revtothelimit - motorbike forum

When was it dirty?

Big congrats !! Glad all went well and hope you have many happy trails ahead of you !

If only Yamaha would import the xt250 serow.

That crf looks good though.

I’ve not done much greenlaning lately, swapping tyres isn’t good for my back so the only had the occasional ride in the summer when the trails are bone dry.

Riding mtbs got me motivated to take my test.



First bike was a KMX125, a great little all rounder used for commuting during the week and greenlaning at weekends, never had proper off-road tyres so had plenty of off’s.Back then there were areas up on the North Downs where you could play all day unhindered.Bought all the local OS maps and got out there discovering what Kent had to offer.



Next up was a Suzuki DRZ400s which I kept for ages, started doing Long distance trials and allday rides around Kent and Sussex with a few mates which was a regular thing. Swapped the DRZ for a Fazer and had a few years without a trailbike, there wasn’t anything on the market I’d buy new that could be used as a day to day bike.





Then Yamaha reintroduced the Tenere in 2008, this was the bike I’d been waiting for.
300 mile range, very comfy all day unlike the DRZ which had a killer seat, not quite as easy to use off-road as the Suzuki but not far behind. Too unwieldy for most of the sections on long distance trails but didn’t stop me entering a few.



I was just about to buy a second set of wheels when the electrics went tits up on the Tenere stopping me getting an mot.Should have that fixed soon though.

CRF250L or Rally is very popular here due to being fully road legal, low seat and perfectly happy at proper road speeds too.
Needs gearing mods to be good off road though.
Trackers with mousses, haul straps and a rear rack is about it for mods as it’ll do 60+mpg and 6000 miles service intervals.
Obvs dropping to a CRF250/450X gives a lot lighter bike BUT is also downsided with a 5 speed box and non-road ratios with a very high seat and don’t expect ot do huge mileage on the tank and servicing.

I have miles and miles of trails starting just 25 metres from my gates. The roads around here are ok, but those that are are exciting on a road bike are spread out a fair bit.

I've done little in the way of green lane riding in 45 years of having my licence, but you are never too old to start. Saw lots of reviews on the Himalayan that matched what I wanted a bike for, that is to ride on unpaved roads and a piece of piss to maintain. The weather here means that riding boggy and deeply rutted muddy trails are far and few between, so the Enfield is good for the tracks available for me to ride.

I did anticipate that if i liked trail riding, I would no doubt buy something more off road focused and with more power. Now with almost 10,000 kms on the Enfields clock, and with nothing other than a few oil changes and a couple of tappet checks, I can't see changing it would change anything for me. The trails are still the same, and as I ride on my own a lot, there is always the thought in my mind that if I have a big off somewhere, I might not be found for a long time. Going faster/harder would probably lead to just that. So I'll plod on with the Enfield.

I can recommend Nathanthepostman on YouTube who has a few "novice" green lane bikes that he rents out so potential buyers can compare them against each other back to back. His videos show him riding them as he compares them against each other (KTM 310, BMW GS310, HONDA CRF 250 and a Himalayan). As I see it, it just proves that there is not one bike to suit all, but they are all interesting to watch.

When I was in the loft looking for the Crimbo decs I found this photo...



That bike was aces, my dad had a DRZ400E at the time and the KDX would run rings around it, The only time the DRZ won out was not having to pre-mix fuel.

An excellent post Whysub As you rightly point out, everyone’s needs/wants are different...it’s just a case of finding what works for you. I tried out a Himalayan (ironically, in the Himalayas !) and thought it would be a great bike for a long distance RTW type adventure !? The reliability and ease of maintenance are both big pluses compared to lots of other bikes !

I'm often on trails.....not that I go looking for them as such.

It's necessary because if I have a specific remote endpoint to reach, more often than not I'll need to go offroad.

And there's no green lanes where I am in Spain.....it's more like scorched earth.

I'm out at least once a week. Sometimes on them sort of trails, but usually it's serious enduro stuff.

Yorick wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 1:42 pm I'm out at least once a week. Sometimes on them sort of trails, but usually it's serious enduro stuff.

What you riding for that Yorick?

XTreme wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 5:34 pm

Yorick wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 1:42 pm I'm out at least once a week. Sometimes on them sort of trails, but usually it's serious enduro stuff.

What you riding for that Yorick?

Yorick wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:15 pm

XTreme wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 5:34 pm

Yorick wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 1:42 pm I'm out at least once a week. Sometimes on them sort of trails, but usually it's serious enduro stuff.

What you riding for that Yorick?

20201220_104702.jpg

Nice bit of kit!

Where are you now....Tenerife?

XTreme wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:47 pm

Yorick wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:15 pm

XTreme wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 5:34 pm

What you riding for that Yorick?

20201220_104702.jpg

Nice bit of kit!

Where are you now....Tenerife?

Lanzarote. Been here just over 5 years

Yorick wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:14 pm

XTreme wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:47 pm

Yorick wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:15 pm

20201220_104702.jpg

Nice bit of kit!

Where are you now....Tenerife?

Lanzarote. Been here just over 5 years

Got the new TIE card yet?

We've held off so far due to the potential last minute rush before 31st Dec.......and now we've been put back into a perimetral lockdown so we can't get to Baza to get it done.

The old one is still valid I know, but we just prefer to get any bureaucratic bullshit out of the way.

You know what it's like dealing with these idiot funcionarios! They've got to over-complicate everything!

XTreme wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:13 pm

Yorick wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:14 pm

XTreme wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:47 pm

Nice bit of kit!

Where are you now....Tenerife?

Lanzarote. Been here just over 5 years

Got the new TIE card yet?

We've held off so far due to the potential last minute rush before 31st Dec.......and now we've been put back into a perimetral lockdown so we can't get to Baza to get it done.

The old one is still valid I know, but we just prefer to get any bureaucratic bullshit out of the way.

You know what it's like dealing with these idiot funcionarios! They've got to over-complicate everything!

Apparently the paperwork isn't ready yet, so no rush.

So what clothing are you off roaders wearing.???

Old textile stuff or some MX stuff. Waterproof, Protection, etc,

The hill's are calling me.

Dodgy knees wrote: Thu Mar 25, 2021 6:44 am So what clothing are you off roaders wearing.???

Old textile stuff or some MX stuff. Waterproof, Protection, etc,

The hill's are calling me.

I've got some nice boots for sale I started off using my Sidi Adventures but after a silly off that was little more than not being able to get my foot down in time (I had come to a stop and cross-rutted) which resulted in a sprained ankle, I bought some proper boots, Gaerne SG12 Enduro - size 45 Used less than 10 times.

I've got some steel toe capped flip flops

Got boots and lid.

Waterproof off road boots with waterproof socks, waterproof gloves with heated grips or heated gloves. Waterproof textile gear with armour. There’s a theme with so much road work you don’t want to get cold and/or wet. Gets a bit warm sometimes but can live with that.