I've logged a lot of miles on XR-200s and the CRF-230Fs and I agree 100%! It's much easier to ride an underpowered bike fast than a powerful bike slow. Run whatcha brung and keep smiling!
@@kyleosbun I hate to say but other than the addition of FI the crf250f is a downgrade from the 230f in almost every way. They're both e-start, and have equally terrible stock suspension. But the 230 has a 6th gear, is 20 lbs lighter, and a shorter wheel base by about 2 inches.
I'm 73 yrs. old and my newest bike is a 2008 Honda CRF150F. I got that because of the electric start. I'm 5'4", and the damn this is too tall for my 73 year old knees and back. I really prefer my 1975 Suzuki RL250 purchased new by me, and my 1975 Honda TL250 acquired from my cousin who bought his new also. These were bought because they had low seat heights and fitted with knobbies were darn fine trail bikes then and now. Easy to work on, most parts are available if you look. Starting the TL250 is a bit hard on my knee, but once it started and warmed up, it's just fine. Just opened the Suzuki for the first time and working on a topend for that now. Of course I am 73 and don't ride any where near as fast as I once did, and I probably didn't ride them as much as most of your viewers do, but I still enjoy them and hope to get a few more years on them before hanging my boots and helmet up.😀
I had a 1980 yamaha It175G and flogged the crap out of it for over 10 years mostly in the sand hills, never let me down, kept up with all the big bore bikes my mates had and very minimal maintenance needed, wish I still had it!
I find I land somewhere in the middle on this one (as is normal for me I suppose) I love me some old bikes, get stoked every time I see anything from the 80's still out ripping around, but I feel like I've grown soft in the twilight years of my youth. Having lived life with modern suspension, fuel injection, electric start, and brakes that work, I'd be hard pressed to want to regularly ride something that almost kills me every time, and leaves me feeling beat up afterwords. I will always love, work on, and lust over cool old simple machines, but man do i appreciate a lot of our modern touches.
I own an XR650R, been trying to learn enduro on that and it's really really hard. I struggle a lot. Tried a 2023 Sherco and there's a world of difference, it's way easier to ride under any circumstance. Suspension is another planet, lower ride height, way less weight and the awesome frame help you so much. I love my bike, but for a beginner it makes a world of difference to have a modern piece of kit that forgives you many mistakes.
@@Joe-pg3kg Oh yeah of course I tried the mighty XR 250R and it's easier for tight enduro. The big red pig isn't that huge compared to it though, it's mostly due to the weight.
@@hrgiyzueghe the weight, the heght and kickstart only. suspension id not call too troubleing on XR650R... when you somehow love the bike, its fun! when you are intrested in longer, harder enduro and a more playful ride, than there is to say that XR 650R is delaying skillbuild and fun!
@@Yoshij250GS Yep, as for the kickstart it isn't all that bad if it's well carburated, but if you flood it in the summer i'ts a stamina-killer. For longer more open enduro that thumper is awesome.
Your videos convinced me to buy a cheep simple bike, but when a good deal on a fancy bike came up I went for it. Nothing but regrets. Amateur riders don’t need professional bikes.
The prices of the new bikes are repelling people from the dealerships. Just about everything is $10K here in the U.S. The problem with an old bike is you have to work on it more. That takes time and that is time you could be riding somewhere.
Great vid...and some of the reason(s) I'm still rocking my 08 990 and my 09 WR. I hope to ride them until I'm @ room temp. Thank you for posting and sharing your perspectives....they are important. I came to off-road bikes in my 40s with my 990, and headed straight to the woods of the PNW. Fortunately, and before I killed myself, I had the good fortune to hook up with a couple that have been dual sporting together since the 1970s. They ride and camp pretty much every weekend and love to share their decades of experience with anyone willing to listen, share some campfire dinners and have some fun. That was almost 20 years ago and we are now in the mountains of Utah and don't' get a chance to ride with our friends much anymore, but your video (and often this channel in general) brings back many great memories and invaluable lessons from dear friends who have forgotten more about dual sport, trials and single-track riding and repair than I'll ever know. Thanks for that and thanks Lan and Syl! "Toes in, Elbows out, Ride it like a unicycle"....sing it with me!
Sure do like my old reliable XR400R..it's been a fabulous trail machine. I do sometimes lust after a lighter ride...with a push button starter...hydraulic clutch...and new tech suspension...and of course, bold new graphics. I'd love to be the envy of my dirt bike friends. I compensate with soft sticky tires, balance, good form, and skills gleaned from Cross Training Enduro videos. Without you guys, I'd be just another pretty bike...high sided off a steep, rocky, dusty trail...silently tallying up the repair costs. ~Central Idaho. USA
Itchy boots just bought an old Tenere. Old school dirt bikes are getting more popular these days. Id really like an XR 400 but second hand prices for a good one are really getting higher now. Cheers
But you are forgetting how easy, in the case of a KDX at least, how easy they are to kick. My KDX is one or 2 easy kicks every time bike, hot, cold, just tipped over, what ever. It sometimes takes more tries to kill the engine than to start it!
