Maggot motorcycle stoke thread

[Bobcat Sig]

Nailed it, MotoZ Adventure. Not much time on them obviously, but they are really wander-y at low speeds in town, 25-30. Thinking maybe I have to much pressure in them, need to experiment.
Couldn't find enough snow free dirt here to see how good they are off road

The pressure will only change the behavior of that tire so much. It's a gnarly stiff sidewall and carcass, at the expense of road manners. My RallZ on my KTM 790 Adventure R wanders and gives me some headshake at about 80 mph on the road. So that's fun...

It will wear a long time, though, so there's that.

[Meadow Skipper]

New shocks, new fork springs, new turn signals/tail light, new seat. Tomorrow’s supposed to be warm and clear - skiing’s marginal, guess I’ll go for a ride.

[Gepeto]

^^^
had the 71' euro T150 triple for 20+k...miles - still have the title.

make sure the front and rear tire are square to one another and you'll be nimbly riding a rail.

enjoy

[Meadow Skipper]

make sure the front and rear tire are square to one another...

Good reminder. Today’s test ride made me really happy with the new changes.

[altacoup]

Looking at buying a dual sport bike. Have it down to a few options. Bike will be a commuter, up/down LCC from canyon mouth, and want to ride some mellow single track and explore some Utah backroads. Won’t ever ride it on freeway and not looking to get especially rad off-road. Kawasaki klx 230, 250 and 300 are options or Honda crf 250l. Recommendations?


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[jmedslc]

Looking at buying a dual sport bike. Have it down to a few options. Bike will be a commuter, up/down LCC from canyon mouth, and want to ride some mellow single track and explore some Utah backroads. Won’t ever ride it on freeway and not looking to get especially rad off-road. Kawasaki klx 230, 250 and 300 are options or Honda crf 250l. Recommendations?


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As a buddy says, You can always use more power. I would go bigger. I have an klx 450 and it’s a great bike. The newer ktm 350 might been good but I’d go for the 500.

Edit to add the bigger bikes are heavier and handle better on the pavement. And heavier is not always a good thing, ie when you fall off it!

[altacoup]

KTM is way more money. I’m definitely not looking at anything bigger than the klx 300. Not trying to go to fast just have some fun. Light seems like it’ll be helpful for single track.


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[LHutz Esq]

This has my attention- Honda crfl300 rally https://motorcycle.honda.ca/model/di...00l_rally/2021

[Foggy_Goggles]

Underpowered bikes are no fun in traffic. Heavy bikes are no fun on singletrack. What is your budget? There is kind of a distinction between plated trail bikes and true dual sports. I'd throw a WR250R and a DRZ400 on the list. The transmission and gearing is going to have a lot to do with how those smaller displacement bikes feel at 50mph.

[Supermoon]

You’ll have plenty of fun rallying anything up and down LCC. If you can’t get scared on a 250 going up that then you’re a better rider than most of us.

I’d probably be looking at played dirt bikes for what it sounds like you want. Just be ready to shell out for a true street bike once you start riding. Like most things, this is an n+1 hobby

[altacoup]

$6k tops. Want dual sport as family is in Oregon and I believe plated dirt bikes are not legal there. Prefer to buy new through a dealer and make payments. The wr250r is a little more than I want to spend. I won’t be using this in traffic so I have no worries about underpowered bike in traffic. Reviews I read seem like all bikes can handle single track. Like I said I’m not looking to get rad. Just get around. Honestly this and my mtb would be going in my truck on every camping trip with me. The Kawasakis have better suspension, so I’m leaning that way. But the Honda reputation of reliability is always a draw (the new 300 is also on the list).


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[Name Redacted]

$6k tops. Want dual sport as family is in Oregon and I believe plated dirt bikes are not legal there. Prefer to buy new through a dealer and make payments. The wr250r is a little more than I want to spend. I won’t be using this in traffic so I have no worries about underpowered bike in traffic. Reviews I read seem like all bikes can handle single track. Like I said I’m not looking to get rad. Just get around. Honestly this and my mtb would be going in my truck on every camping trip with me. The Kawasakis have better suspension, so I’m leaning that way. But the Honda reputation of reliability is always a draw (the new 300 is also on the list).


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I have a 2008 WR250X and recommend it highly.

Don’t buy new, that’s a waste. Bought mine for $2500 w/ 4K on it and it runs really well. Save money and spend it on upgrades. A new WR is almost exactly the same as a 2008. Of course they did stop making them this year.

DRZ400 fits the bill too. The Honda is getting good reviews too and is surprisingly cheap. Not sure I trust a first year bike and it’ll be tougher to find mods. No opinion on the Kawasaki but I don’t see many around on the stuff I ride.

