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Despite years of thinking I'd like a fire breathing 2 stroke Husaberg enduro, when looking into it I can't see how it'd work. Like track days, the guys who are really into it are often tradespeople with a spare vans for transporting bikes which makes the enduro service intervals slightly less eyewatering. After a few days of reading online I've come to the conclusion when intervals are measured in hours (or the bike needs an hour meter) I'm out. This admission hopefully opens up some modest green lane touring.
Been playing with the idea of buying another bike this year and something with knobbly tyres makes more sense as opposed to another superbike. Think I've come to the conclusion that a Honda XR400R could be a good allrounder so will keep watching eBay and most likely annoy you all with more questions as I change my mind serval times.
Not to be a be a bad influence but thought this was quite a good deal. Also I get the point about having two different bikes that roughly cost the same as something fancier but ultimately is good at just one thing.
jambon-
Dual Sport decision-making is incredibly painful. It’s not like saying you want a litre bike, or a sports bike, or a track bike, or an all-round commuter etc.
The whole concept is pivoting between two disparities; good on the road, and good on the dirt.
I’ve barely even scratched the surface of what the DR350 can do on the dirt, but I’m totally comfortable with its limitations on the road. Consistent 80mph (on the gps) is doable, so it isn’t screaming/whimpering when doing 70, and I can crawl up the revs to pass something like a lorry (albeit slower than I’d like).
On the dirt, only technique has let me down. I’m not fast and I don’t have the enduro skillset to make the most of any bike.
It’s definitely heavy with the extra rack, bags, bigger tank. On an uphill, cross-rutted turned sideways (wheel 90-degrees in each rut) it needed some asking to get out. But if I had the enduro background I’d never have got into that situation, and if I did it would have been pretty easy to get back out. But, I got out, once I recalled what I’d learned on Cross Training Enduro shorts on youtube.
If I had a lower gearing, or the pumper carb, or simply jumped straight off and gave it a squirt as I pumped the bars, it would have moved much quicker. Gearing alone would have been enough - mine is certainly road oriented at the moment.
When I first looked this time last year I wanted something underpowered. I didn’t want to have too much power that it was impossible to control (or plain scary) on dirt, and wanted to delay the inevitable endorsements from riding three times the speed limit.
Problem for you is you know what you’re doing, you’ve had big bikes. You are correct, though, ditch anything measured in hours if you travel in miles.
£3k for a used 250 just seems too high to me. But maybe it’s a good price. I’d sooner spend £3.5k on a DRZ400 if I could though. For a fun little bike I guess the 250 works, but if I had the cash I’d look at a CRF450 and suffer the consequences!
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£3k is that it? That's decent price right? The uk gets screwed on these new, literally more in £ than in $
New 450 is £10k and they hold their value like a house.
Expect to be bored to death on a roads, but then I would say half of all bikers purposely avoid a roads.
Ridden the a9 a number of times and each time, summer or winter fallen asleep at the bars or just been so bored and fed up that I've had to take breaks every 30 mins.
pdlouche
BrickMan
Mate has a 2008/10 WR250 and loves it, borrowed it once to do some mild trails and yeah, its no dirt bike/ 2 stroke enduro weapon, suspension is a bit basic compared to the proper bikes, has very little down low (compared to 2s) and on a roads is able to get to 70mph (75 indicicated assumed that was probably about 68 real mph), but in the same way a 125 gets to 70mph, eventually and its not happy about it!
B roads between trails/lanes is exactly what its for and is great for that.
Not very good on fuel, but then what trail orientated bike is!
He's had a lot of miles on it (north of England going to all the green lanes and general messing about) and only thing was a seized swing arm bolt. Think it also likes eating clutchs and dirtying its oil (service is in hours not miles, as is more dirt orientated).
Not sure if Beta make a trail bike with lights/reg, but would hazard a guess that it would be the best in class, every other Beta i've known mates to have, they've always raved about them.
KTM is nice, but so much money imo.
Considering this year getting rid of my overweight BMW dual sport (90's) and getting a 250L and a Triumph ST 1050. Satisfies both ends of the spectrum of things I do without spending much.
ST 1050 2005 to 2011 really don't go for very much, fancied a VFR ( 800 non vtec or 1st gen vtec) but everyone that I've been to see in the past year has been a bit of a dog, not even high miles, just very ratty for the money they are asking. Don't think Triumph's build quality is upto as much, but borrowed a mates 2009 bike and loved it, sporty (ish) AND toury AND sounds good. Win?