Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

hey guys im looking at getting into some dirt riding, just looking for some advice.....

just wondering what kind of bike will be suitable?

will it need to be registered?

and wheres the best places to ride in NSW??

cheers, Tim

the thing you need to decide is 2 or 4 stroke?

how much maintenance you want to do.

and whether a 250 4 stroke or like 450+

Registered bike gives you alot more options with places to ride. Without rego you can only really go to motorcycle parks like e.g. Pacific park, appin, mount Kembla. Registeration gives you access to any preformed track on public property like national parks.

Get a 450 plus if you are considering riding it on the road at all, even a bit to and FTP
Trails

yer i was thinking a 450, 4 stroke. and yer would be looking at riding it on the road every now and then.

You can test ride mine if your starting to see the sense of team orange. I can also show you so sick places to ride (disclosure, I still havent ridden all the areas myself yet )

Check out the WR 426 in the for sale section it belongs to Craig who came down to PI a couple years ago. It's a pretty good bike and has been well risen but also well looked after.

Plenty of good 4 stroke bikes on the market, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki etc all do 400 size bikes with different models having different advantages (you could also look at European bikes KTM, Husky to name 2 but are more expensive generally) are you looking new or second hand? Ideally bike should be registered from a legal stand point but I know of plenty that don't and have never had an issue)

For places to ride well how far do you want to travel? Areas close to Greystanes that I have ridden which were great places to learn and test your skill include the zig zag railway, some call in Newnes, essentially start at the Zig Zag railway and explore the many tracks, just remember to look out for 4wd. One of the best places I ever went. You can also try a couple of tracks off the Putty at Upper Colo.

Try not to ride alone if at all possible. I gave up dirt riding as I just didn't know enough people to go riding with that I could call and say going here tomorrow. I do miss it as it was great fun.

Personally I would trailer the bike, after a days riding in the dirt you will be bloody sore and knackered.

Nick

Mate, If your after a good reliable 450 but don't want the up keep and maintenance of a motocross pedagree bike then look at the Kawasaki KLX 400 (same as the Suzuki DR 400 just rebadged)

They are bullet proof and still go and handle well.

Definately worth a thought

Cheers guys
Yer was thinking second hand, and would love KTM but they do fetch alot more $$.
I was thinking green hehe so I will keep an eye out for the klx400's .

And russ, whens the test ride on offer hehe. You are awake of my ability to stay on a bike right
Hehe

timmyrocks wrote:Cheers guys
Yer was thinking second hand, and would love KTM but they do fetch alot more $$.
I was thinking green hehe so I will keep an eye out for the klx400's .

And russ, whens the test ride on offer hehe. You are awake of my ability to stay on a bike right
Hehe

you wouldnt be the first member I leant my dirtbike to and crashes it

Timmy, i must inform you, after you ride a 525, the klx will feel like a postie...

the 525's rock!

with about 25mins of tar, i can do a good couple of hours of trails around Bilpin, Bowen Mountain, Kurrajong HTS, Mountain Lagoon, Colo Heights etc.

Nothin overly exciting, they are fire trails. but good for a bash.

Wattie wrote:Timmy, i must inform you, after you ride a 525, the klx will feel like a postie...

the 525's rock!

with about 25mins of tar, i can do a good couple of hours of trails around Bilpin, Bowen Mountain, Kurrajong HTS, Mountain Lagoon, Colo Heights etc.

Nothin overly exciting, they are fire trails. but good for a bash.

As a former owner of the mentioned 2004 KLX400 I agree.

They are bulletproof and very reliable but have nothing against the 525 or even a KLX450. But alas with the extra performance comes the extra maintance. It's a choice really

timmyrocks wrote:Cheers guys
Yer was thinking second hand, and would love KTM but they do fetch alot more $$.
I was thinking green hehe so I will keep an eye out for the klx400's .

And russ, whens the test ride on offer hehe. You are awake of my ability to stay on a bike right
Hehe

I have owned KDX's, KLX400's, WR400/450, and now have free access to my best mate's KTM 530EXC. Of all the bikes I owned and rode, the one I would buy again, was the KLX400. Yeah sure, it's not the lightest, it doesn't come with the trickest componentry. But what it does do is this. It is a bike which can be ridden all day in the bush and you can get off still wanting more. Whereas, the KTM and the WR's all beat the living shit outta me every time I rode/ride them. They are a bike best suited to racing. They are not good trail bikes!

If it was also a requirement to do some road miles, then the KLX would tick another box for me. While dirt klms are hard on some running gear, you don;t do lots of klms. Whereas, in one day on the road, you can do as much as four or five worth of dirt riding klms. So it's maintanance costs then become important. The KLX (Sorry DRZ also, but they are not green) is LOW maintanance. Especially compared to the oil change and rebuild regimes on the modern 450 thumpers.

the KLX is agreat all rounder for sure.

Russ/Rod's old one with the tard wheels was excellent.

and i Can confirm, the 525 does beat the shit ouf of me. its either sideways, on the gas, sideways on the brakes or on the back wheel. And not much in between. I think i'll end up with arms like Arnold Swartzaname

thanks for all the info Strika
I told you to hold onto yours russ!!! haha all good, ill have to look for another good1