Opinions of knowledgeable people please

[Jonnymac]

Sooo I'm after your learned and knowledgeable opinions.

I will then read them all,weigh up my options, disregard them all and go with my gut.......lol

To paint a picture it will be a blank page I know nothing about dirt bikes.

I would like your opinions good,bad or indifferent but I want your opinion not really keen on the my cousins,boyfriends,uncles wife's brother in laws boyfriend had one and xyz happened......

I'm kind of thinking about purchasing a dirt bike,we go camping a bit and it will be mainly used for hooking around in the bush and the odd ride with mates. So I'm thinking more the enduro side.
I'm wanting cheap and reliable at this stage something around $4000ish is what I've got in my head.

One of my mates is telling me I'll get sick of a 250 very quickly?

So I'm thinking kawi,ktm,husarberg,husquavna.

Not really keen on any other jap brands as my heart beats green

At this stage thinking 4 stroke as the enduro apparently doesn't have the horrendous rebuild cost of the motor cross version but obviously lacks in power as a consequence.

It will need to be able too or have rec reg

What do people think?

[Strika]

From what you say and from gleaning some idea of how you may ride................DRZ/KLX.

Simple
Enough grunt and top end
Comfortable ALL day
Cheap to service
Reliable
In your price range will get one that's really neat most likely with some goodies already fitted. I know cause my neighbours, mum's cousin had one............. I had a klx n couldn't kill it.........and god knows I gave it a good crack....

[Blurr]

I don't know about knowledgable but.....

Yes I agree you will get sick of a 250 once out in the fire trails and open ground.

Klx400/drz400 (same bike different coloured fairings) is a reliable sturdy choice that will take fark all to service and forever to kill. However ......... It is heavier and well underpowered compared to modern 450's.

Berg ktm and the like are all good but that do require frequent oil changes and valve clearance checking ( think every 10 hours of riding for oil and 50 for clearances). These have heaps more power and are a lot more nimble. You will notice it in tight stuff or hill climbs or sands e.g. South Australia

Heaps more you can add but it would be a long conversation.

[Blurr]

Oh and I have had both a klx400 and a ktm, along with yz250's, cr250's, a dt175 etc etc

[Cwidova]

if you want reliable, cheap and easy to maintain the XR400 & drz400's.......and they are not bad to ride either!!
the klx450's are not bad, the KTM's are a good bike (02 upwards). husqvarna's i dont know, havent ridden one. 250's are generally lighter and are still good fun, i went from a '02 ktm 400 to my kx250, different style of bike one being enduro & the other being mx (has a rec reg kit on) and i have a ball on the kx, just because it is so light and fuun to ride!!
best way is see if you can snag a ride or two on different bikes and see which one feels the best for you....and let me know when you get one so can go riding

[Jonnymac]

Something like this if I can get them down in price a bit ?

http://bikesales.mobi/private/details/k ... R=13707036

[Jonnymac]

Strika- 250 or 450?

[Jonnymac]

Blurr- oil changes don't worry me I can do them myself
50hrs for shims and valve clearances would prob be fine too for the amount of riding I will do.
More worried about these horror stories of bikes grenadeing and costing $4000 grand to fix when that's all it's worth to start with.....

[Blurr]

They grenade due to bad servicing.

I simply follow the service intervals and I carry a second air filter if I do an overnighter. Take 30secs to change, costs $15 once off as they are washable an I just put the clean one in for day 2.

A lot of guys are scared of the maintance program or don't know how to do it so they don't, then comes trouble.

As the great phill best put it "people wanted factory bike performance and with that comes factory like servicing requirements",

[Jonnymac]

Or this bit earlier model but less kms

http://bikesales.com.au/private/details ... R=13402006

[Jonnymac]

Blurr- are we talking enduro or motor cross here?
The stories I've heard about the engines going have more been motor cross ones.

Yep hearing ya with the maintenance

[Blurr]

Enduro

I had a 06ktm525 for a while with no issues and I rode it like manufacture intended including motard.

I am now seriously assessing my options and am leaning towards a new/newer berg 450.

In saying that there isn't much difference between mx and enduro in the newer euro bikes. The enduro are still pretty highly powered and light compared to the klx400

[Jonnymac]

Or is something like this a better option if the euros are so much more nimble or is it too old.?

http://bikesales.com.au/dealer/details/ ... R=13470667

[Wattie]

Ktm 450, 530, 525 etc enduros use the same engine as the motocross brother.
Just different cam, carb and flywheels.

Kawasaki klx450's are the same.

[Strika]

Johnny...just buy a KLX/DRZ400 and be happy. I rode one for a few years when all my mates were on the latest and greatest Euros or WR4fiddies and the KLX went everywhere there's went at exactly the same speed. There were no hills it wouldn't climb that the others would and truthfully, by mid afternoon, all the Euros and harder core enduro riders were beaten up by there hard set up bikes and I was still riding at the same speed as the morning.If it's about how good you look, go buy a Euro or a WR, if it's about having fun, buy the KLX/DRZ and hopefully you'll get one that's already had the suspenders done. That's really there only downside. I never found it any harder to steer on the single track than any of the other 450's out there and it doesn't really lack power, they've got plenty.