Thoughts on a suitable small bike

[$CENSLS1$]

KLX250 I've got one and they're a great bike, enough said

[P38]

Sounds like an awesome trip to do with your son.

Your a lucky guy.

I wouldnt advise your son riding a dirtbike for such a long distance unless you plan on travelling on lots of dirt roads.

Dirtbikes should stick to what they do best... tearing up the paddocks, doing jumps, cilmbimg hills etc

If your mostly sticking to the sealed roads I'd go for the Virago, simply because they are designed for the road, well built and a nice bike to ride.
They comfortable too which will enable longer riding and less fatigue and I'm pretty much one eyed when it comes to crusiers.

Consider the type of tyres, riding position, luggage storage and range too.

Well thats my 2 cents worth.

Hope this helps

Have an awesome ride with your son and keep safe.

Cheers
P38

[merv]

Having had XRs and the DR250R and now the XR250L I'd say go for the Honda every time, but then my XR cost $9,000 new and I see that motard was $7,500. Look for a good condition XR250 from 1996 on. Failing that DR, KLX, XT, TTR or whatever would all be OK if you can get one for the right price.

You are riding an adventure bike yourself so I'd say get him a dirt bike. I wouldn't recommend the WR250F style bike for the long haul coz of them basically having a race engine.

I'm quite happy riding my XR all over the place and when we were young and didn't have decent road bikes we rode our traillies everywhere anyway. The 250s easily handle 100km/hr on the road and the Hondas I have owned were/are all happy to be ridden with the throttle hard against the stop and never broke.

The older XR250Rs are more hard out than the L so drink a wee bit more gas but my new L model does between 26 and 30km/l on a 9.7 litre tank so easily does 250km on a tank.

Richard from TSS and his Mrs went through Molesworth on their DT175s before doing Rainbow with me and they said they needed extra gas on Molesworth - getting not much over 100k before reserve - which was OK on Rainbow. The 4 stroke bikes of course eat the distances without extra gas.

[clint640]

If your mostly sticking to the sealed roads I'd go for the Virago,

Cheers
P38

Er, given this is the 'Adventure/Dual Purpose' forum & Young1 is asking about something to do the 100+km of UNsealed Molesworth Road a cruiser may be less than ideal.

In fact I'd give a 16yo ex KDX pilot chasing his 990 mounted dad about 10km on gravel before a Virago 250 was a twisted wreck in the the ditch.

Cheers
Clint

[Garry.W]

I have a nice 2006 XT250 for sale, would be well suitable for your son Mike.

Cheers
Garry

[young1]

I have a nice 2006 XT250 for sale, would be well suitable for your son Mike.

Cheers
Garry

Thanks Garry, I have a nice KDX200 for sale (ex my sons) which I want to sell off! I would rather hire / rent a bike etc as if I buy one he will then want to ride it around town and I dont want him doing that. Otherwise a cheap older bike would be better I think. Unless you want to hire it out....

[Wolf]

Garry's XT250 would be an ideal bike - does 110 no probs and will sit on it all day if you want, reliable "bulletproof" engine, light weight, enduro styling (so it'll be more like the posture your son is used to, handles dirt and gravel no problem, will climb any hill you're likely to encounter.

Can have loads of fun off-road on it, too if you get the opportunity.

Lacks the pep of a 2-stroke but it's practically unkillable and its light weight enables it to climb things a large 650 enduro can't get up.

[P38]

Er, given this is the 'Adventure/Dual Purpose' forum & Young1 is asking about something to do the 100+km of UNsealed Molesworth Road a cruiser may be less than ideal.

In fact I'd give a 16yo ex KDX pilot chasing his 990 mounted dad about 10km on gravel before a Virago 250 was a twisted wreck in the the ditch.

Cheers
Clint

Well Clint I did say I was one eyed.

The young lad should NOT try to chase down his dad or he just might end up hurt.

But dad will know this and not ride too fast and outpace his sons abilities.

100+kms of unsealed road Vs 9 3/4 days of riding sealed roads elsewhere in the south island, I'd still choose the Virago.

But each to his own

Still sounds like an awesome ride.

Cheers
P38

[young1]

Well Clint I did say I was one eyed.

The young lad should NOT try to chase down his dad or he just might end up hurt.

