What experience have we on the forum of two strokes?
If I change my bike for changes sake (is that a real word), I wonder about going the whole hog and trying a 250 Freeride.
Apart from the obvious (the bike is compact and I'm not) how suited is it for the lanes of south Devon?
92kg means it's crazy light and I gather even more maneuverable than its 350 4t sibling although, having only 26 ponies, it wont flip if given a handful of throttle. On the downside I gather it demands being in the right gear and doesn't suffer fools, which might rule me out straight away...
Thoughts?
-- Edited by Lucky on Monday 13th of January 2014 10:49:46 PM
Very light and pokey. Downside, very little engine braking, replacement of pistons and barrels as they wear out much faster (and crank bearings) but easy enough to do the barrels and pistons, more difficult to get water out if you drown it, smelly smoke, sound like a bee in a biscuit tin. Heavy on fuel, have to carry and mix two stroke.
Upside, much harder to bend expensive components if you drown it. Smelly smoke drowns out the dudes farts. Light and lots of torque.
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Walk a mile in another man's shoes. ...and you will be a mile away... and have his shoes..
A 300 2t with Recluse is an amazing tool for the lanes. I wouldn't go for a Freeride without giving one a good test, try Wheeldon as they have a couple but not sure if any 2T's.
What experience have we on the forum of two strokes?
If I change my bike for changes sake (is that a real word), I wonder about going the whole hog and trying a 250 Freeride.
Apart from the obvious (the bike is compact and I'm not) how suited is it for the lanes of south Devon?
92kg means it's crazy light and I gather even more maneuverable than its 350 4t sibling although, having only 26 ponies, it wont flip if given a handful of throttle. On the downside I gather it demands being in the right gear and doesn't suffer fools, which might rule me out straight away...
Thoughts?
-- Edited by Lucky on Monday 13th of January 2014 10:49:46 PM
Well it is one bike you haven't had yet, so I suppose you could cross it off your bucket list. Shouldn't have to worry about adding oil to fuel for the premix as your past history indicates that you rarely make it further than 3 lanes or 2 hours, whichever occurs first. If you buy new and the dealer fills the tank up, you should be able to get to Christmas before needing a refill, by which time you would have got bored and sold it on.
taking a poke at me Mingsome? Is it cos I forgot to send a Christmas card? So last year. Anyhow, my bucket is increasingly important as years pass, and yes a stroker is another itch that might get scratched. Trekluse is available. One concern is the depreciation hit of new bikes. 2013 Freeride's with 30 hours are being offered at a discount of a third from new price. That means new buyers paid £70 an hour for their pleasure. As SuperC will testify, you can get a lot of pleasure for £70 an hour.
taking a poke at me Mingsome? Is it cos I forgot to send a Christmas card? So last year. Anyhow, my bucket is increasingly important as years pass, and yes a stroker is another itch that might get scratched. Trekluse is available. One concern is the depreciation hit of new bikes. 2013 Freeride's with 30 hours are being offered at a discount of a third from new price. That means new buyers paid £70 an hour for their pleasure. As SuperC will testify, you can get a lot of pleasure for £70 an hour.
Try $50 an hour that's only 25 nicker plus an Asain digit up yer wrong un, buck shee.
p.s get the freekin freeride if you don't like it you can swap it for a pristine WR450 wot is still unrestricted and I swear to god I ain't laid a spanner on her or fell off. x
-- Edited by supertaff on Wednesday 15th of January 2014 06:14:15 AM
taking a poke at me Mingsome? Is it cos I forgot to send a Christmas card? So last year. Anyhow, my bucket is increasingly important as years pass, and yes a stroker is another itch that might get scratched. Trekluse is available. One concern is the depreciation hit of new bikes. 2013 Freeride's with 30 hours are being offered at a discount of a third from new price. That means new buyers paid £70 an hour for their pleasure. As SuperC will testify, you can get a lot of pleasure for £70 an hour.
Nowt to do with cards, mate. You think I keep a track of who sent what to whom? That's womens' business, and one you shouldn't meddle with
But you have to admit that your attendance record for a full days' riding is rather lamentable. Wot say you, Headmaster? Is it the cane, the shoe or the blackboard rubber across the swede?
Why not go for one of the low-hour pre-owned ones so someone else takes the depreciation hit? Or does it have to be new for "business" reasons?
taking a poke at me Mingsome? Is it cos I forgot to send a Christmas card? So last year. Anyhow, my bucket is increasingly important as years pass, and yes a stroker is another itch that might get scratched. Trekluse is available. One concern is the depreciation hit of new bikes. 2013 Freeride's with 30 hours are being offered at a discount of a third from new price. That means new buyers paid £70 an hour for their pleasure. As SuperC will testify, you can get a lot of pleasure for £70 an hour.
Wot say you, Headmaster? Is it the cane, the shoe or the blackboard rubber across the swede?
I say the view from the fence is delightful, but the splinters are becoming a problem.
Very pleased that Gaz +1, Jason and yours truly will be pluggin' mud this Sunday AM.
+1 is a neighbour of mine. 20 something bloke, no fear type, next to no experience, who needs initiating in the muddy arts. Should be a giggle to watch.
If I swop out of the 530, which is far from certain, whim of the week is 2t. As Snafu suggested I need to 'borrow' one for a few hours to experience it for myself.
If sticking with 4t id try a Freeride 350 4t, and need to understand whether the upgrades in 2014 spec are important. I gather they might be, as apparently early bikes have engine longevity issues (after 30 hours!?) and suspension problems (bottoming out, badly). That said, 2k is a frigging lot to pay for this year's stickers... so again I'd likely buy used and fix or tolerate the issues of the early bike.
