Green Laning - What RELIABLE, light weight bike ?
Discussion
I've owned my KTM 450 EXC for over a year and have done a few enduro practise tracks, at which it was good but really I'd be better off with a 250 two stroke and at the weekend I went for a 6hr ride with the TRF on roads / green lanes and it became obvious I could only use a fraction of it's power.
So I'm thinking of selling it and buying a 250 MX bike for proper off road and then getting something lighter and RELIABLE for roads / green lanes.
My KTM has always got me back but (possibly due to the PO) it seems to need constant messing with.
Budget £3k max
Initial thoughts were downgrading to CCM 404, DRZ 400E, Gas Gas EC300 but I wonder if something like a CRM250 might be more suitable.
So I'm thinking of selling it and buying a 250 MX bike for proper off road and then getting something lighter and RELIABLE for roads / green lanes.
My KTM has always got me back but (possibly due to the PO) it seems to need constant messing with.
Budget £3k max
Initial thoughts were downgrading to CCM 404, DRZ 400E, Gas Gas EC300 but I wonder if something like a CRM250 might be more suitable.
What does your KTM struggle to get you home because off? Only issue I've had has been punctures (now on mousses).
Lads in my local group have quite a range of bikes from Beta Alps through to big Husqavarna 701s. They all work fine, some are more suited to plodding along and others more suited to harder riding. But they all work.
I guess a lot depends on the type of lanes, amount of time on tarmac, and how fast you’re going on the lanes. We use some where I’d only want to be on a very lightweight bike with great traction, others you could do on goldwing.
Lads in my local group have quite a range of bikes from Beta Alps through to big Husqavarna 701s. They all work fine, some are more suited to plodding along and others more suited to harder riding. But they all work.
I guess a lot depends on the type of lanes, amount of time on tarmac, and how fast you’re going on the lanes. We use some where I’d only want to be on a very lightweight bike with great traction, others you could do on goldwing.
Hungrymc said:
What does your KTM struggle to get you home because off?
Lads in my local group have quite a range of bikes from Beta Alps through to big Husqavarna 701s. They all work fine, some are more suited to plodding along and others more suited to harder riding. But they all work.
Off the top of my head - so farLads in my local group have quite a range of bikes from Beta Alps through to big Husqavarna 701s. They all work fine, some are more suited to plodding along and others more suited to harder riding. But they all work.
It lost it's front pads (now lock wired)
It's lost a few fastenings
The carb was playing up, after cleaning it randomly decides to piss fuel out the overflow
The clutch decided to stop working and it was ridiculously time consuming to change the fluid as it trapped air
I've had to fix loads of bodges and now it seems to be running rich
I've just had enough and having seen the constant issues others are having on the KTM forums it seems ridiculous to put up with as I'm not using the performance.
As my wife questioned "Is it normal to have to fix it every time you use it ?"
Hence I'd rather own a less highly strung bike, a 250 CRFL was out with us and I've no doubt he didn't need to fix it before or after the run.
It can be a nightmare chasing carb issues. I’m certainly not good enough to get to the bottom of them and get an unreliable one running reliably. How many hours have you put on it to suffer all of that aggravation?
Mine is a 350 and is a later injected bike, it hasn’t missed a beat. It doesn’t ride like a highly strung bike either, the controls all work beautifully and smoothly.
That said, the CRFs are very popular and the Ls do seem a lot less highly strung. Wouldn’t have thought you could go far wrong as long as you are happy with the power.
Mine is a 350 and is a later injected bike, it hasn’t missed a beat. It doesn’t ride like a highly strung bike either, the controls all work beautifully and smoothly.
That said, the CRFs are very popular and the Ls do seem a lot less highly strung. Wouldn’t have thought you could go far wrong as long as you are happy with the power.
Hungrymc said:
How many hours have you put on it to suffer all of that aggravation?
Mine is a 350 and is a later injected bike, it hasn’t missed a beat. It doesn’t ride like a highly strung bike either, the controls all work beautifully and smoothly.