But dad will know this and not ride too fast and outpace his sons abilities.

P38

We did Desert Storm back in 2005, him on his KDX, me on my DR400. I learnt then that I couldnt keep up with him! Or was it that he knew that if he dropped the bike that dad would pay!

It is looking unlikely that we will do a bike trip, but may go in the car and try to make it like a bike trip with lots of stops for scenery, back roads, country pubs, camping on beaches etc etc.

[warewolf]

Virago

That's just plain wrong (in this forum) for so many reasons I won't even start.

It is looking unlikely that we will do a bike trip, but may go in the car and try to make it like a bike trip with lots of stops for scenery, back roads, country pubs, camping on beaches etc etc.

That's a shame, but I appreciate the realities of life.

Something else you could throw into the mix would be stops at some of the little motor museums around the place: WOW in Nelson, Yaldhurst in Chch, the bike one in the cafe just off SH1 at Waitarere.

Ditto stop at some of the bike-focussed cafes, like the Chequered Flag @ Rangitata.

Just ideas to keep with your theme!

[marks]

But dad will know this and not ride too fast and outpace his sons abilities.

buuullshiit

it would've ended up being one big gravel drag race around the south island.

teenage sons do that to you...

[P38]

That's just plain wrong (in this forum) for so many reasons I won't even start.

LOL ..... you gotta relax an get out more mate.

[Wolf]

LOL ..... you gotta relax an get out more mate.

I think he was referring to the fact that this is a forum devoted to Adventure or Dual Purpose bikes and the Virago, while a very good bike, is neither. It would be like suggesting in the Cruiser section of the site that a suitable new bike to upgrade to, from one's Suzuki Savage, would be a DR650 - also a very good bike but certainly not a Cruiser.

Hence his parenthetical "in this forum". I'm sure warewolf gets out quite often.

From my experience, cruisers are not great on gravel, just like enduros are not the most comfortable on long straight bits of tarmac.

[warewolf]

I think he was referring to the fact that this is a forum devoted to Adventure or Dual Purpose bikes and the Virago, while a very good bike, is neither. It would be like suggesting in the Cruiser section of the site that a suitable new bike to upgrade to, from one's Suzuki Savage, would be a DR650 - also a very good bike but certainly not a Cruiser.

'xactly what I was thinking... apart from the bit about the Virago being "a very good bike." Back when I was doing 1000km/week average and had at times 2 services booked in with the shop, they knew not to give me the Virago as a courtesy bike. I'd rather have the beaten up Yammie RX125 2T commuter; at least that thing had some pep, handling and cornering clearance, even if the tacho and rear indicators were dodgy, and it was 15 years older than the baby cruiser.

I'm sure warewolf gets out quite often.

Hmmm lessee... last 4 (err, 5) weekends:

• 6 hour cross country race - ironman class - on the KTM 200EXC (in the rain)
• weekend away with the Missus on the Triumph Trophy Super III down to Blackball (nice day) and back (in the howling rain - can't win 'em all)
• commute Nelson to Auckland on the KTM 640 Adventure via Wanganui River Rd, Waitomo, Hauturu-Kaingaroa Rds
• zap down to Turangi for the Rusty Nuts Grand Challenge - 1000 miles in 24 hours - basically Turangi-Kaitaia-Turangi this year (in the rain) then Monday back home to Nelson via Maungatapu Track (in the rain).

Last weekend I was down at Punakaiki in the car with the missus, shame to be so close to the Greymouth races and not attend, but it was some well-deserved "us" time and the annual national caving conference pulls rank (half the time we turn up on the bike anyway). Might not have been on the bike this year, but I did abseil/prussik a 43m waterfall entrance to a cave (in the rain) which is just as much fun. And I did talk to some bikers at Punakaiki Rocks and check 'em out at the Tavern, too.

So yeah, think I get out quite often!

[P38]

Wow!

You guys are way too sensitive.

I do realise this is the Adventure/ Dual purpose forum.

Didn't see no sign that said you cant discuss any other type of motorcycle.

Young1 did ask for everyones opinion.

and I did say I was one eyed.

nuff said.

Young1.
I still hope you have a good trip even if it's in a Tin Top

Marks.
Your right.
P38 has four teenage sons and all of them would try it on. Thats what teenage boys do.

Cheers
P38