Hi. I'm currently taking lessons and will be taking my test soon so its time to decide which bike I want to buy.
Most of my riding will be on tarmac or gravel and will be the odd commute to work and just exploring the countryside where I live. I don't have any plans to off road in particular but I'm not ruling it out.
The roads I will be riding will be twisting country roads with long straights and most traffic holding 55/65 mph.
Even though most of my rides will be on tarmac I don't want a 'road' bike. So no suggestions for that please. I like the look of trail bikes and they're the type of bike that appeals to me.
At the moment I'm considering the Suzuki dr350 and 650. The 350s are quite rough that come up and the 650 is pretty rare. I also like the honda xr400 and 650l.
I've read a fair bit on the tt250r and it seems like a cracking bike and very good looking too. What I need to know is can it keep up with traffic travelling at 60mph on country roads without wringing the nuts of it? I know it has six gears like the dr350 and hope that its capable of that kind of thing. The commute is uphill and down and is twenty one miles.
Make NO mistake, a trusty TTR would more than keep up handsomely with modern traffic on country roads.
It would struggle on dual carriageways and motorways , but around town and border roads like you have it would thrive.
Good luck in sourcing a decent example. The younger it is the better it would cope.
Martyn
That's great. Thanks for the welcome. I wouldn't go anywhere near a motorway and maybe very briefly on a dual carriageway.
I've seen some nice ones recently, much the same as the dr350 when a good one comes up it goes rapidly. I'm definitely putting the 250 in the mix now. I suppose its a case of waiting for the right bike to come up.
The ttr 250 was my first bike after passing test and have loved it, great handling and brakes for a new comer or learner, nice turn of speed and comfy, they are dependable bikes just watch the sprag clutch and youll be alright, they do well on fuel too and cheap to insure.
Ive used mine on motorways with out to much hassle, but taken it to wales, north yorkshire, derbyshire, ridden through snow, ice, fog, summer, winter it did it all and I love the 250
Welcome ...Odds!
Great to hear you considering to be a TTR owner. They are fun bikes to ride even for this old man. Our 250, when tuned properly, should do what you are asking.
May I ask,... How big are you? The reason I ask is that our TTR is a fairly tall bike, so you should consider that as you explore the right bike. You will need to be pretty close to 6 feet to be tall enough to touch both feet. The DR is a bit shorter, depending on EXACTLY which model you end up finding. I have not ridden a DR so no help from me on that, perhaps someone else will chime in on that.?
Weight and power are other things to consider. If you live/ride where it is windy, a heavier bike acts TONS nicer than a light one, especially at high speeds on "tarmac" (opposite seems true for dirt). I feel this all the time as I ride a KZ650 (470 lbs) and FLH-Harley (725 lbs) on the street. Around here, our TTR has enough power, but I feel would be blown around by on-coming traffic and be a bit light for a long commute (but 21 miles ain't long to me). That is why I have it for a dirt bike only. [my2cents]
You mentioned "6 speeds" for both bikes. Keep in mind that gearing can be altered slightly, for all chain driven bikes, by adding or subtracting teeth from the sprockets. Just another fun fact to consider. Information like this can be found here on this site by doing a search for a particular issue.
I think if you get off-road, with whatever you choose, you will see how much fun it is.
AND if you choose something besides our TTR, you should keep this site in mind for general help!
later,
greg
The ttr 250 was my first bike after passing test and have loved it, great handling and brakes for a new comer or learner, nice turn of speed and comfy, they are dependable bikes just watch the sprag clutch and youll be alright, they do well on fuel too and cheap to insure.
Ive used mine on motorways with out to much hassle, but taken it to wales, north yorkshire, derbyshire, ridden through snow, ice, fog, summer, winter it did it all and I love the 250
Hi, I'm glad to hear your positive view on the ttr. I don't know what the sprag clutch is but I see it mentioned in a for sale ad.
Its such a good looking bike and as you say good for a new rider with good insurance and economy figures.
I'm looking for a UK one with mph clock and have two grand. Would that get a nice low miler? I see a nice one on eBay but at £2750 its too much.
Welcome ...Odds! Great to hear you considering to be a TTR owner. They are fun bikes to ride even for this old man. Our 250, when tuned properly, should do what you are asking. May I ask,... How big are you? The reason I ask is that our TTR is a fairly tall bike, so you should consider that as you explore the right bike. You will need to be pretty close to 6 feet to be tall enough to touch both feet. The DR is a bit shorter, depending on EXACTLY which model you end up finding. I have not ridden a DR so no help from me on that, perhaps someone else will chime in on that.? Weight and power are other things to consider. If you live/ride where it is windy, a heavier bike acts TONS nicer than a light one, especially at high speeds on "tarmac" (opposite seems true for dirt). I feel this all the time as I ride a KZ650 (470 lbs) and FLH-Harley (725 lbs) on the street. Around here, our TTR has enough power, but I feel would be blown around by on-coming traffic and be a bit light for a long commute (but 21 miles ain't long to me). That is why I have it for a dirt bike only. [my2cents] You mentioned "6 speeds" for both bikes. Keep in mind that gearing can be altered slightly, for all chain driven bikes, by adding or subtracting teeth from the sprockets. Just another fun fact to consider. Information like this can be found here on this site by doing a search for a particular issue. I think if you get off-road, with whatever you choose, you will see how much fun it is. AND if you choose something besides our TTR, you should keep this site in mind for general help! later, greg
Greg, thanks for the welcome and reply.
I'm 5'9/5'10. Not too tall, maybe just tall enough though with the bike lowered an inch or two?
Its very windy where I live but I can afford to take the bike to work as and when I please so good conditions only until I gain some experience on the roads.
I was considering the SE DR. I think its the lowest. They are quite rough though in general. The ttrs seem to be in better condition although they are much newer to be fair.
I'm split between a honda xr400 and getting a ttr now. The honda is very nice but I can get a ttr for a lot less and it is quite a bit lower than an xr.
Not a klr600 though parts are hard to get and bad electrics, got one sat in garage for that, honestly a klr or a ttr I'd go for the roughly same speed but a lot lighter better off road and parts easier to get
, but around town and border roads like you have it would thrive. 
