Would you ride your vintage most weekends

Due to recent events (herniated discs, spinal stenosis) i had to lay off riding for about five months, the back issues are on going and i need to get back into riding.
My question is how viable is it to keep my ac wr430 as my weekly ride, my ktm 520exc is a great bike but is a pain to try and throw around in the tight stuff, the 430 feels much lighter but i do enjoy riding both bikes.
I ride most weekends for about 8 months of the year and do a 90 klm loop in treed hills single track with some open fire trails in between.
I know the 520 has to go but would you recommend keeping the wr as a weekly rider.

YES ! .... but I am biased

When it's gone, it's gone. You can buy another KTM anytime ...

90 km about 55 miles once a weekend or at least once a weekend for 8 months a year. Take the ride and then drain the oil and look at what comes out. I mean how much metal is in the oil.

Have you tried a modern water cooled power valved 200 or 250cc?

I am not advocating dealing it off, how old until you can't start it is something that has been discussed around here long before internet discussion groups.

A lot of things go into such a decision, Some bikes tend to make me more reckless, some more sensible about risk taking.

Since I also suffer from a herniated disc,going on 6 years now,I say ride that vintage bike as much as you can!
If I don't get to ride on the weekend,my back hurts like hell all week. At least for me,I need the movement &
the adrenaline rush of my 430CR to limber me up. At 55 yrs old,riding is the best medicine,for me anyway.

i honestly think the 80s huskies are great to ride for ergonomics. the seats are nice and the suspension is setup comfortable when adjusted right. vibration in the hands is a negative if you have carpal tunnel or something. the steel frames and components have a bit of flex too.

a newer bike can be setup well too, especially a small bore. the new seats suck. no way around that for me, altho i guess you are supposed to stand all day.

I ride one to two times a week when it is not freezing and snowing here in the north eastern part of Oregon. The only bikes I ride are my vintage air cooled Huskys even the autos. I sold my modern bikes years ago, as my vintage bikes are way more fun to ride and more reliable and in most cases easier to kick start. We usually ride around 40-75 miles each outing. My riders are 1977 360 auto, 1978 125CR, 1981 420 auto, 1980 390/420OR, 1983 250XC, 1983 250WR. The only hard thing about riding them is trying to decide which one to ride for the day. My riding buddys still ride modern bikes
Marty

With back issues and yes I can relate if you do not have a compression release installed to aid starting please do so. Dealing with the compression of a big bore you can really mess with your back just trying to start it. I would also suggest a good higher spark ignition if you do not already have one.

I would never ride a modern bike every weekend, i ride my 86 7 months a year. mountain terrain and single track and love it. Its like riding a baja truck, just floats over or soaks up the bumps with ease. Tried my 430 83, not as nice as the EVO. 86 and 87 models are best bush bikes Husky ever made, I will ride them forever.

I live so close to the terrain i'm a hour away from the best trails ever, home town calgary pic.
Going out for a rip today on Halloween, love Indian Summers.

Its an easy answer. If You ride all day standing up go buy a modern bike with e-start ( 2 Stroke of coarse ) If You sit down even once during Your ride then keep what You have. Ever time these young punks ride one of my bikes they come back with the same reply.... The Seat on this thing is great, why did they get rid of them ?

An air cooled 430 will be fine as a weekly rider. The engine is as reliable as they come, and parts are easy to get and probably cost less than a modern bike.

the moderns are great for estart and brakes but the plushness of the seat and the sit down riding possy is great for ailing bodies. a fall from the sit down possy is far better to take than a full fall from the stand up. ive still got a shoulder war wound from loosing the front on a buried stick in the mud from years ago. the newer bikes demand a lot of input and will bite if you get sloppy. keep the 430

Ok settled sell ktm and keep the wr/xc , with the decomp lever it makes for an easy starter and i know what you mean about the plushness and comfort of the ride.
Might look into buying a second 2t next year probably another husky maybe a 400 or 250.

get a single shock swede perhaps? could share a few parts with your 83 but what a great package, the 87-88 bikes especially.

Thats what iam thinking 87 400 but not many around these parts.will keep an eye out though.

Thats a nice looking city, same here an hour away from some real nice tracks but riding in summer is hit and miss due to the heat.

The view from the trail called cloud nine yesterday looking back at the city.



A cool pic of my bike on a trail called Viagra ridge, ride the edge and the hair stands up on your arms lol

Yes, the 86 and 87 and 88 are the best enduros. Once you dial them in, they are a blast. My modern Husky is nice but I'm riding the old ones more.
Great shot of Calgary and V Ridge, 86 400 XC. I saved the images. I've got to get back up there.

I would sell it to a guy in Florida... lol
No really , I think you should ride which ever one suits you and your body . You are the only one that can make that decision , which bike does your body relate to better.

If my health makes a comeback I will ride the easy stuff. Before the '78 390cr was ridden 4 to 5 times a week. These bikes are built to be ridden.


Golf ball sized kidney stone, spinal stenosis, three bad discs, one bulging, bad knees, fourth time broken ribs healing now, tore shoulder for the second time, nothing bike related. I would like to just putt with the grandson while he's still slow. The left kickers are better for the old battered bodies.

Every Halloween I put on my black leathers, gloves, gorilla mask and rip up the streets on the dirt bike for the kids. Not this year.

One year the mask turned I rode blind, jumped the curb, wicked it, stood the bike up went on my front lawn. My balance was so good then. I stopped and put the bike away.