Trail,adventure,mx, enduro!!!!????

[bl4de]

How many bikes do i need?
looking around for my first off roader for many years and have been totaly confused by bike types and what people actually use them for. I see an add that say's adventure bike, does that mean its no good for trail riding? then another add, same bike, for trail riding!?
What do you want to do with it!? I hear you ask. Well i want to try adventure riding and possibly trail riding ( not quite sure whats involved with trail ) so im looking at 250's 350's to get back into the swing of things. need it to be road legal with a reasonable cruise speed so i can ride it to the venue. Whats best 2 or 4 stroke? bear in mind im only 1.75cm & 80k soaking wet

[Henk]

Since you are after something you can trail and adventure ride I'd be looking at a 250 (XR250 road legal thing or DRZ250) or maybe a 400 (XR or DRZ again). None are going to be ideal in either setting as you'll have to run compromise gearing. Anything bigger and the weight will start to make them unmanageable in the bush.
I have ridden my TTR600 in the bush on occasion but it gets to be hard work. More than made up for in my opinion by the fact that I can strap a tent to it and cruise off for the weekend at an easy 120km/h. But then I also have a trail bike for when I do want to go bush.

[Ruralman]

the problem with the term adventure rides is that it differs from person to person. To me it includes gravel roads and some well formed tracks that have a grippy surface (ie no mud) - my Transalp handles this no problem and is great on the highway.
Trail riding is rough tracks, no tracks, bogs, bush, banks, creeks, ruts,.......
Unless you are really skilled then at your size I reckon you want to keep the dry weight under 120-125kg max. This will include most 250's and quite a lot of the new high tech 450's etc. Also comes down to how much dosh you want to spend and the balance of how much off road and how much commute.
I like 2 strokes for trail work because of their combination of low weight, zappy performance, good torque as long as its not a motocross bike, and pretty cheap maintenance. The only ones that are great on trails and are also able to be road legal would be the Gas Gas - the 250 or 300
4 stokes - If you want new and want to keep the cost down then the DRZ 250 or Honda equivalent. If you've got the money and the skills to ride them then there are heaps of options amoung the 450+ but the maintenance on the high tech ones needs to be spot on

[warewolf]

There are different models of bike within a 'designation' family, for want of a better word, so you may not be comparing apples with apples. There can be off-roaders, on/off-roaders, soft-roaders, and jap-import variants...all sorts. They might use the same model prefix but can have wildly different engine and suspension configurations.

There's been a few threads on this lately, such as:
*RANT*Limited choices*RANT*

Disclaimer: I do have to mention this as a bike to consider, for obvious reasons!
FOR SALE: DR-Z250 with spare wheels
(I was having some throttle transition issues but have fixed that with some fixing/tuning on the carb accelerator pump.)

[Ghost Lemur]

Bet me too it warewolf.

Until the CRM came up I was very much looking at the Yamaha DT230. Two stroke, electric start, road legal and handle the journey to the trail.

Sure Motu will be along to give you a run down on them from first hand experience.

Got to say though, if you come across a mint CRM snatch it up with both hands. I did, and couldn't be happier with my desision.

The DT does have the added benefit of having been available here new up until a couple of years ago when they stopped making them. So I expect parts are a little easier to find than for the CRM.

No matter what you get, the results the same. Go ANYWHERE fun.

[Motu]

Like me,not being of ample build (sommewhat more ample in the middle these days,but the arms and legs are still puny) you'll be happier on a small bike,but small bikes are not really exciting on road,a 250 4 stroke doesn't really hack it on road,although not impossible.That's where the 2 strokes like the DT230,CRM250 and RMX250 stand out,they are lighter than 250 4 strokes,but have real on road performance to stick with,and stick it to much bigger bikes,and maintenance is far less than modern 4 strokes.They are aimed at the dirt end of the spectrum,but offer big performance in a small package.

Then you move up to the bigger singles with varying degrees of on or off road abilities,but most will be a real handful in soft ground.Next step up is the bigger bikes,these are good on gravel,but can only do selected dry off road excursions - although in the hands of a good rider they will go places some people (ahem) couldn't take a 250.

The modern big KTM's (640's) are really light now,down to or less than an old school 250,but even so they are a big bike to ride,and control....it takes work to control a big motor.A look at the midrange bikes could be in order...DRZ400,and the Euro 400's,but most are on the dirt side.

It just depends on how much road use you need - you don't ride to trail rides,and most these days don't ride to an adventure ride either.I'm more than happy with the DT230,and am surprised at how great a road bike it is,it really covers 80% of my needs,and having 2 sets of wheels makes it a great package.I can put in big days....but not too big,straight boring roads are a no go zone on the DT230.

