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SCMN | I had the pleasure of growing up riding dirtbikes on the farm. I have to thank my dad for all the money he spent on them over the years. Even when money was tight he kept me on two wheels. Those were some fun years. I even raced motocross a couple times, my ankles still hurt when the weather changes thanks to that. I still have my YZ250 two-stroke sitting in the shed but I rarely ride it anymore. I was looking for something to check crops with, ride to the farm, maybe even ride to work which is 10 miles of rural gravel road and two-lane highways. A couple weeks ago I picked up a TTR 250 from a guy on craigslist for a reasonable price. It's a nice little bike and it works slick for scooting through the fields scouting crops. It's much more mild mannered than my YZ but I really miss that power. This morning I rode it to work and realized that I really could use something with more snort and gears to hit highway speeds. What's your bike of choice for this type of use? A WR450 or Suzuki DRZ400 would fit the bill nicely in my opinion but I don't want to spend a ton of money either. Just looking for some opinions on what works well.
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Harlan, KY | Honda's new CRF250L is sweet with a great price tag.
I do not have one yet, but cant wait to get one, kind of waiting for the CRF250M to hit the floors first though.
450's are a nice thought, 250 will keep me alive a little longer.
After getting pulled over last week by a conservation officer on a dead end gravel road, and being 100% road legal, I do not see how you get by wizzing around on that thing not even close to street legal. Unless I just got pulled over by a real dickhead (extreme possibility).
Edited by inotill 8/4/2014 09:46
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Middlesex County, Ontario | I have an xr400 I'll sell you. It is street titled. I used it for everything you're talking about. Works great and scoots through corn rows, 15" bean rows, and wheat tramlines with no problems. Plenty of snort and great handling, but it is not for pinning on a highway for 60 miles. 10 miles would be just fine. Handles a lot better in the woods and fields than dizzers. Oil cooled, no rad to break if you drop it. These bikes are known for needing minimal maintenance. Just change the oil and set the valves every now and then. Kickstart, no battery, I hate dirt bike batteries, starts easy and has a decompression lever if you want to use it.
Selling because I fell over in first gear while wearing motocross boots and broke my leg (tibia and fibia) in 5 places. Real fun to dump it in first gear, look down, and see your foot pointing sideways. I spent 15 days in the hospital; got a rod, skin graft, couple transfusions, and have nightmares. I figure I'll only drive things with a seat belt and rollcage from now on. I realized I'm just two seconds away from not farming anymore on a dirtbike.
Edited by WildBuckwheat 8/4/2014 10:41
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West Central IA | If you're not looking for new ($) I would think a DRZ 400 or WR would fit your needs nicely and be pretty affordable.
I also grew up on bikes and raced some MX as well. Now more into big bore 4x4s but still have an old XT 250 and a little DRZ 125L for playing around on. Still throw my leg over a crf450r once in a while to get the adrenaline pumping!
The Drz makes for a great crop scouting rig. I know what bugs are in the beans by what ends up in my lap!
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kansas city | Rollig, I recommend the Suzuki DRZ400. I'm on my 5th DR: DR250, DR350, DRZ400 kick, DRZ400S street legal, and now a DRZ400E electric start. They are comfortable, reliable, handle well, and affordable. I prefer the way Suzuki's handle over the Yamaha's, but then again I grew up on Suzuki's. We use them mainly to check crops and Colorado trips. The quads and rangers pickup most of the daily work. |
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St Peter MN | Bought a Honda CRF250L last fall and love it.
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West Tennessee | I bought a KLR650 for the things you mentioned. It works good for what I use it for but it is a little heavy in the dirt. Slick mud holes are not the best experience on a bike that heavy. :-( It's good on the road though and is water cooled so it doesn't get hot on me riding slow in the field. |
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nw MN | You're probably on the right track with a converted MX bike like the DRZ or WR if that is what you are used to for power. Honda XR400 is one of the best enduro bikes ever built, but wont snort like your yz. Might be like a bigger version of your TTR. XR650 would certainly have enough power to get to 100+mph, but the chassis is a little more "old man" style. KTM makes some sweet dual sports but you probably need to be 100% offroad capable at times I would imagine. |
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| DRZ 400 is the way to go |
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Lander, WY | If you want 2 stroke, look at a KDX. Not sure how late they made them, but they were very popular street/trail bikes. Also look at the KTM 300's. Designations changed through the years, but I think they were EXC's most of the time. |
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| I have a 1993 yamaha xt 350 that is for sale, I just haven't got around to taking pics and posting it yet. Is in good condition and I do have some spare parts. Keep in mind these older xt's are kick start only. This one does start good but if your set on electric start you may want to look to some that the other posters have mentioned.
Email me if interested.
[email protected] |
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| I had a WR450 and I loved that bike. Way more power thean I ever needed, always reliable. I had to make it street legal here. That being said I rode a few Suzuki DRZ bikes. They seem nice and they are more plentiful around here, especially in legal form. I would like to get one or the other again one of these days. |
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Henderson, KY 42420 | A conservation officer can pull you over on the street? I didn't know that. |
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St. Joseph, Champaign County, IL | In IL, at least, they have all the authority of the state police and then some. They can pull you over if they so choose, and give you a ticket. |
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SE Michigan |
grew up riding a 3hp pull start Montgomery Wards.
Just friday I bought a Hohda CRF 150F for myself, already bought this spring a Honda XR70 for my 10 yr old daughter and a XR80 for my 14 yr old son.
