Good road-legal scrambler

[swiftee]

hello all,

 

recently i tried a dt200 offroad and i like it very much... compared to it my own xl200 feels anemic and heavy

 

are there any similar (light and powerful) scramblers that i can buy?

am looking for road legal scrambler as i do not have a transport for the bikes

it would be a bonus if the bike can be a good transport bike too so that i can use it to replace my xl2 (am i asking for too much? )

 

am nt keen on getting wr200 as i heard tt their cdi has been discontinued by yamaha.. dt200 is a rather old bike n i am worried that i will have problem with parts in the future

prefer carb bikes for ease of maintenance

also would prefer bikes with good parts support (e.g. yamaha, honda, and not parallel import)

2 stroke would be good but a 4 stroke that can be tuned to have the same power response would be great too

 

btw i have 2a license (will be getting cl 2 this year but i dont think i can handle a cl 2 scram offroad )

oh btw... i am 1.6m but am fine with around dt200/wr200 height if the bike is light... so no tall towering and heavy monsters heheh

 

Thanks!

Edited June 13, 2010 by swiftee

[juvena]

ktm 200 - light and powerful, 2 stroke, no problem with parts. ready to race bike but not recommended for transport.

 

other than that... XR400? KLX 250 (not sure abt parts availability)? XR250? but these are not very light

[swiftee]

ktm 200 - light and powerful, 2 stroke, no problem with parts. ready to race bike but not recommended for transport.

 

other than that... XR400? KLX 250 (not sure abt parts availability)? XR250? but these are not very light

 

that's why... am looking for something that is less "pig-like" than my xl200.... i found it hard to handle as it is very heavy for a scrambler and as i am not very heavy myself, once it goes down there is little i can do to save it, plus, it doesnt have the sudden burst of power to get me out of tricky situations. all along i thought it is normal, until i tried the dt200 and realised what i was missing

 

my friends recommended ktm200... but im concerned about the cost of maintenance and it does have a reputation for being a drinker (heh one drinker is enough for my pocket lol). what's the fuel consumption like and are the spare parts expensive (as compared to say, a yamaha or honda)?

 

if i were to get a ktm200, i would probably keep my xl2 for transport...

 

how about the wr250r?

 

and also, how are the bigger 4 stroke ktms? e.g. ktm 250 exc (i dont really intend to go beyond 250...)?

[ulysses_sc]

It's all about how much compromise you are willing to take. High performing, light weight and low maintenance off-road bike has not been invented yet.

 

If you can keep 2 bikes, get the KTM200 and continue with the XL2 for transport. You will be much happier.

 

If only 1 bike is possible, the best candidate is the post 1996 XR250R. But finding one will be a challenge.

 

The new WR250s are nice, but the WR250F costs way too much, and the WR250R/X is too heavy, if you already find your XL2 overweight. KTMs are never good commuters. That's the price of being "race ready".

[swiftee]

hm... ok

 

i suppose what i need now is an idea of how much a ktm2 will cost me compared to a japanese bike...

 

how is the fuel consumption like

how different is the cost of spare parts as compared to the japanese brands?

and how much more maintenance is required compared to the japanese bikes?

 

thanks for being so patient with me as this is the first time i am considering a continental bike...

[juvena]

yeah... the fuel consumption for my ktm 2 is ard 13-14km/l with PWK carburettor. PWM can be around 24km/l. ktm parts are generally more expensive than the japanese counterparts. if you managed to get a good bike and know how to take care of your bike well, it shouldn't be much problem. my FT plate ktm 200, left with 2.5 yrs of COE, cost me $3.6k.

 

i hv a scooter for daily transport. for ktm, i change my gear oil after every 3-4 rides. $15 for each change. wash my air filter after almost every 2 rides or so depending on conditions, DIY, sometimes mechanic do it for free. lube my bearings after every wash. other than bursting my fork seal twice and rear shock once due to improper suspension set up for playing jumps, so far i had no major problems with the bike before. the rest are all wear and tear like bearings, valve reed, brake pads, tyres or change of exhaust packing.

 

depending on the frequency i ride and what i ride, sometimes i spent quite a fair bit on it, the most was $600 a month, average - $150-$200.

 

WR250R, i heard a few complains about the fuel pump. and they are not light.

 

KTM250EXCF, good bike i heard but personally haven't rode one before. KTM 300 EXC is not bad too, very light.

 

the highest engine capacity advisable you can go for dirt bike is 450CC. Too high, too power, bike controls you, and it tends to overheat easily in tight trails. many of my friend including me already gotten their class 2 licence but still stick to a 2b or 2a dirt bike which is good enough.

 

there are kids on 125cc stroke mx bikes trashing adults on 450 4-strokers. I believe dirt biking there is more emphasis between the ability of the rider to control the bike and be in tune with it, instead of just the performance of the bike.

[swiftee]

hm thanks... that doesnt sound too bad... machine price wise its quite acceptable, compared to the cost of a new ktm2

 

air filter/gear oil i suppose i can do it myself, the lubing of bearings i suppose i can ask my mech to help

 

i dont really intend to use it to race and stuff... im not really a competitive person. prefer to ride around trails at my own sweet time enjoying scenery and having smoke break heheh... so i prob will keep it stock... that should improve the fuel consumption quite a bit

 

but most of the ktm 200s around seem to have been abused, might be pretty hard to find a good one..

