Hello everyone
I'm new to this site and I have to say I am seriously impressed by the amount of information available and the apparent willingness of everyone to offer sensible and practical advice. I thought I'd post this to see if anyone can give me genuine advice on what may be a totally bonkers idea! lol
I have been riding on a "fair weather biker" basis since 2002 and have loved every minute of it. I have been all over Ireland (which is where I live) and have had numerous Summer trips to Europe, primarily France, Spain and Germany. I have always had a nice big bike for these trips (Triumph Trophy 1200) and obviously cruising on this bike was no effort at all.
Unfortunately due to financial obstacles (through losing my job) I have had to sell my beloved bike and 2009 was the first year since 2002 that I didn't have a European trip.......and it broke my heart .

So here's my plan, or perhaps a crazy idea, and I was hoping someone here might have had a similar experience and can give some actual advice,,,,,

I was thinking of a 3 week trip to Europe in July/August 2010. I will not be able to afford a big bike for the trip but I can get hold of a small bike at sensible money. The bike is a 1996 Yamaha DT125R in really good condition with only 9k on the clock and I can buy it for around £500. I don't have any concerns about the reliability etc. of the bike........but is it REALLY a practical bike to take on a trip that will probably cover 3-4000 miles in 3 weeks? I'll plan to travel light so won't have any huge luggage issues and ideally I'll stay in proper beds at night so won't have to carry camping gear. Will the vibrations etc. be too much? Will it make me numb to cover a couple of hundred miles on it? What other issues should I bear in mind?

I would be particularly interested to hear from anyone who has done a trip of comparable miles on a similar size of bike. Obviously it would be easier/better on a bigger bike but I don't think I'll be able to afford it and am thinking that any bike is better than no trip at all.

So that's the situation I find myself in folks, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks
Chris

DT125..... 13 year old 2 stroke dirt bike ! Would be an experience for sure. If you have no mechanical skills, forget it !

You "could" do it, but for £500 you could get much better bikes for the job.

CG125 if you want a small bike. very economical and less likely to be thrashed around a field by teenagers for 13 years.

Kawasaki ER5, Suzuki GS500 etc etc would be much more sensible and available for the same kind of money if you look around.

If you're buying on a budget, at least get a 4-stroke bullet proof commuter.


Check this out on Ebay 1997 SUZUKI GS 500 EW BLUE on eBay (end time 02-Jan-10 18:41:34 GMT)

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Could be good advice Ted.
Yes, it's a 2 stroke bike and I have ZERO mechanical expertise. I am used to jumping on, riding and jumping off at the end of the day.
So I can assume that a 4stroke is definitely the way to go then? I didn't think those bikes would be available for that kinda price so perhaps that's what I should be looking for.

Regards
Chris

The only thing that would bother me was the 2stroke bit, well, apart from the distance you want to cover. More isnt better, IMO. But I'd do it with a 2stroke if that was the only choice.

Incidentally, you already live in Europe.

2 strokes havn't anywhere near the shelf life of a 4-stroke ! Especially a 125. Especially being 13-14 years old, It will probably be needing a full rebuild and will be about as comfortable as sitting on a cactus with a strap on.

If you're sticking to paved roads, get a cheap commuter. They have all day long saddles, smooth, low tuned economical and reliable engines and well as a very comforable riding position and will be able to carry 3x the amount of luggage and weight than a teenagers field bike.

No brainer to me mate !

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Ted
Just saw a 1990 VFR750 with 55000miles for 800 quid. A little bit more than I was hoping to spend but could be the answer. All of a sudden I'm getting more excited about the reality of this trip! Your thoughts are much appreciated.

Chris

Good advice Ted, take a 4 stroker.
Have a read of Old Man On A Bike, Simon Gandolfi.

The DT 125 is a cracking bike for it's intended purpose, but even if it didn't go BANG! you still have to factor in the costs of two stroke oil. I have an NSR250 and love two strokes, but I wouldn't want to ride it round Europe (though BIKE magazine did borrow it to ride to the Valencia GP in October!

You'd be amazed what you can pick up for £5-800, especially from a breaker. Many bikes are sent there with only cosmetic damage. Not sure you'll find much in Auto-trader or MCN, as the ads cost a lot. Try local papers or put a wanted ad in your news agent window.

Good luck to your plans Chris

The problem with buying a big four stroke for this sort of money is that if it needs chain, sprockets & brake pads, they'll cost you the best part of £200 plus the labour costs if you're unable to fit them yourself. You also need to consider tyres, if I was embarking on 3-4,000 mile round trip, I'd certainly want a new or nearly new rear tyre on the bike from day one.

