street legal 2-strokes

[loudbeard]

Hypothetically speaking, what if an NESRian is selling a 2011 TE449 for $4,500 with 6,600 miles?

https://palmsprings.craigslist.org/m...940201591.html

I can't help you any more than a Google search on this one. Cool bike though, I'd start digging on ADV Rider and Thumper Talk for long term dependability. I wouldn't shy away from a KTM EXC-F (XC-W if older) with this mileage though, not sure how the BMW mills compare.

[breakdirt916]

lol, it's alex/jen's bike!

but I can't seem to find anything online about it...it replaced the TE450, it's 50 state legal, one guy on advrider said he had electrical issues (dash didn't work when it got a little wet), and the map loading kept saying fail

[loudbeard]

lol, it's alex/jen's bike!

but I can't seem to find anything online about it...it replaced the TE450, it's 50 state legal, one guy on advrider said he had electrical issues (dash didn't work when it got a little wet), and the map loading kept saying fail

Well put it on 'em. "Would you sell this bike to your friend?"

Spec wise...it's a touch on the piggy side, but still lighter than a new 450L.

[breakdirt916]

1,500 miles .. '05 450exc?

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/...949599150.html

not sure what it means when "there's nothing wrong with this bike" and "it runs rich/rough"...and how did he buy an '05 in late '04 and became the 2nd owner (he mentions the previous owner put the DS tire on it)? I'm starting to talk myself out of it - it has an aftermarket trailtech striker odometer - how do we know there are 1,500 miles on it?

[typeone]

lol, it's alex/jen's bike!

but I can't seem to find anything online about it...it replaced the TE450, it's 50 state legal, one guy on advrider said he had electrical issues (dash didn't work when it got a little wet), and the map loading kept saying fail

CafeHusky has all the answers you need. thankfully it's back online, tons of great info on the older Husky's

Motosportz/Kelly - 449 / 511 Recap and Info

-----

[Kurlon]

1,500 miles .. '05 450exc?

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/...949599150.html

not sure what it means when "there's nothing wrong with this bike" and "it runs rich/rough"...and how did he buy an '05 in late '04 and became the 2nd owner (he mentions the previous owner put the DS tire on it)? I'm starting to talk myself out of it - it has an aftermarket trailtech striker odometer - how do we know there are 1,500 miles on it?

So, RFS motor, there are some key updates that you want to make sure have been done. Rich/rough could be valves tightening up. The RFS uses rockers with lock nut tappet adjusters so checking and adjusting is easy. On the flip side, you may find like I did that one of the exhaust valves isn't in use 'cause the rocker arm broke. Damn bike still ran, I put down my fastest laps ever as a novice at the time running on 3 valves... didn't know anything was wrong until it went on the dyno and was WAY fat, making 34hp, as a 520. That bike could be Pandora's box, could be mint, dunno.

[MattR302]

https://advrider.com/f/threads/2008-...diego.1398053/

[breakdirt916]

Dang it! And Alex will for 4K on the TE

[breakdirt916]

CafeHusky has all the answers you need. thankfully it's back online, tons of great info on the older Husky's

Motosportz/Kelly - 449 / 511 Recap and Info

-----

much thanks! looks like a fun bike to ride, but what about parts availability/longevity?

[breakdirt916]

https://advrider.com/f/threads/2008-...diego.1398053/

hmmmMMMMM

this does check many of the boxes

[breakdirt916]

So, I get looking for lowish miles. Not sure I'd care about age if the miles are low, it's not like DRZs are a constantly evolving bike?

age means something to me - even a low hour bike can be subject to reliability issues. oh wait, this seal just started to leak "well that's possible on a bike that old"

trying to get away from owning a 15-20 year old bike

currently I'm re-thinking the DRZ option - doing reading on enduro/ktm bikes between a DRZ400 and a 450L and establishing what would be reliable and what my price point should be

I was reading a Q/A about LAB2V and the group of riders had a 250L front brake fail during day one, that could not be repaired

how does the desert kill a 250L

Paul said it best - the desert is a sandpaper environment...it will beat up a bike real bad. short of buying new, that's why I'm searching out the lower maintenance/properly maintained used bikes. I already turned away the bikes with no odometer (DRZ400 E models, XR650R, older KTM's with non-oem, electric odometer)

[nhbubba]

I think that WR250R looks like a winner for you. Price doesn't even seem that dumb.

