I'm not going to be able to test ride one since the nearest dealer is about 2 hours away so I figured I'd pose the question. I'm a 49 year old novice dirt rider and I'm looking for a bike that I can run through trails, jumps and on some short distance shots (30 - 40miles) on roads. I'm 5'8" and about 175 lbs. I currently have three other bikes. 1) 2009 DRZ400S- Great on the road and open trails. Sucks in the tight technical stuff because I can't reach the ground and it’s too heavy for me to hold up once it starts to go past the tipping point. I've ridden the bike hard and even jumped some with it, love the power and how it soaks up the landings on single jumps but I can't handle the weight. 2) 2003 CRF230F Plated- Great little bike off road. I love this bike off road it’s been uncorked and has an FMF pipe for pure enjoyment. The only issue is that it’s a bit underpowered and it’s a buzz bomb on the road at speeds over 55MPH. 3) 2009 Yamaha FZ1 - Not a dirt bike but a MAJOR adrenaline rush to ride this rocket. My questions are: 1) Will I find the TE310 to be too buzzy on the interstate at 55-60 for no more than about 30-40 minutes at a time? BTW seat hardness doesn’t seem to bother me for some reason on any bike. 2) Can I expect to get at least 10,000 miles (not constantly running WOT) before a top end rebuild? 3) Is the weight of the TE 310(250 or so wet) going to make a big difference for my height (5'8"), given that the seat height is about the same as my tuned DRZ400, when it tips in the slow stuff as I attempt to plant my toes on the ground for support? My goal is to find one plated bike that will do most of what the DRZ400S and the CRF230F will do. Although I definitely don't plan to run the TE310 up to 90 mph like I have the DRZ400S, I do want it to be interstate capable to get me to some riding locations that are about 40 miles away without killing the bike. DRZ400S is bullet proof, I've put 5K miles on it just this year and no issues. Valves clearance is still like new. 4) How much less durable is the TE310? I don't want a bike that will leave me stranded on some fire road in the middle of nowhere. The Plated CRF250 is also a bullet proof go anywhere goat with plenty of low end torque, it never stalls and I can flip it in trails like a BMX bike. I hardly ever dump this bike even on very difficult terrain. I even ran it on an MX track pretty hard although I was easily passed by the 125 2t and the 250 Mxers. But I did bottom out the suspension on some of the jumps and the table tops. 5) The weight of the 230 is equal to the TE310 but being that it's lower, will the 310 feel heavier and be harder to maneuver in tight trails? Is the suspension capable of handing doubles with someone my weight without bottoming out? Any advice is appreciated. I've pretty much committed to selling the DRZ, I don't like dumping my bikes. I'm hanging on to the 230 until I decide on this.
The 310 is not cappable of the kind of highway performance you want and still be effective offroad. Sounds like the 510 may fit the bill
I have an 09 TE310 and have owned a 2000 DRZ400 in the past. The TE is much more nimble and better handling than the DRZ. In the tight stuff the TE blows the DRZ away. It is still tall however and if you end up stalling it you will then notice the tall seat height and the wieght if you need to move it around. The TE has a close ratio transmission that works great in the woods but it does make the bike buzzy on the road at 55-60. The bike can do it, as I have done it on my bike, but it gets uncomfortable after a while. To sum it up the TE is a serious dirt bike that just happens to be street legal. If you read these forums you will find that the bikes have been reliable. I only have a about 500 miles on mine so far because I broke my wrist this year but the bike has been 100% reliable.
What Seredyns wrote is spot on. The 310 is a woods weapon that has the legal technicallity of being street-legal, not a do-it-all commuter like a DRZ. You could take your FZ1 on a 10K mile interstate trip, but would you want to? No, because it's not the right bike for that. DRZ = Chevy Malibu/Pickup TE310 = Chevy Corvette ZO-6 The Corvette's going to need a bit more attention from the service dept. because it's a high performance machine that makes a lot of horsepower. Same with the TE. When you make good HP, you're going to have to 'watch over' it a little closer than the Malibu/DRZ. That's not to say it's unreliable, it is. It's just not a 'ride it and forget it' bike like some others are. 10K miles before a rebuild? Ahh, NO. Think detuned motocross race engine. Not near as high-strung as a TC/TXC engine, but stout nonetheless. You could change the gearing (sprockets) on the 310 to make it cruise more comfortable on the highway, but you'll kill 1st gear when in the woods. You can't have it both ways. Not sure if you're close enough to make it worth your while, but you're welcome to ride my bike if you want to try it out. PM me if interested.
