KLR250 issues

[cowpoos]

In the old days I rode every where on road with dirt knobbly tyres without any worry. Occasionaly I ran with trials universal tyres and they were fine too.

Nowadays the bikes come with street legal knobblys and for an old dirt biker like me they feel weird because they grip so well the bikes don't back end steer like they used to. The carcasses of the street legal tyres are quite stiff - I can let the air right out of the tyres on my WR and I could still ride it OK. They aren't soft and pliable like a good dirt tyre for squeezing mud out between the blocks.

In the end it doesn't matter what you use you should be able to feel how much grip they have and get used to them. If they slide a bit it doesn't matter on a light weight dirt bike with wide handlebars its easy to flick it sideways and recover without the risk of highsiding like you get on a road bike.

The only issue really is the damn WOF guys are looking for DOT legal markings or making sure they don't say NHS (not highway specified) on the tyres.

michelin ac-10's ..... hav a look on the net...best dam road legal off road tyres ya can buy....its even more amazing how long they last!!!

[merv]

Got this type of Michelin tyre on my WR - its what it came with http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/fr...170838&lang=EN and while the guff says "supple but durable" I reckon it has a bloody hard carcass. So far has been a pretty good tyre all the same but I haven't ridden real slippery muddy stuff with it.

The XR came with D605 Dunlops and they are fine - slightly more street oriented - this guff http://www.bikebiz.com.au/shop/enter...tml&lang=en-us says 60% off road 40% road. They are quite a rounded tyre, great for road cornering and wouldn't be so good in heavy muck.

[cowpoos]

Got this type of Michelin tyre on my WR - its what it came with http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/fr...170838&lang=EN and while the guff says "supple but durable" I reckon it has a bloody hard carcass. So far has been a pretty good tyre all the same but I haven't ridden real slippery muddy stuff with it.

The XR came with D605 Dunlops and they are fine - slightly more street oriented - this guff http://www.bikebiz.com.au/shop/enter...tml&lang=en-us says 60% off road 40% road. They are quite a rounded tyre, great for road cornering and wouldn't be so good in heavy muck.

yes....hmmm....dunlops.....errr.....I have nothing constructive to say about them...

I've tryed alot of different tyres on my offroad bikes merv...have alot of hard lim and gravel tracks on farm as well as mud and crap......good alround tyres are deffinatly what I seek...and we do priddy high milage on them to...and I can't find anything to surpass AC-10's for grip in any situation and milage...its incredible how these tyres last and yet grip....just bloody incredible....metxler make a good dual purpose tyre too...can't remeber the name of it though...they had alil less grip than the michelins but got alot more milage out of them...

[adam666]

Ill definately give those AC-10s a go when the time comes, how much on-road work you do cowpoo?

cheers
adam

[merv]

You can see that because I'm a tight arse I stick with OEM tyres until they are worn out and don't really care what I ride on the road with because I manage with anything.

Might have to try the AC-10 myself sometime.

[inlinefour]

ohhhh ohhh...I have a kawasaki trail bike to...can I come play!!!

You have one of those green Suzukis poos? I've got a yellow road legal Suzuki, can I tag along too? (soory poos, I dont play those sorts of games...)

[Pickle]

See Lemming run in the Meetings & Events section

[cowpoos]

You have one of those green Suzukis poos? I've got a yellow road legal Suzuki, can I tag along too? (soory poos, I dont play those sorts of games...)

nope....I got a klx300...and has nothing suzuki about it thank gwad!!! I also have a drz250 which is the biggest heap of shit i've ever paid money for in my life...there is nothing...and I mean nothing good about it!!!!

[inlinefour]

nope....I got a klx300...and has nothing suzuki about it thank gwad!!! I also have a drz250 which is the biggest heap of shit i've ever paid money for in my life...there is nothing...and I mean nothing good about it!!!!

I thought you swear by Suzuki, are you gixxer owners a tad fickle or was it the submarine Honduh that you could not kill? Dunno about the drz250, but the drz400 is an awesome bike.

[merv]

I also have a drz250 which is the biggest heap of shit i've ever paid money for in my life...there is nothing...and I mean nothing good about it!!!!

Perhaps the other people on here will believe what I've been saying about the DR now there are two of us saying the same as the DRZ250 is only a cosmetic work over of the DR250R I had and it was a parts bin special it just had too many flaws - if you've read my posts in the past you know all about this. Zukin wouldn't believe me and went and bought a couple anyway.

For a long term dirt biker like me the DRZ400 sucks big time too, its gearbox ratios are way too close to make it useful as a tight trail and road blaster all in one.

[inlinefour]

For a long term dirt biker like me the DRZ400 sucks big time too, its gearbox ratios are way too close to make it useful as a tight trail and road blaster all in one.

I think what you seak does not really exist. Kinda like expecting an enzo to not only preform on the road but also as well as a rally impreza offroad...

[merv]

I think what you seak does not really exist. Kinda like expecting an enzo to not only preform on the road but also as well as a rally impreza offroad...

