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dt125 for green laning / light trail crap?

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stevo as b4
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Joined: 17 Jul 2003
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PostPosted: 11:12 - 14 Nov 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd probably leave that air cooled KDX200 as one for fans, restorers or collectors. It'll be comparatively hard to get parts for and is far less popular and common than the much loved water cooled KDX's. That bike has a linkage mono-shock but it's based on the early 80's KX design which is more like the Suzuki full floater design, hence the long vertical tie rod arm.
KDX's are = to Yamaha IT's and Honda XR's in that yes they are or can be made easily road legal, but they are not very well equipped or suited to alot of road use like any enduro bike.

You don't need a road legal enduro bike for green lanes, and you'd probably like a bike that's nicer on the road too in this situation. The beauty of a trail bike is that they are good enough to learn techniques on and are not intimidating or lairy.

I get where G etc is saying just go straight to orange with a KTM 200EXC, but it's a pretty serious tool and a powerful peaky off road machine that's not ideally suited to plonking down green lanes and a few law abiding road miles to get there. And those bigger softer more cuddley 250/300cc 2strokes, don't let them fool you! They are powerful almost MX engines and while you might be able to lugg round slow speed trails without bothering them very much, the first time you make a mistake, or grab the throttle in panic on a greasy wet muddy track or bumpy trail, they'll spit you off into a tree hard and think nothing of it.

Unless your ok at off road riding or are going to enter enduro events competitively then you don't need a big orange bike. Its more about fashion and dick size than suitability for the job IMO.
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G
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Joined: 02 Feb 2002
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PostPosted: 12:39 - 14 Nov 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

stevo as b4 wrote:
you might be able to lugg round slow speed trails without bothering them very much, the first time you make a mistake, or grab the throttle in panic on a greasy wet muddy track or bumpy trail, they'll spit you off into a tree hard and think nothing of it.

Unless your ok at off road riding or are going to enter enduro events competitively then you don't need a big orange bike. Its more about fashion and dick size than suitability for the job IMO.

If you "mistake" includes being hard on the throttle or keeping at high revs in a low gear; sure, it'll spit you off.
But bet you get the same on the trail bike.

Be a bit sensible, use the a gentler gear and the 'luggable' engine will pull, but not spit you off.
When I first rode a competition bike it was a RMX250. I was on a DR600 and I also rode a XR250 that day too.

The RMX was by far the easiest to ride - it had the most linear power delivery, was the lightest and had the best suspension.

The trail bike is quite likely to be 25% heavier with not as good suspension. (Though likely setup softer, which may be more suited to trail riding).
This means the orange one is more likely to have grip and going to mean you're not as tired.

I'd go the opposite, if anything - go for the heavy trail bike when you are experienced - then the extra weight and less flexible engine can be worked around or make it a more interesting challenge.

I've been happy riding my heavier 690 on part road tyres with less experienced people on more focused machines at a similar pace.
In a similar manner, I've ridden trails with a lot more experienced people who were on Cagiva Elefant 900s, which was a decent equaliser for my lack of skill.
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Fizzer Thou
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Joined: 06 Aug 2011
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PostPosted: 21:12 - 14 Nov 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

stevo as b4 wrote:
Unless your ok at off road riding or are going to enter enduro events competitively then you don't need a big orange bike. Its more about fashion and dick size than suitability for the job IMO.


I am not sure exactly what you are trying to suggest in this statement.I ride an orange 450 and have a lot of fun in H&H events and fun enduros and bought it for it being a complete machine that ticked many requirements of what I wanted,one of which is its reliability,excellent all round useability and that magic electric starter,something which was sadly lacking from my old race bike (the XR400R).

As for the DT125R,a friend had one and she loved riding it because of its simplicity,it was cheap to run,it managed to do things better than some other bikes that were more enduro focussed and she used it to commute on occasionally.It was still in good condition when she decided to sell it

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Snaps/2013-05-30200351_zps773b6b4e.jpg~original
https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Snaps/2013-05-30200443_zps77fbbb7c.jpg~original
https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Snaps/2013-05-30200508_zps56fb61c4.jpg~original
https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Snaps/2013-05-30200555_zpseed79080.jpg~original

It sold for £950 in the end.

My brother used to ride a Kawasaki KDX250SR.It was a grey import machine and he had a lot of fun greenlaning on it.A friend now owns it and it is still going strong

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Dirt%20bikes/img190_zpsnxgub8jc.jpg~original

As for tyres,I have tried an AC10 on the rear of my 450.It was a pig to fit as the bead was very tight and even a tyre shop struggled,even though they used their proper tyre fitting machine.If a puncture was experienced while racing or greenlaning,it would not be an easy job to change the inner tube Evil or Very Mad
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Last edited by Fizzer Thou on 21:27 - 14 Nov 2018; edited 1 time in total
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Fizzer Thou
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Joined: 06 Aug 2011
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PostPosted: 21:25 - 14 Nov 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I owned a DT125LC/3 but was only as a restoration project.I did not intend to keep it after I spent a few months working on it as I prefer a four stroke.But initially it only cost me £25 Thumbs Up Very Happy Thumbs Up

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Dirt%20bikes/BikesBikesBikes2182.jpg~original
https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Dirt%20bikes/BikesBikesBikes2183-1.jpg~original

It had been a 12 hp restricted model but I pulled the pin and locked the powervalve in the mid-position,which made for a more fun way in which the engine made its power Thumbs Up Wink
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