@@seanbarney8934 That's true enough. Depends on type of riding too. For the technical single track I do it sure is nice to have pushbutton. But for more open longer rides with few stops (which I enjoy just as much) the kickstart would not really be a big detriment. I do like a street legal bike, and that would limit me to more the foo-foo old dualsports like KE's, DT's or XL's.
@@algee8228 just work that clutch and keep her revved up. get your bike lowered so your feet are always planted to the floor and you will be fine! comfort is key.
I have lots of new gear, the difference is I buy only what I need and not what the advertisers tell me I want. It’s a small miracle that you can still buy new old bikes that haven’t changed since the 80’s!
My local megabox powersports dealer has 2024 KTM and GasGases, 150s and 300s, for $7,000 USD now. Yes, it is infinitely better than riding a 30 year old Honda. No, there's nothing wrong with enjoying old bikes, but each time I hear this argument, I think "this guy is a tightwad."
I sold my 01 xr250r for a 2021 gasgas 300ec this summer, and as much as inlove the gasgas im miss my old xr with its nimble feel and the luggability of an old tractor. And ibwill get another one some day
Bought a Rieju Ranger 200. Most riders think it's a starter bike or ask why I didn't get the 300. I love the lower seat height and the 200 motor rips now that I have the FMF Gnarly system on it. Less vibration than the 300 and the smaller displacement is easier on the electric starter motor.
All for older bikes and the simplicity that comes with them, but there's something to be said for the magic button when your half way up a hill on a goat track and you need to kick over the XR600 for the 10th time in 15 minutes.
Just sold my XR200 a couple of years ago for a CRF250L. It's heavy compared to the 200. But it's fuel injected, water cooled, and has an electric start. It required some suspension, exhaust gearing and an ECU upgrade to make it more trail friendly. I'm enjoying BDRs (Backcountry Discovery Routes) now.
My old xr 250 what I had since I was 14 now I'm 34 goes hard still and I can keep up with all the 450s no problem on her got a husky 701 now but i still love riding the xr
Me and my mates swop motos all the time when out riding. I get a mix of 250’s up to 500’s, 2 stroke and 4 stroke. Takes about 15 mins to get used to each moto But I always end up riding a very similar style.
would love an older bike, but the prices people are asking for them these days is outrageous, lol. ive got a 2014 bike and it does me fine. had the opportunity to ride some brand new 2024 bikes but wasnt that keen. id hate to ride something new and realize how bad my bike actually is, id rather be blissfully unaware that its crap and keep loving it just the way it is, haha.
There's honestly not much difference at all between 2014 to present. it's all just marketing BS. if you maintain your rig and have it set up right, nothing will be better. Not for atleast another 50 years until self-riding E-motorbikes come out.
I’m into the full size bikes!! I’ve been taking my Tenere down single track and enjoy it more than dirtbikes! Sometimes I do enjoy taking my 1995 klR 250 out as well
Twin shock trials followed by the pinnacle of modern tech....the Yam TY250 Mono...seals and grease nipples on all the linkeages = two of my 84 models still run 40 y/o brgs...
i am dallas.....not literally but im still on an xr200, granted i scrounged around and got some parts from an 86 to 88 and put the good stuff back on and its on and poppin, follow us thru the rock garden
I'm over half a century old and ridding an old worn out Yamaha ttr 600. Still keeping up . The bike has about 70,000 is on it of hard dirt riding. The rear linkages are worn out and it blows smoke. Still giving them a run for their money.
My first bike was a Kawasaki KE 175. Good for the first experience but hardly anything more. I enjoy my 2010 690 for dual spoorts and, for special occasions, my Beta 350 RR. Sure I won't realistically be able to master the Beta, but I enjoy the handling, the suspension and the engine. While I would have loved to have the Beta in young years the opposite is not true.
I bought my KTM brand new, (in 1994) and it was so much better suited to the bush than my old KX that I was actually able to go more places. I suppose that's more a case of it being a better bike though, rather than only because it was new. Still have both bikes in the shed, but if I had lots of money, maybe I'd buy another new one. Be easier to change the air filter on a new one.
Not really an older bike, but my first bike was a wr250r dual sport (same model since 2008) and I rode hard enduro with it for years. It was so clapped by the end it was barely rideable but I don’t regret a second of it. I loved that bike and I had so much fun. Getting onto a newer bike feels insane, but I wouldn’t have had all that fun and learned so much if I didn’t ride “the wrong bike” for so long. I feel like that 310lb fat pig taught me how to really handle a motorcycle in technical terrain, and now the modern 300s feel like riding on air.
