Thinking about a second bike

[Don T]

That KTM 350 looks awesome. I really want a street legal bike though so that I don't have to trailer it to the nearby trails.

350 Freeride is street legal here in Europe - it would surprise me if it isn't in the US..?

A couple of years ago I had the chance to take one for a long test ride in some serious terrain - I've never tried any other off road/enduro bike that made me look so good It was almost like riding a MTB.

 

[jmz]

If you want a second bike for playing in the dirt and gain some off road experience, do yourself a favor and choose a light model - Forget about the KLR (you already have a touring bike). A DR 650 or 400 will be much better, but if you can afford it, go even lighter.
A 250-450 pure enduro bike will make life so much easier for you. If you get a KTM 350 Freeride it will almost be like cheating - that bike will make you feel like a pro in no time.

That KTM 350 looks awesome. I really want a street legal bike though so that I don't have to trailer it to the nearby trails.

https://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?threads/madhatter-wants-a-dirt-bike….25061/

 

[jmz]

I will only add two things about a second bike for Texas riders that want a small dirt bike to go along with a big bike. After tons of posts from experienced riders trying to help out with " what bike should I get " here and on other forums , the OP doesn't ever seam to take the advice .

1... In TEXAS , you WILL want your small bike to be street legal sooner or later .

2... You might as well get a fuel injected bike , WR is good if you don`t want something lighter

3... I am a little biased towards my KTM 500 XCW LOL

 

[Madhatter]

nothing wrong with being biased toward what you like.

 

[Madhatter]

ktm 350 an awesome bike indeed.

 

[Mak10]

If it puts an ear to ear grin on your face, nothing wrong with being proud. That’s what it’s all about. When your bike doesn’t do that anymore, get one that does. Be it trials, touring, mx, enduro, adventure, cruiser or even atv. Brand or style don’t matter. It’s that grin!

 

[twinrider]

That KTM 350 looks awesome. I really want a street legal bike though so that I don't have to trailer it to the nearby trails.

You're on the right track. The S10 is a nice all roads bike, not a trail bike for most of us...

I had a KTM 350 EXC-F. Fantastic lightweight bike with excellent suspension and a lot of power. and you can plate it. It has a lot more range than the Freeride, better suspension and more power. BUT... If you are new to offroading and simply looking for a lightweight DP to explore offroad and become a better dirt rider as opposed to riding gnarly single track, you might be better off buying a WR250R or something else that's low maintenance but still good for that kind of riding. I now have an XT250 for that kind of stuff, Works great once I redid the front/rear suspension via Cogent.

 

[greg the pole]

tons of actual dirt bikes that are road legal.
KTM/Husky EXC 250/350/500 All 4S
Beta 2S: 300 Xtrainer, 250/300RR, my personal choice.
Beta 4S: 350,290,430,480, 500

The big bikes, DRZ 250,400, 650, KLXs, KLRs, are all heavy and old school dinos, maybe save for the WR250.
Yes you can ride them on single track, but they are not meant for single track. If you want a barely legal dp bike, pick one of the above, and be prepared to be blown away.

 

[greg the pole]

You're on the right track. The S10 is a nice all roads bike, not a trail bike for most of us...

I had a KTM 350 EXC-F. Fantastic lightweight bike with excellent suspension and a lot of power. and you can plate it. It has a lot more range than the Freeride, better suspension and more power. BUT... If you are new to offroading and simply looking for a lightweight DP to explore offroad and become a better dirt rider as opposed to riding gnarly single track, you might be better off buying a WR250R or something else that's low maintenance but still good for that kind of riding. I now have an XT250 for that kind of stuff, Works great once I redid the front/rear suspension via Cogent.

I dunno...a guy we ride with has a 2013 EXC 500. Rides it to work, rides it on gnarly single track. Uses it as intended. It has 300 plus hours.
He recently checked the valves for the 1st time. Zero adjustment needed. True it's a big single, and he rarely revs it, but it needed no work, besides oil and filters. This may not be the case for the smaller 250, 350cc 4S.
Ditto as per above. Beta makes the 2S xtrainer and 250/300cc twins as dp bikes.
Both are stupid low maintenance (in dirt bike terms).
My 300xc get new oil every 15hrs (say 4-5 rides). And a filter as it needs it. After a 120 hrs on a top end, compression has not moved a single point.
And these are not gentle rides. These bikes get used, dumped, fliped (not on purpose, but it happens), and come away without a single issue.

