Am I crazy to want to try Adventure Riding?

[Waipukbiker]

Firstly, The CRF230L is fully road legal in this country.
Good on you for wanting to give the adventure scene a go, its very addictive and there is nothing wrong with a 250 sized bike.
If you are only about 80KG wringing wet then take a look at the DR200, Drop the front sprocket down a tooth and loose all the Ag gear and 100kmh on the road is no sweat. DRGirl has one and she has no probs keeping up, she also did over 1,000 kms in one day a while back on it so they are worth considering.
Good luck with your purchase.

Cheers
Ross

[unstuck]

Good on ya, you are never too old to try something new. There are some amazing places in NZ that you will never get to see unless you go off road. Good luck.

[dino3310]

Gerry your never to fkn old mate.
Ive met a couple of elderly chaps in there 70s -there doing a tour through oz on CT110's

Caveweta's in Waihi so he might be able to point out all the roads and tracks around Whanga.

this was posted by nordie on another thread but diffinately worth the watch

[Ender EnZed]

The CRF230L is fully road legal in this country.

Well, the ones with road kit that are registered are road legal. They're not the easiest thing to find though. Of the 28 CRF230s on Trademe (probably all the F model) none are road going.

[GerryAttrick]

Gerry your never to fkn old mate.
Ive met a couple of elderly chaps in there 70s -there doing a tour through oz on CT110's

Caveweta's in Waihi so he might be able to point out all the roads and tracks around Whanga.

this was posted by nordie on another thread but diffinately worth the watch

Quoted Embedded Video Removed

That,s one great video- just have to admire their attitude. I am not quite that old - but close enough and I love the comment that he does not have any old friends and doesn't want any. I'm the same when I come to think of it. My oldest friends are at least 10 years younger and some 20 years younger. Age is just a state of mind. I can't understand it when people hear I ride my bike every day in all weathers and they look at me like I am crazy

Any idea what the Kwaka KDX250 would be like as a bike - I think I may be on to a nice one but I hear they are a bit on the heavy side. The CRF230 would be my ideal bike but as has been said there are very few road legal ones here and those that are are quite expensive compared to DRs or KLs.

Hopefully CaveWeta will pop up with some comment on decent rides - it sound like my brother in law (in his early 50s) is also getting the bug and he lives over there.

[Aslan]

That,s one great video- just have to admire their attitude. I am not quite that old - but close enough and I love the comment that he does not have any old friends and doesn't want any. I'm the same when I come to think of it. My oldest friends are at least 10 years younger and some 20 years younger. Age is just a state of mind. I can't understand it when people hear I ride my bike every day in all weathers and they look at me like I am crazy

Any idea what the Kwaka KDX250 would be like as a bike - I think I may be on to a nice one but I hear they are a bit on the heavy side. The CRF230 would be my ideal bike but as has been said there are very few road legal ones here and those that are are quite expensive compared to DRs or KLs.

Hopefully CaveWeta will pop up with some comment on decent rides - it sound like my brother in law (in his early 50s) is also getting the bug and he lives over there.

Loving this thread you started GerryAttrick - specially the YouTube vid posted originally by Nordie and pointed to by Deano - great bunch of people do ADV riding in NZ - like you I'm in my 60's, only a few months away from becoming an OAP - good hunting with your bike purchase - Cheers Aslan

[pete376403]

You're never too old - a 67 year old was one of three on an epic ride though Siberia. Read it here http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...ight=colebatch - warning its 110 pages and highly addictive reading.

[young1]

Just remember the Nike slogan - "Just do it"

After all If you don't like it you can sell the bike and at least know you tried :-)

[george formby]

That,s one great video- just have to admire their attitude. I am not quite that old - but close enough and I love the comment that he does not have any old friends and doesn't want any. I'm the same when I come to think of it. My oldest friends are at least 10 years younger and some 20 years younger. Age is just a state of mind. I can't understand it when people hear I ride my bike every day in all weathers and they look at me like I am crazy

Any idea what the Kwaka KDX250 would be like as a bike - I think I may be on to a nice one but I hear they are a bit on the heavy side. The CRF230 would be my ideal bike but as has been said there are very few road legal ones here and those that are are quite expensive compared to DRs or KLs.