You might find a 125 of any sort a bit gutless at altitude, especially with luggage, I'd opt for a 250 four stroke as a minimum but preferably a 500cc twin like a GS500 or similar as Ted mentioned. Cheap to buy, more performance but also cheaper than a VFR etc when it comes to replacing pads & other consumables.

__________________
My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

Very true.. A set of tyres for a VFR is likey to be about £230 once fitted compared to a cheap set of touring tyres of a ER,GS will be half the price.

Same goes with spare parts, repairs, etc.

The absolute key to this budget bike will be finding one that someone else has spent all the money on and then given up..

Loads of first time riders buy ER5's, GS500s only to give up biking a year later !

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Considering from what you have written you have experience with bikes and you had TR Trophy, which has more power and comfort.

If I were you I would calculate the total cost of the trip. Take into consideration the total length and gas money you need as well as repairs and service costs. That would be much more sensible.

You should be ble to do basic maintenance on a simple 4 stroke bike (like changing oil and oil filter and brake pads). This will save you money.
Look on the internet you will find many sites with pictures to explain.

4 stroke also will burn less fuel on long distance rides (highways) and you save again. Injection bikes usually are more economical compared to carburettor ones. But they may be more expensive to buy.

DT125R is great light bike for offroad and weekend rides. But 2 stroke on long distance would be not much fun and cheap in the long run. If you want enduro type look at DR350, DR650, Dr800, KLR650, KLE500, XT225, XT350, XT600, Honda Dominator and/or Transalp (maybe an older version?). I am sure to forget somethibgs but these are reliable bikes and many riders toured the world on those.

If you look for mostly asphalt riding, GS500E, older Yamaha TDMs would be great choices. You shoul also be able to find Yamaha diversion (600), bandits in large amounts for reasonabel prices.

The VFR is a great bike but maintenance may not be cheap and simple (Vfour engine). However definetly a great bike if you are going to be on asphalt most of the time.

Another thing to consider if you will have a pillion. But that is another story.

Regards

Ted, Nomad, Steve, Caminando........
Guys, your various opinions are greatly appreciated. Clearly the general opinion is that a 125 probably isn't going to enhance my trip.

Many thanks chaps, I'll keep you posted of what I ultimately buy.

Good luck and Happy New Year to you all

Chris

If, as you say, it's in good nick I wouldn't have any problem taking the DT. I've toured Europe on a number of small 2Ts and would be happy to do it again.

I'd consider a new set of rings and little end bearing but at 9k I'd probably wait until I got back to put them in.

It is more tiring than touring on a big bike so I'd suggest you might want to reconsider your mileage otherwise you'll spend all your time in the saddle but in principle the DT is a good choice. 2T oil might be a problem as it isn't as easily available as it used to be but it's a fairly minor one in the scheme of things.

B.o.B - a two stroke fan

Hi Chris, I'm currently in morocco on my 25 year old CG125 which I rode all the way from the UK.

It's been absolutely brilliant so far and I've had no major problems, blocked carb once but my fault as had no fuel filter.

So far as cost being a concern for you it's a great option as you can get 100mpg out of these little bikes. Since I left I've covered about 4000 miles now (off top of head). Alongside insurance/tax and parts being cheap (plus very available, picked up a clutch for it in sevillia off the shelf!)

I've no doubt it'd be slower than the trips your used to but that's managable no? I've not had a big bike before so can't really compare but you relly get to absorb whats going on around you and interact with people as your not flying past at crazy speeds!

The seat....well it's shocking and my ass is usually in ruins after anything more than about 175 miles, but that said if I'd invested in a air cussion seat as I saw a few days ago on an XT600 I think i'd have no problems at all, and my seat is ruined, a newer one may well be fine.

As for storage I made a very simple pannier rack and had two old french army rucksacks adapted to fit, and I strap a daypack with my valuable on top so can take off when I stop. I went on motorways on the way down through spain and it was fine, I was apprehensious I would have major dramas there but it was fine.

As for repairs these bikes are very simple to work on and if you get hold of a haynes manual for it that should stand you in good stead along with a few basic tools. Also every garage under the sun seems to have worked on them at somepoint so that's a definate plus.

Assuming 4000 miles in 3 weeks thats about 190 miles a day, quite achievable on this thing, I've done a few days of 300 miles ish and other than said ass problems had no dramas. Tank holds 10 litres which will do me fine for 200 miles.

Also there's a definate sense of adventure setting off on a trip on a bike that's so small compared to what people 'normally' ride these sort of trips on.

Also while injection bikes are better at altitude and the like I think a carb is much better on a cheapo trip as it's fixable using 'bush mechanics'm i.e. I had an o-ring preished and managed to use a slither of fuel pipe to do the job, you cant do these sort of fixes on the more electronic bikes, you need a garage to sort it, and where's the fun in that!


Hope this helps, sorry of i'm wittering on.

Cheers

Henry