What bike to get?

[Nesikep]

I've been looking at getting a new 'toy' bike... Found a couple Honda CRF450's (About 2002) for $2500, and then I found a streetable KTM 450 for $3500. I've always liked hondas, but it sounds like these new 450's require a lot of maintenance... Never owned a KTM, my my buddy had a KTM 80 2 stroke and that thing was a built very well, and had phenomenal power. Wondering if anyone has had much experience with KTM's?

 

[HDRider]

Think about this. It's a horse.

 

[dieselbeef]

would've been my reply also..it will run forever..low maint and cheap...you will never kill it. put some good dunlops on it and get it dirty

I have a cr450 and a trx 450...its a race machine..really..if run in that fashion it is maint intensive. Too much to be a work machine..valve trains get finicky and require adj a lot to make it start easy....that's a pita if ya start and stop it 20 times a day working the ranch

is it for fun? I have never heard anyone complain bout the ktm or the Honda..they both are top quality..which is easier to get parts for...

 

[Nesikep]

Both are good for parts, What I like about the KTM is it has everything I'm looking for from the factory.. Bigger fuel tank, kickstand, and decent headlights, plus is road legal.. Also has electric start AND a kickstarter. Some other things I like is that the KTM is the one that still has adjustable valves (without shims), so that it makes it POSSIBLE to set the valves easily. I don't *want* to spend $3500 on the bike, but I know I'd have to spend another grand on the honda to get it to that level, and still not have a streetable machine.

Friend of mine has a KLX250, and granted, it is only a 250, but it has a lot of little nagging issues... kickstand only works on perfectly level ground, it's been finnicky to start no matter what.

This bike will start it's life as a toy, perhaps a trip to town once in a while (sure cheaper on fuel than the 1 ton), but I figure after I've dumped it a few dozen times, started to wear the suspension out, I will replace the XR500 as the farm bike. I honestly wouldn't mind another XR500 in that year, but they still want $2000 bucks for one and that's just WAAY too much money for very outdated technology, and a bike that's seen a lot of use.
I've always found that with bikes, once the initial depreciation has occurred, they seem to hold their value really well, as long as they run and haven't been crashed. Spending a little more money will get you much more bike.

 

[jltrent]

Hondas are hard to beat.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

For what you are goin to be doing with it look for a late model xr400. It would be as reliable as your old 500 with about the same power.

 

[Nesikep]

Can't afford one of them yet! and depending on the model, the Honda's need another $800 of extras to make them usable bikes.

 

[dieselbeef]

xr650? I don't think they got electric start tho

do you want a smaller cc like a 300 or a 450 or a big bore ...cant really beat the ktms for mid size..but I hear that theyre a pita for filters until ya git into the newer versions..most of those enduros are elec start also

 

[dun]

I was going to suggest Schwinn

 

[Limomike]

I was going to suggest Schwinn

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Nesikep]

I'm looking at getting a bit away from the big XR's just because of the weight... Mine is 330 lbs, and it's no fun turning it around when you come to the end of a deer trail. For a streetable bike the *perfect* one would be a 400, as it's the biggest displacement allowed in the lower insurance cost bracket, and smaller than that they start to have trouble with highway speeds for any period of time.

As long as the bike starts easily like my XR500, I don't need electric start, but not all of them are like that.

Schwinn's are OUT! lol

 

[dieselbeef]

then something enduro..like a supermoto with dirt tires?

 

[dun]

then something enduro..like a supermoto with dirt tires?

I didn;t even know they still made "enduros" I had a kawasaki enduro years ago, didn;t have a big engine but it would go anywhere, pulled a small trailer with camping gear and a small wheeled travois for hauling out diier. I could ride that thing in places I couldn;t even walk.

 

[Nesikep]

You skid wood with it too like I do with mine?

I have a small XR100 that I use for irrigation... not much power but I can put 4 pipes under my arm and drag them back to the beginning of the field and lay them out.. it's replaced the pipe wagon nearly

I think the KTM 450 is a popular supermoto bike when they put street tires on it

 

[Nesikep]

Oh, HDrider, that's about the last thing I thought you'd recommend! The KLR's are too street for around here, not nearly enough suspension travel and too much fairings, etc to break.. since you know it's not a matter of *if* you dump your bike over, but *when*.
Dieselbeef, I always thought a Supermoto was an enduro with street tires, so putting dirt tires on it would just make it an enduro again right? or are there a lot of other mods I'm missing?

I've pretty much made up my mind, I'm going with the KTM 450.. It's just coming back from the shop for a yearly tuneup, should be all spic and span. It is a little more than I wanted to spend, but after doing some research, it came with glowing reviews, good durability, and since it's street legal, and prices of any bike here is always $2000 and up, I think I can ride it for quite some time and not lose much money. Around here they're asking $2000 for an XR 500 identical to mine in fair to good condition, it's 30 years old and not even streetable!! I think paying another $1500 for something 23 years newer with low mileage is a good idea

So here it is http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/mcy/4731939765.html

 

[highgrit]

I like that Honda trail 90 in the picture with all the bikes. Some of them trail 90's had high and low range I believe.

 

[Nesikep]

All the ones I saw did, I'm sure it was a handy feature on them, since they didn't have all that much power.. I had a Trail 70 and it could really have used it

 

[ky-aggie]

I've pretty much made up my mind, I'm going with the KTM 450.. It's just coming back from the shop for a yearly tuneup, should be all spic and span. It is a little more than I wanted to spend, but after doing some research, it came with glowing reviews, good durability, and since it's street legal, and prices of any bike here is always $2000 and up, I think I can ride it for quite some time and not lose much money. Around here they're asking $2000 for an XR 500 identical to mine in fair to good condition, it's 30 years old and not even streetable!! I think paying another $1500 for something 23 years newer with low mileage is a good idea

Either one would have been a good choice. Off road, I'm a Honda person (HD on road, of course), but the development of KTM's 4-strokes over the past half decade has been crazy. They're great bikes! Although, that's an awful lot of power for farm use.. not that I can say I wouldn't do the same lol

 

[Nesikep]

I should be getting the bike tomorrow I had a '88 Honda CBR1000 hurricane and that was an awesome on-road bike... 100mph was 'relaxed cruising' speed.. by about 120mph it was getting serious.. I got it up to 175mph once.. wind darned near lifted me off the bike by the helmet.

I chose to stay with the "RFS" KTM engines because I heard they were more durable than the next generation of engine.. '07 was the last year of them, and they had pretty much worked all the bugs out of them by then.

 

[Nesikep]

Got my bike now, looks to be fine, going to go for a spin tomorrow with it :> I got it transferred into my name too, though I'm not plating it for now