For shorties: forget overpriced Serow, get the Rieju Tango 250cc!
 

Well it has taken me over a year pondering which bike I would get to go off-road riding, getting much needed training in preparation for the next trip.
Being a shortie, all the little trail bikes I looked at were with seats of 900mm at least. Ridiculous. And I did not wnat a 125! No way!

Then I turned up by chance to a shop few weeks ago, and there she was! I sat on it, my feet were almost flat on the ground, at 101kg, a 250cc yamaha engine... Spanish built... Rieju is huge in Spain and has very good reviews in spanish forums.
At GBP 3099 OTR it is 2500 pounds cheaper than a Serow (seen on sale in autotrader for over 5600 pounds! Crazy money :eek3:!)

Anyhow, I have ordered my bran new Tango 250 off-road version. I shall get it in 2 weeks time I think.
I will report on it once I've taken it on trails. In the meantime, you can watch at how the little brother (the 125cc) rides on dirt:

YouTube - Rieju Tango 250 video prova off road


I can't stop smiling!!!!! :D

Wonderful Maria !! I'm sure you will have a blast on it..

It's much more fun not fighting a big fat lardy bike isnt it.. :)

I'll be interested in how you get on with it. 65mph top speed would be ideal for Morocco. I keep getting tempted by the Serow but you are right, it's silly money.

Hi Maria,

if you have half the fun with it than I've had with my Serow's then you're in for a treat. My 250 cost £3650 brand new back in 2005 and gave 75,000 miles sterling service before being written off by a white van driving tosser.

I couldn't afford another at £5299 and bought an unregistered 225 Serow, that was missing a few parts and got her back on the road for £2092.

The Rieju's are pretty well built little rascals and at 101kgs, that's way lighter than a Serow.

Looking forward to your write ups.

Regards

Reggie

I'd been watching for a UK release of the Tango. I didn't think I'd be interested as the wheels are 16" & 19" and therefore I suspect harder to find tyres in some parts of the world. But at that price it must be worth a second look. I wonder if the 17" front and rear wheel option is worth considering and running the same tyre so you could swap them round if needed on a big trip.

It is really a Yamaha Tricker (UK grey import like the Serow 250) you should compare it to as that is the most similar bike if still available.

Are you at Ripley this year? If so is your Tango coming if delivered on time? Will your Tango being going on your next big trip?

There's three different versions of the Tango, the one Maria is going for has 21-in front wheel, 18-in rear, see spec here.

The images here look very interesting.

The pictures here show the trail configuration with different wheels, but demonstrate how narrow the bike is.

Cheers Tim. I had seen a press release from about 12 months ago and that said 21/18 but the Rieuju site lists it as 16/19 or 17/17. I look forward to finding out what are on Maria's.

Due to its weight advantage over the Serow,is it capable of carrying all your camping gear etc strength wise?

I am sure it can carry all the camping gear, but two up and camping gear? Fuel may be the biggest problem to overcome with a range of 75 miles.

Hey Maria,

It looks good - great find, and had I not just bought another very good (and cheap - used) Serow, I'd be looking even closer. But I'd still like a look at this if you're at Box in the near future as a possible new bike for a longer trip. Could get there on the 20th of June if you're about -off to France on my original Serow this w/e. I'm just up the road in Sutton.

Cheers

Belle :thumbup1:

Belle not sure I will get the bike by then. I have just been told by the shop that Rieju UK hasn't got the one I specified in stock so needs to be ordered, hence more delays.
Sutton is very close from where I live (New Malden). We could arrange to meet some other day. Send me an email at my private email:
maria "at" franglais-riders 2dot" com.

Enjoy France!

Ok, no worries, whenever! Sending you a message in just a mo.
Belle

Hey Maria..

No, not at Ripley this year.. I'm in Cyprus.

I'm popping down to London 22nd-25th July to see my travel partner and do some work on his bike..

I'll pop in then if you're about. :thumbup1:

Maybe the best small bike - Beta Alp 4.0!
 

Have a look:

Beta Alp 4.0 - great bike!!!

The engine is from the Suzuki DR 350 - impossible to brake!!!

Good luck - Jens:thumbup1:

I looked at this one in magazines, but they seem very rare (none in autotrader) , I have not seen any in any shop! I would like to see one though!

Maybe a good candidate for next big trip in 2 years time? If I could find 2 of those second hand....

Hi Maria!
 

Hi Maria,

I saw several in Germany on the street - great bike!!! Some of them were ridden by smaller girls - it looked perfect!

