This is what we posted on our local group site.............
This one comes up at least once a month. In fact it came up at last nights club meeting and again this morning..........
These are the thoughts we had last night. Update or add your comments if you feel differently.........
many people new to the TRf have little or no experience with bikes at all. Some have loads of road riding under their wheels - so what is good advice, for a first bike for Trail riding?
One of the things I've seen is that someone's 'first' bike really is their First - they use that bike to learn how to ride and often swap it within a year when they have more experience and can make choices on what suits them. Others 'first' bike is very quickly followed by another because they bought a 'dog' at their first go (I know I did)!
Often the first bike is chosen on budget and many have some very tight constraints in this regard. I'd recommend keeping the initial budget to around £2000 - anything less and you are likely to buy a real horror show. I'd also look at 4 strokes only as an initial purchase (2T's are fine, but even better when you are used to the road work that has to be done when trail riding in the UK)...........
So given a 2K budget and 4T, what fits the bill for someone new riding unsurfaced roads............... these are not listed in order of preference
1. Suzuki DRZ 400. Pro's - Plenty of them around. Reliable, Robust, easy to maintain (long service intervals), spares easily available, very capable bike. Cons - Heavy, horrid colour that yellow!
2, AJP 230cc (there are a number of options with AJP) Pro's - Light, reliable (air cooled engine), quite a few on 2nd hand market. easy to maintain, easy to ride Cons - Some say they are underpowered, typical riders wear funny clothes!
3. KTM EXC-F 250 (as late a model as you can get for 2K) Pro's - Light, availability, well thought of endure bike that is road legal (no buggering around to get an MOT), reliable if maintained, durable, good build quality. Cons - High seat for shorter people, do require maintaining, Orange!
4. Yamaha WR250F. Alloy frame if you can get one....... Pro's - Fairly light and well regarded endure/trails bike. Quite a few of the older ones around for reasonable money. Con's - Make sure it is an OK one from the start - some old dogs out there, so be careful when choosing a particular bike.
Things to avoid (in my opinion):
1. Honda's!!! - people (and I was one) assume that all Honda's are made equal and all are bulletproof - they are NOT! The CRF's come in a number of types and sizes:
CRF250R / 450R - These are motorcross bikes, used for flying around an MX track at perilous speeds and heights. They are not suitable for converting to road legal trail bikes by someone new to Trail riding.
CRF250X / 450X - These are updated R modes, made 'softer' for Enduro. While they can be made road legal fairly easily, my experience with one tells me they need loads of maintaining, loads of TLC and even then they ley you down. Give em a go if you are brave and have deep pockets.
CRF250L - The most recent 'dual sport' available from Honda. They are cheap to buy and run. they 'look' like their endure/mx cousins, but that is about it. Heavy, underpowered, floppy - these are three words I've often heard said about these. That said, there are many that simply love em! Just not me!
2. Buying a 2nd hand bike in Wales!
That's it from me for now. Feel free to add to the 'good' and 'bad' list. I've tried to be objective, based on my experiences - please try to keep comments useful for new members.
Thanks Derek
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