cd.thomson
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 02:30 PM |
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motorbike recommendations
Hi guys,
I'm planning on getting a gixxer once my cars sold (spring time now) but want to keep my hand in until then. Theres a definite possibility that
I'll fly over to 'Nam in the summer and buy myself a bike and taz it up to the north so would really like some experience on a 125-250cc
enduro type bike.
Does anyone have any suggestions for what to buy? Can these be ridden on the roads, okay for winter? Ideally I'd like to take it green laning
too if thats a possibility.
Minimum cost would be ideal, not sure what my budget should be. 2nd hand Honda XR 250s at £1500+ are a bit steep..
Craig
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Triton
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 02:40 PM |
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KTM's are better built than Honda gubbins 
My Daughter has taken over production of the damn fine Triton race seats and her contact email is emmatrs@live.co.uk.
www.tritonraceseats.com
www.hairyhedgehog.com
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sonic
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 02:45 PM |
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How much road work do you intend doing?
A mate of mine buys a 2 stroke motorcross bike every year and then road registers it,daytime mot etc very easy to do.
He rides them round for a few months until the weather gets better and then sells it at a premium as they comand more money road registered.
KTM are great bikes but the parts are very expensive if you fall off which you will off road.
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cd.thomson
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 02:46 PM |
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I basically wont have to use it at all, I live within walking distance from where I study and I have a car so I'll only be knobing about on it
when I want to!
Any suggestions for models?
Craig
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Mix
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 02:56 PM |
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Hi
Didn't Clarko et al do an instructional video on this sort of thing? 
Regards Mick
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sonic
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 02:57 PM |
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My mate has just sold a Suzuki RM250 2001 model,he bought it for £950 cost him £150 to road reg mot etc and sold it for £1500
Great bike very reliable and cheap parts,he changed the sprockets for a bit lower reving on the road and it did 90 mph flat out on the road and popped
the front wheel in the air on the powerband in the first 4 gears.
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sonic
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 03:07 PM |
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Have a look at this on Fleebay if you have the experiance! 200546542034
I had one of these and it will pull your arms out of there sockets and wheelie in every gear
Sounds like a bargain
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Stott
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 03:15 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Triton
KTM's are better built than Honda gubbins
That's the wrong way around!
KTMs are like delicate little flowers of engineering brilliance and madness, they handle like nothing else and are great when they are working, but it
will fall apart, all the time.
They are the Ducati of the dirt bike world.
I've had KX250, CRF250X, 450EXC, 300EXC and some trials and road bikes and I'm KTM through and through now, despite their foibles.
The KTM 250F of years past though is underpowered and generally thought little of so I wouldn't reccomend it.
A WR250F or a CRF250X would be a good bet. The Yam is a bit quicker but both are good bikes and will go for ages without breaking.
Then again, what's off-roading without having to go back to look for your sidestand every 5 miles! lol lol lol
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tony-devon
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 03:26 PM |
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£1500 will get you a 05 plate enduro ready KTM 420? I think it is round here, seen a couple now
my mates is for sale at that price, and no takers, so it does appear that KTM while being great machines off road, appear to be a little lower valued
than most
maybe worth considering, bit of a risk if it does break, but when its working you will love it 
heavy is good, heavy is reliable, and if it breaks, hit them with it
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marcjagman
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 03:31 PM |
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My step son has a Yamaha TTR250 for sale, it is unregistered £800
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tony-devon
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 03:37 PM |
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I did a load of green laning on a yamaha 200 serrow, wonderful machine for that sort of work, or it might have been a 225? all I did was cane it,
jetwash it, cane it, jetwash it, ad infinitum
dont see many about now, but would deffo recommend one if you was to see one
[Edited on 23/11/10 by tony-devon]
heavy is good, heavy is reliable, and if it breaks, hit them with it
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contaminated
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 04:59 PM |
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A couple of observations from some of the above:
1. KTM better built than Honda! Nobody nails a bike together like Mr Honda IMHO
2. An RM for road use? Any crosser is a proper laugh on the road. You need to change the cooling system a bit as well as the sprockets because you use
the bike very differently on the road and they tend to over heat. Get ready for zero engine braking also! I'd love one!
Tiger Super Six Independent
www.southernkitcars.com
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coozer
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 05:06 PM |
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HARDCORE? or
SOFTCORE?
Depends what you want, winter hack or all round year hoon?
My choice would be a big slim Supermoto, Husqvarna, XR650, Husaberg or something like that.
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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franky
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 05:15 PM |
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A great all rounder for road/trail/track but not MX tracks is a honda CRM250, you'll not loose money when you go to sell either
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flibble
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 05:28 PM |
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Yup, had many a giggle on my CRM250, a little less power than a CR250 to bring the reliability up, no battery to worry about and bulletproof giggles
for around £!000.
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StevieB
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 06:14 PM |
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I have a Honda XL125 from 1985 that's as rugged and bullet proof as they come.
All I did when I got it was replace the clutch and throttle cables, new levers on both sides (as they'd been bent at some point). I also took
the carb off and gave it a cleaning out and set it up again.
25 years old and the suspension is still fine, engine works and electrics have no faults. Starts first kick on everything but the coldest day and the
best bit is that the parts are cheap as cheap can be.
I'd highly recommend one as the way to go for a bit of hassle free experience (which is what I'mdoing until I pass my full test).
I'm not sure if I'll sell it when I pass my test or keep it for a bit as it's awfully tempting to pull it apart and completely
re-build it just for a side project.
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bmseven
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| posted on 23/11/10 at 08:48 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by marcjagman
My step son has a Yamaha TTR250 for sale, it is unregistered £800
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skodaman
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| posted on 24/11/10 at 05:16 AM |
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If you're going to buy the bike in Vietnam I would imagine KTM's are unavailable. Even Honda XL250's might be. If you'r e
going to be on mainly dirt roads and not carrying loads of luggage a 125 2-stroke would be perfectly adequate. I've ridden lots of different
bikes in the Philippines. They have some slight variations on our 125's. CG125 Hondas are usually 150's there and are regarded as far
more reliable than the 2-strokes. They really get caned cos they put sidecars on them and carry 4-5 adults. DT175 MX's are available as hire
bikes and being air-cooled don't have radiators to break when you fall off. I would imagine Vietnam has even less choice of big bikes than the
Philippines where 125's are the norm and 250's rare. Just don't get a Vespa like Clarkson did or you won't be going far
off-road.
Skodaman
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skodaman
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| posted on 24/11/10 at 05:23 AM |
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Aaargh. Didn't read your post properly. For a UK trail bike mainly for off-roading I'd go for something like a Yamaha DT125MX.
Something like an XL/XR Honda 250 is a bit more of a handful though superbly reliable.
Skodaman
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bmseven
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| posted on 24/11/10 at 07:24 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by bmseven
quote:
Originally posted by marcjagman
My step son has a Yamaha TTR250 for sale, it is unregistered £800
I'd go with this bulletproof Yamahaha
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