Hmm the question, in my life ( semi retired too stubborn to quit) I’ve only ever bought something made in the same decade for personal use twice. As it turns out I’m just a cheap SOB who dislikes electronics and computerized anything. I have to have a truck / service vehicle for work so that is always no older than 3 years and the thing that gives me the most trouble. I have a real hard time justifying the cost of anything new, they are getting worse and worse as the years go on, I currently am down to 3 bikes 1 is a rolling arm chair and 2 XR’s both 650’s one the anemic L and the other is the R and they are all pre 2005 models. I’ve surpassed the age where I’m screaming down single track on a 300 lbs pig anymore But I just can’t bring myself to part with the R so now after a little ingenuity and time she’s street legal as well. If something breaks down on any of my bikes or vehicles for that matter they are typically side of the road repairs or really cheap parts replacements ( with the exception of the work truck that goes straight to the shop cause it’s all computer), maintenance doesn’t require a masters in electronics, computer programming, quantum physics or thousand dollar specialty tools. Lessons I learned over the years, A properly fitted helmet is a good idea, Good boots are a must, proper protection should be functional not fashionable Nor stupidly expensive and nothing is more water proof than rain gear ( especially those industrial bright yellow rain suits we get for free 😜). The more the riding the more the repairs.
i feel this. i've spent the better half of 2 years in a dirtbike research k-hole, trying to figure out what the next move is from my TW200. i cracked the frame, welded it, pulled any excess weight off of it and have slowly turned it into a pretty capable machine. in a near constant state of analysis paralysis, i attempt to scour the internet for the perfect bike. kdx220, 200 exc, wr250f, beta 200rr, 300rr, 300xcw, sherco 300, sherco SEF, pre ktm husky and gasgas, reiju, crf250x, etc. nothing is screaming my name. i continue to take my turdy old TW out on the trails. as i push the bike harder and harder, it keeps getting the job done somehow. maybe this is how it should be. will i ever decide? if i do "upgrade", surely i will immediately wrap myself around a tree on the first ride.
I know the feeling! And it was always a relief when I just relaxed and accepted the bike I was riding was fine. If you did upgrade though, I'd suggest trying the 200cc models. They will have a lot more power but still gentle enough to not get wrapped around trees hopefully. 😎
New expensive stuff, tricked out suspension and brakes is not about going fast for me. It's about comfort, ease, fun and over all capability of my bike. Making me (as an average rider) enjoy riding more. ps anything after 2014 is probably more than enough bike ;)
I have a 22 gas gas 350 that I love. The ownership experience is quite easy. But I really have a bug for something like a kdx200..... There is an appeal to the simple, no frills bike
The gear doesn't mean alot to me as long as my feet, head, and eyeballs are safe. But bikes are another story. I own a XR200 and while they are fun, once you get your skill level gets to a certain point the shortcomings of the XR are noticeable. Will it always be fun? sure. But is it as fun to ride all day long as a Sherco 300sef? Not in my eyes
Well I have no kids, so my bike gets all my love and attention. It’s shiny & fancy. But I do take skillz seriously and train every day I’m not injured 😅
I have been riding for 3 years now and I found out that some guys like riding motorcycles and others just like motorcycles. Manufacturers make the most money with the later.
I have a WR 250 Yamaha and I could ride my 30 year old XR 250 faster in the desert and single track. I am old-school and I am used to much softer suspension. Great video.
+1 on old school! I recon new bikes are better, but miss so many other important issues: reliability for example, and high maintenance (changing piston every 100h? Seriously?....)
I still have my KDX200. There is no need to upgrade unless I struggle to get parts. (I doubt that will ever happen.) It may be fun to buy a Kayo 2T because it is cheap or even a FCMoto 450 because it is cheap. Unfortunately, getting to the dirt to ride dirt is such an effort. I now became a hands off farmer with sheep on a farm in the desert. I "need" to visit the farm every third month to "protect my investment". So I keep the bike there and guarantee four rides a year.
Always been riding the old bikes. But last ride i got stuck on a hill on the old xr, had to drag it out, and do you think it would start after that? Ive had enough of kicking bikes. New bike now in shed. Everything about it is better. I wont ride any faster, not the point, but I wont be sweating and heaving trail side.
The only way I can really afford to ride as well as have other hobbies is to ride old junk that other people either cant or won't keep running on their own. Luckily I can do all my own work, and build the odd custom part I need to keep stuff running, so I've got a big advantage over the riders that have to take everything to the dealership. In fact, my most recently acquired bike is a 2001 KTM 300 that was free because the local dealership couldn't find a replacement clutch cover for it. Nothing that cant be fixed with a bit of JB Weld though. I can go anywhere on it that my neighbour can go on his brand new one, and we have lots of fun riding together.
I can't stop cheering, it hurts. Long live my good old Husaberg, kick starter, carburetor, etc., and screw all those new gadgets on $15k modern bikes that beg for more servicing and breaking down. And don't get me started on the "maps".
The only question that remains unanswered is who's going to go broke first. The manufactures with their unnecessary high production costs and lower sales or the riders paying to keep these things going. Six hundred to find and replace one of the sensors that wasn't even there two years ago is loosing its shine.
