Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Off road advice

[zaker]

Im thinking of buying an off roader to go green laneing but i need some advice as to what kind of bike to go for, or more to the point engine size, ive never done off roading before ( allways had road bikes) so i dont want to bite of more than i can chew. A pal of mine said go for a suzuki DRZ 400, or a Honda 400, but 400cc sounds a bit of a hadfull for a first timer.....what do you think ??
any advice would be appreciated.
cheers.

[Carbon749]

My mate raced a DRZ400 in Super Moto .... awesome fun. But like all bikes, will only go as fast as you want it to go. If it feels too much close the throttle.

My last green laner was a road legal Suzuki RM250 motocrosser .... now that was a handfull when it hit the power band

[swannymere]

My first off-roader was a KTM 640!I would go for the DRZ400 i've never seen one breakdown,they are cheap to buy new,you don't have to clean the filters after every ride and servicing is nice and cheap.I would'nt worry about the engine being 400cc it's all about clutch control.You want a torquey lump that pulls at lowish revs.But the most important thing is getting decent tyres,most OE tyres may as well be slicks for all the grip they offer.Get some MT21's forgot the make either Pirelli or Michelin.TBH i miss it more than i miss road riding.

Talk to Harv748 or Whele, offroading is their thaaaaang!

[Wylie1]

DRZ would be a good 1st bike, especially if you have to travel quite a way on the road to get to the green lanes you want to ride. Although it's a 400 it's quite tame. Other bikes to consider of this type are the Yam TTR250 or the Hon XR's. If you're short in the leg, there's a few bikes that would suit, like the Serrow or CRF230.

You could also look at the 4-stroke 250 enduro bikes (Yam WR or Hon CRF) which are lighter (easier to pick up ) & more offroad focused (handy if you live near the green lanes). They're very user friendly.

Are you aware of the recent changes green lane access?

I'd suggest buying TBM (trail bike & enduro mag) as it's full of useful info. It's quite hard to find though (A5 size). They also have a website & online forum:-

http://www.trailbikemag.com/

[Lily]

By all acounts the DRZ are a good bike that stand up to a fair amount of mistreatment which may be good if you are new to things.

I have literally just booked a tour from Vegas into the desert and this will be on a DRZ so I reckon they should be fairly resilient.

[clint 999R]

i would get something light as you gonna be picking it off the floor quite a bit if you new to off roading i love my tm250 although i wouldnt recomend it right now makes the winter great fun

[Lily]

Originally Posted by clint 999R

i would get something light as you gonna be picking it off the floor quite a bit if you new to off roading i love my tm250 although i wouldnt recomend it right now makes the winter great fun

oooh nice bike mister

[swannymere]

Originally Posted by clint 999R

i would get something light as you gonna be picking it off the floor quite a bit if you new to off roading i love my tm250 although i wouldnt recomend it right now makes the winter great fun

I fancy that more than Mylene,is there something wrong with me?