Cycledude
Well-Known Member
Nice tractor ! Don’t forget to mow the lawn.
Madhatter wants a dirt bike….
- Thread starter Madhatter
- Start date
Woo-Hoo….thought I was. My yard looked just like that until last Sunday. It just don't seem right mowing THICK grass in the middle of January.
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
I sold a property that I used the tractor to maintain , have a buyer for it , and have a few small details to attend too before I let him have it. did an oil change , and drained off some old fuel as I have not run tractor in awhile , hence the buckets . 841 ford with the big 172 ci motor . it turns a 6' brush hog with no issues . though it will pull a wheelie as the hog is a little heavy with no front weights to counter it . and I have mowed the back yard with it , makes the neighbors stare.
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
rain again today....
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
here comes the weekend , what to do.... neighbor sold his 701 to buy a wee-storm ..... I guess Saturday we will have to ride some where to check out his new to him ride (very low milage on the Strom) . he wants to ride dirt bikes Sunday , good idea , it will be in the 70's . my issue is that I have bought myself a new kayak and have not tried it out . either way I will post some photos this weekend .
Tenman
Well-Known Member
I'm mowing in Ms too on some hard as clay. We had record rainfall in January.Woo-Hoo….thought I was. My yard looked just like that until last Sunday. It just don't seem right mowing THICK grass in the middle of January.
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
I feel you.... seems like a very early spring happening here , but , there will be more cold weather and the chance of more frost to burn the sprouts. normal Texas weather .
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
A nice weekend , used 2 out of 3 toys. First time out on the kayak. Water is cold the air temp was in the 70s. Got over 350 miles on the new super ten. Dirt bikes this coming weekend. 49ers and chiefs tied at the moment.
Attachments
SilverBullet
Well-Known Member
Where did you launch your kayak? Looks like Bastrop to me.
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
on Saturday I rode the Tenere to Bastrop to check out the park , that is photos 2 3 4 and 5. photo 1 is a park in travis county as are photos 6 7 and 8 . good eye silverbullet on recognizing it as Bastrop, photo 2 is from inside Southside market while enjoying some tasty brisket. on Sunday I decided to do the park in travis as it has no current and only a few people at any one time . just tried to practice some paddle techniques and basic boat stuff in a quiet place. after 3 hours of paddle practice I went home..... next time I will take the boat to Bastrop .
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
winter will be back in central Texas Wednesday with some freezing water of various kinds forecast but will not last.
Stantdm
Active Member
I am an avid two stroke fan. Over the years I have had quite a few and the all time favorite would be the KTM XC300 in any of the versions. Superb motor. I also like the last few years models of the Yamaha yz250. In stock form it works well and was very reliable.
I think a four stroke would be more expensive to maintain and repair but they work well and if you are not racing it then it is probably a mute point.
I think a four stroke would be more expensive to maintain and repair but they work well and if you are not racing it then it is probably a mute point.
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ballisticexchris
Guest
I have had both over the years. My KTM 300EXC was the biggest money pit ever. My watercraft, current Beta, Honda XR 650R, and XR 600R combined, cost less to maintain than the KTM.
Don't get me wrong. If you like to wrench and spend money then the KTM's are fantastic race machines. I will tell you that after every race there is a minimum of a full day of tearing down, repairing, and replacing parts just to keep it in shape. If you are a track or mellow trail rider then they are not too bad. When racing extreme events, they are a throw away machine or break out the wallet.
Power-valve gear pin needs to be replaced and welded
Upper shock clevis failure
Upper shock bolt needs to be safety wired
Pipe flange breaks in a simple fall (requires new cylinder to repair)
PDS suspension is horrible for desert racing. Big money to re-spring and revalve
Various frame tabs break off and need to be welded back on
Footpeg mounts break off frame
Subframe weak and bends with tipovers
Air filter cage needs holdown bracket replaced at least once every few seasons
Front and rear brake master cylinders need a rebuild every season (Magura brakes are the worst brakes ever to be put on a dirt bike)
Steering head bearings suck. The whole assembly drops out when nut is removed
Radiators are very small. Overheat issues in slow speed rock crawling
Water pump impeller failure more than once. Cheap plastic
Top ends are only good for about 50-75 hours before compression gets below 120PSI
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
ballistic , you are describing the cost of going 'lite' . my honda is 50 lbs heavier than a K T M 'anything' and I've dropped it plenty and so far only damage has been to me. I don't know if I would ever buy another dirt bike at this place in my life , the honda will do , but a 2 stroke for sure , and a beta would be my choice . been looking at them ,seem to be a bit sturdier than a K T M , but they are 25 lbs heavier . an egg shell is super strong and super lite but very fragile ..... kinda like that......
eemsreno
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
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I didn't want anything to do with KTM before 2017.