Yeah, while i do like some new bikes for some purposes, i prefer old school. My KDX200 is so friendly and comfy, while still being bloody quick. just love it. The new enduro bikes have a straight seat like a wooden plank, are super skinny and have weird super agressive geometry, i dont like it. Had a KTM 380SX once and that was the perfect mix between sporty and comfortable geometry. awesome bike for tall guys too. I stick to the trusted simple legendary bike models for a fraction of the price of an unproven new one
Well.. the truth is somewhere in the middle. I owned a lot of bikes older and newer ones. I had fun with all of them!!!! Once i" m ok with my health i don't care about the bike. I love riding my current husky fe 350 2014 model, i had great fun with my ktm 250f 2009 , irealy adore my hysqy te 250 2005 and when i was 18 years old i learned enduro riding with an old dr250 1991. Would i prefer my old dr 250? No... i think not. Would i had great time when i rode it? Definitely yes!!! Would i mind riding an older bike? Of course not! I would pleasantly ride an xr 200 or a dr350 or anything else with good company and my mates! What matters the most is to be healthy and to be able to ride your motorcycle with your friends! Be happy with your bike regardless if its old or new and ride as much as you possibly can!!!
I'm definitely doing it wrong, because I have all the gear, and I'm not having fun commuting at 6AM in the dark in the pouring rain in heavy traffic on my one year old DRZ, yet the opposite sex wont leave me alone, nor will the same sex.... At least I still get to have fun on the weekends! (on the bike)
Shame most of the decent old school bikes are fetching a premium now. When decent second hand xr4's are fetching the same as second hand crf250l's you know there's something up 😄 If you have an old air oil cooled carbed bike, keep it. Don't sell, you won't get another.
With poverty comes grit... Grit is good traction.. and something my back wheel can spit. With each passing year I get more gritty.. and lose the financial grit to buy all the latest new s***
I'm lost on people's nostalgia for old machines. They always spout off about "so much simplier and easy to work on". BS. The bigger versions of those XRs had a valvetrain that was made of glass. No simple. Not easy to work on. What i do understand is that they like their old things, and i respect that. But just go have fun, no need to compare and belittle the rest of us who are trying to buy our way out of a restoration so we can go and ride. And YES a pro on a decades old XR can whip my ass. They can whip my ass on a new ride too. You can't buy skill ... or genetics.
I never liked school. Too busy stripping threads and ripping shreds on old dirt bikes. Really love yer content, but where you get that postie snorkel kit (I have a ‘68 CT90), and I really really need some of them fast billet gas caps for my ‘86 TT350, and 87 TT225. (Orange pleeese¡! 😂). Keep rippin that OG sh1t, y’all rock! And, oh yeah - XRs F’n FOREVER!!! 🫡
I've logged a lot of miles on XR-200s and the CRF-230Fs and I agree 100%! It's much easier to ride an underpowered bike fast than a powerful bike slow. Run whatcha brung and keep smiling!
Youd love a crf250F. Air cooled electric start goodness
@@kyleosbun I hate to say but other than the addition of FI the crf250f is a downgrade from the 230f in almost every way. They're both e-start, and have equally terrible stock suspension. But the 230 has a 6th gear, is 20 lbs lighter, and a shorter wheel base by about 2 inches.
I'm 73 yrs. old and my newest bike is a 2008 Honda CRF150F. I got that because of the electric start. I'm 5'4", and the damn this is too tall for my 73 year old knees and back. I really prefer my 1975 Suzuki RL250 purchased new by me, and my 1975 Honda TL250 acquired from my cousin who bought his new also. These were bought because they had low seat heights and fitted with knobbies were darn fine trail bikes then and now. Easy to work on, most parts are available if you look. Starting the TL250 is a bit hard on my knee, but once it started and warmed up, it's just fine. Just opened the Suzuki for the first time and working on a topend for that now. Of course I am 73 and don't ride any where near as fast as I once did, and I probably didn't ride them as much as most of your viewers do, but I still enjoy them and hope to get a few more years on them before hanging my boots and helmet up.😀
Great to hear! I had a TLR250 as a teenager back in the 70s....
So true. As long as YOU are having fun. Then who cares?
Isn't that the point of riding? To enjoy your day?
I had a 1980 yamaha It175G and flogged the crap out of it for over 10 years mostly in the sand hills, never let me down, kept up with all the big bore bikes my mates had and very minimal maintenance needed, wish I still had it!
I find I land somewhere in the middle on this one (as is normal for me I suppose) I love me some old bikes, get stoked every time I see anything from the 80's still out ripping around, but I feel like I've grown soft in the twilight years of my youth. Having lived life with modern suspension, fuel injection, electric start, and brakes that work, I'd be hard pressed to want to regularly ride something that almost kills me every time, and leaves me feeling beat up afterwords. I will always love, work on, and lust over cool old simple machines, but man do i appreciate a lot of our modern touches.
I love working on my bike as much as riding it.
