A bike for the backroads

You're pretty light, so an xt250 might be ok for you. It all comes down to how much 50+ mph riding you're going to do on the bike. My 250 would go 55 with me on it (I weigh 150 lbs), but it was pushing it, I was uncomfortable, and there wasn't enough power left for emergency maneuvering at high speed.

I started 'dual sport' riding on a 250, because I didn't think I would want to ride it at 55-60 mph... but I was wrong. Within a year, I had ridden ALL of the trails and fire roads within range of a 250cc from my house. If I could do 55-60 mph on the highway for about an hour, I could reach 3 huge state forests, which I will probably never finish exploring. I'm glad I traded up to the 500, it opened up many more riding opportunities, because of where I live. The other plus of the 500 is the toque. Its a wheelie machine and is quite fun on twisty paved roads too. That being said, if I lived in off-road-heaven with nearly endless mile of trails starting at my doorstep, I would ride a 250.

My point is: a 250cc enduro bike is plenty for trail and dirt road riding. The question is: how far from home are the trails you want to explore?

If you decide that a 250 is right for you, mid to late 1980's Yamaha xt250's are dirt cheap these days. There are 3 NICE 1980's xt250's near me for $700-900.

Don't forget the xt200 or tw200 either, they are bullet proof bikes and is only a few horses down on the 250.

$1500-2000 is a fair price for a NICE xt500. Beaters (with titles) sell for ~$1000.

While the xt550 and 600 are nice, their dual carb setup is apparently temperamental and frustrating. I have no first hand experience with either though. For a 'way out on a trail in the middle of nowhere' bike, I like simple.
 
79xs said:
I had ridden ALL of the trails and fire roads within range of a 250cc from my house.
If I could do 55-60 mph on the highway for about an hour, I could reach 3 huge state forests, which I will probably never finish exploring. .
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There's a story of a guy who went from Florida to Costa Rica on an SR250. There's a story of a teenager who went from Los Angeles to New York City on a 50cc moped...
 
xjwmx said:
There's a story of a guy who went from Florida to Costa Rica on an SR250. There's a story of a teenager who went from Los Angeles to New York City on a 50cc moped...
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True ^

I guess I should clarify. I work a lot, and have very little time off. I don't even have time for short weekend trips more than a few times a year.

If I have a day off, that's it. One day. I need the 500 so I can haul ass to a nice park, national forest, etc for some good trail riding and still make it home for bed time.

If I had more free time, I wouldn't hesitate to ride a 250 (or smaller) across the country. It can be done and I bet its tons of fun. You'll just be at a slower pace... which isn't necessarily bad.
 
I just traded in my TW200 Yamaha . It was great on dirt and in the woods , but to slow for me on the roads . It's low so it would be good if you not that tall .
I replaced it with a KLR 650 which I love . I'm 6' and it's still pretty high . And it's also my favorite CC size ;)
Regards,
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I had a KLR650, loved it on the road and easy two track. Any moderately technical stuff and it was waaaay to heavy. That and I have a Versys that is a far better road/touring bike and just about the same awfulness off road as the KLR650.

So I found and bought a mint 1985 KLR250. Can still get on the highways a bit. Good power for a 250 (after you up the main a bit and back the idle mixture screw out to get it to run proper) Really enjoying it. All I did was go through it, lube all the swing arm pivots and steering bearings. New brake pads, tires, chain and sprockets and clean the airfilter and its like new. 8000kms. Put a Rack and hand guards on now. Even bigger plus is the valves are set screw and lock nut like the XS650.


I highly suggest a DRZ400, my friend has one that's big bored with a stroker crank. Its like 58HP. Even stock they are a hoot. Far more off road than a KLR650. Same power stock as a KLR650.
 
^A downside of that is 250 is the minimum legal for the interstate. There's a review on yt where the guy prefers the xt over the tw even at an additional $1000. Cool movie using a vintage xt250. Note it was monoshock even then. I know and love the motor on the xt already and it would be my choice, unless I needed a pure mudder.

 
I think the top speed on the TW is about 60, so freeways aren't their natural habitat. I've never ridden one but with those fat tires I imagine it rides more like a three wheeler than a "real" motorcycle. Probably not my cup of tea, but whatever floats your boat.
 
Itll be super fun, those big singles.. .
The Honda XR500 is a great bike, very very easy to come by and get parts for..

And I will say out here in AZ, for some reasons, there are SO MANY Honda XR500's/650s..
Nice XR350 on there now (Sat. 11/23) .. Theyre often more expensive than 500's though lol..

On the Yamaha side of things..
The SR /XT/TT 500's are very similar but with slight differences.. . (76'-79')

I know the Early TT/XT 500 heads had a smaler set of valves, the later models of the three came with a larger set of valves, the (2J2)'s i believe.. With a little work on the OLD heads, you can swap the larger ones in. Of crouse, bypass that process with a later model head. . I think 79'+ had the 2J2s for the XT/TT..

