Do I have to change?!

[danjerman]

From riding some long trails with my friend last weekend (25+ miles at a time), it got me thinkin' to how far I could go on my 2-stroke? After a ride of about 25 miles my tank on my 1991 KX250 was less than half full, while his gas tank had plenty of gas (He has a 1990 XR250). Now this summer I had my heart set on a 97' or newer KTM 250 or 300 E/XC, but now I'm thinking that if I want to keep on going on these long rides, I better get a 4-stroke. Either a 400 E/XC, which I wouldn't mind having just one bit, just really hard to find, or a Yamaha 400/426. Now I'm totally biased towards 2-strokes just because of the instantaneous power and light weight, so I'm sort of hesitant to go to a 4-stroke for the mileage. So my real question is: Do the KTM 250 and above 2-stroke bikes have better mileage than the jap bikes? I know I could buy an oversize tank, but its not in my best interest to buy a new bike and instantly slap another good $200.00 into it. Thanks

 

[Wraith]

Look at what size the carbs are on the bikes you'r interested in. That should tell you what you want to know. But I think it is just the rider, you know, how hard he pushes, rpms', clutch dumping, that kinda junk.;)

 

[KDXfile]

The KTM 2 strokes you mentioned should have a range of 60-70 mi with the stock 3.2 gal tank. I think the 400EXC's range would be less with the smaller tank. My GasGas 200 can go 50 mi. on it's 2.5 gal.
I wouldn't want the headaches that go along with owning a 4-stroke for just a few extra miles in range. Get the 2-stroke.

 

[sparkymarky]

headaches?? not working on your bike gives you headaches? i admit, i haven't owned a 2-stroke, and my current 4-stroke (klx300) is more of a reliable trailbike than a high-strung race weapon, but i still don't do much of anything besides oil, gas and filters to it (after 1600 ish miles). valve adjustments are pretty easy, tho i haven't had to do any yet. what's the problem?

on the other hand, i can easily go 90-100 miles on my 2.2 gallon tank, even if it's all rough trailwork. last saturday, i rode 55 miles of dirt-roads and jeep trails to meet friends (with 2-strokes), borrowed some lawnmower gas from them, rode Stonyford until their tanks were dry (about 60 miles), then rode another 55 miles back to where i was camped.

i really like the light weight and beefy power of the 300 e/xc i rode a few weeks ago, but i just don't think i could live with a 50-60 mile range. pretty much every ride i do is at least that long. as a result, i'll be looking hard at a 400 e/xc next year.
mw

 

[ROADRACER]

Of course it depends on how hard you ride:D I just got back from a ride in Moab Ut. on my 99 KTM 250 EXC. If I really babied it I could get 80 mi but I averaged about 55-60 miles to a tank. It is an all around excellent bike and would be worth the extra bucks for a bigger tank if need be. One thing that I did run into was that the 4-strokes could stop anywhere and get gas and that would have been nice. I'd try to find a 99/00 used in good condition and put the money that you saved into a bigger tank. Good Luck:cool:

 

[KDXfile]

Sparky,
I agree, for a casual trail bike, a 4-stroke is nice. Especially out West where you live. But, I think it depends on where you live and what kind of riding you do determines which one works the best.
We don't have any public lands or open terrain down here in AL. All our trails are tight single track which are great for 2-strokes. Also, since I rarely get to trial ride but mainly race, I need a bike that starts when I want it to and isn't prone to stalling. I've had several 4-strokes and from a racing perspective they were nothing but headaches. The 2-strokes I've owned need very little maintenance and are more rider friendly out in the woods.
As for range, our races usually don't exceed 50 mi. so that isn't an issue around here anyway.

 

[sparkymarky]

good point about starting/stalling. i've only had trouble starting my bike 3 times in 1600 miles, but they were:
1. with all my old mtb buddies looking on, wondering why i spent all that money for a bike that wouldn't start (freshly oiled air filter).

2. in my first enduro, when i stalled and tipped over trying to get around everyone else who had stalled and tipped over on a slippery climb.

3. after tipping over when riding with 2 guys that were intimidatingly fast.

if i get nuts about racing, 2-stroke or 4-stroke e-start is pretty much a must-have. i'm still in the mode of "one bike for all things", but on a race bike, mileage is not such a big issue.
mw