I own an XR650R, been trying to learn enduro on that and it's really really hard. I struggle a lot. Tried a 2023 Sherco and there's a world of difference, it's way easier to ride under any circumstance. Suspension is another planet, lower ride height, way less weight and the awesome frame help you so much.
I love my bike, but for a beginner it makes a world of difference to have a modern piece of kit that forgives you many mistakes.
You don’t need a modern bike at all you just need a smaller bike obviously. Everything you stated can be accomplished with a smaller old bike as well.
@@Joe-pg3kg Oh yeah of course I tried the mighty XR 250R and it's easier for tight enduro. The big red pig isn't that huge compared to it though, it's mostly due to the weight.
@@hrgiyzueghe the weight, the heght and kickstart only. suspension id not call too troubleing on XR650R...
when you somehow love the bike, its fun! when you are intrested in longer, harder enduro and a more playful ride, than there is to say that XR 650R is delaying skillbuild and fun!
@@Yoshij250GS Yep, as for the kickstart it isn't all that bad if it's well carburated, but if you flood it in the summer i'ts a stamina-killer.
For longer more open enduro that thumper is awesome.
...said everbody ever except Scott Summers.
Your videos convinced me to buy a cheep simple bike, but when a good deal on a fancy bike came up I went for it. Nothing but regrets. Amateur riders don’t need professional bikes.
_You don't need bee the best rider, You should have fun on these nice bikes. Greeeeetings from Germany._
The prices of the new bikes are repelling people from the dealerships. Just about everything is $10K here in the U.S. The problem with an old bike is you have to work on it more. That takes time and that is time you could be riding somewhere.
I love my DR200 dual sport. Air cooled with a carb, telescopic forks and drum in the rear. You can't get much more ancient than that.
😎👍
Great vid...and some of the reason(s) I'm still rocking my 08 990 and my 09 WR. I hope to ride them until I'm @ room temp. Thank you for posting and sharing your perspectives....they are important. I came to off-road bikes in my 40s with my 990, and headed straight to the woods of the PNW. Fortunately, and before I killed myself, I had the good fortune to hook up with a couple that have been dual sporting together since the 1970s. They ride and camp pretty much every weekend and love to share their decades of experience with anyone willing to listen, share some campfire dinners and have some fun. That was almost 20 years ago and we are now in the mountains of Utah and don't' get a chance to ride with our friends much anymore, but your video (and often this channel in general) brings back many great memories and invaluable lessons from dear friends who have forgotten more about dual sport, trials and single-track riding and repair than I'll ever know. Thanks for that and thanks Lan and Syl! "Toes in, Elbows out, Ride it like a unicycle"....sing it with me!
Sure do like my old reliable XR400R..it's been a fabulous trail machine.
I do sometimes lust after a lighter ride...with a push button starter...hydraulic clutch...and new tech suspension...and of course, bold new graphics. I'd love to be the envy of my dirt bike friends.
I compensate with soft sticky tires, balance, good form, and skills gleaned from Cross Training Enduro videos. Without you guys, I'd be just another pretty bike...high sided off a steep, rocky, dusty trail...silently tallying up the repair costs.
~Central Idaho. USA
never stop
Itchy boots just bought an old Tenere. Old school dirt bikes are getting more popular these days. Id really like an XR 400 but second hand prices for a good one are really getting higher now. Cheers
I often get the urge to pick up a good old-school bike...KDX, XR, IT. But then I remember they are kick start.
But you are forgetting how easy, in the case of a KDX at least, how easy they are to kick. My KDX is one or 2 easy kicks every time bike, hot, cold, just tipped over, what ever. It sometimes takes more tries to kill the engine than to start it!
@@seanbarney8934 That's true enough. Depends on type of riding too. For the technical single track I do it sure is nice to have pushbutton. But for more open longer rides with few stops (which I enjoy just as much) the kickstart would not really be a big detriment. I do like a street legal bike, and that would limit me to more the foo-foo old dualsports like KE's, DT's or XL's.
I miss my KDX 220! Damn good woods bike!
Learn how to ride better so you don't have to use your electric start. I am still trying this idea😂.
@@algee8228 just work that clutch and keep her revved up. get your bike lowered so your feet are always planted to the floor and you will be fine! comfort is key.
I have lots of new gear, the difference is I buy only what I need and not what the advertisers tell me I want. It’s a small miracle that you can still buy new old bikes that haven’t changed since the 80’s!
i rode 89 cr 250 until recently loved it even pulled me across some hard enduro trails
too poor for new school
school is quite expensive now
Old school Suzuki drz250 2003
school is free in my country, yet i still rather an old clapped out beater. way more fun
My local megabox powersports dealer has 2024 KTM and GasGases, 150s and 300s, for $7,000 USD now. Yes, it is infinitely better than riding a 30 year old Honda. No, there's nothing wrong with enjoying old bikes, but each time I hear this argument, I think "this guy is a tightwad."
@@Jimmy_Watt not shelling out 7,000 for a single use toy isn't being a tightwad.