Hopefully CaveWeta will pop up with some comment on decent rides - it sound like my brother in law (in his early 50s) is also getting the bug and he lives over there.

I sold one recently, weight was of no issue. I imagine they are still lighter than a 4t. I could haul mine around easily & I'm a body double for the Pak' n' Save stick man. Thing had a race pipe on it, went like a cut cat & I doubt I would ever wear a front tire out.
Parts would be the biggest thing but I managed to source basic bits & bobs for the carb etc no problem. I thought about making it road legal again, it still had the wiring harness in place. I never rode it on tar seal but it was more fun than a pocketful of weasels on the gravel.
Take it for a test ride.
I'm still leaning towards a more modern 4t unless another DT or GasGas Pampera turns up.

[GerryAttrick]

I'm convinced - time to start the bike hunt. So many choices so little time (and cash).

Spent a joyful few hour trawling Tardme last night and added a few to my watch list - some more expensive than I want to spend initially. Seem to be a lot more on offer in the South Island and a whole heap that have never been registered. I don't mind paying for new rego if required but I am not sure I want the agro of having to compliance a bike. I need to find out if a bike that has been derego'd but has a VIN plate need to be recomplianced or whether it can just be rego'd as a new bike. I also think it is harder to compliance a bike that has never been sold here as road legal (some of the CRF230's) as opposed to some that are imported but have also been sold new here (TT250 or DR250).

If I only intended to use it off road it would not be an issue but I want to ride it on the roads too.

Once I get a short list of potential bikes I'll probably pop back for some opinions - I am sure there will be someone here who has one

Thanks for all the advice and maybe I'll meet you "on the road" one day.

[george formby]

Yup, most of the bikes I get my eye on are in the South Island too, might be a message in that.

[unstuck]

Yup, most of the bikes I get my eye on are in the South Island too, might be a message in that.

Nope, no message there. The air is dirty, the roads are jam packed full and the weather is crap. I think you still have to go through the compliance even if the bike has been deregistered.

[GerryAttrick]

As a final thanks for all the help you guys have given me I thought it only fair to share my reason for the question in the first place - it stems from my one and only offroad attempt back in 2003 and which resulted in the following writeup. Please tell me I am not alone in this experience

***
Went out at the weekend for my first "offroad" excursion in the Woodhill Forest (just North of Auckland). A great day out - started on a Honda XL250S Twinshock. Managed half of the "red" course but eventually I fell down so many times that I could not get my breath, get up from the ground or lift the bike up!. When I took off my helmet the steam rising from my furrowed brow had to be seen to be believed.

Thinks...must consume more Pi** before riding again so that I can keep my bodily fluids at the usual level

Retired to the carpark and dropped down to a Suzuki 185 2 stroke on the
"Green Trail". Eventually got sick of being passed by 4 year old rugrats on 50cc dirt bikes. But finally found a track I could manage without dropping the bike.

I was now ready for the yellow intermediate. Managed this a couple of times without any major offs and only foot down a couple of times.

Thinks...I now have this trail biking sorted and expect KTM or Honda talent scouts to pop out of the scrub waving contracts.

Lets go for a better time on the yellow....BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!

Came round a corner and down a gentle drop off of about 3 metres. Managed to miss the trail (normally referred to in my terminology as "deep Rut"). Slipped off the footpeg and in the flurry to gain control opened throttle WIIIIIDE!!!!....SECOND BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!.

Then proceeded to compound problem when both feet shot backwards over mudguard leaving me lying prone on the saddle, clutching the throttle ,
which was NAILED WIDE OPEN, heading down the drop off at ever increasing speed...and 185cc 2 strokes can fair accelerate downhill on a wide open throttle. I was now expecting a talent scout from the x games to join those from the factory moto x teams.

Never fear that looks like a nice soft clump of Toi Toi Grass (sort of like saw toothed Pampas Grass). I should stop OK when I get into that!!........THIRD BIG MISTAKE!!!!!

Does anyone see a pattern emerging here? No well stick with me you will.