 

 

 

also, kinda but i havent been trailing for quite awhile...

is TM still rideable? Any other places in SG where we can still ride? Thanks.

Edited June 14, 2010 by swiftee

[ulysses_sc]

Bear in mind that the above is based on only weekend usage. Daily commuting will add on to running costs substantially.

 

Another point to consider is the compromise on settings if you were to go with only 1 bike. Road usage demands higher gearing and road legal tires, which are not exactly optimal for off-road. One solution is to keep a second set of wheels and swap accordingly.

 

Another hassle of 2-strokers (KTM200) is the need for 2T (either premix or pump). I personally do not like pumps, as these can fail with no warning, which can result in expensive engine re-builds. Premix is the way to go, but having to carry 2T and calculate how much 2T to pour in the tank after each fill-up is too much work (I'm lazy).

 

I'd suggest keeping your XL2 for a while in parallel to whatever dirt bike you decide eventaully, then decide accordingly.

[swiftee]

Bear in mind that the above is based on only weekend usage. Daily commuting will add on to running costs substantially.

 

Another point to consider is the compromise on settings if you were to go with only 1 bike. Road usage demands higher gearing and road legal tires, which are not exactly optimal for off-road. One solution is to keep a second set of wheels and swap accordingly.

 

Another hassle of 2-strokers (KTM200) is the need for 2T (either premix or pump). I personally do not like pumps, as these can fail with no warning, which can result in expensive engine re-builds. Premix is the way to go, but having to carry 2T and calculate how much 2T to pour in the tank after each fill-up is too much work (I'm lazy).

 

I'd suggest keeping your XL2 for a while in parallel to whatever dirt bike you decide eventaully, then decide accordingly.

 

no prob... i have an xl2 and an rd350lc, those 2 can serve me well on road

anyway i do not think that i would enjoy riding a ktm2 on road

 

no prob i am familiar with 2 strokers and their drinking habits, a 200cc should be no prob for me. am nt keen on premix as i am poor at math

 

how do you transport your dirt tires if you do not have a transport? i understand that it is an offence to ride on the road with non-legal tires.

and after skidding twice on knobbies in wet carparks, i am not really keen to be riding them on the road...

[ulysses_sc]

Dirt tires are ok on the roads, even when raining. Just take it easy.

 

Yes it is illegal to ride with dirt tires (those with "Not for highway use" at the sidewalls). I use so-called DOT approved tires (e.g. Dunlop D606, Michelin AC10, Trakmaster II), which provides some kind of "justification" just in case...

[swiftee]

i see... thanks! i suppose a short ride to the trail location on knobbies wouldnt be a problem then... love the extra traction that the knobbies give as compared to my semis...

 

i havent been dirt riding for a long long time... would like to get started again

 

do you guys still ride locally? are the old haunts like TM still rideable (i understand that there was some construction going on there some time ago) and are there any new places to ride? (If this is a rather sensitive topic for the forum, pls feel free to PM)

 

i tried going to Tristan park recently, the riding was great but it was rather expensive. Not something that my pocket would like to do frequently.

 

I know that there is Nusajaya, but i am not really familiar with that area, would not really want to get lost there haha.

 

Many thanks!!

[still1]

get this: Kawasaki KLX140L. (off road only) bought from kawasaki agent. electric start, much lighter, better power delivery, very good FC, handles very well off road, very low maintainance and cheap parts if needed, can ride relax and smoke ur ciggys while riding or do some serious off road riding hanging in with those faster bikes.

A1 FUN FACTOR!

 

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh16/still1_photo/12022010501.jpg

 

PM me or 97436391 if you wanna chk it out.

Almost brand new and selling very cheap.

no worries..

No limit..

Edited August 16, 2010 by still1

[swiftee]

get this: Kawasaki KLX140L. (off road only) bought from kawasaki agent. electric start, much lighter, better power delivery, very good FC, handles very well off road, very low maintainance and cheap parts if needed, can ride relax and smoke ur ciggys while riding or do some serious off road riding hanging in with those faster bikes.

A1 FUN FACTOR!

 

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh16/still1_photo/12022010501.jpg

 

PM me or 97436391 if you wanna chk it out.

Almost brand new and selling very cheap.

no worries..

No limit..

 

thanks 4 ur offer, my sister would love this bike. unfortunately we would need road legal scrams as i do not have transport for it...

Edited June 17, 2010 by swiftee

[ProFatSir]

wr250 or klx 250

[juvena]

how about KLX 150? actually KLX 140 and 150 has the similiar engine. name else is a bit misleading both are actually 145cc. 140 is the non road legal version and 150 is the road legal version. Some of the differences are in the suspensions set ups and i can't remember what else. I tried the 140 before. very light and magic button is a plus plus point.

 

i have a malaysian friend riding malaysian registered klx 150 on the road. i heard from mechanics that there are already a few on singapore roads.

[KRANKKED]

I'd definitely recommend an XR400.

Its a nice 4 stroke so maintainence is minimal. Lots of spare parts.

Some might complain about the kickstart, but if you've got a serviced carb, its not taxing at all.

 

Plus its got a bulletproof engine! Can't go wrong on this baby.

[KRANKKED]

Oh and fuel consumption is awesome! I get 25km/l