My fellow trials enthusiast I have a question about Enduro bikes.

I'm on a tight budget, but want to buy a Enduro bike. I see KLX 300 2007 being sold new for 3999.00 or a 2007 CRF 5200.00, Which bike should I choose?

The Kawi is almost 30lbs lighter, has shorter wheel base, lower seat height but 1'' less ground clearance. I like the price, comes with hand gaurds, speedometer
enduro ready!

I rode my first Mini Enduro last week on my Sherco and had a blast!

sam

I wouldn't trust the advertized weights. Pretty sure the Kawi is not lighter.
Honestly I wouldn't go for either of those. I would try to find a lightly used KTM or Gas Gas personally.

If you do go with one of those, the Kawasaki KLX is a good bike but it's 12 year old technology. It will ride smoother and probably be more reliable than the cutting edge Honda though. It's not considered a real race bike though anymore, for what that is worth.

I agree... GasGas or KTM. I've owned both and prefer the GG but both are great bikes.
The last bike I would buy would be the Kawasaki.
To much of a play bike. Buy a race ready bike... much cheaper in the long run.

If you are on a budget, buy a used bike that is built for the riding you plan on doing. Do not buy a newer bike because it is a good buy, you will not be happy. If you are a trials guy and you want something that will work well in the tight stuff and can still hop logs with ease, try a KTM 200exc. I have mine set up soft with trials tires and the power valve turned back a little. This thing just keeps amazing with with the places I can go. If you feel you need more power, then look into a 300 KTM or Gas Gas.

for enduro i ride yamaha,bullet proof,get the wr 250 or 450 cut the grey wire put in a yz throttle screw put on the gyt exhaust endcap and youll have a screamer,the klx you will not like the crf,s lack the bottom grunt in my opinion,im a gasgas freak when it comes to trials but ive always steered away from exotics when it comes to enduro or mx with the exception of the ktm there in a league of their own, $ and outstanding quality

Gosh, I wish I was on your tight budget. I can barely afford gas!

The KLX300 hasn't changed since about 1995. Nuff said. And I would stay away from the CRF. I love the Honda bikes but that Unicam engine is giving people nightmares with valve problems. Especially the 250. Do a little research on the net and you will get lots of hits. It is an incredibly sweet bike to ride with magic-button and the works. But for some reason after you build up some hours on the engine the valve tolerances become almost impossible to maintain. I know guys who've poured tons of money into that head and it still gives them fits.

For the money, the best Enduro bike out there is the YZ250 (the 2-stroker). A little wide in the gears but it weighs about 110 pounds full of gas. and they can be had relatively cheap. With the money you will save you can have the suspension revalved. Next is probably the WR250F, a good bit heavier but bulletproof and with the free mods, plenty of torque. Nowhere near as flikable as the YZ and laughable when compared to a trials bike. Yamaha is also going to give you very low maintenance. And the parts, since they are Japanese, don't require you to donate your testicles to science to pay for the stratospheric Euro. The KTMs, GasGas, Husky, and other EuroBikes are incredible machines, but holy crap, if the dollar doesn't quit sinking I'm not going to be able to afford air, either.

My 3 cents.

John

P.S. Don't rule out a late model XR250 or XR400. Change the oil every now and then and the bike will be a pall bearer at your funeral.

I own a 2006 YZ250F. The thing is a monster (once the carb is adjusted properly) and easily handles on trails (i race harescrambles). If price is not a big deal, I suggest buying a WR250F (06 or 07). The 06's are solid bikes and are at the peak of "steel-frame" technology. The 07's have the new aluminum frame, will be lighter by a pound or two, and will have the enduro computer.

One thing you must remember about the WR's though is that they DO NOT come race ready. in order to do that, you must disconnect the gray wire and adjust the cam timing to match that of the YZ of the same year. This is all described in detail if you look up "WR free mods." Once these "free mods" are completed, the bike will run similarly to its race-ready counterpart and yet will still be enduro-capable. :thumbsup:

CRM114 said:

I don't mean to bust your balls man, but the YZ250 with gas in it weighs between 230 lbs and 240 lbs. Not 110 lbs. My little Kawasaki KD80M isnt even THAT light (that would mean i could curl a YZ250!!! :applause: ).

If your new to enduros, I think you will find the KDX200/220 to be a great choice. They have more low end than the KTM 200 and are easier to ride when the going gets tough. Here on the east coast, the old school KDXs are still very competitive. They really excel in the nasty, rocky, technical stuff. The KTM 200 is a great bike also, but can be a little tougher to ride in the above mentioned conditions (depending on the riders experiance) due to its harder hitting powerband. The KDX does respond well to the typical mods in the engine and suspension dept. also. Just ask Jeff Fredette!

:prof: yeah filled up my rig $140:foul: :cry: i wish i could bottle my farts and run it in my diesel,endless supply:excuseme:

CRM114 said:

LoopyJones82 said:

'05 YZ250 weighs in at 217. And you must have some kickin' biceps, dude! I can't even curl my GasGas. But I can bench press it. :ride:

JB

P.S. Unless I'm wearing Master Chief's Mjolnir armor then I can crumple it into a little ball of tin foil and use it to pound grunts into purple and orange goo.

hey sam next time you come to town for the great lakes event you are more than welcome to ride my 2003 gasgas ec250. i am in a dualsport club and we ride mostly euro bike and loving it. mostly ktm then huasaberg. gasgas. and husky. we do have some suzuki and kawi guys too. and usually some of the guys show at the events so you might get to check out some others. tim

CRM114 said:

217 is the estimated dry weight displayed on the website. in actuality, with gas in it and all, it weighs more than my YZ250F (which weighs close to 230 lbs). i would guess its in between 230 and 240 lbs.

haha and i mean i could curl 110. not 217... and yes that would b nice to be master chief for a day and show up EVERYBODY in the weight room....