Loved the Bling ad. LOL. I'd be happy on an old Hodaka Combat Wombat, but my bod weighs 232 lbs now. No going back.
I started on an 85' xr200r (dual carb) was a sweet bike, just a little weird to keep the carb in check. Don't think I could have had more fun on it!
I sold my 01 xr250r for a 2021 gasgas 300ec this summer, and as much as inlove the gasgas im miss my old xr with its nimble feel and the luggability of an old tractor. And ibwill get another one some day
Excellent video, I agree 100%. It comes down to the rider. Thanks for sharing .Cheers
You bet!
Crf250F is all the best of the old school with the only things it needed. Fuel injection and electric start. Its the best bike ever made.
Bought a Rieju Ranger 200. Most riders think it's a starter bike or ask why I didn't get the 300. I love the lower seat height and the 200 motor rips now that I have the FMF Gnarly system on it. Less vibration than the 300 and the smaller displacement is easier on the electric starter motor.
All for older bikes and the simplicity that comes with them, but there's something to be said for the magic button when your half way up a hill on a goat track and you need to kick over the XR600 for the 10th time in 15 minutes.
Just sold my XR200 a couple of years ago for a CRF250L. It's heavy compared to the 200. But it's fuel injected, water cooled, and has an electric start. It required some suspension, exhaust gearing and an ECU upgrade to make it more trail friendly. I'm enjoying BDRs (Backcountry Discovery Routes) now.
Every time I think I’m too old and past any glory. Jarvis takes a podium. Then I tell my wife there’s still a chance
Buy what you like, but actually ride it. Pile on the hours and wear it out. Then do it again
No matter if you win or lose, it’s how good you look 😉
😁
Running a TW200 off road... Yeah its heavy but its fun!
XR200R what a unit, that's a hell and back machine..some of us have to lift our bikes over logs ,
My old xr 250 what I had since I was 14 now I'm 34 goes hard still and I can keep up with all the 450s no problem on her got a husky 701 now but i still love riding the xr
I ride my XR400 more than any bike I own and it’s 23 years old but perfect for what I want to do.
Me and my mates swop motos all the time when out riding. I get a mix of 250’s up to 500’s, 2 stroke and 4 stroke. Takes about 15 mins to get used to each moto
But I always end up riding a very similar style.
would love an older bike, but the prices people are asking for them these days is outrageous, lol. ive got a 2014 bike and it does me fine. had the opportunity to ride some brand new 2024 bikes but wasnt that keen. id hate to ride something new and realize how bad my bike actually is, id rather be blissfully unaware that its crap and keep loving it just the way it is, haha.
There's honestly not much difference at all between 2014 to present. it's all just marketing BS. if you maintain your rig and have it set up right, nothing will be better. Not for atleast another 50 years until self-riding E-motorbikes come out.
I’m into the full size bikes!! I’ve been taking my Tenere down single track and enjoy it more than dirtbikes!
Sometimes I do enjoy taking my 1995 klR 250 out as well
Old>new!!! all the way, every day
Twin shock trials followed by the pinnacle of modern tech....the Yam TY250 Mono...seals and grease nipples on all the linkeages = two of my 84 models still run 40 y/o brgs...
i am dallas.....not literally but im still on an xr200, granted i scrounged around and got some parts from an 86 to 88 and put the good stuff back on and its on and poppin, follow us thru the rock garden
😎👍
I agree, it's the rider not the bike, but my new Beta looks sweet!
I'm over half a century old and ridding an old worn out Yamaha ttr 600. Still keeping up . The bike has about 70,000 is on it of hard dirt riding.
The rear linkages are worn out and it blows smoke.
Still giving them a run for their money.
😊👍
Smoke on, brother! Old TTs are the best 🤗 Had my 1987 TT225 out for a ride yesterday and got the blood pumping. Worn as she is, prob my fave off road.
My first bike was a Kawasaki KE 175. Good for the first experience but hardly anything more.
I enjoy my 2010 690 for dual spoorts and, for special occasions, my Beta 350 RR.
Sure I won't realistically be able to master the Beta, but I enjoy the handling, the suspension and the engine.
While I would have loved to have the Beta in young years the opposite is not true.
That's a trip down memory lane! I think I had the same bike when I was about 14....
I bought my KTM brand new, (in 1994) and it was so much better suited to the bush than my old KX that I was actually able to go more places.
I suppose that's more a case of it being a better bike though, rather than only because it was new.
Still have both bikes in the shed, but if I had lots of money, maybe I'd buy another new one. Be easier to change the air filter on a new one.
I am full-on old school. And very happy... 🤣🤣
Brilliant! 👍🤣 Thx for the laughs! 😂😅
Our pleasure!
Not really an older bike, but my first bike was a wr250r dual sport (same model since 2008) and I rode hard enduro with it for years. It was so clapped by the end it was barely rideable but I don’t regret a second of it. I loved that bike and I had so much fun. Getting onto a newer bike feels insane, but I wouldn’t have had all that fun and learned so much if I didn’t ride “the wrong bike” for so long. I feel like that 310lb fat pig taught me how to really handle a motorcycle in technical terrain, and now the modern 300s feel like riding on air.