185 2 stroke, screaming like a banshee, with senior member of Mild Bunch prone on seat, also screaming like a Banshee hits Toi Toi Grass at speed of light. Now Toi Toi Grass grows in fairly solid clumps and this one would not have looked out of place on the US Supercross circuit.. I now know I can jump a 185 cc Suzuki Trail Bike. Said bike launches itself into the air about 2 metres and heads straight towards a small tree. I saw it was a small tree as I lay on my back under it with a 2 stroke motorbike about a metre above my head screaming away (or was that me I could hear) above my head. When heading towards it airborne it looked more like a large Kauri or Sequoia

Eventually I managed to drag bike out of tree, kick start it, get back on the trail and ride to the end. I now have one bung knee, two wrenched shoulders, a smile on my face that won't go away and a wife who laughed so hard she cried when I explained why I was a little stiff and sore.

[Zedder]

As a final thanks for all the help you guys have given me I thought it only fair to share my reason for the question in the first place - it stems from my one and only offroad attempt back in 2003 and which resulted in the following writeup. Please tell me I am not alone in this experience

***
Went out at the weekend for my first "offroad" excursion in the Woodhill Forest (just North of Auckland). A great day out - started on a Honda XL250S Twinshock. Managed half of the "red" course but eventually I fell down so many times that I could not get my breath, get up from the ground or lift the bike up!. When I took off my helmet the steam rising from my furrowed brow had to be seen to be believed.

Thinks...must consume more Pi** before riding again so that I can keep my bodily fluids at the usual level

Retired to the carpark and dropped down to a Suzuki 185 2 stroke on the
"Green Trail". Eventually got sick of being passed by 4 year old rugrats on 50cc dirt bikes. But finally found a track I could manage without dropping the bike.

I was now ready for the yellow intermediate. Managed this a couple of times without any major offs and only foot down a couple of times.

Thinks...I now have this trail biking sorted and expect KTM or Honda talent scouts to pop out of the scrub waving contracts.

Lets go for a better time on the yellow....BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!

Came round a corner and down a gentle drop off of about 3 metres. Managed to miss the trail (normally referred to in my terminology as "deep Rut"). Slipped off the footpeg and in the flurry to gain control opened throttle WIIIIIDE!!!!....SECOND BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!.

Then proceeded to compound problem when both feet shot backwards over mudguard leaving me lying prone on the saddle, clutching the throttle ,
which was NAILED WIDE OPEN, heading down the drop off at ever increasing speed...and 185cc 2 strokes can fair accelerate downhill on a wide open throttle. I was now expecting a talent scout from the x games to join those from the factory moto x teams.

Never fear that looks like a nice soft clump of Toi Toi Grass (sort of like saw toothed Pampas Grass). I should stop OK when I get into that!!........THIRD BIG MISTAKE!!!!!

Does anyone see a pattern emerging here? No well stick with me you will.

185 2 stroke, screaming like a banshee, with senior member of Mild Bunch prone on seat, also screaming like a Banshee hits Toi Toi Grass at speed of light. Now Toi Toi Grass grows in fairly solid clumps and this one would not have looked out of place on the US Supercross circuit.. I now know I can jump a 185 cc Suzuki Trail Bike. Said bike launches itself into the air about 2 metres and heads straight towards a small tree. I saw it was a small tree as I lay on my back under it with a 2 stroke motorbike about a metre above my head screaming away (or was that me I could hear) above my head. When heading towards it airborne it looked more like a large Kauri or Sequoia

Eventually I managed to drag bike out of tree, kick start it, get back on the trail and ride to the end. I now have one bung knee, two wrenched shoulders, a smile on my face that won't go away and a wife who laughed so hard she cried when I explained why I was a little stiff and sore.

I was laughing and cringing at the same time for some of that. Good on ya!

[george formby]

Ah yes, eyeballs like pickles on a fork. Always a great moment on reflection...
I made a habit of visiting the scenery every weekend for years, the better my riding became the more spectacular & athletic my visits. Looping the bike or burying the front in a tussock, finding a handle bar deep bog, not checking stream crossings & having a mid winter bath, trying to jump a ditch but spinning the back wheel up instead & leaving my testicles on the filler cap as I go over the bars etc.
Best fun I have ever had & I'm over the moon to get a second bite of the apple now. Older, wiser & more fragile.
If you can have that much fun on a 185 you will be legendary on a 250.