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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:26 am 
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I am a little surprised to see Derek whose opinion I value greatly advising against Honda

I would have suggested the Honda crf250x against the KTM 250

With the Honda I leave the valve adjustment to the professionals and do the rest myself and have no problems whatsoever

Just in case you are looking for an alternative to KTM within your budget and at your height - I would have thought the crf250 x would be a fine alternative.

Finally if I only had one bike - it would be the crf250l. A stunningly good all rounder but if you have the opportunity to get a separate road and trail bike - look at the KTM and crf 250c


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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 11:50 am 
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Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2011 11:10 am
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mario.costasa wrote:
I am a little surprised to see Derek whose opinion I value greatly advising against Honda


:D Yes Mario, I know!

My opinion is based on my own experience with the CRF250X - I stuck with it for two and a half years and spent a national debt working on ways to make it a solid trail bike - Don't get me wrong, I did a squillion miles on it and had great fun. BUT it needed too much doing, too often, to make it viable for me. Sadly, I learned more about bike maint than riding!

So, for a first time Trail bike (for new to riding green roads), I think you can get more bang for your buck with a KTM exc-f, Yamaha WR, AJP or DRZ. :)


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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:27 pm 
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[quote="mario.costasa"]I am a little surprised to see Derek whose opinion I value greatly advising against Honda

I would have suggested the Honda crf250x against the KTM 250

With the Honda I leave the valve adjustment to the professionals and do the rest myself and have no problems whatsoever

Just in case you are looking for an alternative to KTM within your budget and at your height - I would have thought the crf250 x would be a fine alternative.

Finally if I only had one bike - it would be the crf250l. A stunningly good all rounder but if you have the opportunity to get a separate road and trail bike - look at the KTM and crf 250c



Yup, I had one too, for three years, great bike but I concur, once the valves start going it's a fair spend, they are very highly strung, I haven't looked back since getting my RFS engined 453 exc...even the wheel bearings seem to last MUCH longer on it, very simple suspension,and when the Sprag clutch DID go, I fixed it for free with an oil seal Spring...get the KTM is my advice...or...the DRZ400....


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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 2:50 pm 
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Generally, KTM parts are decently priced, unlike yamaha's. MY old WR450 used to get very expensive on service items and could take some time to get.
Most KTM stuff is next day delivery :)

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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:05 pm 
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Ccm404 couple of later model low miles ones to be had on eBay around 2k. Drz motor WP/ktm suspension underrated and and under valued IMHO but I do have one.

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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:27 pm 
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Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 10:50 pm
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Joel wrote:
DO NOT GET A KICKSTART ONLY BIKE ! There are MANY instances when you will not be able physically to kick your bike when it stalls, as a newbie these will be many more than an experienced rider, I ride a lot, I would never be without my Leccy leg,people who own XR's have a very rose tinted view of the eighties...things are much better these days...especially the music..


Pah, man up and use a kickstart................it was all we had in the 80's and we were glad of it

Only riders who struggle with kickstarting are those who can't do it and warn others away from it...........due to their own failings :mrgreen:

Montesa 4Ride can be started by hand it's so easy :lol:

Never had a problem in 30 years of Trials and Trailriding, with kickstarting a bike, even when fallen off

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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:33 pm 
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Luddite :lol:

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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:33 pm 
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Don't buy into the myth that modern European enduro bikes aren't trail bikes. EU enduro bikes have to have all the road niceties that qualify them as trailbikes that can be ridden on the road straight out of the box. You don't get that with the Japanese competition machines, many of which cannot even be used as enduro bikes out of the box.

In practical terms the EU enduro bikes make fantastic trail bikes - light, reliable, robust, low maintenance, low depreciation, simple and easy to work on, cheap spares and, most importantly, low impact on the green roads.

Don't rule out a 2 stroke, especially one of the later six speed KTM/Husky/Berg 250/300's.

A rule of thumb is to avoid anything with a cable clutch - a sure sign that the manufacturer is stuck in the 1990's or has otherwise cut corners to build a bike down to a price, which means that either or both reliability and riding experience will be significantly compromised (unless of course you want to experience old skool lack of refinement and reliability).

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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:43 pm 
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johnnyboxer wrote:
Joel wrote:
DO NOT GET A KICKSTART ONLY BIKE ! There are MANY instances when you will not be able physically to kick your bike when it stalls, as a newbie these will be many more than an experienced rider, I ride a lot, I would never be without my Leccy leg,people who own XR's have a very rose tinted view of the eighties...things are much better these days...especially the music..


Pah, man up and use a kickstart................it was all we had in the 80's and we were glad of it

Only riders who struggle with kickstarting are those who can't do it and warn others away from it...........due to their own failings :mrgreen:

Montesa 4Ride can be started by hand it's so easy :lol:

Never had a problem in 30 years of Trials and Trailriding, with kickstarting a bike, even when fallen off

Better still, get an old KTM 640, left hand kickstart only, why struggle along with the relative ease of a right sided kickstart...go HARD or go home...I shall be waiting for you at the pub...with my bike already on its trailer, attached to my 1915 REO speed wagon, hand crank only, of course....


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 Post subject: Re: Where to start? Which bike?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 9:23 pm 
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Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:08 pm
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jonpaul1st wrote:
Don't buy into the myth that modern European enduro bikes aren't trail bikes. EU enduro bikes have to have all the road niceties that qualify them as trailbikes that can be ridden on the road straight out of the box. You don't get that with the Japanese competition machines, many of which cannot even be used as enduro bikes out of the box.

In practical terms the EU enduro bikes make fantastic trail bikes - light, reliable, robust, low maintenance, low depreciation, simple and easy to work on, cheap spares and, most importantly, low impact on the green roads.

Don't rule out a 2 stroke, especially one of the later six speed KTM/Husky/Berg 250/300's.

A rule of thumb is to avoid anything with a cable clutch - a sure sign that the manufacturer is stuck in the 1990's or has otherwise cut corners to build a bike down to a price, which means that either or both reliability and riding experience will be significantly compromised (unless of course you want to experience old skool lack of refinement and reliability).



Interesting...in 40 years of motorcycling I've had ONE clutch cable fail, which was replaced in 10 mins with the spare clutch cable I had routed alongside it in preparation for a ride to Morocco. In contrast, EVERY bike I've owned with a hydraulic clutch has given trouble, ranging from the seals on the slave cylinder failing (KTM) to the fluid boiling (Gas Gas). Hydraulic clutch is an answer to a question that nobody asked, IMO.


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