Motu style

[Jackrat]

Ok who rides dirt and gravel back roads like Motu does??
I'm pretty sure my next bike is going to be a big bore trail bike so I can get me some of this.To those that do,What do you ride and what do you recommend??.I have been looking at TT600Rs in Bike Trader,,Any comments on these bikes.

[merv]

I'm a small guy and I'm too tight to buy too many bikes so I always want a dirt bike that will do it all hence I stick to the lighter types 250 or under.

I have only ridden a few larger 600 type bikes and after my small jobs they always feel very tall in the gearing and so much flywheel on the motor they aren't as responsive on the throttle i.e. aren't as revvy I guess you would say, so if you wind them up on a gravel road they take a bit of braking to haul their speed down, but you would get used to that and they would be fun on wide open gravel roads and more suited to tarseal blasting than the smaller bikes. As an example my WR is turning over 7,800rpm at 100km/hr, a TT600R is probably only doing about 5,000rpm at 100km/hr. Try trail riding them and that's a whole different story - weight and high gearing aren't helpful in really tight spots and that's why I don't buy the big traillies. If you aren't contemplating doing the serious stuff, then a big bore dirt bike would be great.

TTRs are still a whole lot lighter than an F650 or something like that or Motus XLV and would be great fun on gravel roads.

[merv]

A TT600R goes fine up a nice track like in the first pic (which was on the Pukemanu), but you wouldn't want it stuck in the muck like in the second pic (Elsthorpe charity trail ride) when a light bike is a whole lot easier to rescue.

So if gravel roads are what you want then a TTR would be great.

[What?]

I ride an F650 BMW and love it. The Dakar model is probably a bit better in the dirt, but not quite as flash on the seal. I had an XT600 before the F, and that was good, but a bit limited in abilities on the tar (brakes especially), although I rode 500Km a day quite often.

I would recommend that what ever you get has a cush-drive rear hub, or it will eat chains and tyres at an alarming rate (I think that rules out the TT-R).

[Motu]

Hah! thanks for the thread title Jack.It's a compromise and you'll never get it right,that's why I've got more than one bike.The XLV750 is a monster sized dirt bike for a little guy like me - you won't get many 750s going faster on gravel,but it's a lot of hard work,off road is out of the question.It's strength is being able to maintain a high average speed regardless of road conditions,it doesn't matter what you throw at this thing,nothing fazes it.

When I wanted something I could use in trickier conditions I had a lot of choices - I was looking at TTR 250 Raids and DR 250 Rebels,they seemed just the ticket....but...the seat height for a short arse was a bit tall and being on the open road on a 250 was going to suck.When I sat on the XT400 I was sold,low enough that I could get the balls of my feet on the deck,if one footing the whole foot goes down,plus the 400 can handle highway speeds all day.The down side is it weighs a bit much (160kg?) and has crap suspn,but for gravel and 4x4 tracks it's just fine.I still need that small off roader for real dirt riding.

A TTR600 is a different bike to the XT600,more powerfull,taller,lighter,fully adjustable suspn,a serious beast,but still not up to the level of KTMs or KLX650s.I saw a beautiful blue TTR600 the other day,with a chrome frame,choice bike.

I still don't know what I'd get if I had the money to spend,but a modern 400 with a lowering job would be a start.Actualy a Gas Gas 400 Motard with a spare set of wheels - 18s or 19s so I could run dirt tyres for gravel (2 ply trials or speedway rears)

[XRNR]

You might have the right bike for the job with a little practice JR.

In the 80's a friend of mine used to get around on a PE250. He then moved to Northland for about 1 year. Where he moved to he said was miles from the nearest sealed road.
When he first moved there he was blown away by all the "crazy's" (he called them) taking those windy gravel roads at highspeed and sliding all over the place. They were riding Triumphs & XS650's.

By the time he came back to Auckland he was a convert, had an XS650 & would regularly take it out to the West Coast beaches to do sand riding on it.

PS, watch out for small fuel tanks on a lot of trailbikes.

[Oscar]

Ok who rides dirt and gravel back roads like Motu does??
I'm pretty sure my next bike is going to be a big bore trail bike so I can get me some of this.To those that do,What do you ride and what do you recommend??.I have been looking at TT600Rs in Bike Trader,,Any comments on these bikes.

