Enduro bikes, what to look for.

[SAABCOMBI]

• What do you look for when buying a Enduro Bike. What makes a good enduro bike.
  For example : Engine Torque.  Low seat high, Good ground clearance, A tall bike with 12 inch of travel, Capacity size, Having a light bike. Lots of power so l can go fast. A bike that revs like a motocrosser. or just a plunker.
  What is the best size capacity bike to ride.
  May be l am looking to hard, and all l need is a Kawasaki KE 125, OR DT 125.
  Why, l am trying to deside, looking for the right trial bike. and l am slowly narrowing it down. but need more advice, looking for answer.
  I would like a good clean genuine running bike, don`t want bling

What about a trials bike like a Alpina, Cota, TL 250, TY 250, would these bikes be ok for vintage enduro, you can still sit down, easy to ride in tight spots.
My Hodaka Is on ebay for sale, it will be replaced with a vintage enduro bike, or trial bike.

[mx250]

• What do you look for when buying a Enduro Bike. What makes a good enduro bike.
  For example : Engine Torque.  Low seat high, Good ground clearance, A tell bike, Capacity size, Having a light bike. Lots of power so l can go fast.
  What is the best size capacity bike to ride.
  May be l am looking to hard, and all l need is a Kawasaki KE 125, OR DT 125.
  Why, l am trying to deside, looking for the right trial bike. and l am slowly narrowing it down.

A KE125 or 175 would be great trail/enduro bike - if you can find one. If you want something in this class go PE IT or KDX 175/200. Or if you want more exotic/collectable go KTM/Penton 125/175. Rare as shit, DKW, SWM etc.

Yes to all your other specs - but some are contradictory . Any dedicated Enduro mount should be okay - there might be good better and best but Vinduro is not competitively as such and any Enduro bike of the period should put a 'smile on the dial' .

Which class depends on terrain. Tight country, 125/175 because of weight and short w/base. Open fire trails, go the big bore 360+. 250's are good all rounders.

Converted MX'er can be okay but suffer gearing issues in the tight stuff. If you are fit, brutal and work the clutch they'll get through

I can't think of any 'I wouldn't touch with a barge pole'. The primary kick start Bullies, Monties, Ossa etc may be a pain in the arse if you stall them awkwardly, but you're a better rider than that arn't you ? The Sach engine specials had some pretty oridinary gearboxes with neutral to be found just about anywhere .

[Nathan S]

Vinduro bikes should be chosen for the same reasons VMX bikes are chosen: Because they float your boat.

Actually, because Vinduros are non-competitive, that's even more reason to buy whatever you like, and ignore how 'good' it is.

I love my KDX200 because I can ride it at/near the limit of my ability all day long and it doesn't punish me if I'm cruising.

Despite my love of short travel VMX bikes, I don't have a lot of enthusiasm for short travel vinduro bikes.

[john d]

David,
 It would depend on how good a trail bike you are looking for. If you want the best in handling , great power and reliability , look back at the ISDT /E's see what years which bikes had the best showing. Just make sure you can still get the parts for the one you choose.
   mx250 its odd that the poor little Sachs engine earned so many Gold , Silver, Bronze medals in the ISDT from 67 till about 75. Monarch use them still in an ISDE or 2 . Chuckle , Chuckle!!!!!



 Hard to under stand that one , if the if the gear box was sooooooooooo full of neutrals

 

David ,
 If you like a Big Bore and 10 inches or so of travel , this one was my favorite and very easy to ride even in the tight stuff. I could get 2 to 3 years out of a set of rings and the bike was bullet proof even for a small bore rider like me



john d.

[E74]

Try to stay away from Yamaha IT's because you will probably get mistaken as one of "those" guys 

[bigk]

I think I'll have exactly what you want soon Dave, small bore, European, you've mentioned it to me before......
Cheers,
K

[SAABCOMBI]

Big K, have you got any. E74 do you ride an IT, there is an IT 250 on ebay. But it needs work. EUROPEAN OR CANAM small bore thats what l am after.

[SAABCOMBI]

Are there anybody riding DKW sachs 125.

[Canam370]

A Deek 125! You could shave with the powerband of one of them if you could get it up there!

[viper42]

Dave,
Know where there is a KTM 125 enduro for sale. !!!!!!!!

[john d]

Dave,
If you are looking at DKW/ Sachs bikes. Here are some you might find.

  1969 , front shocks are very hard to find. Handles well,  most parts are available less than 6 inches of travel front and back but good seat height. Not a good one for trails that have miles of whoops. Good power spread making about 15 hp with the 5 A engine
( I had one of these and rode it 2 years on the trail. )
 


1971 , 6 inch + in the front about 5 in the rear Better bike in the rough. 35 mm front forks. Good power spread making about 20 HP with the B engine. ISDT gearing 70 + MPH top speed



 1974 , 7 inches travel in the front and 6 or so in the rear. better for rough trails Good power spread making about 22 HP with the D engine


1989-91 NATO 180 CC makes about 18 hp. pulls like a tank . With out the luggage hardware  would make a trail bike



If you really want something no one else has , try and find one of these . Its a prototype wankle engine Sachs.


john d.

[john d]

Dave ,
 If you can find a 72 to 75 Sachs powered KTM that would be a very good bike for the low seat height , good power spread and handling.



 We sold Hodaka , Can Am and Pentons / KTMS back in the 70's .
 The Pentons were purpose built for Enduro , ISDT type events and they were very hard to beat as an over the counter do almost nothing to bike.
Most parts are available and the folks using them in Vintage events will make that a reality for a good while yet.
 I built a 73 125 Six-Days up for my son last year. He wanted one to use around town.
Its a stock 125 / 6 B engine. Will pull 72 MPH indicated on the VDO and is no problems in stop and go  traffic. They have a good wide power band if no one has been loose in the cylinder  with a grinder.
Ridden hard on trails the rings will go about 3 k miles and the pistons last about 6 K. Ride it like a dual sport and they last over 10 k.
They use good rings , forged quality pistons and the cylinder/ head design provide excellent cooling.
IF you go with either the Sachs or the KTM we will be glad to help in any way we can.
john d.

[bigk]

Soon Dave.
K

[SAABCOMBI]

years ago, back in the 90`s, l meet a fellow in geelong, went to his shop, he was german speaking fellow, l went their to look and buy a DKW 125, the wasn`t at the shop it was at his home, so we went their, for my $800 dollars, l walked out with 4 DKW, 1 scramber, 3 enduro bikes and a KTM 125 MC totally original, and boxes of pistons and rings and 6 brand new barrels and heads. All the bikes and parts came from Sport and road when they where closing down.a great fine.

[jimson]

Did you sell them aswell  jimson