My boy has owned and raced them since 2010.
In 2017 they really came around and my two 17 KTMs are just fantastic bikes , have been totally reliable.
For one thing, before 2017 I did not like their suspension at all. That is one thing they just leaped ahead of in 2017.
My XC-W has the PDS rear shock and they have that spot on now and it has been trouble free. I even turn the clickers all the way in and can motocross it when I have to, although that is not what it's made for. But I do it a lot because one of our big riding areas that has 4 tracks and 400 acres of trails is free to ride but you must have a registered bike and my motocross bike is not.
Chris I would agree with your KTM assessment on them before 2017 but they are a whole new machine now days. And truly are "Ready To Race"
My boy has owned and raced them since 2010.
In 2017 they really came around and my two 17 KTMs are just fantastic bikes , have been totally reliable.
For one thing, before 2017 I did not like their suspension at all. That is one thing they just leaped ahead of in 2017.
My XC-W has the PDS rear shock and they have that spot on now and it has been trouble free. I even turn the clickers all the way in and can motocross it when I have to, although that is not what it's made for. But I do it a lot because one of our big riding areas that has 4 tracks and 400 acres of trails is free to ride but you must have a registered bike and my motocross bike is not.
Chris I would agree with your KTM assessment on them before 2017 but they are a whole new machine now days. And truly are "Ready To Race"
Stantdm
Active Member
"If you like to wrench and spend money then the KTM's are fantastic race machines. I will tell you that after every race there is a minimum of a full day of tearing down, repairing, and replacing parts just to keep it in shape. If you are a track or mellow trail rider then they are not too bad. When racing extreme events, they are a throw away machine or break out the wallet."
My son raced a 2014 xc300 in amatuer level motocross. About thirty or forty hours a year of race and practice time. In those four years we changed spark plugs, cleaned the air filter, and replaced the chain and sprockets as needed. Routine maintenance and a couple of times the forks were serviced and bearings greased. The top end got rings each year. The only thing that broke was the exhaust pipe and that was fixed with a FMF pipe. Nothing else was an issue. We did wear out a few tires. We must have got a good one.
My son raced a 2014 xc300 in amatuer level motocross. About thirty or forty hours a year of race and practice time. In those four years we changed spark plugs, cleaned the air filter, and replaced the chain and sprockets as needed. Routine maintenance and a couple of times the forks were serviced and bearings greased. The top end got rings each year. The only thing that broke was the exhaust pipe and that was fixed with a FMF pipe. Nothing else was an issue. We did wear out a few tires. We must have got a good one.
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ballisticexchris
Guest
The new 2020 KTM 300 is really an attractive looking bike. I have already pretty much decided I'm done with the KTM brand. The TM 300EN is by far the best 2 stroke 300 I have ever ridden. I have a local dealer who sells and races the TM. It's about the same cost as a KTM and way better in quality and reliability.
Motocross is a world apart from desert racing. Bikes get nowhere close to the wear and tear on a groomed track compared to nasty rocks, miles of whoops, sand washes, hill climbs, etc.
Madhatter
Well-Known Member
I don’t no everything, what’s a tm300en?
Stantdm
Active Member
No argument from me on that point but the things that you list as failing on your KTM would fail on a motocross track as well except for hitting big rocks and bushes. Stuff like casing a triple, rubbing with other bikes, and so forth. The picture you paint of your KTM uses a pretty broad brush. The main difference between what you do and what we did is probably the amount of time one race took. Mx races are, as you know, short and that could account for some of the damages you incur but we don't.
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ballisticexchris
Guest
It's an Italian brand that is handmade. It's an amazing machine. More bike than most guys will ever need. I'm excited to swing a leg over the new 2020 TM 300EN. The one I rode a few years back was a beast. It could run down a CRF450 in a sand wash. It was almost too much bike. The new 300EN is still very powerful but the power is more manageable. I'm pretty sure the new 2020 models have an electronically controlled power valve. The older version power valves were cable operated.
My buddy is a dealer and supports the machines. He used to be a Beta dealer. He is now a TM dealer and sponsors some really good racers.
https://getdirtydirtbikes.com/
It's all about experiences in a different setting. My races and trail rides took me 50+ miles from the truck. Longer races and extreme intervals of overheating, clutch abuse, etc put a lot more wear and tear on a motor.
Please don't misunderstand me. KTM's are a fantastic racing machine when properly setup. Mine never once left me stranded. It was just an extremely high maintenance money pit was all. It was not a bike you could ride and put away for the next ride.