Kinda neat seeing SM-MD-LG bikes sitting in the garage |
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Michigan | WR 450 here. In Michigan all u need is a brake light, mirror and horn to be street legal. No turn signals or anything else to bulky is needed. We put thousands of miles on this bike a year. Toughest part is keeping fresh tires on it. Nice to keep miles of a truck and be able to run around anywhere.
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| They are a rebadged State Police officer. |
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| happens here all the time, same power as a police officer, for traffice violations. |
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Michigan | Indy Farmer - 8/4/2014 10:45
I had a DRZ400SM for a while and an XR400 at the same time. The XR was more top heavy and slower, but has the legendary honda reliability. If you look for an older DRZ400E like early 2000s if will have the more agressive cams and the FCR carb. It will be more user friendly than a WR, since the WR has the detuned YZ motor and emissions stuff on it. You'd really have to keep up with the oil changes and it's quite the PITA with the in-frame in-line filter.
This time last year I had about 13 bikes, but have narrowed it down to 7 now. Currently have a 2012 YZ250 as the race bike, and the rest are 50-80cc Hondas for play bikes.
The WRs newer than 05 have just a normal in the engine oil filter, no in frame oil anymore. The new fuel injected ones also have a sight glass for oil level I think. We run our WR's pretty hard around the farm and have yet to have a problem with them reliability wise. They are more of a purpose built off road machine than the drz which is softened up to much IMO. I feel like drz's are motard bikes with the ability to go off road where as a WR or a CRF is a true off road bike that can be easily made on road legal. |
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South Western Ontario | Have the WR450 here. Lots of power and light weight,, best all around dirt bike I ever owned.. You can tour the fields damn quick!! |
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| I always liked the Yamaha 350 big wheel I had. Great for scouting and couldn't hardly get it stuck
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Dufur, OR | Haven't you heard KTM is taking over the dirt bike world? Pick up a nice used 520/525 if your on a budget, or 530 if you have little more, or my current ride is a fuel injected 500 if the crop is good. I had a 520 since 2001 and its a more torquey motor than the current 500 and less vibration, but kind of older feeling chassis. I like that ktm makes a 500 size - they don't make much more overall power than a 450 just have better torque. No problem getting the thrill you had on the YZ - but you can put around in first gear too. And they make WR's and DRZ's feel heavy, while having kick and electric start available. I am in hill country out in Oregon so maybe thats why I'm biased to the bigger bikes.
With that said I also have an XR600 that gets used probably more than the ktm for checking fields if I have to ride very far. Its just "softer" (seat/suspension/power) and sometimes thats nice but it can be a little more awkward in a bad spot. Also have an old XR250 with 280 kit that dad likes the best, and really an XR200 that I bought "for the wife" is a great bike and definately the easiest to load in a pickup if you are using to shuttle rigs which we do a lot. And then if I feel like really having fun I grab the 4rt Montesa ..... all dirt bikers should have a trials bike.
And yes I'm also glad dad got me started on dirt bikes at a young age. Just seem like a part of life for as long as I can remember. |
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Midwest | For truly scouting fields and hauling them between fields, Honda 150 and 230F's are a dream. We have thousands of hours on a couple and that's their sole purpose and still run like a top.
If you want to ride to the fields and ride in them, I have an XR400 for that. CRF250L is also on the way. I might change the gearing of at least one to get 1st gear a little slower. |
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NW iowa south of the CIty :) | I have a wr450 I would like to sell. |
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NW IL | Ive got a 2000 DR-650, great bike 12,700 trouble free miles... I like the electric start, but would love a kick backup... Does 95 if I want, and gets about 50-55mpg. As said, the hardest part is keeping tires on it. I like the knobby dirt tires, even though I spend 75% of my miles on road. I may consider a slightly more street oriented tire next time. Ive ridden DRZ-400s before, a little more dirt bikey, and a scosh lighter... All up to you.
My understanding is the DRZ-400 will offer a little less for longevity (engine/miles) vs the 650, but still an all around great bike. I know this isnt crop related, but all my buddies have Harleys, I ride quite a bit with them, and my DR hauls me and my girlfriend just fine. I think mine is more comfortable then theirs, but they wont admit it.
Edited by Drew2010 8/4/2014 18:22
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Vicksburg MI 49097 | http://www.ktm.com/us/enduro/500excusa/highlights.html#.U-AYQ-NdW8o I think this KTM is street legal
My dream is a http://www.christini.com/bikes/christini-awd-450-ds they make it street legal or off road.. It's two wheel drive or 4 wheel Drive for a reasonable price.
Yamaha made an all wheel DR WR 450 for a couple of years, but for $28,000.00
The Yamaha WR-450 is great too.. Street Legal kits are available from Baja Designs http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Product/baja-designs-dual-sport-ez-... |
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NEGA | Drz 400s |
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| I agree! For scouting fields, forget about the watercooled bikes. They are prone to overheating, during low speed work. Instead, go for the aircooled bikes like Honda XR`s etc.
I have had a DRZ 400E for 13 years...Great bike, but as I said, no good for low speed work/idling along, plus these bikes tend to have a high first gear, which can be a PITA at times.
For crop inspection I have a CRF230. |
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SE Mo | I got a CRF 230 F I would sell. Looks like new. I rode it 3-4 times but living on gravel roads I just can't get comfortable riding it. |
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Dirtbikes on the Farm
