Best Bikes for the Tour

[zzseansmith]

I followed Martin's suggestion and went with a new KTM 350 XCFW for this year. I have been very happy riding a 250 XCF in previous years all around Colorado and Idaho but with the transfer miles and weight with the extra gear for 10 days I figured the 350 would be perfect. Riding it so far through the winter it has constantly delighted me with both how it handles and how well it delivers its power in slow tech riding and fat open riding. (I also have an Athena GET ECU with the traction control knob). I could see a well setup 500 being good as well but I come from riding 250 four strokes so for me personally the 500 just seems overkill if you ride a lot of technical terrain and the Tour has that in spades.

[SeanMacNee]

I followed Martin's suggestion and went with a new KTM 350 XCFW for this year. I have been very happy riding a 250 XCF in previous years all around Colorado and Idaho but with the transfer miles and weight with the extra gear for 10 days I figured the 350 would be perfect. Riding it so far through the winter it has constantly delighted me with both how it handles and how well it delivers its power in slow tech riding and fat open riding. (I also have an Athena GET ECU with the traction control knob). I could see a well setup 500 being good as well but I come from riding 250 four strokes so for me personally the 500 just seems overkill if you ride a lot of technical terrain and the Tour has that in spades.

Hey Sean I too come from a 250 two stroke background. I went with a 500 for the tour and I'm sure a 350 would have been totally sufficient. I thought I'd let you know the 500 does single track technical pretty well. It rides really similar to my 250 . It's not as nimble but it's pretty close. I've ridden a bunch of that challis Stanly area on the 500 as well as a ton of Montana single track, day 6 stuff. At the end of the day the 350 is probably a lot more similar to the 250. The 500 is close but more top heavy, I've had it on some really technical terrain here in pipestone Montana and it did well. It's got a lot of power that when used properly is good, like on big hill climbs it just keeps pulling compared to my 250 2 stroke. I'm excited for the tour. Hope you are having a good winter.

[OregonComrade48]

Hey Sean I too come from a 250 two stroke background. I went with a 500 for the tour and I'm sure a 350 would have been totally sufficient. I thought I'd let you know the 500 does single track technical pretty well. It rides really similar to my 250 . It's not as nimble but it's pretty close. I've ridden a bunch of that challis Stanly area on the 500 as well as a ton of Montana single track, day 6 stuff. At the end of the day the 350 is probably a lot more similar to the 250. The 500 is close but more top heavy, I've had it on some really technical terrain here in pipestone Montana and it did well. It's got a lot of power that when used properly is good, like on big hill climbs it just keeps pulling compared to my 250 2 stroke. I'm excited for the tour. Hope you are having a good winter.

Agreed - and the new 500's feel incredibly light, lighter than the previous generations. In some situation I think the 500's are actually easier to ride, they require less clutch work and to your point just tractor through stuff than require clutch work on the smaller bikes.

[zzseansmith]

Hey Sean I too come from a 250 two stroke background. I went with a 500 for the tour and I'm sure a 350 would have been totally sufficient. I thought I'd let you know the 500 does single track technical pretty well. It rides really similar to my 250 . It's not as nimble but it's pretty close. I've ridden a bunch of that challis Stanly area on the 500 as well as a ton of Montana single track, day 6 stuff. At the end of the day the 350 is probably a lot more similar to the 250. The 500 is close but more top heavy, I've had it on some really technical terrain here in pipestone Montana and it did well. It's got a lot of power that when used properly is good, like on big hill climbs it just keeps pulling compared to my 250 2 stroke. I'm excited for the tour. Hope you are having a good winter.

Yep, a buddy of mine who lives in Challis loves and swears by his 500 and rides all the gnarly stuff through the region. But he is a better rider than me so I have always gone with as small a bike as i can get away with to save on energy. That said i have upgraded the ECU on the 350 and the extra power is certainly appealing. I could see my next bike in a couple of years might be a 500 to try it out and then it would open up snow biking as well but for now am very happy with the 350 so far in our desert riding. Will test it out with a full tour gear setup in a short multi-day ride in eastern utah the end of March. (winter has been awesome for me so far, 2 trips to arizona and 2 trips to st george as well as desert riding in eastern utah).

[Carrie156i]

I’ll put my vote in for the KTM 350 exc or Xc-w. Pretty bomber bikes all around. Plenty of go and less rotational mass which = less tiredness over the long days.