Thanks BentAero I'm in south Ga. I see your in NC. The dealership offered to let me take a spin on the TE250 for comparison even though I know it won't have the same power. May take him up on the offer. I don't mind swipping out the counter sprocket I do that often on my DRZ. If I could bump it up one or two teeth for a ride into town that would suite me fine. I just need it to still have some degree of power when I do that, something I wouldn't get with the CRF230f. Yet I still want to maintain the nimble features for off road by swapping it back to OE gearing. As far a spinning wrenches, I do just about all my own work on my bikes right now as is. Do you know anyone that's swapped a counter sproket on one of these? If so at what speed the the "Engine Buzz" start?
Ride the TE250 if you can. It will give you a feel for the gearing. The 310 will be very similar with more power throughout. I tried 1 tooth larger on the countershaft and it only lowered the rpm by 200-300 and made first gear kind of tall. It was Ok for road riding but I felt 1st was a little too tall off road. I am lazy so I went back to stock and have left it there since. I just scream it on the road sections, the bike doesn't complain!
310 brilliant bush bike, a real gem for power, handling etc. It is not really a viable road machine. Maybe consider a KTM 400 or Husaberg 390.
i dont even like my te510 on road.. too thumpy lol... i would buy a different style of bike, ie, a supermotard not a enduro dressed as a road/trail bike.. i have rode it at 100+ on roads with 14/44 sprocket but wasnt fun... these are woods/trail bikes with road legal add ons as some one said.. i ride the 510 but wouldnt mind a blast on the 310 as ive heard its a fantastic bike... as for right for you ? only you can decide... try one !
Hey T300, I put 25000 kms on a DRZ 400, and bought a TE 510 this spring. The bike rocks!! Like others have said here, it is far better woods bike and generates TONS more power too. It outhandles, outbrakes and generally is far superior off road then the DRZ that they shouldn't be in the same sorta class or compared head to head. I don't like the TE as much on the road, but as I don't try to ride pavement that much I'm OK with that. You may not be... BTW, I swapped bikes with a buddy and got back on his DRZ after many many miles on my TE. Felt like I was driving a stationwagon with poor brakes down the gravel road we were on. Going back to my old bike, I can't believe I rode it where and how I did over the 5 years before, I think I was in over my head most of the time. The TE is just effortless -- feels like an extension of you as you rip up the gravel roads or trails. Have fun Pete
I have never had any issues either with my local dealer or online sources. Bottom line with the internet and a telephone everything you need is available.
Interstate? No. Your 250/310 will NOT be happy with the amount of road riding you plan to do. My 510 wasn't that good for freeway stints in town, wouldn't even consider it on my 250. Sorry. The bike is awesome off road, but you need to just pick up a small trailer to pull behind your car to get there. It's more convenient than you think.
Hello T300, I live near the Atlanta, area and will be putting my TE 310 on the classified today. It's not a full on road bike, like mentioned above, but it will do dual sport work. Bought it new in Feb 09, and it's been a great bike. John
You may want to consider the TE610. I have 15,000 miles on my 06 and loved every minute of it. Very fun on the road and in the woods. Yes, it weighs 309 lbs, but the weight never bothers me. I'm an old guy (62) and about your size. There is a huge thread on ADVRIDER about this bike. Not really an enduro bike, but I have entered 3 enduroes (including the Alligator) and have 3 trophies. Yeah, the old guy and dual sport class, but so what. This is a great all round bike. I just bought a TE310, but I'm keeping the 610 for sure..
Wow! That IS an acomplishmentespecially in the Alligator enduro on a 610. Again it tells us how much a riders ability & conditioning plays the part. It doesnt really matter "how old" or "what class", congradulations.
Well if your not worn out then your probably not trying hard enough That's why I went from a 520 to a 250. Now I'm still worn out but not throwing up