Well done! I had a brief ride on the same bike and couldn't believe how heavy it was lol.
If I look good I feel better, if I feel better, I ride better...😊
I have a 98 xr250r and it’s fun to ride, but it is substantially slower and only 1/2 the hp of a modern yz250fx.
Hmm the question, in my life ( semi retired too stubborn to quit) I’ve only ever bought something made in the same decade for personal use twice. As it turns out I’m just a cheap SOB who dislikes electronics and computerized anything. I have to have a truck / service vehicle for work so that is always no older than 3 years and the thing that gives me the most trouble. I have a real hard time justifying the cost of anything new, they are getting worse and worse as the years go on, I currently am down to 3 bikes 1 is a rolling arm chair and 2 XR’s both 650’s one the anemic L and the other is the R and they are all pre 2005 models. I’ve surpassed the age where I’m screaming down single track on a 300 lbs pig anymore But I just can’t bring myself to part with the R so now after a little ingenuity and time she’s street legal as well. If something breaks down on any of my bikes or vehicles for that matter they are typically side of the road repairs or really cheap parts replacements ( with the exception of the work truck that goes straight to the shop cause it’s all computer), maintenance doesn’t require a masters in electronics, computer programming, quantum physics or thousand dollar specialty tools. Lessons I learned over the years, A properly fitted helmet is a good idea, Good boots are a must, proper protection should be functional not fashionable Nor stupidly expensive and nothing is more water proof than rain gear ( especially those industrial bright yellow rain suits we get for free 😜). The more the riding the more the repairs.
i feel this. i've spent the better half of 2 years in a dirtbike research k-hole, trying to figure out what the next move is from my TW200. i cracked the frame, welded it, pulled any excess weight off of it and have slowly turned it into a pretty capable machine. in a near constant state of analysis paralysis, i attempt to scour the internet for the perfect bike. kdx220, 200 exc, wr250f, beta 200rr, 300rr, 300xcw, sherco 300, sherco SEF, pre ktm husky and gasgas, reiju, crf250x, etc. nothing is screaming my name. i continue to take my turdy old TW out on the trails. as i push the bike harder and harder, it keeps getting the job done somehow. maybe this is how it should be. will i ever decide?
if i do "upgrade", surely i will immediately wrap myself around a tree on the first ride.
I know the feeling! And it was always a relief when I just relaxed and accepted the bike I was riding was fine. If you did upgrade though, I'd suggest trying the 200cc models. They will have a lot more power but still gentle enough to not get wrapped around trees hopefully. 😎
@@crosstrainingenduro KDX it is!
New expensive stuff, tricked out suspension and brakes is not about going fast for me. It's about comfort, ease, fun and over all capability of my bike. Making me (as an average rider) enjoy riding more. ps anything after 2014 is probably more than enough bike ;)
I have a 22 gas gas 350 that I love. The ownership experience is quite easy. But I really have a bug for something like a kdx200..... There is an appeal to the simple, no frills bike
Lean mean and green. 😁
The gear doesn't mean alot to me as long as my feet, head, and eyeballs are safe. But bikes are another story. I own a XR200 and while they are fun, once you get your skill level gets to a certain point the shortcomings of the XR are noticeable. Will it always be fun? sure. But is it as fun to ride all day long as a Sherco 300sef? Not in my eyes
Well I have no kids, so my bike gets all my love and attention. It’s shiny & fancy. But I do take skillz seriously and train every day I’m not injured 😅
I have been riding for 3 years now and I found out that some guys like riding motorcycles and others just like motorcycles. Manufacturers make the most money with the later.
I have a WR 250 Yamaha and I could ride my 30 year old XR 250 faster in the desert and single track. I am old-school and I am used to much softer suspension. Great video.
Where can I get that new "Shit" riding gear???
Right? I'd buy a shit jersey, let every new riding buddy know who they are up against.
+1 on old school!
I recon new bikes are better, but miss so many other important issues: reliability for example, and high maintenance (changing piston every 100h? Seriously?....)
I still have my KDX200. There is no need to upgrade unless I struggle to get parts. (I doubt that will ever happen.) It may be fun to buy a Kayo 2T because it is cheap or even a FCMoto 450 because it is cheap. Unfortunately, getting to the dirt to ride dirt is such an effort. I now became a hands off farmer with sheep on a farm in the desert. I "need" to visit the farm every third month to "protect my investment". So I keep the bike there and guarantee four rides a year.
i got a 1992 kx 250 with trials tyres on it and a flywheel weight... goes Anywhere..fast
Always been riding the old bikes. But last ride i got stuck on a hill on the old xr, had to drag it out, and do you think it would start after that? Ive had enough of kicking bikes. New bike now in shed. Everything about it is better. I wont ride any faster, not the point, but I wont be sweating and heaving trail side.