[AlphaDeltaBravo]

Any thoughts on a Yamaha WR250R as a T1 bike? I haven't owned a street legal bike in quite a while and it is pretty much impossible to plate a dirt bike here in NC. I own several KTM's so naturally I am eyeing the factory street legal KTMs and Huskys, but some folks swear by the capability and reliability of the WRR. I've never ridden one. Just wondering if they are even worth considering. Thanks.

Al

[David Powell]

Any modern dirt bike that is good mechanical shape should be able to complete the Tour. Last year I rode a 2018 Yamaha YZ250FX and it was just fine. I don't see any reason why a WR250R would have any problem completing the Tour. I agree that Yamaha is better built than the Euro Bikes, but you pay for that some with the weight. But before you buy one, make sure it produces enough electrical power to power all of your electronics/accessories. I bought a new 2020 YZ250FX for this years attempt without checking the electrical output first and got screwed. The FX used to be based on the WR, but in 2020 they changed it. Now it is different version of the Motorcross bike and the stator only produces75 watts. I tried to get the stator upgraded, but there was not enough room for extra windings. Needless to say, I have a new race bike now. I ended up buying a KTM since my partner already rides one, now we can share parts and lighten our load. The KTM also allows for installing a bigger tank due to the frame design. All modern Japanese bikes make getting a large fuel tank difficult. I could only get a 3 gallon tank for the FX. Not a show stopper, but you will be hauling your gas bags almost daily.

[OregonComrade48]

Careful guys, WR250R is a VERY different machine than a WR250F....the "R" is a more road oriented machine that tips the scales at close to 300 lbs with a fairly low power output. It's not a street legal dirtbike (EXCF, FEs, Beta RE, etc) it's a more traditional "DS" bike.

I'd say no - it's not the right bike based on what I've seen and the riding I have done in ID. It's probably fine for much of it, but the minute you dump that thing or get in the technical ST, you are really going to push the limits of yourself and it.

Impossible....of course not.

I'd pick a KTM 500 10/10 times over the WRR.

[David Powell]

My mistake. Yamaha calls them bike differently than I do in my brain. The WR Road model I would not recommend. In my previous post, I guess I was referring to the WR250F. The enduro version of Yamaha would be fine, the road version would be more difficult.

[AlphaDeltaBravo]

I appreciate the replies. It's what I expected to hear and I don't disagree with any of it. IIRC I've read on ADVRIDER.com about T1 (or perhaps it was T2? Not totally sure.) being completed on several WRR's, and I've seen videos and read reports of them handling some impressively difficult terrain with a high degree of reliability, if not performance. Some say that once you get the suspension and gearing dialed in they are pretty much unstoppable, even if a little underpowered. Just thought I'd consider some other options before I pull the trigger on a new $12k+ KTM.

My current bikes are a 2006 EXC 400, 2008 EXC-R 530, and a KDX 200. I'm absolutely in love with the smooth, tractable power of the 400 RFS motor and in all honesty I could probably get it or the 530 plated, but that would require some effort and I wouldn't mind something more modern and a little lighter with better handling, anyway. I guess that criteria alone probably rules out the WRR, lol.

I agree that an EXC-F 350 or 500 is what I'm looking for. I'd love to consider a Beta, but the dealer network in my area is almost nonexistent. Plenty of KTM shops, though.

Al

[SeanMacNee]

I was able to score my 2020 501s for 10000 out the door. You can't really go wrong with a new ktm/husky they ride really really well.

[OregonComrade48]

I appreciate the replies. It's what I expected to hear and I don't disagree with any of it. IIRC I've read on ADVRIDER.com about T1 (or perhaps it was T2? Not totally sure.) being completed on several WRR's, and I've seen videos and read reports of them handling some impressively difficult terrain with a high degree of reliability, if not performance. Some say that once you get the suspension and gearing dialed in they are pretty much unstoppable, even if a little underpowered. Just thought I'd consider some other options before I pull the trigger on a new $12k+ KTM.

My current bikes are a 2006 EXC 400, 2008 EXC-R 530, and a KDX 200. I'm absolutely in love with the smooth, tractable power of the 400 RFS motor and in all honesty I could probably get it or the 530 plated, but that would require some effort and I wouldn't mind something more modern and a little lighter with better handling, anyway. I guess that criteria alone probably rules out the WRR, lol.