The low maintenance and durability of the WR is also something to consider. It blows away most other bikes in these categories. It is also one of the lighter bikes in the category for dirt biking. This makes a big difference in maneuverability.

This was my first bike last year. I said I wasn’t going to get rad, slow progression, take it easy and work my way up. By the end of the season I had ridden most of the harder trails in my area and tons of great dirt bike trails in Moab, like slickrock. Now I’m all about dirt riding and couldn’t care less about road riding. Of course the obligatory and accurate “YMMV” applies here.

[altacoup]

I have a 2008 WR250X and recommend it highly.

Don’t buy new, that’s a waste. Bought mine for $2500 w/ 4K on it and it runs really well. Save money and spend it on upgrades. A new WR is almost exactly the same as a 2008. Of course they did stop making them this year.

DRZ400 fits the bill too. The Honda is getting good reviews too and is surprisingly cheap. Not sure I trust a first year bike and it’ll be tougher to find mods. No opinion on the Kawasaki but I don’t see many around on the stuff I ride.

The low maintenance and durability of the WR is also something to consider. It blows away most other bikes in these categories. It is also one of the lighter bikes in the category for dirt biking. This makes a big difference in maneuverability.

This was my first bike last year. I said I wasn’t going to get rad, slow progression, take it easy and work my way up. By the end of the season I had ridden most of the harder trails in my area and tons of great dirt bike trails in Moab, like slickrock. Now I’m all about dirt riding and couldn’t care less about road riding. Of course the obligatory and accurate “YMMV” applies here.

Around the salt lake valley buying used only saves you maybe $1k from what I’ve seen. Did you find yours on KSL? Knowing where it’s been and how it’s been used seems worth $1k. For $2.5k the bikes available here are from the 90s. I definitely want fuel injection as I’m going to use it at a bunch of different elevations, so that throws out a lot of old bikes.

[Kailua_Boys]

Drz400 would be my choice.

I have a klx250s and had a Drz400. Drz400 was modded and felt much more powerful than my klx. Both are fine choices for what you're going to use it for.

I'll never own another KTM. Cool bikes when they work. But the maintenance sucks and mine broke constantly. It's like owning a European luxury car. Be prepared to pay to ride one.

I beat the hell out of my Drz400 as a daily for 3 years and it never gave me any problems.

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[anotherVTskibum]

If you buy new and have payments, you'll need to carry full-coverage insurance, right?

I don't know about Utah, but when I looked at that in Vermont years ago, it was damned silly for a bike I was intending to ride in the woods. YMMV, of course.

[ColMan]

Also in the market for a 250 or 300cc dual-sport. I’ve been following the used market closely for the past 4 months and the COVID pricing is getting insane. Have only found one well priced WR250R but I was too late after it was up for only a few hours. On the list for a CRF300L, but 5th in line at the dealer which likely means 2022 based on the small allocations. I am curious to see what Yamaha replaces the WR250R with next year. WR300R or WR350R would be badass.


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[Name Redacted]

Yeah, just like a lot of things, Covid has made the market for bikes a lot tougher than it used to be. Good luck.

[mtnbiker/boarder]

@ Altacoup .......Reading through,, sounds like the DRZ 400 might be your best bet for what your looking for. I owned 2 before going to KTM in 07. They are bullet proof. Great bike for the buck. I would change a few things to be more off road friendly. Bars wider foot pegs jet kit and pipe, then ride it like you stole it.
Did ride a friends WR 250 R a week or so ago and enjoyed throwing it around in the whoops and sand. Fun bike but a wee bit under powered for me and he changed the rear sprocket to 46. Was happy to be back on my 450exc . Best of luck with your choice and hope u enjoy the adventures it will bring you.

[mr walker]

A few thoughts:

Fuel injection is nice, and has always been a major consideration for me, and probably should be for anyone doing major elevation changes. This isn’t 1992 anymore; FI is reliable, arguably more so than some janky, poorly maintained carbed setup.

Now with that said, it’s hard to make a case against a DRZ400. As noted, they’re bomb proof. But no 6th gear. It may not seem like a big deal, but if you’re crushing asphalt then the higher RPMs will get old. Just think if Suzuki gave them FI and and a 6th gear...

I owned a CRF250L. I absolutely loved it for what it was, but that was at sea level. I’m not someone that’s quick to play the “you need more power” argument, but at altitude it could be down on power enough to be an issue. I haven’t looked into the new CRF300Ls, but I suspect it’s basically the 289cc upgrade (just like the CBR250 to CBR300 move Honda made). Assuming that’s the case, you can expect absolute reliability as they’re both proven platforms. Most dudes were getting to 60k (miles not km) with oil changes at 5k intervals, air filters as needed per riding conditions, and were due for their first big maintenance item...a spark plug lol. They’re as reliable as anything on the market. If the 450L would’ve been made as an extension of the 250L philosophy rather than an enduro racer, Honda would’ve ruled the world. I digress.