Also a 2nd thing to consider, is some of the new EFI bikes are a bit touchy on the throttle. Easy fix, throttle tamer with adjustable tubes (-30% softer, oem cam, 30% more agressive)

 

[twinrider]

I dunno...a guy we ride with has a 2013 EXC 500. Rides it to work, rides it on gnarly single track. Uses it as intended. It has 300 plus hours.
He recently checked the valves for the 1st time. Zero adjustment needed. True it's a big single, and he rarely revs it, but it needed no work, besides oil and filters. This may not be the case for the smaller 250, 350cc 4S.
Ditto as per above. Beta makes the 2S xtrainer and 250/300cc twins as dp bikes.
Both are stupid low maintenance (in dirt bike terms).
My 300xc get new oil every 15hrs (say 4-5 rides). And a filter as it needs it. After a 120 hrs on a top end, compression has not moved a single point.
And these are not gentle rides. These bikes get used, dumped, fliped (not on purpose, but it happens), and come away without a single issue.

Also a 2nd thing to consider, is some of the new EFI bikes are a bit touchy on the throttle. Easy fix, throttle tamer with adjustable tubes (-30% softer, oem cam, 30% more agressive)

I've had both so I know what you mean. If someone wants to get into hardcore offroading and likes to wrench their own bikes, and they don't mind spending close to $10K on a dirt bike they should definitely grab and KTM or Beta.

But if they're the type who just wants to hop on the bike and explore off the beaten path, which may at times involve some highway slabbing to reach, aren't really into wrenching and don't want to spend Euro DP cash, they can have a lot of fun on a Japanese 250 DP.

 

[Butterthebean]

I've had both so I know what you mean. If someone wants to get into hardcore offroading and likes to wrench their own bikes, and they don't mind spending close to $10K on a dirt bike they should definitely grab and KTM or Beta.

But if they're the type who just wants to hop on the bike and explore off the beaten path, which may at times involve some highway slabbing to reach, aren't really into wrenching and don't want to spend Euro DP cash, they can have a lot of fun on a Japanese 250 DP.

I’m looking at a KTM530 that the owner got plated as street legal but.... I think I’m the latter in your post. Some days I don’t mind wrenching but other days ... not so much. What is it about the KTMs that make them require more maintenance than the Japanese bikes? What sort of maintenance are we talking about? More frequent oil changes?

 

[twinrider]

I’m looking at a KTM530 that the owner got plated as street legal but.... I think I’m the latter in your post. Some days I don’t mind wrenching but other days ... not so much. What is it about the KTMs that make them require more maintenance than the Japanese bikes? What sort of maintenance are we talking about? More frequent oil changes?

They have high powered, lightweight enduro race engines whose maintenance is measured in hours rather than miles like an engine tuned for street use like a Japanese DP (one WR250R courier reportedly has 200,000 km on his). Since you wouldn't be racing you can safely double the maintenance intervals that KTM recommends. Jump to page 32 for the service schedule.

https://www.ktmshop.se/documents/8403I4_OM_EN.pdf

I used my 350 for recreational riding, some tough trails but pretty much low speed stuff. I did oil changes every 20 hours, checked the valve clearances every 100 and I was getting close to having to the check the valve clearances again and change the piston when I sold it at 6000 km/4,000 miles. It was a really fun bike, if you decide to get a KTM you might want to see if you can swing an FI model at your budget.