Check out:

mobile.de – Gebrauchtwagen und neue Autos – Deutschlands größter Fahrzeugmarkt.

look for "motorräder"...

here some pictures, I saw the bike at a Meeting, just great!

Jens

See you at HU Germany and Italy !!!

So what happened? Did you get the Tango?

She did !! I had a sit on it last month.

Seems impressive. Very light and put together better than the Chinese/Korean stuff

Its the kind of bike that you're going to have to take your own sprockets and brake pads with you etc. Nothing really seemed "generic" on it.

Maria will have to tell you how it rides !!!!

Hi guys. Sorry I have been busy with work lately!

I've had the Rieju for few weeks. Recently I took to a workshop to get checked as the place where I got the bike from, had put it together like thugs (back wheel mis-aligned, loose bolts … you get the picture!) I was pleasantly surprises as both mechanics came out to have a look and told me it was a top quality brand. And on it was not irony! Rieju has very godo repuattion is spain, and in the UK for those in the know!

It took me a while to get comfortable riding it as it is so different to my Versys. It is so small and light. But once I got used to it, it is actually a lot of FUN to ride! On tarmac it handle very nicely, corner superbly despite knobbly tyres.. It makes me smile! It's a good laugh, a nice toy!

On dirt I have done very little yet as I am still running the bike. I find it very easy, but then anything would be easy on dirt compared with my former F650. The light weight is definitely a plus on rocky bumpy trails. It is also easy to "manhandle" the bike as it is so light.

Now the Husband has got himself a trail bike (DRZ) he won't be stealing mine and we will go for some more green lane riding this weekend. I will try to take pictures and report back!
Overall I am very pleased with it.

As Ted mentioned, the issue with all "rare" travel bikes (CCM, Beta Alp, Rieju…) would be specific spare parts while travelling. So I don't think this bike will be The One for the next Big Trip. Too small for the Husband and we want to ride the same model. SO DRZ it will be.

But this bike is definitely going to be ideal to get me more confident on green lanes and dirt roads for the next year or so. And compared to the Serow price, it is an absolute bargain!

My only problem, if I may say, is that this is the sort of bike that attracts a lot of attention from Teenage boys! The other day I parked it outside a friend's house, a gang of teen boys walked down the street and spent some time admiring it. As a result it sleeps on my locked shed, which is a bit of a pain to get in and out!!

view the bike at Box Hill!
 

I bought the Yamaha Tricker 4 years ago (4,000 euros new) and it's a great little bike for riding dirt trails.

Pros:
I'm 5ft 6" and can get both feet flat on the ground.
It's got a short wheel base and is like riding a BMX with an engine.
It's very light so easy to pick up when you drop it.
Trails Wings 101's are great for off-road.

Cons:
Small petrol tank - you can do about 130kms before you go on reserve.
'Comfy' speed is around 65kms/ph - top speed is about 120kms/ph.
Seat is narrow and quite hard so after 120kms you've got a numb bum.

If I'm out for a days ride on remote trails I strap a 5 litre Jerry can on the back. I've been riding in the Montes de Malaga with some big bikes at past HU meetings and they've asked me to slow down :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/DakotaXT...36468972578210http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QQ2h-78mk_I/SO...4/DSCF3821.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QQ2h-78mk_I/SN...4/DSCF3668.JPG


You're going to have loads of fun! :mchappy:

Replacement for your XT600 ???

Don't be daft Ted - do you think I'd trade Doris in? She's with me to the end :)

Don't want to detract from the thread, but being as you're around (in cyberspace that is), both XT's have a surging problem at the mo. Took the tanks off, drained the fuel, cleaned the filters, put new fuel in etc, checked the spark plugs, but it's not cured them. Unusual they've both started within a week of each other, both done about 50k kms. Can't figure out how to get the carbs out easily. I told Andy to PM you but he says you're off on your travels again. Where are you at the mo???

Im in the UK until Monday, then it's Africa !!

Surging eh.....

Well, you've checked the filters, plug, fuel etc... When were the valve clearances last done ? Expecially with those milages.

for the BOTH to started surging at once suggests some bad fuel at a pump ??

Well, check the valves (you should every 15,000 miles anyway).

Check that the carb rubbers are nice and tight. No air leaks etc.

If it persists, you will have to remove the carbs and give them a good clean out. There is a fine filter in the carb under the float jet that is VERY prone to clogging and causes surging. It happened to me in Brazil.

Good luck !!