Looking for advice on lighter bike than XR400

[newstylecustoms]

Looking for advice from those who have ridden and owned many more offroad bikes than I have.  I have an XR400 and love the torque but hate the weight.  I am 5'7" 165 pounds and after a recent ride on very tight trails and having to pick up the bike many times I am looking for a lighter bike.  I am considering the CRF250x but get conflicting information about what it actually weighs.  If it is not significantly lighter I don't want to go that way.  I am open to 2 strokes since the majority of the riding I have done in my life has been on 2 stroke mx bikes, clutch use doesn't bother me.  Several people have suggested KTM 200s but I can't find any in my price range or near me.  I have also considered the extreme light weight of a KX100 or KTM 105 with mods for trail use.

Thanks for any advice you can offer

[ScrewMx_Hd]

what's your budget? there are plenty of orange options but you say a 200 is out of your price range

[newstylecustoms]

I really need it to be under $2000 unless it needs no accessories or repairs.

 

I forgot to mention I have found a good deal on a KDX200 that I could afford to do some suspension upgrades to.

[ScrewMx_Hd]

if you could sacrifice a little torque for weight savings a steel frame YZ250 with some woods mods would be good

[WWalker]

Keep the XR and buy a 2nd bike. The KDX would be a good one. A modded YZ250 would be lighter for sure. I have an XR 400 and 200. I love the 200 in the tight stuff bc it's lower, lighter, and a blast to ride but I love that 400. The torque is awesome which makes nasty hill climbs so nice....until you fall over. Then it sucks.

[newstylecustoms]

Two bikes would be ideal but priorities dictate that I cannot justify spending more on another bike only selling and buying another. Unless some one gives me another I probably won't have two.

[Qqqqqqqqqqqq]

A nice KDX 200 .. if you can find one

[Motox367]

Nothing lighter than a 125 twostroke ? can be awesome trail bike.  I sometimes lead trail rides and have used my 125 . And still have to wait for people 

[newstylecustoms]

I just discovered a Husky WR360 for sale near by for a good price. I had never looked at this bike before, the specs sound to good to be true 228 pounds with 4stroke like torque. Any reason I should not consider this?

[Singletrack_rider]

2 minutes ago, newstylecustoms said:

I just discovered a Husky WR360 for sale near by for a good price. I had never looked at this bike before, the specs sound to good to be true 228 pounds with 4stroke like torque. Any reason I should not consider this?

Parts availability . Before you buy any older bike especially a European bike check for parts. Make sure everything is available that you might need to keep the bike running. 

Unless you're a husky fan i would pass on that bike. I have no experience with them but never see any huskys from that era on the trails. It may be a goood price for a reason. 

 

[newstylecustoms]

That makes sense. I had an old Husky cr125 when I was a kid and loved it. I will do more research

[ossagp]

On 4/2/2017 at 5:16 AM, Motox367 said:

Nothing lighter than a 125 twostroke ? can be awesome trail bike.  I sometimes lead trail rides and have used my 125 . And still have to wait for people 

I like my yz 125's (earlier 95-2000 versions) with bigbore kits for trail.   I like KDX's too,  but again,  kind of heavy.  I have some xr's and I like the 250's better than the 400 for the lighter weight and extra gear,  again,  those get bigger pistons and one (95) has 47mm showas off of an 89 cr125.  

When the 400 came out I liked it, but having a 250 and a 600 it just didn't make sense,  as it felt as heavy as the 600 and not as fast,  and not enough faster than the 250 to make me want to pay for one.  

[newstylecustoms]

I am glad you bring up the 125s again.  I keep kicking around a 125 mx bike with mods for better lowend and softened suspension.  By the numbers the 125 mx bikes are usually 20 to 30 pounds lighter than everything else bigger in displacement.  For instance 2003 yz125 191 pounds vs ktm 200 219 pounds (dry weight).  I am shocked that it is that much difference or are these numbers not accurate? Which brings me to another oddball bike Husky WR125?  Looks interesting except for the extra tall seat height which may be a deal breaker for me since I won't have any budget left over to lower the bike.

[hawaiidirtrider]

Stay with bikes you can get parts for..You dont want to jump into bigger problems..even though some bikes look good for a deal..it's not a deal if you cant get parts.

[newstylecustoms]

I found a 2009 WR125 for a good price, but it is 3.5 hour drive away so I don't think it is worth the drive. Just sounds intriguing due to the nostalgia of my first Husky 125

[ossagp]

Those 09 125's from husky were good.  But there never were very many parts for the 2 dozen that got here.  191 for a 2000 yz is low. mine goes about 206 with a little bit of fuel and a lighter than normal rear tire (I just happened to have a metzler tire that is small for it's "size" on it when I was near a good scale. Other than that the bike was stock with the addition of a different top clamp and protaper bars.   Anyone like Eric Gorr can make you a really good bigbore kit for trail and the difference it how it works is pretty surprising.  I use a 36mm caburetor like came on the 95-98 ones and it has some great manners.  Stock pipe and take your pick on reeds.  2 teeth more on the back for really tight stuff.  

[hawaiidirtrider]

1 hour ago, newstylecustoms said:

I found a 2009 WR125 for a good price, but it is 3.5 hour drive away so I don't think it is worth the drive. Just sounds intriguing due to the nostalgia of my first Husky 125

Have you tried to find out where you could buy parts if you had to? because you will have to..and when husky was bought out by ktm  they didn't take on the old parts . They just painted ktm's white and blue and called them husky.. plus nostalgia wise ..you didn't ride Husky when it was bought by cagiva right? I'm guessing that you had a swedish Husky.. for those I'm guessing you might be able to get parts.. as weird as that sounds being much older. I have an 82' 430 cr husky that I can get every part for.. but that's not what I hear about the cagiva husky.. I had a husky 125 too back when I was 13. It looked like this.

 

honestly I'd stay far away from an 09 husky 125.. it would suck for you to buy it.. break something small and you can't ride the bike because you can't find the part. The kdx200 you can find parts for. a bunch of 2 stroke 250 japanese mx bikes work great ..are solid..can get tons of parts..and probably can be found all set up already for trail...yz 250's,kx 250,s hondas..  125's too.. but I'd go 250.. idk ..anything you get is waaay lighter than an xr400 . There are many deals out there because lots of guys are now upgrading to estart 2 stroke enduro bikes these days.. My friend just sold a totally gone through cr 250 honda that is like a brand new bike and he sold it for 2200 bucks.. a steal.. He sold a 2004 300 gasgas also totally overhauled for about the same price.. needed nothing.. perfect running.. Gasgas has better availability of parts than an 09 husky and gasgas went out of business for a year or 2.. at least they are back. I don't know.. do what you like .. just wouldn't want you to jump into a bummer choice of a bike.. lots of bikes to choose from.

[newstylecustoms]

I didn't realize that there were so countries of origin for the Husky's.  When I was 13 my first full size bike with a 86 Husky 125, I don't know if that was Cagiva or not but there was a local Husky dealer that I got parts from, different world now.

I do appreciate all the input, aggravating that everything that looks interesting is at least a 3 hour drive away.  My only concern with going with an MX bike is how much money I will have to throw at it to make it work like a want vs a factory built bike that does what I want.  BTW the majority of bikes I have owned have been mx bikes that I rode both on the track and the woods.

[Singletrack_rider]

Go find a 95 or new kdx200 or a ktm 200. Either of those would probably fit the type of bike your looking for. Be patient,  have cash ready and be willing to take that 3 hour drive for the right bike.