I agree that an EXC-F 350 or 500 is what I'm looking for. I'd love to consider a Beta, but the dealer network in my area is almost nonexistent. Plenty of KTM shops, though.

Al

I'd guess it was the T2....they are good bikes for what they are, but are not designed for rides like the T1.

Nothing wrong with those old KTM's if you can plate them! They are simple and reliable machines and you know them well. Considering the used bike market these days, you are probably in the position to sell the 400 & 530 for a premium and put the $ towards a newer bike? Would be good combo with the KDX200 as buddy bike / backup bike.

I really like the modern KTM/Huskies....but would prefer to buy the ones that allow retrofit of kickstarter, which I believe was 2020 and prior....

[Eastforku]

On my 19 300 XCW, I have the kick start. I also have the capacitor, and tested it. It won't start with a dead battery. Kick or bump. With the capacitor it will start and run even without a battery. If the battery is just low, the kick start will start it.

[Eastforku]

We also have a jump pack for backup.

[OregonComrade48]

Eastforku - I actually used my capacitor for the first time this wknd, bike wouldn't start due to dead battery (left on Voyager Pro) and tried kick-starting, no go, plugged in capacitor, first kick, fired right up on cold engine.

[axelavv]

I have read mentions of people running the tour on 2 strokes but have really found no detailed information, ride reports, etc. Has anyone done this and finished? Is there a good video or blog/forum/facebook post from a team? (I searched here and the tour FB but couldn't find anything good...)

I considered doing the tour a few years ago, never got around to it. Now I'm getting the itch again and wondering if I could do it on my 300. Any advice from those with experience would be appreciated and heeded!

[Sean Casey Ogden]

Yes, for several of the days you will need to carry an extra gallon, sometimes two: Mysteryville to Mackey, Challis to Salmon, Northfork to Lowell... Martin is very likely to go through each day of the 2023 T1 on his PBR Monday's. There's one anomaly, a day where Martin recommends that you just buy a two gallon gas can and use that in addition, that is Tour '22 Day-11, Lowell to Superior, no fuel in Lowell. Day-4 into Mackay is a big day without a fuel stop, for that day we packed two gallons (6.5 total) which was about right. We were doing the three man route with the CS. "Your milage may very" is used frequently by Martin and others, test the shit out of your rig and assumptions, don't trust me; we averaged 40MPG on most days that had a good bit of single track. The MSR Dromedary works and they are light, GL Armadillo Bags are tougher. Test and retest your fuel slinging choices. You want your bike and kit light, tough, simple, everything matters and you will be tired, anything that is not quick and easy, will become a pain in your ass. I don't know SmartCarbs, but the Lectron does compensate for air density changes pretty well, but yeah, and for sure mess with the metering rods, they are not plug and play. I too prefer the feel and flexibility of a Keihin, but not for Tour--you are almost certainly not going to have the desire/energy to rejet.

[OregonComrade48]

Sean out of curiosity, what is your fueling plan for the carbed non-oil injected bike you have on your team, the 2017?

[Sean Casey Ogden]

Cuyler's 2017 300: stock engine running fresh Wiseco piston and fresh cylinder and hone by Millennium, Mikuni, jetted for the nominal elevation, about 5000 feet, oil cut-in around 60 - 80:1 At 5000' the '17 300 was getting essentially the same fuel economy as the TPI bikes (averaging about 43MPG on 2022 D1 "z" route with CS, Malad to Lava) so we set the bikes up the same--4.5 gallon tanks (IMS, which is larger than I would like but hell the capacity is there) and a 10L (2.5 gallon) MSR bag inside a tough seat/fender bag. How the over-bag attaches to your seat and fender is important as the rocky terrain of D1 will expose poor design. If you strap the MSR bag directly to the seat/fender it is likely to ping off, get a hole, loose a cap. If you don't like making stuff for fun the GL side panniers and bags are solid, we tested with them and loved them, and it's a great spot to haul fuel. Panniers with stock tank do a better job of keeping your bike's good handling, especially if you are hauling a saw--while I like a carve-happy bike, 5 gallon tank and a saw out front gets old, and the slosh of a half-full 5 gallon tank sucks. Likely you will need more range regardless for one or two of the days, we'll see what Martin brings for '23.