Got to admit I'm not really missing the kickstart lol
i suck but can tell a big difference in handling of my 22 5oo vs my 14 5oo ktm
The only way I can really afford to ride as well as have other hobbies is to ride old junk that other people either cant or won't keep running on their own. Luckily I can do all my own work, and build the odd custom part I need to keep stuff running, so I've got a big advantage over the riders that have to take everything to the dealership. In fact, my most recently acquired bike is a 2001 KTM 300 that was free because the local dealership couldn't find a replacement clutch cover for it. Nothing that cant be fixed with a bit of JB Weld though. I can go anywhere on it that my neighbour can go on his brand new one, and we have lots of fun riding together.
Great to hear, Kristian! That good old JB Weld can fix a lot of stuff....
I can't stop cheering, it hurts. Long live my good old Husaberg, kick starter, carburetor, etc., and screw all those new gadgets on $15k modern bikes that beg for more servicing and breaking down. And don't get me started on the "maps".
The only question that remains unanswered is who's going to go broke first. The manufactures with their unnecessary high production costs and lower sales or the riders paying to keep these things going. Six hundred to find and replace one of the sensors that wasn't even there two years ago is loosing its shine.
I'm not a fan of the high strung, high revving 4 strokes. I like the low down torque.
1991 dr350 from marketplace was the best thing i ever bought.
For 200AUD!
Bargain!
Yeah, while i do like some new bikes for some purposes, i prefer old school.
My KDX200 is so friendly and comfy, while still being bloody quick. just love it.
The new enduro bikes have a straight seat like a wooden plank, are super skinny and have weird super agressive geometry, i dont like it.
Had a KTM 380SX once and that was the perfect mix between sporty and comfortable geometry. awesome bike for tall guys too.
I stick to the trusted simple legendary bike models for a fraction of the price of an unproven new one
20 K and Av gas would make the old RFVC run, jump and stop reeeeel nice-like.
Well.. the truth is somewhere in the middle. I owned a lot of bikes older and newer ones. I had fun with all of them!!!! Once i" m ok with my health i don't care about the bike. I love riding my current husky fe 350 2014 model, i had great fun with my ktm 250f 2009 , irealy adore my hysqy te 250 2005 and when i was 18 years old i learned enduro riding with an old dr250 1991. Would i prefer my old dr 250? No... i think not. Would i had great time when i rode it? Definitely yes!!! Would i mind riding an older bike? Of course not! I would pleasantly ride an xr 200 or a dr350 or anything else with good company and my mates! What matters the most is to be healthy and to be able to ride your motorcycle with your friends! Be happy with your bike regardless if its old or new and ride as much as you possibly can!!!
I agree. WHO you ride with is at least half of the fun!
I'm definitely doing it wrong, because I have all the gear, and I'm not having fun commuting at 6AM in the dark in the pouring rain in heavy traffic on my one year old DRZ, yet the opposite sex wont leave me alone, nor will the same sex.... At least I still get to have fun on the weekends! (on the bike)
😂👍
At this point and age, I’m too addicted to the magic button. But other than that I’m fine with less tech.
Pretty much my position too 😁
I just bought a 1995 KTM LC4 400 to restore......
Shame most of the decent old school bikes are fetching a premium now.
When decent second hand xr4's are fetching the same as second hand crf250l's you know there's something up 😄
If you have an old air oil cooled carbed bike, keep it. Don't sell, you won't get another.
Buy a lightly used 300 or 350 for 8-9k ride it for two ears and sell it for 7-8k. No biggie.
Xr by Ronzo racing
Luv me XR 100 donkey single track slayer chuckle master hope ya well baz ooroo
With poverty comes grit... Grit is good traction.. and something my back wheel can spit.
With each passing year I get more gritty.. and lose the financial grit to buy all the latest new s***
Grit is good
I finally got a modern 2007 moto with an Electric Leg.
I'm fine being openly gay now. 🦄
I'm lost on people's nostalgia for old machines. They always spout off about "so much simplier and easy to work on". BS. The bigger versions of those XRs had a valvetrain that was made of glass. No simple. Not easy to work on. What i do understand is that they like their old things, and i respect that. But just go have fun, no need to compare and belittle the rest of us who are trying to buy our way out of a restoration so we can go and ride. And YES a pro on a decades old XR can whip my ass. They can whip my ass on a new ride too. You can't buy skill ... or genetics.
Old doesn’t mean clapped. Clapped is an unserviced turd that rides like it.
😂😂😂❤❤❤❤❤❤
😅😂🤣
F that. The new bikes are so good.
I never liked school. Too busy stripping threads and ripping shreds on old dirt bikes. Really love yer content, but where you get that postie snorkel kit (I have a ‘68 CT90), and I really really need some of them fast billet gas caps for my ‘86 TT350, and 87 TT225. (Orange pleeese¡! 😂). Keep rippin that OG sh1t, y’all rock! And, oh yeah - XRs F’n FOREVER!!! 🫡