First Green Lane Bike?
Discussion
Hi all,
Found a couple of threads on this but most are 5+ years out of date. Ridden on the road for circa 8 years and looking to take up some green laning via the TRF etc.
Looking at options for a first bike - primary option is the Honda CRF250L however most of these are coming in around £3000 and I'd prefer to be paying closer to £2000-2500 for a first bike but don't really know what else is out there!
Seems to be plenty of bikes that aren't road registered but they're not options, so looking for suggestions. Primary use will be green lanes with minimal tarmac roads in between.
Cheers!
Found a couple of threads on this but most are 5+ years out of date. Ridden on the road for circa 8 years and looking to take up some green laning via the TRF etc.
Looking at options for a first bike - primary option is the Honda CRF250L however most of these are coming in around £3000 and I'd prefer to be paying closer to £2000-2500 for a first bike but don't really know what else is out there!
Seems to be plenty of bikes that aren't road registered but they're not options, so looking for suggestions. Primary use will be green lanes with minimal tarmac roads in between.
Cheers!
seveb said:
Go for a 2 stroke - much nicer. The CRF250L, although a perfectly good bike, is quite tame. Easy to ride but you'll be selling it after 3 months of riding to get something more exciting.
I’d agree with this, I had a quick go on MotorsportTom’s 200 2 stroke ktm and it just felt nicer than my WR on the whole, traction seemed better and if you wound it up a bit it was a lot more lively than my WR. More fun to be had in the long run I think. Saying that, the WR isn’t slow for a 250 4 stroke, definitely a lot more power than the crf250l I’ve ridden in the past.
The alloy frame models ( 06 on ) are harder to work on, due to the diameter of the frame tubes. Carb service / removal is a pain. The steel framed one has much more access.
I had an 03 WR450F, loved it, but they are like a rabid dog, a real handfull for an average rider, so my choice would be the 250. Parts are plentiful and not £ expensive.
Few peeps ever remove the swing arm and linkage for greasing and also the shock linkage, head races, however !
I had an 03 WR450F, loved it, but they are like a rabid dog, a real handfull for an average rider, so my choice would be the 250. Parts are plentiful and not £ expensive.
Few peeps ever remove the swing arm and linkage for greasing and also the shock linkage, head races, however !
Re the WR250, there is a co in the States, that makes a rather nice alloy rear rack and someone else who does a decent alloy bash plate for them.
The KLR250 is also a fab bike, if one can find a decent one.
Re two strokes, then an IT250 / 175, a KDX 200 / 250 and if you can ride, then it just has to be that other rabid dog, an IT465 / 490 !!
The KLR250 is also a fab bike, if one can find a decent one.
Re two strokes, then an IT250 / 175, a KDX 200 / 250 and if you can ride, then it just has to be that other rabid dog, an IT465 / 490 !!
seveb said:
Go for a 2 stroke - much nicer. The CRF250L, although a perfectly good bike, is quite tame. Easy to ride but you'll be selling it after 3 months of riding to get something more exciting.
It is tame, but you can still get up to silly speeds off road. Bear in mind when you're a newbie you'll drop it a lot, which also means crashing, so you don't want something really quick if you're learning.I've had my CRF250L for two years now, probably never getting rid of it, I love it. Just the right amount of power for my skill level, and very reliable.
neutral 3 said:
The alloy frame models ( 06 on ) are harder to work on, due to the diameter of the frame tubes. Carb service / removal is a pain. The steel framed one has much more access.
I had an 03 WR450F, loved it, but they are like a rabid dog, a real handfull for an average rider, so my choice would be the 250. Parts are plentiful and not £ expensive.
Few peeps ever remove the swing arm and linkage for greasing and also the shock linkage, head races, however !
That is true, there’s not a massive amount of access on the alloy framed ones but in general it’s all easy enough. I had an 03 WR450F, loved it, but they are like a rabid dog, a real handfull for an average rider, so my choice would be the 250. Parts are plentiful and not £ expensive.
Few peeps ever remove the swing arm and linkage for greasing and also the shock linkage, head races, however !
Carb removal sounds like a faff but only takes half an hour, plastics and tank off, subframe loosened and pulled back, top engine mounts off, rear shock out and disconnect the cables and the carb comes out.
patchb said:
seveb said:
Go for a 2 stroke - much nicer. The CRF250L, although a perfectly good bike, is quite tame. Easy to ride but you'll be selling it after 3 months of riding to get something more exciting.
I’d agree with this, I had a quick go on MotorsportTom’s 200 2 stroke ktm and it just felt nicer than my WR on the whole, traction seemed better and if you wound it up a bit it was a lot more lively than my WR. More fun to be had in the long run I think. Saying that, the WR isn’t slow for a 250 4 stroke, definitely a lot more power than the crf250l I’ve ridden in the past.
For reference it's something like a good 10+kg lighter than the equivalent WR250F which you will notice! Especially when picking it up.
In my opinion, you need to know whether you want and enduro bike, which will require a higher degree of maintenance, or, whether you want a trail bike which isn't as good off-road but has better service intervals.
A good Kawasaki KDX200/220/250 or Honda CRM 250 is a good 2 stroke for a compromise as most still have the oil pump which means no premixing required at pertrol stations. You are likely to find a Kawasaki under £2k too!!
