will say from my observations green laning is get something small and light. You are going to fall off, you are going to get yourself into places it's difficult to get it out of.

I've done a few rides with my local Trail Riders Federation (TRF) group and I've seen a lot of people who bought/were sold a big, fancy, powerful enduro bike. They land up on the struggle bus and have a bad time. You want a bike not just that you can pick up, but one you can pick up the fifth or sixth time. One you can manhandle out of a ditch, lift out of a rut and get back onto easily when you put your foot in a rut and land up lying on your side.

Last time I was out a guy came on a brand new KTM EXC450. That's your third bike, not your first one. By the third time he came off it, you could see the will to live draining out of him.

Contrast that to the guy who turned up on a Honda CT125. He had a great day.

So I'd go with a 4t, lightweight, not too tall and not too peaky in its power delivery. Basically something you can easily throw about and boss and that iusn't going to try to either wheelie or wheelspin all the time.

Joining your local TRF would be a good move, they do organised ride-outs so you can get a feel for the hobby, find where the green lanes are and have someone to go with.

My understanding of the types.

Motocross bikes are for racing round a short circuit of built corners, humps and jumps.

Enduro bikes are built for riding round a longer circuit with fewer obstacles but possibly more technical parts over a longer period. Whoever has gone furthest at race distance is the winner.

Trail bikes are for riding offroad.

Trials bikes are for very technical observed sections where you have to stick to a particular route and ride it wothout putting a foot down. Very specialised these days, so super lightweight, no seat and extremely low gears. single figure tyre pressures are the norm.

Dual sport? Could mean anything, depends which two sports. Could be a road bike you can do some light offroading on, could be a heavier duty motocrosser. Could be a trials bike with a seat.

I do long distance trials, these are different. More like green laning. Usually 80 to 100 miles of mixed road and offroad with a number of observed sections you ride like a trials section without putting your foot down (they vary on how they are scored, from the traditional if you put a foot down you have failed the section to the modern one where you are given points according to how often or how badly you put a foot down). There is a navigation and time keeping componant to them too.

The reason I mention it is by implication, the bikes which do well on this would seem to tick the boxes you are looking for. I do it on an enfield bullet which is by all accounts NOT ideal but I'm stubborn and contrary and I'm allowed to enter my 2007 bullet in the pre 1965 class (where it's still not competative).

Bikes which do well are things like the Yamaha TTR and Serrow but they are getting old now.

If I was in the market for a modern bike for greenlaning. I'd be very tempted by a Beta Alp 200 or a Beta X-trainer (a 2-stroke but a chugger, not a screamer).

Here's a link to the MCC trial results, they have three big long distance trials (the Exeter, Edinburgh and Lands End). See what people are riding in that sucessfully and you'll get a good idea of what makes a capable green laner. Scroll down to class B which is the main class for modern solo motorcycles and see what people are winning medals or finishing on. Finishing an MCC trial is an endurance feat in itself.
https://www.themotorcyclingclub.org.uk/results/

I think you'd have a good time on a WR125 mind. You could pick a worse bike.
____________________
“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.

[doggone]

The thing is most will need to ride several miles to the area of interest though trailering might be an option.
250cc is probably the sweet spot initially but that 125 would be fine.
Sooner or later and probably sooner it will be on its side if not upside down in a slippery rut so being able to drag it out on your own is essential.

Not for first time I'm going to suggest a CRF250L there's plenty about and OK for road and easier trails.
With more serious tyres and suspension they can be very capable downside a bit heavy but manageable.
In depths of winter you could get really stuck on almost any bike so don't get too ambitious at first. Bouncing over boulders and fallen trees is not going to happen for a while.

[TbirdX]

I've been green laning for years on a variety of machinery.

Small and light is definitely the way to go, especially for a first timer. You haven't said what your budget is, which is another major factor in bike choice.

I currently run a Yam TTR250, air cooled single cylinder, don't need any more for green laning. It has gone all over the most rugged terrain in Wales several times over, not the fastest but you don't need it to be. It's not racing and you don't need or want a race oriented bike, at least not to start. It's cheap, easy to maintain and pretty bullet proof. I've dropped, thrown it at the scenery many, many times and it's fine. I don't have to get precious about it either. I ride it, jet wash it, spray it with WD and put it away till next time. It's never let me down(I started on a DT125R and knocked the radiator flat on a rock, hence why I went air cooled.)

The big and major disadvantage to the TTR is it is a pants road bike. (and that's being kind) I have aggressive road legal knobblies on and it's painful to ride any real distance on the road, although I do, so if you plan to ride a lot on the road with it, it's not a good choice.

Just picked up a CF Moto 450 MT, much heavier but will be a better road/trail bike.

Anyhoo, in short, you want a CRF250L, or a Voge 300 Rally.

The CRF will do what you want, the suspension is the weak point, in function, not reliability, google will tell you why and the Voge is good all round but Chinese, you pays yer money.

The WR125 would be ok I'm sure, I took my DT to wales several times and apart from the rad thing it coped ok. If it's cheap enough it'll be enough to tell you if you want to get something better perhaps.

Enjoy whatever you get.
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VFR800X - TTR250

[TravisBickle]

Very informative.

Thank you all for your input.

I have been looking at the CRF300L/Rally on and off for a while now, mainly as I'll be travelling to and from the green lanes as I definitely can't be arsed with trailering it to the trails as I'm less than 30 minutes from my nearest green lanes (even at 125 speeds), it would take me longer than that to load up and unload each end, so I guess I can slum it on a lower powered machine with less wind protection and comfort for that duration! Plus I wouldn't be willing to drop that sort of cash on a machine without being confident it's something I want to keep doing long-term, and also that I'll be able to handle the size and weight of.

CRF250L/Rally has been on my radar also, but to be honest they're not going for a lot less than the 300s (on AutoTrader anyway), and the used 300s that are around seem to be not a lot less than the cost of a new one. If I bought a bike above a certain price point I'd probably just say fuck it and buy new. Seems to be the case with most new-ish used bikes these days, they don't depreciate enough to make it worth while buying used, in my opinion.

Looking seriously at the Voge 300 Rally recently as well but, the whole Chinese discussion comes into it, and again the logic of "it's only a bit more for a CRF300L" comes into it as well, might as well go the whole hog if I'm gonna drop £3k on a Voge why not £4k on a CRF. 450MT very tempting as it's the only twin in its class (I think), but we're going down the adventure bike route here, too big and heavy really.

The WR125R is going to be a good 30kg lighter than any of those machines, and although it's tall, so am I, so I'm hoping I can manage it ok. Seems like a cheap way of getting into it so I guess I'll give it a go and see how I get on.

Also thinking about doing a trail experience day before taking the plunge. Although I should be able to acquire the WR125R relatively cheap and well under market value, so probably not a lot to lose by taking the plunge without trying it first.

Still none the wiser on the categories/terminology LOL. The terms "dual sport", "enduro", and "trail" seem to be used synonymously! Or they're virtually indistinguishable.
____________________
2024 BMW M1000XR
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S
2016 Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport

[stinkwheel]

I'll point you at the TRF again, they have local groups all over the country. Quite a lot of offroad bikes change hands internally within groups.

The group rides usually give you an idea of what level of experience you should have (and gives you someone to go with which makes pushing your limits a much safer proposition). Also gives you access to their mapping application so you can easily find WHERE to go, there are more greenlanes than you'd imagine.
____________________
“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.