As winter approaches, my thoughts turn dirty ...
 

Oi! Not like that!

A guy at work regularly goes off-roading and another mate I know has an off-roader and they've both been trying to convince me to spend a bit of time in the dirt over christmas ... I've just been cruising the bay of e, as you do, and spotted a few of these bad boys:



I can't afford one at the moment but does anyone have anything good or bad to say about these or their equivalents in other marque's?

You kinky pervert!

Shhh! My secret is out. ..

Just think of the endless possibilities ;)

Only to say that unless you sign up with a bike club and get to do a bit of Enduro or MX the number of places you can offroad is pretty limited in the SE and getting smaller all the time...thanks to Janit Schtweet Portah and all her rambling fanatics.

My brother helps run an off-road club and finds it more and more difficult to get venues for Enduros and stuff.

I haven't done any green laning for years but I do remember doing the entire length of the Ridgeway many years ago. Don't know what the current situation is but you probably couldn't do it now :(

Oh and get ready to have forearm pump and feel like you've just played a game against the all blacks after a hour or so

2 strokes with the on/off power are more draining to ride regarding concentration, whereas 4 strokes are smoother and easier to get on with as a novice offroader, that's what I found out when I went to Wales recently for a weekend training.
Road 250 and 400 KTM's and a couple of 200/250 2 strokes and prefered the 4's.
I was just as quick as my mate on his 250 2 stroke and felt more comfortable.

Have with agree with Jeff on the two strokers.

My cousin brought a KX250 Pro Circuit running on Av'gas. It was the most potent thing I've ever ridden, but it will make you a better rider in the end. A 4 stroke 125 will probably be better for the DD rider tho' ;)

Andy

He`s right you know...

The whole of the Ridgeway is shut down to anything with an engine...


TP, where do your mates go off roading? I`ve been into the Idea for ages and bought a KTM Enduro/Supermoto for just that reason, it seemed as soon as I got it , they shut the Ridgeway down. (the Ridgeway was a legal offroad byway that ran for miles from Reading to oxford give or take a mile)

Bugger!

I'm not actually sure where they go to be honest. I've just been chatting to couchie and if I can get my poo together he's going to teah me how to wheelie :D

I love bikes me, what a load of fun!

WOOHOO!!!!!

Move up here, we'll show you a dirty time ;)

I haven't done any off roading for a year or so. Got half decent at trail riding and following Couch up stupidly big slopes, then hurt myself bad and went right back to square one. It can be fun, it can be frustrating and it will definitely involve pain at some point ;) If I can hoist the front wheel up on a 15bhp Serow I'm sure anyone can manage to squeeze a little wheelie out of an off roader ;)

it hurts!!

alot!!

even when you don't fall off!!

But great fun and worth it, but very limited as to where you can ride, particularly in the south east.

I would book an offroad weekend or get some mates to let you have a go first then find out if you would get the use from it first. Also need to consider if you would get a road legal bike or a motox bike as you will need to think about transport (van/trailer) if the later.

As far as the bike in the piccie goes...CRF 250/450 is a great bike. I currently have a DR350, but hope to swap to a CRF 250 in the near future. Trust me, if you are new to off-road riding, you don't need 450 cc's!!!

As for places...your kind of half right...the ridgeway is closed from October till April...yes a big chunk of the year, but don't let the buggers grind you down. Its not all of the lanes that are now closed...if you have an OS map to hand and are willing to explore a little, its still possible to go out for the day and do a good few miles all off road.

In and around Oxfordshire we have been hit quite hard with the new laws regarding the Byways etc...but there is still a strong group of riders determined to keep going.

Ciao TP...

I have TWO CRF450.. one MX competition (as per the picture) and one CRE450 road legal (model available only in Italy) .

I kinda of agree with all the comments made..in addition, it is GREAT FUN.
The 4strokers are easier to ride than two strokers, but more heavy. It is a trade off. For supercross I was more confident on the big jumps with the two stroke, as lighter and movable in the air. The 4 stroker are heavier and with a slight engine brake feeling. However the torque ( the 450 is a beast) is helpful a lot when going over obstacles. However do not think to use the clucth as a 2 stroker ..it will last a day!!.

Any questions on the honda..mail me!
Ciao
fabio

Two stroker off roaders are the spawn of Satan! They're bloody awesome, but tricky little gits to use and soooo fast. Last one I had a go on was Couch's KTM200. I managed to get into the bottom of a valley and stall it...could I get it to just pull me out slowly without wheel spinning and putting us both straight back down the hill again? Could I buggery! That said, on the big fire trails through the forest, flat stick and it makes perfect sense :) 4 strokes are definitely more user friendly.

TP, Van, Harv et al if you want to have a day or week end trail riding i'm more than willing to take you out up north.

I'm off to Wales this weekend where we've got the use of a lot of private land with a local farmer. He's promised us an 'interesting' time (read kill the English!):lol:

Looks like a few of the DSC are happy to get dirty, maybe we might have to have some sort of gathering and see who ends up in the biggest mud puddle. :D

I don't have a bike though big fella - otherwise I'd try and get something organised.

LOL...I'll win <<<<<<<

Sounds like a great idea though.

It always makes me laugh when I see your avatar! :) :)

Have you seen the video of it...clip of it somewhere...let me go find!

No, but would like to have a chortle if you don't mind. :) :)

http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/sh...hlight=puddles

LOL

:lol:

I missed that first time around :) Very funny stuff

I just watched it again for the first time in ages....makes me smile and giggle out 'loud.

I got some more video stuff somewhere...as were all getting dirty, I'll put another link up to get you in the mood.

Watch this space...back in a mo...

After playing about with my new bullet cam and posting the footage up here a few weeks back, I have since been messing about with new and 'creative' locations for it whilst riding.

Check it out...big file at 25MB, and compressed so forgive the quality...but worth a download if you have good connection speed.

BEST WATCHED AT THE LOWEST RESOLUTION (OPTION UNDER THE VIEWING WINDOW)

...Enjoy!

http://media.putfile.com/DR350-bulletcam

more...

http://media.putfile.com/DR350twisty

mmmmm...both have been removed...wait a mo...

Have you just uploaded those Harv? Because they tell I've got an incorrectly typed URL

Nah...they were put up last Jan...I think they remove them after a while of inactivity.

just uploading them again.

Okey dokey.

http://media.putfile.com/DR350-

does this work?

Yep, it's playing ...

Another to follow...

Oooh I say!!! A dirty weekend up north, what would the neighbour think?


Sounds like fun :D

Harv, I thought they closed it all down, where do you go in the oxford area?

And those Videos are fantastic..loadsa fun.

Just had a look...

I`m sure they U turned on this, in April they were saying no motorbikes or 4x4`s on the Ridgeway.

But it say`s here that parts are still open...

Looks like I`ll be buying another KTM :D

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/Ridge....asp?PageId=83

Everywhere mate!

The clips above are all around the ridgeway/paths leading to/from it.

If you fancy a day out let me know.

I'm going to get the DR MOT'd in the next week or so, and then its all systems go!!!

The difficulty now is that they have reclassed some of the routes to restricted access, so its difficult to string good routes together.

Last year me and my mate went to Sailsbury and back ...almost ALL off road from Abingdon.

Get yourself an OS explorer map from WHSmith...the contryside is your Oyster....well some of it.

LEt me know if you fancy a couple of hours out...its a blast.

To be honest the ridgeway itself is pants anayway...we never ride it...its just handy for all the great routes leading OFF it...

At least i got thru this one, some of the others didn't:lol:

This is one of my favourites, not me, nicked from another site