I won't rise to the "you fall off / broke your bike / were shagged more than me" heckle", you bar steward
-- Edited by Lucky on Wednesday 15th of January 2014 06:34:01 PM
I love Harley's. Or perhaps I mean Hartley the moth eaten television star Hare of years ago. Dunno really just posted this to subvert the topic of two strokes which, quite frankly, any green laner of middling ability should not consider for a moment .... no valve .... two stroke means no engine braking, should this be coupled with limited feather braking skills it certainly will result in more painful falls.
Hanzerploo is a real place but not as real as A&E.
Dude - Harley's are for people who have come to terms with being cool, being ridiculous or wanting to be cool but looking ridiculous. Select your category.
That's almost into Landrover Discovered its not what I wanted territory
Try before you buy is the motto Snaf used, sound advice
Btw whats the depreciation on a Harley like nowadays, there was a time they held their money but now they seem to drop like like a whore draws in value.
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Walk a mile in another man's shoes. ...and you will be a mile away... and have his shoes..
Inspired by the fact we have a thread that has lasted almost 2 pages without deviating too much (apart from Dude's attempt at humour by suggesting a HD is a bike) - have a look-see at this vid and pay particular attention to what happens at 1:00 onwards. Think they must have taken vertigo tablets....
By my reckonin ive been insulted 4 times in that post. Dude, how many did you count?
Just pointing out the error of your buy now sell later policy
I reckon reading a bit about the 250 freeride 2T it would be a fantastic trail bike, there again if you dumped a 250 2T trial bike engine into a light weight frame then it would be. Its all about these bikes being made specifically for trails rather than MX which for our lanes are an ideal solution. There are rare times where you want an all out MX bike but plenty times when you don't.
The price is a bit eye watering, secondhand is not an option yet.
I think you should go for it, what possibly could go wrong?
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Walk a mile in another man's shoes. ...and you will be a mile away... and have his shoes..
Gaz, Liz has got a 200EXC and Jason had one for a while, so there is plenty of knowledge re. snappy little Katoom 2strokes. I had a good chat with a 4stroke Freeride dude at the last CORE event. He wasn't hardcore, just a normal humanoid and he loved the bike. He lives near Exeter and I've got his number if you want to have a chat / poke it.
Ga has got a 200EXC and Jason had one for a while, so there is plenty of knowledge re. snappy little Katoom 2strokes. I had a good chat with a 4stroke Freeride dude at the last CORE event. He wasn't hardcore, just a normal humanoid and he loved the bike. He lives near Exeter and I've got his number if you want to have a chat / poke it.
Thanks Tim. Ill start with interrogating Jason at the weekend, and get myself to Wheeldon to try a small stroker. The 350 is second favourite whimsy at the moment..l
If I am reading it correctly the service intervals are 50 hours which is way longer than most of the other bikes in the offroad KTM range, the service is 90 minutes.
I would be asking some serious questions about major engine maintenance schedules as my 250EXCF was wearing out expensive components scarily fast.
My guess due to the low power and no power valve which makes the two strokes peaky it has got all the hallmarks of a great bike that will last a while before it needs major surgery. Piston and rings though circa £500
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Walk a mile in another man's shoes. ...and you will be a mile away... and have his shoes..
Hmmmph Peterbc gave me some of those Vertigo tablets he said it'd improve my riding skills, lying little fecker I completely lost interest in dirt bikes for 24 hours.
Sorry about that Supersizedtaffywinkle I should have said only use those pills if ye have nothing to do but fek about and admire the beanstalk that will surely grow. I forgot you had a greenhouse. Soz buddy.
I have me assuage and message from those who have died before me.... "Gazzla spend thou dosh and fulfil thy dreams" I have no idea what that means but I won't be fantasising about Hartley.
The 200 and 250/300 are very different bikes, all can be tamed down with switchable ingnition and resetting the power valve. A 300 will lug away all day finding traction.
I'm not sure I'd go for a KTM though as they seem unreliable in the leccy start department.
A second hand Beta with it's leccy start designed engine looks tempting but I had a new one riding with me in Cornwall last year and it looked very second hand with decals falling off and a bent exhuast with less than 18hrs on the clock.
A S/H one should have lost a few grand within the first year.
I think a Harley would be a keeper for the Dude. The loud pipe emanations would create an instant bond. The overly big nature and associated "relaxed" performance reinforce the instant bond. Further deepening of bond created by a realisation that staying home and polishing your bits can be as satisfying as getting them out, playing with them and getting them dirty is surely the bona fide actualisation or realisation of the majority of Harley owners......
He should just rent out Lucky's when he feels the urge. That way it'll be able to clock up at least 300 miles in a year.
Lucky's Harley will be seeing some use this year, would have seen some last year had he not been persuaded that it may not been welcome on the Swiss trip, wonder who that was?
Looking back on the trip it was the right decision, the BMW is a far better touring bike and despite the fact that the unnecessary toys break on BMW's the actual parts that make it go and stop are quality reliable components which I believe the same cannot be said of the Harley. The Harley would have been no fun on the twisty bits and at the pace we were going at times we would have had to go back and sweep up all the bits that had scrapped off round the bends and vibrated off on the straight bits
I think Lucky may well find out just how good the K1600 is when he ventures out on a tour on the Harley.
Btw Mr Dude, you do know Harley's vibrate like a sh!t house door don't you?
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Walk a mile in another man's shoes. ...and you will be a mile away... and have his shoes..
When I tested the very bike in your link, it was very smooth, rubber mounted engines on the later HD's. Once under way , anyhow.
it is a bike best ridden on its own or with other hogs. Bit anti social, unless like Gar, one can have a bike for every occasion. Jammy gett.