[Jantar]

Most bike are designed for a particular type of travel, but can generally cope with some variety. There is a spectrum of terrain and use that is:

Dirt Race track - Dirt Trail - Dirt Roads - Gravel Roads - back country sealed roads - Main roads - Sealed Race Track.

There is a spectrum of bikes that is:

Motocross - Enduro - Trail - Adventure - Sports/Tourer - Cruiser - Sports.

A typical adventure bike is happiest on gravel roads, but will cope perfectly well on dirt roads or sealed roads. It will handle some trail work but will struggle, however it will cruise the highways with ease. As the Stromtrooper logo says "Dirt + Seal = Adventure"

If you want to get into the real off road riding scene then get a trail or enduro bike rather than an adventure bike.

[SDU]

I reckon everyone should have a bike for every occasion & one rego covers all but sadly reality sets in. We can dream.
I find the DR650 is getting me around both on & off road no probs. I have surprised myself by getting up & down the Waimak river trails. Sure it is heavier & more of a work out then the lighter, better set up dirt bikes & even harder than the XT250 I use to take there, but I find it a good compromise for road trips/ adventure rides & river hacking. I was never a MX'er or great trail rider, but I (Still learning what it & I can do) manage & have heaps off fun. Mind you I found the XT250 fun to chug around everywhere on & lightweight too.
Oh by the way I'm a hobbit.
There are a few here that take their twins & big singles to even tougher places than I go.
Check out some threads off some off-road/adventure rides here to get an idea off where people are taking theirs.
lots off options

[clint640]

For riding to trail rides & Mike Britton's adventure rides (which are basically trail rides with road sections) you want a sub 120kg bike, 250-450, with the DT230 Motu mentioned probably offering the best performance for your $.
An XR250 or DR250 are good cheap reliable fun & probably a bit better for the novice.
The EXC-F/CRF-X/WR-F high performance 250's are really nice to ride on a trail ride, & are sold road legal, but more $$ & relatively high maintenance. Their seats & tanks aren't suited for longer distances.

A DRZ400 is a bit heavier but will be better for longer adv rides (with a better seat maybe) & is still not bad on a trail ride.

Then it's into the 600+ singles. I take my KTM 640 out on the odd easy trail ride & I'm no great rider, but it's definitely not the right tool for your average tight snotty kiwi trail ride. The big thumpers however can eat up gravel miles with the greatest of ease, hoon up the odd 4x4 track & aren't too painful on the highway. These are the bikes for adventure touring on.

Cheers
Clint

[chris]

Well i want to try adventure riding
and possibly trail riding
so im looking at 250's 350's
need it to be road legal so i can ride it to the venue.
bear in mind im only 1.75cm & 80k soaking wet

GasGas Pampera. It's cheap so it ain't gonna cost you a fortune to get started.

[clint640]

Yep, those Pamperas look really cool, at a good price if buying new, but not too many around 2nd hand. I'd love to have a go on one.

Cheers
Clint

[Ruralman]

I have just spent a few hours today on a new Gas Gas EC300 - as long as the road bit isn't too long this bike is bloody incredible. It will certainly hold 100km/hr no trouble but any more would get tiresome if held at that speed for long. As a back road blaster (gravel) it is great, as a trail bike on tight or open trails it is fantastic. It feels pretty light and with its very forgiving power delivery a less experienced rider will get to grips with it very quickly.
I've got it tommorrow as well and will work out the fuel consuption before it gets picked up.
premium bike, premium price but worth it if you are in that market.

[warewolf]

Have heard that the EC300 has absolutely stunning chassis/suspension setup. Soaks up bumps, holds a line, and steers like magic. This has come from multiple people who've test ridden the thing on really tricky trail rides back-to-back with their own bike.

[Motu]

I hear there is now a 400cc 4 stroke Pampera - I don't know if a lightweight 250 semi trials bike concept would transfer to a big 4 stroke,kinda defeats the whole idea.Anyone know anything more about them?

[inlinefour]

Depends on what you want eh. I have a k4 DRZ400 road legal. Has a long range tank for adventure riding, knobblies for offroad and the occasional sliding around on the road. Put the original tank back on and its a formidable offroad bike. I don't think Id use it for any form of MX though, would never be competitive. I'd like a set of motard wheels for it some day, but I'm not prepared to pay the new prices for them, so I'll wait until a 2nd hand set comes along. I'm soon to add a MX bike to the collection. Get out test piloting and figure what it is you want from a bike and what feels/looks right for you. Good luck in figuring it out and have fun.