Not true, that's where the XR's are cool with wide ratio six speed box. I've mentioned many a time on here about gearing. A good all purpose enduro/adventure/trail bike has a difference in ratio between first gear and top gear of over 3 times. A DRZ400 only runs around 2.6. Even the DR650 which is very road oriented runs over 2.9, my WR is near enough 3 and my XR250L is 3.4, the Yamaha XT250 is 3.9 - the widest ratio of all the bikes we own. What that means if you have a good spread is one minute you are cruising through tight trails in trees and rocks in first gear without having to rark it on the clutch all the time, you have great control going down steep hills, but out on the gravel roads your not compromised and you blat along as fast as you like.

If the WR had a six speed box instead of a 5 speed it would have been heaven instead of just great - so even though it has quite a good spread with 5 speeds out on the road its top speed is coming from revs which is not so good for engine longevity - the WR revs to 13,500 - gearing has it at 13,000 doing 167km/hr and it easily reaches 160 on my GPS so getting close to maximum rpm in top.

What is a DRZ400 max revs you reckon? - I'm guessing more like 9 - 10,000 and what speed is that on stock gearing? - probably only 130 - 140, but even then on the trail they require too much work on the clutch in tight going. They should have had a six speed box with a lower first and higher top gear. Perhaps the best use for them is as a motard geared up for the road.

[inlinefour]

Not true, that's where the XR's are cool with wide ratio six speed box. I've mentioned many a time on here about gearing. A good all purpose enduro/adventure/trail bike has a difference in ratio between first gear and top gear of over 3 times. A DRZ400 only runs around 2.6. Even the DR650 which is very road oriented runs over 2.9, my WR is near enough 3 and my XR250L is 3.4, the Yamaha XT250 is 3.9 - the widest ratio of all the bikes we own. What that means if you have a good spread is one minute you are cruising through tight trails in trees and rocks in first gear without having to rark it on the clutch all the time, you have great control going down steep hills, but out on the gravel roads your not compromised and you blat along as fast as you like.

If the WR had a six speed box instead of a 5 speed it would have been heaven instead of just great - so even though it has quite a good spread with 5 speeds out on the road its top speed is coming from revs which is not so good for engine longevity - the WR revs to 13,500 - gearing has it at 13,000 doing 167km/hr and it easily reaches 160 on my GPS so getting close to maximum rpm in top.

What is a DRZ400 max revs you reckon? - I'm guessing more like 9 - 10,000 and what speed is that on stock gearing? - probably only 130 - 140, but even then on the trail they require too much work on the clutch in tight going. They should have had a six speed box with a lower first and higher top gear.

Standard enduro gearing, whatever that is is 152kph on my DRZ400, which I could change. Handles very well for an enduro and Ive owned XR200/250/500R & TT350f in the past and I believe that the DRZ is a far better bike and also faster than what I have owned in the past. However I have set my DRZ for enduro riding and have a CBR600RR for road riding. The two are worlds apart and to find a bike to do both as well IMO is a tad unrealistic.

BTW, I run barely road legal knobbles on the DRZ, nothing quite like em and the bike ould not be as much fun with road orientated tyres...

[Zukin]

Perhaps the other people on here will believe what I've been saying about the DR now there are two of us saying the same as the DRZ250 is only a cosmetic work over of the DR250R I had and it was a parts bin special it just had too many flaws - if you've read my posts in the past you know all about this. Zukin wouldn't believe me and went and bought a couple anyway.

For a long term dirt biker like me the DRZ400 sucks big time too, its gearbox ratios are way too close to make it useful as a tight trail and road blaster all in one.

I am disappointed at your comments Merv (although I have not taken it personally )

The reasons
I test rode every 250 bike I could find
XR, WR, Sherpa, TTR & DRZ etc etc
The one I found to be the best of the test for us was the DRZ, it was comfortable for me, but more importantly my wife felt a lot more comfortable.
It had the features that I was looking for, something that the others did not have. The DRZ also had better fuel economy than some of the others.

Now I am not an expert, whereas you may be, but I made a decision based on how I felt, and how their dealers treated me.
I know that from previous Honda experiences that I wont have the same disappointments from Suzuki Dealers.

I am sure you are intelligent enough to know that we are all individual, and therfore have individual tastes.
What I may like or want or need, cold be completely different to yours

This is why I got the Suzuki's, not because of another persons bad experiences of them.

Regards and no offence intended, as none has been taken
Scott

[merv]

I am disappointed at your comments Merv (although I have not taken it personally )

Regards and no offence intended, as none has been taken
Scott

No worries, I was only trying to be helpful telling you all this stuff before you made your choice. I was just interested to see Poos had some bad comment too. 4skins is another who had exactly the same problems when his Mrs had a DR250. The bike was OK, but far from great. I wouldn't have kept it 5 years if it was terrible, but on the trail (particularly slippery ones) or gravel roads I felt I could only ride it 80% as it had too many flaws - see how you go but I won't be surprised if you get tired with the sticky throttle, the driveline lash and the buzzy engine not to even mention the servicing issues again. Fuel economy wasn't an issue with it, but the XR250L with the vacuum carb is even more frugal. I mentioned before, I had no reliability issues either so certainly didn't bag it for breaking.