[typeone]

much thanks! looks like a fun bike to ride, but what about parts availability/longevity?

if it's a bike you're seriously considering, give Up-Tite Cycles in Santa Ana and Hall's Cycles in Illinois a call and ask for their honest opinions.

[MattR302]

I could live with it...but all my friends are telling me "it's okay" is never something you want toI am checking daily for "deals" on drz400s...there isn't much. my criteria to buy is low mileage (under 2,500 miles), not super old (many 2001-2003 out there), $3,500 with the "must have mods" (3+ gallon tank, skid plate, hand guards, exhaust/jet kit), or $3k for a stock one.

a solid enough deal, and I'll buy it.

Here you go: https://advrider.com/f/threads/2008-...-2500.1399084/

[breakdirt916]

Here you go: https://advrider.com/f/threads/2008-...-2500.1399084/

ahh yes, this bike did surface when I posted in the ADV rider flea market, and I passed on it because it has a "practically new on the inside" motor of unknown mileage

it's an E swapped bike; which should make more power, but I'm sticking to a stock "S" motor so I don't have to worry about how many true miles are on the motor before it grenades. Additionally, he started at $3,500 for the package and is now down to $3k...looks like nobody will pay $3,500 for just a 10 year old DRZ...neither should I

in the mean time...







figured out something about the headlight (which keeps falling off) - I need to match the OEM Yamaha design and get it UNDER the brake line. I took off the extra brackets from the back and snugged the headlight as close too the forks as possible, and voila! stayed in place! rear plate is now mounted on top of the fender like the old MA ohv plates . I will raise up the front so it's angled a bit. Tried to walk into a dealer and get a front tire/ultra heavy duty tube/MotoZ tractionator and failed...nobody regularly stocks those things locally in orange county...definitely need to plan ahead and order stuff a week out for specific things like that.

[breakdirt916]

after work fun



tried a $15 LED spot headlamp today - it was definitely an improvement over the LED "flood" bar I had! You can see 15-20 feet ahead instead of 10ft ahead...could comfortably hold 2nd/3rd instead of 1st/2nd. I'm going to attach a gopro sticky to the back, and maybe run one on each side

oh yeah, the DRZ400/WR250R are both off the table. no low performance bikes

the $3k-$4500 range mostly includes 10-15 year old bikes with 9k miles...not sure I want to take a gamble and rebuild in 2-4 years, so the budget must go up. $10k buys me a new 450L...350exc/450exc/500exc/525exc are all on the radar

[breakdirt916]

yesterday's test: ride from home

30 mins/18 miles, driveway to dirt



speed limits: 55 tops...bike cruises fine @ 58mph, off the pipe.

Wearing ear plugs next time



from here, it's just a single fire road to "4 corners" - intersection w' other mountain roads



it's 25-30 mins by car/jeep, 15 mins by bike, but yesterday I got up in 12 mins

for a quickie day, it's a 90 min loop...but why slab 60 mins and only ride 30 mins of dirt?

so I cruised a little farther up, and surprise! the gate to the peak was open!



this was closed 2 weeks ago...

the road the peak was embedded rocks, as it has been for years



but the views up there, were...





saw a family of these out for a stroll



left home at 6:21...got home at 8:45

next time: keep bike in truck & ride 5:30-7:30, or ride straight from where the bike is stored.

service:
-rear tire
-front tire (w' rim swap since lost a spoke)
-clutch lever
-brake lever
-front brake service - pads, bleed line, clean caliper pistons
-adjust rear brake lever

[breakdirt916]

"on the forums they said it's the best" tire: the Goldentyre Fatty GT216AA



my original rim was missing a front spoke

so I am installing the GT onto my backup rim; which has been sitting for years in a storage shed. It's somehow missing a rotor bolt, so I told the dealer to inspect it, replace that bolt, make sure the rotor is straight, tighten the spokes, replace the rim strip if necessary, I brought in a Michelin Ultra Heavy Duty 4mm tube, and I'll pick it up in a few days.

will replace the rear tire in October...closer to LAB2V

my new wheel/tire setup will be:
-21"/19" - DOT knobbies, run year round
-2nd 21": slick/flat track tire
-18" rear: slick/sand tire

Friday: swap replacement wheel, check compression, install hand guards, new amazon battery, charge GPS, go through bike and tighten fasteners, inspect earth lead wiring, order replacement shock guard bolt, gas up, load up, and ride Sunday.

