TRF Forums

Hi everyone,

I've always fancied giving trail riding a go but never had the money. I've finally saved up enough and decided that I'd give it a go. Looking at booking myself in for a CBT over the next few weeks so I can get started. After doing some research I reckon the Yamaha DT125 would suit me perfectly for a starter bike.

I live in Bath and am not too far away from Wales or Wiltshire so there should be loads of trails to explore. I just need to find a local group to go with to show me some good trails and help me build up my confidence and experience. Does anyone here know of any groups or clubs around Bath or Bristol?

Thanks

Hi Force and welcome to the forum.
I know that Bristol TRF are active around Bath as well as Bristol.
Their contact details are here
They don't hang out much on this forum, I think they have a Facebook page they use for rideouts.

Thanks for info. Will get in touch with them.

DT125 would be perfect; you don't need a lot of power on a slippery trail and in many cases, less is more. Try and find a fairly recent one; though they didnt change much over the entire lifespan of the design, the earlier ones came with the power valve locked in the shut position; great for torque and low end grunt on trails, bit of a drag on the roads inbetween. You can peg it open but then the power comes in savagely at 6000 rpm and you'll really struggle on trickier trails with it like that. The 3 wire servo motor that opens and closes the power valve at the right RPM giving the best of both worlds are rare and fetching silly high prices on ebay, though it is a plug-in upgrade and all the wiring is already in place from the word go. Later models had a 5 wire servo motor and the CDI controlled the motor instead, so the two arent really cross compatible. The later 5 wire ones are in bigger supply and thus cheaper, but the later models came fitted with them as standard so if you wanted a cheap DT, I'd look for one around 10 years old while you get passed

If you go to look at a DT and wonder about the power valve; look at the left hand side of the engine near the radiator; a 10 mil bolt in a circular protrusion is a fixed valve, a device with 2 cables (like bicycle brake cables) running up under the tank is fitted with a power valve motor, and will be the more usable tool

Once passed you can probablt sell the DT for as much as you bought it for, and go for a small 4 stroke, like a WR250 - it might be tempting to jump straight on a WR450 thinking the extra power will be a massive help but it will more than likely just be an angry bear that wears you out as you wrestle with it all day until something gets damaged when youre tired..

Hi Force,

Welcome! I agree with cjard. I've never owned a DT125 but I've known a few people start with them. They seem like the ideal cheap bike to get into trail riding.

I'm a member of the Bristol TRF and go for a ride once a month or so. I'd be happy to show you some of the local lanes around the South of Bristol and Bath. I'm not a particular fast rider so would take it at a slow pace to help you get the hang of things. Then if you like it you should join up to the TRF as it's a very worthwhile cause (keeping our trails open and meeting other trail riders!).

PM me if you get your CBT and a bike

Thanks for all the advice! All the research I did pointed at the DT125. I'll prob be looking at the early '00 bikes so that it won't lose too much value whilst I have it as a beginner bike until I upgrade to a 250. Have my CBT booked for mid May Then going start looking out for a bike and buying the kit (assuming I pass the training).

Will send you a PM mpok3 when I'm ready to join the Bristol TRF.

Hey mpok3,

I can't seem to pm you as I think I need to be a proper member to do that. Anyway, I got my bike now and I'm eager to get out riding. I haven't got any proper boots yet but wouldn't mind going out on some easier green lanes. Any chance you could send me your contact details? Cheers.

Hi,

Sorry I haven't responded sooner. I haven't been out for a while.

On the off-chance you might be free I'm going out this Wednesday at 6pm?

PM me if you're interested.

Mark

Hey Mark,

Yeah, I'm around at 6pm Wednesday. My number is 07530850686 if you want to meet up. I've already marked out a map with routes on it.

Darren