The WR250X/R bikes are great, but I say that having never ridden one. Reliable, reasonably light, more power than the CRF250L. You may “outgrow” it and want more power, but that’s on you.

I have a 500exc now. It’s been very reliable for me. Lots of anecdotal horror stories, but there’s just as many long term fairytales. There’s a few things you can do to bulletproof them (fuel pump), but they’re good to go. Plates from the factory, as much power as you’ll ever need, FI, 6th gear, and they’ll go for a long time before a rebuild. The down side is more frequent oil changes (10-15hrs). That sucks coming from bikes with longer intervals, but it’s the price of admission. You can score a 500 for a deal occasionally, but the biggest issue with them is you can end up with a total basket case if it’s been treated poorly. That’s the beauty in the DRZ/CRFwhateverL/WR250 game...it’s hard to fuck one up, and you’re pretty safe buying one that’s seen some miles too.

I do see KTM 690s come on the market fairly frequently for less than 6k. I owned a 690 SMC (I’m a supermoto guy) for a while that had “everything” done to it. It’s on my short list of things I’ve owned that I was afraid of. You only live once, might as well make your death spectacular.

[altacoup]

Going to the dealer on my days off to try the klx 230, 300 and crf300l. Understand that I’ll probably never ride over 55mph. There’s absolutely zero chance it will ever touch the freeway in Utah, drivers here suck. If the Honda had the suspension of the klx300 I’d buy it for sure. Anyway to upgrade the suspension, without spending much, on that bike if I find it too soft? Dealer carries all three. If I can get the klx300 for the price of the Honda that might be the deal. Know someone, experienced rider, with a klx 230 and they love it, although I’m sure the consensus here is it’s too little bike. Main draw of the 300s is I’m sure there’ll be larger aftermarket gas tanks out soon for desert exploration. I’m really looking to keep it pretty mellow on the trails and mainly want to stick to mellow single track. I take enough risks on skis, not looking to kill myself on a bike. Plus the commute up lcc on a bike sounds really nice for the summer

[Foggy_Goggles]

The reality is all the bikes you mentioned are pretty awesome. Too me, it is all about what is the best fit for you and the intended use. It sound like you are doing pretty good at figuring that out. Personally, I lean more towards the commuter/FS Rds. & double track/ADV/exploration/rafting and paragliding shuttle side of things. The only paved roads in my county are 55mph or 65mph. I don't ride on them much but I do 5 or so miles here and there.

I ride a DRZ. Even geared down and without 6th, it is fairly well mannered on slab. I'd love a small trail bike but that wouldn't be plated and I already have more toys that time.

[Kailua_Boys]

KLX is a solid choice. So is the DRZ. Haven't ever owned a Honda. The Xr650 has always been a bike I've wanted to own.

There's a YouTube video where a guy does a speed run on the klx300. It'll get up to speed and move 70 mph if you want it to.

All things considered, the klx300 price is really hard to beat. You could buy two of them and still be under the price of KTM.



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[LHutz Esq]

I ride a DRZ. Even geared down and without 6th, it is fairly well mannered on slab. I'd love a small trail bike but that wouldn't be plated and I already have more toys that time.

I tried the DRZ 400- from my xr250 - and the only thing I didn't like was the search for 6th gear!

It had a bit of suspension work - but I have no idea why they wouldn't toss in the OD for the little hwy jaunts.

[GSinister]

Damn, it happened again! Another one followed me home. Maybe this one will be my forever bike. It doesn't look like one, but who knows?

[mr walker]

“Forever bike”. That’s what I keep telling myself each time lol.

Re CRF300L suspension: it’s as basic as basic gets, but it does the job. You CAN upgrade it, and the reviews are pretty favorable, but it quickly gets expensive (as someone said earlier, this is an n+1 hobby). My advice for owning a bike in this category is to love it for what it is...a drama free, stress free, and fun filled ownership. If you start throwing too much money at an entry level bike, it cuts down on all three of those advantages. Don’t fall into that trap.

My KTMs have proven reliable and fun, but I can’t say I’m riding or racing them without worry. If I had the money and space for a 300L, I would buy one. Just get on and rip. Edit to add - 300cc even in a KLX/CRFL will be more than enough power if you’re really not going to be spending time at speed on asphalt. And I’m really not trying to up sell you on more power, but I know my 250L probably would’ve struggled a little at altitude going up a pass or something. Just want you to have realistic expectations, which is sounds like you do.

Either way, please report back if you get a chance to demo a new KLX and CRFL. I’d love to hear your honest feedback for both of them.