The cranks are different too, slightly.. just depends on what you like.

The SR500's had a heavier/thicker crank. Built heavier for the rigors of the road, these crank set ups tend to be on torquey beasts.. Nice for a "hot rod" 500 motor..

The TT/XT500's had lighter MX/Enduro crank.. That crank was a quick rev'r, sings up the those rpms with some spunk. .

With the SR5's, they had an extra clutch plate I think.. either that or just a bit heavier built clutch, good strong clutch for the road w/ a 'better' shifter system. . But along with that and a heavier crank, it Got that power to the road.

There are differences too in the carbs, .. dont know to many specifics, but the TT/XT's had a 32mm carb and the SR had a 34mm.
 
Ha ha. I had a 5.0 back in the day.

I realize you aren't buying the bike for the highway. Sometimes you got to get it where you want it to be somehow though. And it licensable for the street, so...
 
If you can find a nice XL350, they make a nice compromise between a 250 and a 500.

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The 1976-78 xs350 (like pictured above) is HEAVY for a 350. It actually only weighs 20 lbs less than a first generation 500. The classic style of the 74-78 Honda XL's is my favorite though. I have a 78 xl350, and dont want to 'upgrade' to a lighter monoshock version simply because I love the classic styling.

If you dont care about the classic style, a 1980's monoshock xl350 would be a better choice from a performance standpoint. About 25 lbs lighter, and 5 more horsepower...


For those with a short inseam though, the first generation Honda xl 250 and 350 (1974-75, aka 'sideports') have nice low seat heights. This makes them feel much more manageable.
 
the xt550 was only out for a couple of years (first of the dual carb on a single for yammie era) good on dirt and geared right really hauled arse on tar.on the one i had the speedo only went up to 180kls and i ran it past that acouple of times. but again geared right really nice on dirt tracks
 
FLEA said:
the xt550 was only out for a couple of years (first of the dual carb on a single for yammie era) good on dirt and geared right really hauled arse on tar.on the one i had the speedo only went up to 180kls and i ran it past that acouple of times. but again geared right really nice on dirt tracks
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I've owned the XL350 Honda, a two valve TT500 Yamaha and a 4 valve XT550. They all have very different personalities. None of them are "dirt bikes" so, discussion is appropriately limited to their performance on dirt roads and the roads you take to get to dirt roads.

I like the 2 valvers better than the 4 valvers. They pull stronger on the bottom and that is what counts with this type of riding. I really did not like my XT550 much.

IMHO the 2-valve TT/XT500's are the best of the three if you are not easily intimidated. But it's a bit of a brute and so not the choice for anyone who would even consider a TW.

The XL350 is a very capable paved and unpaved street bike, freeway capable in short to moderate doses. It is not in the least intimidating. Power delivery is adequate but not scary and most folks can "dog paddle" it with both feet on the ground.

All that said, the SL125 is fully up to the task for a fella Roy's size and at 225 lbs or so it is a feather compared to the rest. That counts.
 
Royboy said:
Many of you may be aware of this bike, I was not. Stumbled across it over on ADVrider. Probably not what I'm looking for but way cool.

http://www.fxbikes.com/bikes/

Obviously not streetable but could probably be tossed in a pickup, maybe even a strong bicycle rack.
roy
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gotta luv it at 125 lbs. But I'd bet that love will cost ya a way bunch more money than anything discussed here so far and of course it is modern and dirt only so in no way in line with what I thought you were dialed into.

Leaving me with the question of what exactly it is that you want to do with your prospective new motorcycle and how much are you willing to spend. You can't pick the tool till you know the budget and what the job is.

Do you want a bike for the tarmac, dirt roads and runs to the grocery store or do want something that is suited to rocks, ruts and mud and does not carry a license plate?

they are different animals.

If you don't need street-legal take a look at an IT200. If you can find one.
IMHO the number-one feature for you is seat height. Modern dirty bikes are tall so I'd rule them all out. But the IT 200 will let you sit with both feet on the ground.

It is a wonderful bike and a joy to ride. 250 4 stroke "enduros" are castrated pigs in comparison. I don't know what (if any) legal issues there may be with two-strokes where you will be riding so check that out. But if they are legal, and you don't need a license, I'd say check one out.
 
As it stands right now I'll be looking for a decent XT500 and looking at TW200s. The former because of thirty some years of experience with XTs and SRs. Love those motors. The latter because I'm not familiar with the bike and like the idea of a small, relatively light but capable ride. I'd rather not trailer but can if need be.

Budget? Don't have one. As often happens, by the time money is no longer a concern age and ability are. I moved away from dirt bikes in the 80's when saddle heights went to 34+ inches. Now some of the more recent stuff (ie: TW200) looks doable and I appreciate hearing what you guys think.

Thanks again, I'll keep you posted.

roy
 
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