Sept: Pismo (clean bike, coat frame, sand tire, dune flag), Swingarm swap w' bearings, top end w' 3 bro's KTM

Oct: one desert run (husky), 2-4 post-work local forest rides

Nov: Pahrump Rally, 1 desert run, 2 post-work forest rides

Dec/Jan/Feb: desert loops

[breakdirt916]

alriiiighhhht....let's see what the talk is all about



install on bike Friday, ride Sunday AM

[typeone]

look forward to hearing your thoughts on that tire in your conditions. it's awesome for hitting rocks and roots straight on but i eventually got tired of the slower steering and climbing out of ruts.

dropped down to a Shinko MX216 90/90 for now. so far so good... and cheap!

[breakdirt916]

well I'll be damned, the answer was right here all along



FE350 or 450 XCW

[gregp]

I have owned my 2012 350 EXC-f since new, and to this day, going on 7 years now, I am amazed every time I get on it. It is an amazing motorcycle. My brother has a 2014 500 - and I over-thought the 350/500 decision when I bought mine. I do NOT regret choosing the 350 over the 500. I ride a lot of super-tight, gnarly stuff, and the 350 can almost be too much in those conditions. I can not imagine being on a 500. I have a Rekluse, and a Terra-X lowering kit (lowered 35mm at each end). FWIW - I check the valve clearances every year, and have not had to change a shim on even one valve yet! I have had fewer electro-mechanical issues with my EXC than I have with my 2012 DL-650! This really surprises me.
I rarely access the top end power of the 350, but when I do, I am still surprised by how much power it has. I have not ever been on a 65 MPH highway with it, but I am sure that it would survive short trips just fine. With the stock (tall) 14/45 gearing, it cruises pretty easily at 70-75 MPH.
So, sure, go 450 or 500 if you want to, but the 350's are SOLID, and they feel lighter (although they are not actually much lighter at all). Having ridden both my 350 and some 500's back to back, I feel that the 350's have a wider spread of power - just because they rev so high.

[breakdirt916]

I really want to rent/demo the bikes if I can...I am 135lbs...not sure I really need a 500

A friend told me that they counterbalanced the motor after 2017ish or so, and prior to that the bike had a lot of vibration and minimal "chill" factor - it rode like it always had to be "on"

but alas, it's all anecdotal evidence...it may be the right bike for me, I just need to try it

in the mean time, 90+ in dry heat was doable - ice water in a camel bak and vented gear...no long/slow/radiator exploding hill climbs tho!



and I seriously suck...I did not notice a difference with the Goldentyre fatty

the amount of traction my front tire has depends more on my body positioning, brake and throttle control. if the front tire sucks, I naturally gravitate to more upright turning on fire roads so I don't low side, and I try to modulate both front/rear brakes on descents

l enjoyed the windy trails with elevation changes



and I seriously need to hold more momentum in 2nd, use the left hand, and float my way up the hills

or I end up napping lol

[gregp]

"A friend told me that they counterbalanced the motor after 2017ish or so, and prior to that the bike..." - AFAIK - This applies only to KTM's 250 and 300 two stroke motors, and NOT to any of their 4 strokes.

[breakdirt916]

Hmm...actually you are correct

I erroneously trusted a trailside talk from someone who appeared as well read. He said he may have misunderstood, but at some point there were some improvements.

I do want to try it...no rentals out here on that though. 500exc first

My short list of 4 strokes are now: FE350s, 350 EXC, and 450 EXC...maybe 500 EXC