I bought my 2010 KTM 200 for £2k although it had no history and was a lucky buy at the height of summer last year and has needed a couple of bits doing but nothing major,
If you don't mind high maintenance then a 2 or 4 stroke KTM is great but for low maintenance then the CRF250 you mentioned or a DRZ400 fits the bill
What tends to happen is you get something cheap road/off-road biased then do a few lanes and want a enduro bike, things like a crf L are road bikes really, they can’t compare to a enduro bike, the perfect bike for me laning and doing enduro comps and practice days is a Ktm excf 350, works fine on the road with decent cruising speed and is quick and light enough off-road, Having done lanes and enduro a lot that’s what I would easily buy again. If it’s just purely off road then either a 250 or 300 2 stroke of any kind, they are all good.
It generally always happens like that, TRF members all vary and will tell you all sorts to buy.
Depends what you mostly want to do, Enduro practices are brilliant and there’s loads of them.
Laning is spread out now and depending where you are they can be crap or good.
You’ll also be the devil reincarnated riding on BOATS around the uk in most places when you see walkers.
It’s why I stopped doing lanes and purely enduro events now.
It generally always happens like that, TRF members all vary and will tell you all sorts to buy.
Depends what you mostly want to do, Enduro practices are brilliant and there’s loads of them.
Laning is spread out now and depending where you are they can be crap or good.
You’ll also be the devil reincarnated riding on BOATS around the uk in most places when you see walkers.
It’s why I stopped doing lanes and purely enduro events now.
If you get into enduros - fair enough, a 250L wont cut it - but you asked about green laning and if a 250L is not enough for green laning in the UK you riding like a bit of a tool. It's not motox.....it's plodding through the country side and I've not met any of it that a 250L can't get up/over/around - and wont need working on every weekend.
My other half rides one and has ridden it all over green lanes in England/wales/Spain/France/Andorra (also used a 250L rally in Africa. It always keeps up with my 701 off road.
If you are too big for it - you'll struggle. Want to race it - you'll struggle. But if you want to get out at the weekend and have an awesome time, rinse it down and do nothing but fuel it up the next trip.....it's hard to beat.
If I was doing a RTW trip - I'd take one, no question.
My other half rides one and has ridden it all over green lanes in England/wales/Spain/France/Andorra (also used a 250L rally in Africa. It always keeps up with my 701 off road.
If you are too big for it - you'll struggle. Want to race it - you'll struggle. But if you want to get out at the weekend and have an awesome time, rinse it down and do nothing but fuel it up the next trip.....it's hard to beat.
If I was doing a RTW trip - I'd take one, no question.
Edited by Tiggsy on Wednesday 10th April 14:26
The WR250 is a good shout, I doubt there is much out there with that mix of fun and reliability.
I love two strokes and had an RMX250 for a while. The Japanese ones are getting a bit too old to be worth the bother though. I know of a very nice low mileage CRM250 AR if you want one though.
The KTM two strokes are all premix I believe. I don't mind that, but some people do. The 300 is a weapon. A 350 EXC is also a lovely bike.
I love two strokes and had an RMX250 for a while. The Japanese ones are getting a bit too old to be worth the bother though. I know of a very nice low mileage CRM250 AR if you want one though.
The KTM two strokes are all premix I believe. I don't mind that, but some people do. The 300 is a weapon. A 350 EXC is also a lovely bike.
CousinDupree said:
The WR250 is a good shout, I doubt there is much out there with that mix of fun and reliability.
I love two strokes and had an RMX250 for a while. The Japanese ones are getting a bit too old to be worth the bother though. I know of a very nice low mileage CRM250 AR if you want one though.
The KTM two strokes are all premix I believe. I don't mind that, but some people do. The 300 is a weapon. A 350 EXC is also a lovely bike.
The only KTM's that aren't premix are some of the early 2000's EGS models I believe but they are very uncommon! I love two strokes and had an RMX250 for a while. The Japanese ones are getting a bit too old to be worth the bother though. I know of a very nice low mileage CRM250 AR if you want one though.
The KTM two strokes are all premix I believe. I don't mind that, but some people do. The 300 is a weapon. A 350 EXC is also a lovely bike.
patchb said:
seveb said:
Go for a 2 stroke - much nicer. The CRF250L, although a perfectly good bike, is quite tame. Easy to ride but you'll be selling it after 3 months of riding to get something more exciting.
I’d agree with this, I had a quick go on MotorsportTom’s 200 2 stroke ktm and it just felt nicer than my WR on the whole, traction seemed better and if you wound it up a bit it was a lot more lively than my WR. More fun to be had in the long run I think. Saying that, the WR isn’t slow for a 250 4 stroke, definitely a lot more power than the crf250l I’ve ridden in the past.
The bikes change hand easily, maybe not so much for a CRF, so buying a WR 4 stroke you can easily sell to upgrade to a 2 stroke in time when you are ready. Better to buy something to grow on, rather than lose confidence.
And if one has balls of steel, then this is the most fun one can have with their clothes on.....
How I wish I had kept my 83 RM500!!
I can honestly say, that this was the maddest / baddest SOB that I've ever owned and I also had an 86 GSXR-1100G at the time '
Edited by neutral 3 on Wednesday 10th April 21:44
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff