[Bruce CurtisMember]

TMs run a single ring piston (or the ones I’ve seen do) great for power etc, but wear is high, that’s the only higher maintenance thing (although riding with Coley these days, he is no harder on a cycle than I am, so that year 300 ’06, musta been fragile).

AB why I don’t ride a TM is because everyone of them I have tried feels foriegn, nice power, nice brakes, weird steering and the ergos are not me. was mates with the former TM/Husky dealer in town here, tried most of the demos and just couldn’t come to terms.

Yes I stand corrected on the WRR Moto, but is still in the same league as the GASGAS pampera etc, if you choose to leave the oil for 4k I hope it’s got a good filtration system, I’m with Dan, 1k would pull me up.

How about a KLX450? s’posed to be an easy ride with good reliability?

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Jeffro wrote:

Quote:

Feelings Blue, feelings. Even DRZ riders have them.

OK I did see a DRZ once that didn’t look or sound boring, but it turned out it was an RMZ with a DRZ headlight…..

Actually seriously they are a pretty good bike as far as design criteria goes, and the Daryl Hurley thumpernats bike was a masterpiece which was sold just recently I am told.

Ok maybe the bikes aren’t boring, which just leaves the riders ????? :huh:

[Bruce CurtisMember]

An XR 400 can be turned into electric start with the TRX (quad0 starter cases etc, sounds like it could be a thing?

Try a few out CEL, and see what tickles your fancy, cause as i said, dirtbikes are emotive…….

and DRZ400s are as boring as batpooh…

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Trailboss wrote:

Quote:

Mr Blue wrote:

Quote:

We have several types of bikes being discussed

TB comes from an XR650 mindset, yep quick, reliable, engine longevity is terrific, but also heavy tiring to punt for the average weekend warrior.

Not completely Bruce I have been recently putting a lot of thought into a 300 smoker as some people know, but thought it better to update the dual sporter for Sal and I first then we will see.

Also most punters dont ride “4 hours did 20 ks…..no rest breaks either” do they :laugh:

TB

No actually that splinter group are insane, I reckon they’re losing the plot, the other portion of the loose alliance (myself and 4 others) do some tougher stuff and if we get 65k in 4 hours through tight trails I’m happy enough with that.
And yep it’s not everyones cuppa tea, but it is a lot of fun and tests/develops your skills.

I’m a huge fam of the GasGas 300 now, rode a late model 300, and while pretty damn tame, it had a “magic carpet” ride and did everything well and nothing bad. They have excellent rep for most parts (except the batch that had main bearing/case mismatch issues) and the new ones are probably one of the best looking bikes on the market. If I was going back to that style of power delivery I wouldn’t hesitate. The hussy 300 is too much like the TM for my liking at the moment, great bikes but neither an MX bike nor enduro with higher maintenance than the KTM or GG. Just a bit quirky and Euro feeling for this old dog

You know TB you sounded a bit like me with the “in the olde days my KTM250 blah blah” in that other post?, I actually wish the modern KTMs handled the chop like those older ones with the newer engine delivery, would be a top bike then no argument.

[Bruce CurtisMember]

I see nothing but blank space, must be a hidden (to my computer) video in it?

[Bruce CurtisMember]

micknmeld wrote:

Quote:

Mr Blue wrote:

Quote:

We have several types of bikes being discussed

TB comes from an XR650 mindset, yep quick, reliable, engine longevity is terrific, but also heavy tiring to punt for the average weekend warrior.

.

Yeah I was starting to feel a bit fatigued from swinging off the XR650 at about the 170km mark on Sunday. So I sat on the supplied seat and had a rest and came good again.

Yeah yeah Michael, but how many hours of S/T in that, I believe our riding habits may be slightly different, for example the other group of Border boyz went out last weekend and in 4 hours did 20 ks…..no rest breaks either, just some very serious nasty little trails.

I S’pose we shoulda clarified what style of Riding CEL likes first before all telling him what we think would be best for our styles..

And XRs are porky you can dress it up as a learjet anyway you want, but it’s still a 747…

[Bruce CurtisMember]

We have several types of bikes being discussed

TB comes from an XR650 mindset, yep quick, reliable, engine longevity is terrific, but also heavy tiring to punt for the average weekend warrior.

DRZ400 in the same boat, low maintenance engine, longevity, and most people sell them before they have had to do anything major.

WR/Ktm/TM/CRF450 et al, engine maintenance is usually a very regular thing, oil filters and changes frequently, valve clearances more often then the DRZ/XR style of thumper, powerful demanding and reasonably light, the ultimate all-round competition machine in the right hands.

WR250r/GasGas450 types, in between the two groups above, less engine stresses so while oil changes are frequent, more in-depth maintenance isn’t, heaps of fun, almost as fast as the above group and light and easy to ride quickly

CRF250/KTM250/WR250F et al- the bikes that require the highest of all, be prepared for 100 hours of riding then not uncommon to have replace the bottom end and valves and several pistons in this period, fun but expensive to ride, probably the best choice for someone to ride really fast in most forest conditions

300 2T KTM/GasGas, but not TM or Husky, 100 hours out of a top end easy, piston and rings $200, bottom end 250-300 hours before you replace it as a matter of course, gearbox is under less heat stress so every 20 hours for a bit of Gear oil, no filter or shims, Grin factor 9/10

All other maintenance is fairly even, wheel bearing, linkges, fork oil/valves/shock freshen/brake pads/ oil filters is fairly generic in pricing and frequency of servicing.

Buy what your heart tells you, owning a Dirtbike is illogical at best, it’s about fun and emotion, how it makes you feel, not commonsense and being sensible.

I rather ride for 3 hours with adrenaline having a 100% blast, than ride for 10 hours with a few occassional highlights, but that’s just the way I roll.

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Not trying to sell it too hard I hope, but the gas gas 450 uses a hell of a lot of generic parts from Honda, suzuki and kawasaki, the engine is loosely based on a DRZ design. The only real problem that seems to be reoccurring is the cold enrichment map in coller months is making for a bit of hard starting, but apparently if you know the right dealer/mechanic/techie, a hot link and remap is easy as……

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Trailboss wrote:

Quote:

Mr Blue wrote:

Quote:

Gas Gas 450 FSE, highly underrated bike, not as hard-core as the other 450s, and lower maintenance like the DRZ or XR.

Fuel injected
Proven reliability
Good suspension, some models with Ohlins
Motor is reknown for longevity
Cheap as chip for a good low kilometre second-hand one (if you can find one)

If i were in the market for a softer trailbike in a 4T, the Gas Gas would certainly be in top position

BC

Ask around Wauchope I thinks Deans did 3500kms before it was rebuilt and still isnt right I think I heard.

Stay main stream IMO

TB

Yep there were a few friday arvo ones, but well outnumbered by the quietly ticking along ones running perfectly, buy something ’06 and newer all bugs worked out by then just like the bad batch of XRs a few years back. But a good secondhand one will have had any bugs ironed out, up here they are relatively easy to find the local dealer (before he burnt down) was very active and sold quite a few.

But sure if you like spending heaps of money just to bring a DRZ up to half the Gas gas’s standard, hey why not.

Wait on why didn’t anyone suggest a KTM300?
Low maintenance
Button Start
Easy power
Good resale
user friendly

Moto you’re slipping…..

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Gas Gas 450 FSE, highly underrated bike, not as hard-core as the other 450s, and lower maintenance like the DRZ or XR.

Fuel injected
Proven reliability
Good suspension, some models with Ohlins
Motor is reknown for longevity
Cheap as chip for a good low kilometre second-hand one (if you can find one)

If i were in the market for a softer trailbike in a 4T, the Gas Gas would certainly be in top position

BC

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Morning gentlemen,
Dan I understand even feel a bit the way you do about imposts on smokes, but I see the root reason why they did this again, and I reckon if you need to rant Mate, get on and do it, no-one was offended (well not I )and it’s healthy.

Menace my good friend, Michael D Esq is indeed correct we have “smart” filters that scans the whole site, wholus bolus and if it finds any signs of unsuitable material it is added to the banned list. I cannot access NineMSN pages from here now, or several other motorcycle forums, because of words as mentioned earlier.

TB while we have your attention, when are you coming back up this way for work? ya big slacker basically drives past my place each time…. gees I dunno.. honda riders, it’s illegal to hunt them down, yet somehow you feel they’re almost human……..

[Bruce CurtisMember]

Re freedom of Speech:

Depends Scotty on which side you look at it from, i like you work with the law each and every day, but probably don’t have to go to court as often…

The Australian legal system is based on a fundamental belief in the rule of law, justice and the independence of the judiciary. All people—Australians and non-Australians alike—are treated equally before the law and safeguards exist to ensure that people are not treated arbitrarily or unfairly by governments or officials.

Principles such as procedural fairness, judicial precedent and the separation of powers are fundamental to Australia’s legal system.

The common law system, as developed in the United Kingdom, forms the basis of Australian jurisprudence. It is distinct from the civil law systems that operate in Europe, South America and Japan, which are derived from Roman law. Other countries that employ variations of the common law system are the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia and India.

Our lrgal system is skewed towards the greater good for the many, rather than the priveledges of the individual and that is where there is a great gulf betwix us and the psyche’ of the citizens of the USofA, they protect the rights of the individual, we the rights of the masses.

[Bruce CurtisMember]

A couple of points in line with TBs rules;

A people please get your facts right on politics before you listen to the masses at the pub or the mass media cwap.

The employment stuff on ACA was downright lies, and they should be brought to task for it and many other lies told about all sorts of things.

Some employers are mongrels – Fact
Some are So-So – Fact
Some are great – Fact
Same with unions

I am currently a smoker again after being off them for quite a few years I succumbed after a period of great mental stress last year, am in the process of giving up as we speak, not for Money (although it does help keep a good income down to an average income) but for my Family and me. I wanna see my grandkids, hell maybe even like my Grandparents even great grandkids, I want to be able to continue doing stuff like riding at 10/19ths when I feel like it without running out of energy in 5.3 nano-seconds, nothing stuffs your fitness up like Smoking. I smoked a packet a day until I was in my mid-twenties, and then 70 a day until about 10 years ago, I eat like a horse and my Genetics are Scots-Fijian-Japanese so while we are biggish but muscular in our youth we turn to fat and have heart problems as we age. Smoking makes it so much harder to stem that tide, so what is being done by sucessive political regimes is really in our best interests, and Dan while I love you like a Virtual electronic brother (without having ever met) Brother we are kidding ourselves if we think we are any better than a junkie when it comes to damamging ourselves, One of my younger brothers (there is 7 surviving boys and 1 girl in my Clan) was a Heroin user for ten years and a smoker for 20, he swears the smoking is harder to quit than Heroin was.

In the period I wasn’t smoking I was healhier, never had to go to the doctor, now again I have aches and pains in all old injuries, Get colds and Flu at the drop of a hat and even your looks go downhill.

It IS bad, about one of the worst things we can do.

[Bruce CurtisMember]

He was well respected and a damn fine competitor and ambassador for the sport and country.

RIP

[Bruce CurtisMember]

The BMX lads and Lasses have been using speedfreak stuff for a little while now too.

[Author]

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