KLX250S or CRF250L

[webfors]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: webfors
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
For the purposes listed? Save $1000 (and probably on insurance) and get a DR200SE or leftover CRF230L

Yeah, they are slow but durable and easy to maintain.

I've been kinda' wanting to do some easy trail riding on a Ruckus.

All the used Ruckuses are stretched and have golf cart wide rear tires

I can get a Piaggio Typhoon 125 for roughly the same as a new Ruckus.


I've looked at the DR200SE, I'm just not sure it if will hall my heavy butt around well enough.


I'm 6'3 200lbs. I had an XL185 for years. Off-road in lower gears it was fine. Full tuck on the freeway would indicate a bit over 75. (probably actually 65-ish). The problem wasn't the power though. It was what the rain grooves would do with universal trials tires from the '80s. Anything above 55mph on rain grooves was downright scary. My current ride has a 10" tire and it is much more stable in rain grooves at speed. That's how bad it was.

I raced my XR200 cross-country. I did okay vs the 125 two-strokes. They were more powerful to be certain but I could ride the 200 at 10/10ths more, the powerband was more predictable (well, maybe I shouldn't use the word "power" when describing an XR200), and I was never left running on fumes at the end of a race.


The list price of the Xt250 is $200 more than the DR200, both air cooled. The Honda is only $300 more and liquid cooled 250.

Since I check in at a tall 5'8 the xt250 definitely has the right dimensions for me without looking into a lowering kit. Thoughts?

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: webfors
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
If you don't have to deal with highway speeds and traffic, a mild 250cc air cooled bike is fine. It will be happy doing 80km/h for as long as you want to. I wouldn't want to ride it at 100km/h for an hour though, it will do it but it won't be fun.
My buddy likes his DR350 as its air cooled, but has more power without much extra weight over a 250. He's geared it taller for the road as the trails he goes on are fairly fast anyways.


What's the power specs between these three bikes? The manufacturer websites don't list them.

Yamaha Canada posts the WR250 having 28hp at 8500 rpm, the XT having 18hp at 6500 rpm.
We used to ride our dirt bikes on the road a lot going from track to track or trails. My old IT200 had about the same power as the WR250 and would keep up on the highway pretty easily, my buddies XR200 would be working quite hard to do the same. No big deal on a quiet country highway, but if you have to drive in traffic much, you may find 18hp a bit less than ideal. If you are just bombing around in the country roads, then the XT will be fine.
I don't know what hp a DR350 has, probably near the same peak at the WR250, but far more low end torque.

 

[webfors]

My mistake, the DR200 and the xt250 have the same seat height, 31.9 inch.

 

[webfors]

I want the DRZ400 with a lower seat height. That might just be my bike

 

[Blaze]

Here in Washington State you can now get a street legal Yamaha WR450 off the show room floor. The bike begins not street legal from Japan and the dealer makes it 100% street legal and also does the inspection for license. My step-son bought the motocross version 2013 (YZ450) and made it 100% street legal. He bought the street legal lighting kit and tires etc then hauled it to the dealer for inspection/license and has an awesome light weight/powerful dual purpose bike.