Learn Me Motorcycles

singleslammer wrote: In reply to MattGent: Like the sprockets section we are currently in? Or another forum entirely

Except this is in the main GRM forums.

I like what this guy did with a Yamaha XT500

Nick_Comstock wrote:

singleslammer wrote: In reply to MattGent: Like the sprockets section we are currently in? Or another forum entirely

Except this is in the main GRM forums.

I'm so used to skipping over the sprockets section that I didn't even realize it was there. Kind of like the off road section

Scramblers were/are styling exercises carried out on street bikes and are generally awful. They did/do take people places they would never go on a street bike and have provided loads of fun riders over the last 50 years. I've had several from a BSA Firebird Scrambler to Honda CL/SL in 175 & 350 variety.

The BSA handled well and only weighed about 25lbs more than the CL, plus it had 15 more horsepower.

The CLs were sturdy and would take heaps of abuse but the were really awful: they were heavier and less powerful than the low pipe street model. The forks were weedy even for the day they were under powered and handled like they were hinged in the middle. Naturally that didn't stop us from riding the snot out of them and taking them everywhere. If someone gave me one I'd happily take one , and have, but I would not pay for one.

I'm also not a fan of the current bobber/cafe racer/ scrambler style custumes that are all over Craigslist, mainly becuase they are poorly done. A stock bike with the fenders removed, chopped exhaust and a different set of bars just looks like a parts bike to me. I love seeing people personalizing bikes but it needs to actually work.

Now I have threatened to do a RD 350 scrambler, IT175 pipes and Husky WR suspension.

Reality is no projects as I have the Beta seat isn't the best for long adventure riding trips but the seat height ( I am 5' 7") than most proper enduros and the handling is awesome.

A Metisse would be a great adventure bike, proper suspension and not to porky.

  Tom

First: scramblers were the only dirt bikes available in the 50's and 60's. They were crap. No suspension travel, street oriented frame geometry, heavy as a house. It wasn't until the mid 1960's that true dirt bikes from Europe started making their way over here, the Japanese manufacturers capitalized on the 'romance' of the British high pipe scramblers which is why they continued to make them till the mid 70's when demand fell off, they were replaced by the 'enduro' bikes, basically street legal versions of dirt bikes. Those 80's ad 90's compromises are better than the scramblers by a long shot but still were heavy and softly/poorly suspended compared to true off road bikes.

If you want one to mess around with on the street and the occasional dirt road, have at it. If you are wanting a true dualsport, don't do it. Put the $ into something like the KTM 525 or 690, or maybe a Baja Designs conversion on a WR450 Yamaha or CR450X Honda. Believe me, the first time you don't have to pick up that big porky poorly suspended scrambler you'll thank me.

That Metisse... they are gorgeous and available to the general public. I'd love to have one. But, having ridden a BSA Victor 500 and a couple of other vintage Brit scramblers there's no way in hell I'd consider one as a dualsport bike.

In reply to Nick_Comstock:

Most of us would have told you you didn't need to ride it to walk out.