advice for a newbie off roader???

[Fletch]

hey guys,

I'm looking to invest in an off roader in the next few months. never done off roading before but all i keep hearing is about how much it improves your riding etc... how much fun it is and the fact you can go out in any weather and enjoy yourself.

so, seeing as i know absolutely nothing about off roading or off road bikes i need to start with the basics, namely what bike i need, what kit, etc...

any advice greatly appriciated :D

[NiteW4tcher]

cue JD

[BB]

Quite a few on here have off road bikes and use them in different ways from gentle green laneing to tearing up & down hillsides. Would also depend on your height/inside leg/budget.

Plenty of advise on here, just listen to it all then make your own decisions on what you want to do/spend etc. ;)

BB

[Cemorah]

175-250cc is probably a good starting point. Weight is an important factor as you will be picking it up regularly particularly when its wet. light weight gloves, boots with a tread, a helmet you can breathe heavily in. Spare plug, chain link, inner tube & some tools
NB totally different technique than road riding - bike leans you stay more upright!!

Don't ride on you own to start with

enjoy

[alanTDM]

I always carry a spare clutch lever and gear lever as there is a chance if you come off they might break then your stuck and you probably be in the middle of nowhere when it happens ive had to mend 2 punctures on the Salisbury plains no fun in the rain or wind.
Oh and you will need maps OS Landranger are the best.
My first trail bike was a KMX200 2stroke good bike but sold that and got a 4 stroke lot better especially with the use of the engine braking and your slip sliding away down a muddy steep slope or hill.

I never go out on my own least one other, if you come off and bust arm or leg and the chances are you wont get a mobile signal you could be there for hours otherwise,and believe me dont count on Ramblers to help you either..

Trevisio,North Spain took 3 hrs to get down 2000ft used about carb of petrol but i lost about 2ltrs of sweat
going down

[Ryan]

250 Would be a good bike to start on, Yammy WR's are good!

If you have not done any before buy yourself something not to expensive as you will fall off and break it lol.

Dont ride without appropriate safety gear (lived and learned), Boots, body armour, gloves, helmet etc,

Also don't spend lots of nice new shiny kit to ware as it will get muddy and ruined on your first time out haha

Deffo worth doing though can be real good fun we have some brilliant times through the winter! good luck!

[Scotty]

Ebay's probably a good place to pick up riding gear from, or raid the cheap section at GW. Buying a bike from Ebay's probably a bit risky, there's an awful lot of total crap on there. Try and find a copy of TBM (Trail Bike & Enduro Mag) in a newsagents, they have a classified ads section near the back that has lots of good stuff, though it would help to ask someone who knows dirt bikes before choosing one...

[Fletch]

wow theres a lot more to think about than i initially thought!

think ill keep my eyes peeled and start trawling ebay for kit and wait for the right bike to crop up. is a 2 stroke the way forward or jump straight on a 4?

and that hill is MASSIVE! dont think ill be attempting anything like that for a while but im sure ill enjoy chucking it around the plains

[Cemorah]

4 strokes are generally more docile whilst 2 strokes lighter and more powerful but less tractable. For a beginner a 4 stroke is easier

[Dabz]

I've recently started off roading myself...got a good deal on an old yamaha 250cc bike, and have bought kit from George whites bargain basement and eBay. Loving it so far, so completely different to road riding but loads of fun!

[RedSoul]

Things like the wr250f are great off-road bikes if you have a trailer and are confident doing your own servicing.

If you are green laning,dont have a trailer or a van i would personally go for a DRZ 400e or similar.

[Davey]

might want to check out the www.ktmforum.co.uk as often have bikes on there for sale and plenty of decent advice. There is wizard on there who sells kit cheap all the time

I've been wizzing about on a KTM 200 and 250 2 stroke - both awesome bikes - my 525 is too much off road for my skills but great up the hills when you can open it up 8-)

[470four]

Get a four-stroke of you can - less costs on oil, easier to ride & less problems with noise (still noisy - but less scowls than a YIIiiIIiIIIing ying two stroke ;) )

Take somebody with you that know what they are looking at - they tend to spend most of their life covered in mud & sh!te so excessive early wear is not unknown?

Main problem being somewhere to ride & getting it there & back?

[Scotty]

Stinkwheels (2-strokes) are light and manageable, and the more modern ones have a decent spread of power, not all top-endy like the days of old. The drawbacks are that they HAVE to run on good expensive 2 stroke oil, the consequences of skimping on that far outweigh the costs of the oil, and being a stroker they need rebuilding more often than a 4 stroke might.
The drawbacks can be a ferocious power to weight ratio - ask Basil what his Honda was like the first time he rode it!

A 4 stroke will be a bit heavier, but have a more docile power delivery, probably easier for a novice to manage. I have a WR250F which is great, but being a pukka Enduro bike (and waaaay better than I am) it requires very frequent oil changes. The WR250R model that Ade had (still has? I don't know) is less extreme and probably a better bet for a beginner, and has more normal service intervals too. I'd advise against getting anything bigger than a 250, they're more than enough for a newbie. A good all-rounder is the Honda XR250 - dead easy to ride, totally manageable, pretty reliable too. It all depends on how much you have to spend...

[Squashed_Fly]

Any bike with Basil on has a high power to weight ratio! ;D

[Ryan]

Get a 4stroke for your first bike i'd say

[Fletch]

seems 4 stroke 250 is the way forward then.
budget isnt really a problem but as im starting out and i suspect i will end up completely wrecking the first bike i dont really want to spend more than around £1500 for the bike itself. i think trawling ebay and the recommended sites people have suggested will be a good start to get me the essentials and if i end up getting really into it then i can always upgrade the bike and gear in due course afterwards.

cheers for the advice guys!

[jonnydangerous]

youll be ok on a good bike, id suggest spending about £2500 on a low mileage well looked after WR250f.
it wont need an engine rebuild (all performance 250's are will require a crank and a piston/barrel replate sooner or later).
dont buy an ex race bike.
go for one thats had some fat old bloke green laning on it, it wont be thrashed.
if theyre treated right they can last a long time (oil and filter change every 600 miles), mines now got about 8000 miles on it and is just coming up to the point where il strip the motor and freshen it up a bit.

dont spend £300 on a helmet, it will get trashed....

best advice above all else.....
stay legal (tax and ticket, insurance and mot) and smile and have fun :-)