That said, the CRFs are very popular and the Ls do seem a lot less highly strung. Wouldn’t have thought you could go far wrong as long as you are happy with the power.
Probably 20hrs riding and the same fixing !Mine is a 350 and is a later injected bike, it hasn’t missed a beat. It doesn’t ride like a highly strung bike either, the controls all work beautifully and smoothly.
That said, the CRFs are very popular and the Ls do seem a lot less highly strung. Wouldn’t have thought you could go far wrong as long as you are happy with the power.
I was warned that the later (non RFS) are less reliable - I think this is in terms of racing hours and they last much longer pootling along lanes
Ah well, I don't know until I try one, I bought the 450 as I knew it's grunt would cover my mistakes and on the enduro course it did just that. Coming home yesterday, I surprised myself and the driver next to me with a massive wheelie whilst merging onto the dual carriageway
I owned a Mk1 CRM 250, it was a lovely bike.... in 1989. It is absolutely outclassed by many many bikes now however but it was very reliable. Only went wrong when I dropped in and in doing so the waterpump bearing got noisy but it still ran!
I probably put 3000 miles on it without doing anything other than a plug change and adding fuel and oil.
You can pick up KTM freeride 350's for 2.5-3k. They are a measly 99.5kgs but are not even remotely highly strung (I don't think they push more than 26-28hp).
I rode one and whilst it handled an enduro practice day, I reckon it would be the perfect laning bike, especially when you have dropped it for the umpteenth time that day! Sadly it's only a 5.5l tank so you may need to carry spare fuel depending where you are but certainly worth a look imo.
The DRZ is a bit heavy and clunky for what I would like and the likes of my KTM 200 EXC just have very little road manners to make it worth while for laning.
Just my 2p worth
I probably put 3000 miles on it without doing anything other than a plug change and adding fuel and oil.
You can pick up KTM freeride 350's for 2.5-3k. They are a measly 99.5kgs but are not even remotely highly strung (I don't think they push more than 26-28hp).
I rode one and whilst it handled an enduro practice day, I reckon it would be the perfect laning bike, especially when you have dropped it for the umpteenth time that day! Sadly it's only a 5.5l tank so you may need to carry spare fuel depending where you are but certainly worth a look imo.
The DRZ is a bit heavy and clunky for what I would like and the likes of my KTM 200 EXC just have very little road manners to make it worth while for laning.
Just my 2p worth
I can only add my Tuppence worth...
I bought a Beta Xtrainer 300 18 months ago. 2-Stroke, tuned for low-down lugging torque. Reliable, well-priced (though second-hand sell like hotcakes). Weighs about 102kg / 8.5l fuel tank / oil-injected. The frame is 10% smaller than a full-size Enduro bike, and it has softer suspension (easily stiffened up by springing the fork for your weight and using 15w for oil). It is typically 80% Enduro & 20% Trials oriented, so perfect for Trail riding. I have taken mine to the Pyrenees twice and it has handled everything that has been thrown at it.
The KTM Freeride is less Enduro-focussed and more aimed at general Trail riding with a Trials bias. Smaller fuel tank, too.
As an ex-KDX rider, the Xtrainer is the "new" KDX...
I bought a Beta Xtrainer 300 18 months ago. 2-Stroke, tuned for low-down lugging torque. Reliable, well-priced (though second-hand sell like hotcakes). Weighs about 102kg / 8.5l fuel tank / oil-injected. The frame is 10% smaller than a full-size Enduro bike, and it has softer suspension (easily stiffened up by springing the fork for your weight and using 15w for oil). It is typically 80% Enduro & 20% Trials oriented, so perfect for Trail riding. I have taken mine to the Pyrenees twice and it has handled everything that has been thrown at it.
The KTM Freeride is less Enduro-focussed and more aimed at general Trail riding with a Trials bias. Smaller fuel tank, too.
As an ex-KDX rider, the Xtrainer is the "new" KDX...
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