Currently planning a summer jaunt round russia and through the caucuses. Looking for an overlander and have been reading alot about the various agricultural 200cc bikes which look great for ging along around the planet. Cheap, low cost, low maintainance and no ****ing around. Those of you in the southern hemisphere (particularly oz and NZ) seem to have a good few offerings from the likes of Yamaha and Honda.

Yet over here in Europe we have a choice of a CG125 which is going to get REALLY REALLY frustrating or old trail bikes like KLR 250's. I would go with something like a KLR 250 but am worried about the rear subframe getting a shoeing and a really narrow seat! They are also quite pricey for what they are.

Don't want ANOTHER 600 at the mo (been there done that), but at the moment it looks like i might have to resort to it. Any suggestions?

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Thanks
Joe

Dr350 ? Ttr250 ? Cb25o?

How about a 225 or 250 Yamaha Serow

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'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'

What about CCM and their new X-TR250? This bike is a low cost, rebadged Puzey (of South Africa and Australia) designed bike. It is manufactured in China, but only using a factory for manufacturing as opposed to being derived from one of the Chinese companies, as a few of the other low-end CCM bikes really are rebadged Chinese bikes. Read the thread where I asked someone from S. Africa or Australia to give me a first hand account, and someone resonded after testing one out, and gave an intial impression, which was favorable. In the meantime, I found a review of the off-road version (all three models are pretty much the same-MX, enduro, and motard) from an Australian magazine, and they gave it a great review, too, and that was using it on an MX track, and ridden by dirt bike veterans. I personally haven't seen one in person here in the US, but from the info I have read recently, they seem to be at least worth a look as they are 250cc, liquid-cooled, 25 hp.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...tr-250-a-41433

http://www.pitsterpro.com/uploads/docs/XTR%20250.pdf

X-TR250*-*ccmmotorcyclesuk.com

Small bike? Well in that case I'm going to say a Derbi Terra Adventure. It's only a 125cc but I'm happy on mine at 65-75mph all day, and it's not the cheapest, about £2800 new, but it's been out for a year or so now so there might be secondhand ones knocking around. AND, Derbi have finally pulled their fingers out and panniers and rack are now available, I believe they're made by Trax. There's also the plain Terra, which is a bit cheaper, been out longer but is pretty much the same thing but more road orientated, and I'm sure the pannier racks would fit just the same.




More to be found HERE. Go on, move to the darkside, get a 125. After all who can resist 65+ mpg.

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Very nice looking little bike. Doing a 125 version of a big adventure bike (as opposed to an enduro or supermoto lookalike) had never occured to me. If they publicise it well, I bet Derbi will be very successful with it.

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Seek Truth

15 countries in 40 days. Tanks, crashes, minefields and Kalashnikovs

What a terrific looking bike

You need a Serow, a Yamaha XT 250. I love mine.

It'll go anywhere you want. 85 mpg and 60-65 cruising, more than enough. They're a japanese import here in the UK but they're available. Here's mine loaded up in france last year...



Then there is the new 2009 KLX250...

2009 Kawasaki KLX250S Review - Motorcycle.com

It is great and I believe they're selling fairly well amongst the E & C wannabees who find they don't have a bike licence (that'd be me then). I'm sure it could cope with a bigger engine too and now Derbi's part of Piaggio they've got access toa full range of engines. They could even use the 659 from the Mulhacen, although as that's from Yammie maybe they'd be reluctant to supply to someone building a budget Tenere.

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Does anyone know what top speed a Serow 225 will do? Not the new one.

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Thanks
Joe

Joe, the XT225 does the same as the 250 by all accounts. With standard gearing (15 tooth front sprocket) they're good for 75mph but they're much happier at 60 or 65. If I was doing big miles I'd stick to 55-60. It'll give much better fuel economy and it's fast enough for touring. You can fit a 16 tooth front sprocket for easy 70mph cruising if you think you'll be doing a lot of it. Otherwise I'd stick with the standard one.

Hi, that's my latest vision of an ideal set up for touring, could you tell me how you are protecting the panniers from the exhaust? I was thinking about using soldering pads but i guess you must have figured out a system.

thanks

PS i'm still looking for a bike if anyone has one

I've kept it really simple and have no rack or brackets fitted. i just sling them over the seat and it rests on the exhaust heatshield. It's worked fine so far. Of course they would be better if they rested on a bracket of some kind but i've done miles like this without incident. The benifit is the bike is stock when all the luggage is removed.

Thats a great looking small overlander bike.

Are those tank panners military respirator pouches?? If so how have you mounted them? If not what are they adn where did u get them from?? I'm after a set of "cheap" tank panniers

I'm also a Serow rider, both the 225 and 250 models.

My trusty 250's covered over 67,000 miles and will be four years old at the end of October this year.

Fabulous, fun, efficient, simple, little bike.

Come the time when I have to replace her, I'd buy another one without second thought.