 

[greg the pole]

They have high powered, lightweight enduro race engines whose maintenance is measured in hours rather than miles like an engine tuned for street use like a Japanese DP (one WR250R courier reportedly has 200,000 km on his). Since you wouldn't be racing you can safely double the maintenance intervals that KTM recommends. Jump to page 32 for the service schedule.

https://www.ktmshop.se/documents/8403I4_OM_EN.pdf

I used my 350 for recreational riding, some tough trails but pretty much low speed stuff. I did oil changes every 20 hours, checked the valve clearances every 100 and I was getting close to having to the check the valve clearances again and change the piston when I sold it at 6000 km/4,000 miles. It was a really fun bike, if you decide to get a KTM you might want to see if you can swing an FI model at your budget.

what Twin rider said! The jap stuff is reliable as the day is long, and is turned down to four. KTM and Beta are turned up to 10, hence the short intervals

 

[greg the pole]

I’m looking at a KTM530 that the owner got plated as street legal but.... I think I’m the latter in your post. Some days I don’t mind wrenching but other days ... not so much. What is it about the KTMs that make them require more maintenance than the Japanese bikes? What sort of maintenance are we talking about? More frequent oil changes?

Pre 2010 KTMs have a different geometry than post 2010 KTMs. They handle like tanks.
If you're going four stroke, stay away from carbed mondels. I belive 2012 and on were all EFI models, and DP plated EXCs were all standardized sizes of 250,350,450, and 500. I started dirt riding on a 2008 KTM 450 EXC. Way too big for a bush bike, and rarely rode it on road. I had all sorts of troubles to get it to run right.

 

[jmz]

I’m looking at a KTM530 that the owner got plated as street legal but.... I think I’m the latter in your post. Some days I don’t mind wrenching but other days ... not so much. What is it about the KTMs that make them require more maintenance than the Japanese bikes? What sort of maintenance are we talking about? More frequent oil changes?

Ready to Race . That's why they have shorter maintenance intervals.

I was also looking at 530's but spent a couple 1000 more for a 500. I'm glad I did.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Butterthebean]

So to update, I’ve got 3 bikes in my sight which I wouldn’t mind some further feedback on.

I should start by saying that I test rode a few smaller bikes and they didn’t do well under my size and weight. Even the DRZ400 acted like it wanted to raise the white flag under me.

Also I should say that I originally wanted a dual sport so it would be street legal, but I’ve realized how easy it is to get a dirt bike plated here in Texas, so that has opened up my search.

So the first bike I found that I really like is a 2015 KTM 450 SXF. I know this bike is a rocket ship, it’s also a very good deal. I found very few KTMs in my area that were also in my price range. This bike probably has more power than I’ll ever need and the higher maintenance turns me off. It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s just that I have enough projects.

The second bike is a 2005 WR450F that’s already plated. To me, this bike seems like slightly less performance but also less maintenance than the KTM, correct me if that’s not right. My biggest hang up with this bike is that it’s 4 hours away. I don’t mind the drive but I hate to get there only to see that the bike ain’t what it appears to be in the listing.

The last bike is an XR650L. It’s very low mileage and looks to be like new. From what I gather, it’s the slowest and heaviest of the 3 bikes. But compared to the S10 it’s a featherweight. And the maintenance on this bike is the lowest by far. That’s a HUGE plus. It may not have speed but it may have more my speed than my 50 year old body will ever need off road.

So... taking into account my less than novice dirt bike skills and propensity not to heal from broken bones like I used to.... any thoughts?

 

[jmz]

You are my age. You make it sound like you are very heavy. I`m 250 lbs and don`t feel too heavy for my 500 . It has been re sprung but just up one level. I would NOT at advise you to buy the 450 SX from what you have said on here. If you get close to Gonzales you can try my 500 . The 650 XRL is a good bike . Also , don`t count out an XR650R , lighter than the L and tons of low end power . Don`t let the kickstart only scare you away . They'll start extremely easy when tuned right .

 

[Butterthebean]

You are my age. You make it sound like you are very heavy. I`m 250 lbs and don`t feel too heavy for my 500 . It has been re sprung but just up one level. I would NOT at advise you to buy the 450 SX from what you have said on here. If you get close to Gonzales you can try my 500 . The 650 XRL is a good bike . Also , don`t count out an XR650R , lighter than the L and tons of low end power . Don`t let the kickstart only scare you away . They'll start extremely easy when tuned right .

Yeah I’m about 6’2”, 330.

 

[jmz]

Buy either an XRL or XRR , start riding off road and drop some weight ( easier said than done) . Dirt bike riding is the only motivation I have for trying to stay in shape. I`m 6.0 and was up to 277

 

[jmz]

I forgot one, DR650