I looked at a TTR and I think it's a great bike, but these days, you gotta have a leccy start fer that sort of money (and they ARE pigs to start).

Depending on how much money..
My choice for a good, medium priced road registrable trail bike would be an XR400 - I am assuming you don't mind giving up a few comforts for speed and handling off-road. If you get a straight one, and look after it, they are great - I had one for five years and couldn't kill it. I rode it everywhere from National Enduro's to Adventure Rides - they are nimble in the bush and big enough to foot it on the road/gravel etc...

Other than that you might wanna look at an XR600, although these can be a bit of a handful off-road. There are a few DRZ400E's about for reasonable money - but it's hard to find a road-kitted one...

Edit: Pull yer finger out, and you could come to Motu's favourite event - Lost Weekend II

[Motu]

You are right there XRNR - a traditional style bike like the XS650 is perfect for gravel work,they have a low centre of gravity and the weight distibution is better - a modern bike has too much on the front wheel,a dirt bike too much on the rear,my XS1 is a beaut bike for gravel even with street tyres,although my K70 front was a popular flattrack tyre.The draw back is the poor suspn,but it's not really that important,if you go fast enough you just float over the bumps,it's just the modern dirt bikes give more control and comfort.

For off road work a dirt bike is needed though - I've just seen Oscar has posted while I was typing,yep,XR400 would be a good one,for those with the legs....or the weight to squash it down.

[phil_elvey]

Kiwi rider rated the TT600 as their pick of the adventure bikes in 2003 (or was 02?)

[merv]

Mention of road bikes used in the dirt reminds me of Vege from Kiwi Rider and his article sometime ago about using a Kaw W650 with knobblies and then there was Carl Garnett on his Bonneville on the 2001 Capital Coast Adventure Ride - see pic attached. Jack does that look like your style?

[Motu]

Yeah,Vege tried to talk me into a W650 for adventure work - he's right,it would be bloody good,but why spend that much on a bike,then modify it and still have a bike with no suspn or ground clearance - it'd be choice as an alrounder though,kinda like what I was brought up riding on.My Rickman Metese was the best bike I've ever ridden for this type of work,the 1.5 gallon tank was the only drawback.

Carl is riding trials these days on a Cotton/Triumph,he is a lot of fun to ride with - he puts so much energy into everything he does that you just get carried along with him.The first round of our Tri Series is being held on his property on the top of the Kaimais.

[pete376403]

I know a guy who took a GS1000 on one of the BMW Safaris (the off road part of it.) Lacking a bit in ground clearance but able to bulldoze its way through just about anything and hell for leather fast on the open gravel roads. The rider was a pretty big guy - probably weighed as much as the bike!

[Oscar]

Greg Power took a CX500 on a FNAR - two up!

[Posh Tourer :P]

You are right there XRNR - a traditional style bike like the XS650 is perfect for gravel work,they have a low centre of gravity and the weight distibution is better - a modern bike has too much on the front wheel,a dirt bike too much on the rear,my XS1 is a beaut bike for gravel even with street tyres,although my K70 front was a popular flattrack tyre.The draw back is the poor suspn,but it's not really that important,if you go fast enough you just float over the bumps,it's just the modern dirt bikes give more control and comfort.

For off road work a dirt bike is needed though - I've just seen Oscar has posted while I was typing,yep,XR400 would be a good one,for those with the legs....or the weight to squash it down.

Sounds like what you are really talking about is a beemer twin.... all those features plus good suspension too.....

[merv]

Sounds like what you are really talking about is a beemer twin.... all those features plus good suspension too.....

You haven't tried knobblies on yours have you?

Certainly a lot of BM's at every adventure ride I've been on and the guys riding them seem to enjoy them. Never tried one myself.

Jackrat looks like we are all giving you a whole lot of options to consider so what are you going to do? You list an XR250 on your profile, is that not street legal or not fast enough for you because generally the XR250s get along pretty damn quick because of that nice spread of gears they have that I keep on raving about? On stock gearing an XR will cruise easily at 120+ all day.