You don't see many proper trail bikes on the road these days; those you do see have usually seen better days. Even confirmed trail riders are having to look to enduro models or are building specials. In fact, if you look at any of the model ranges you Won't see much in the way of trail bikes, with the exception of learner machines or 600cc plus bikes. A real change from the halcyon days of the late 1970s when, after heavyweight, under-powered half-hearted attempts, the trail bike evolved into a small, lightweight, reasonably powerful macthine, justly able to fly the dual purpose banner.
At the beginning of this decade the machines were really getting their act together, building on their seventies experience to improve chassis technology and introduce modern styling.
In 1980 Honda launched a completely re-vamped line up of XLs from 100 to 500cc. The old, established 250 was toppled from supremacy by the XL185S - the combination of low weight, small size and powerful motor at last gave the punters what. they always wanted: the lightness of the SL125 with the power of the XL250. Based on Honda’s ubiquitous 125 motor, the XL185, and indeed the range as a whole, were noted for their general reliability and longevity.
The XL185S became so popular that at one time the TRF almost became the XL owners club. With no particular vices and an unburstable engine (so long as 1200 mile oil changes are adhered to - if they’re not the top end does the usual Honda trick to cams and bearings), the XL185 is much sought after for specials. Indeed, the motor will slip easily into the XL125 Pro-Link frame.
Some 185s can be rattly, but before you strip down the motor, check the advance/retard mechanism I’ve known a quick adjustment and spray of WD40 to quieten down the motor. Also, in common with many other models, attention to camchain adjustment is essential. Don’t leave it to the automatic tensioner as these seldom work effectively, if at all. The automatic decompressor in older machines frequently slips out of adjustment (only the XL500R featured a more sensible manual decompressor). The silencers are reduced to dust at an alarming rate on the S models. Whilst it’s still possible to buy legal aftermarket exhausts, many bikes have home grown silencers fitted. The XL185 was produced in SA, SB and SC form, staying virtually unchanged, the only modifications cosmetic, the last SC model resembling the successful, competition XR200.
Yamaha, Honda’s nearest trail bike rival, kept their DT range unchanged in the early eighties. The gas guzzling DT175MX (70 miles to the tank) was still the trick machine to have, sporting the right kind of heritage as well as mono-shock rear suspension. The XT500 had its faithful followers of masochists, whilst at the smaller end, Yamaha produced their answer to the XL250, the XT. Smaller than the XL250, sporting a more sensible 21" front wheel as opposed to Honda’s cartwheel 23", it was unfortunately saddled with a 17" rear rim at a time when there was no alternative tyre of that size. At 17hp, the power output wasn’t particularly sparkling which may help explain why not very many were sold, although having ridden one I confess I preferred it to either the heavier and more revvy Honda or the under-powered KL250A.
Complaints about the XT250 appear to be limited to the gear ratios which are not wide enough, the lack of grip on the OE tyres and the lousy front mudguard which does nothing to protect either rider or engine. Later bikes were fitted with 18" rear wheels and it’s possible to fit these to earlier models.
Suzuki acknowledged the change in decades by restyling their TS models and using the suffix ER. Popularity of earlier models was somewhat limited by their penchant for seizing and they also had a reputation for being just a little flimsy for serious off road fun and games. Suzuki also introduced the DR400, initially alongside the SP400, on which the DR was based. Although produced for only a short time (discontinued in 1983), the DR was to prove. a much more reliable and robust machine, the SP suffering from poor lubrication of the head.
Kawasaki never managed to shatter the world with their trail bikes, but at the turn of the decade they offered a range of two and four stroke machines. The earlier KL250A, never a real threat to the XL and which suffered head problems, was revamped - given lighter moto-crosser styling, a high level exhaust, larger jet carb and a counterbalanced engine, hence the model name KL250C. It was also given a box section swinging arm, needle roller bearings, CDI ignition, auto camchain tensioner, more ground clearance and, most importantly, dumped 22lbs - even if it still retained 6V electrics. It was destined to be an unpopular model, the engine had lost most its four stroke punchiness, with little engine braking, whilst an inherent gearbox problem meant the bike jumped out of 2nd gear when the going got tough. Last examples were sold off cheap when the new water-cooled, 12 volt, KLR250 was introduced.
Everyone remembers the old 1970s KE125 and 175, with dated styling and slab sided silencer, but in the early eighties Kawasaki completely revamped their range into a more modern moto-cross style, although, surprisingly, they stayed with twin shock suspension. By now they had also gone over to reed valve induction, recognized as a far more effective induction method than disc valves. Internally, they introduced electro-fusion bores, although rebores on hard used machines can be a costly affair. New parts are readily available, which is just as well as used parts, particularly for KE175s, are difficult to find.
There are some problem areas to watch for with the D model KE175. The clutch can start slipping between 10-13000 miles depending on (ab)use; a set of of clutch plates setting you back £22.-The kill switch expires, easily fixed by tearing it out of the loom. Gearboxes whine loudly, caused by cogs not meshing fully, although I’ve never heard of it giving rise to any failures.
The only happy people were the learners who had the ultimate in street credibility with a machine the size of a full blown moto-crosser. De-restricted, the engine pushed out 16.2hp, not impressive by today’s standards. Off road, hard use tended to overheat the motor thanks to the tiny size of the radiator.
The new law and Yamaha’s success saw Honda restyling and mono-shocking the old XL125 later that same year. The bike actually had grease nipples in the swinging arm. The XL was joined by the two stroke MTX125 in 1983, which shared the MTX200’s habit of running hot in slow riding and cold in fast riding, as well as being very sensitive to spark plug condition. They also rattle worse than an MZ - but believe me, they all sound like that.
Not surprisingly, Suzuki followed suit with a no-nonsense raw powered TS125X. Available in both full power and 12hp forms, it soon became a favourite with learners. It was the largest of the bunch and certainly felt more powerful than 12hp - when one magazine tested the output of the restricted model it produced 15hp. In 1985, after an absence of a year, a new 250 was reintroduced by Suzuki. However, the TS250X was more of a street machine, its need for high revs bogging it down in the slower bits of trail - very few were sold.
Yamaha managed to move their four stroke technology downscale to produce the XT125, which was heavily outsold by the XLI125, both bikes sharing a similar specification. The XT was slow on the road (65mph) and lacked bottom end grunt on the rough, requiring a devil-may care, flat out a roach up steep hills. It could also be a very obstinate starter and had non-adjustable rear suspension. Equally rare and just as poor performing, the Suzuki DR125 thumpette managed to outlive the XT by just one year.
If there was lots of competition at the lower end of the market, in 1984 Honda compounded their domination of the mid-range market by introducing the XL250RE - much suspicion was heaped upon the radial four valve head, but they were just as reliable as the older two valvers.
Kawasaki waited until 1986 until updating their range, but this was to pay off as they were able to assess all the new developments in the market and incorporate them into a super little market beater - smaller, faster, more stable and quieter than all the opposition, the KMX125 was a very civilized yet spirited machine. Whilst water-cooled, the small radiator is far less obtrusive and vulnerable than on other models. It’s an especially interesting machine in de-restricted form as it knocks out 24hp.
The Italians were never able to make much impression on the UK market. Cagiva made a brief appearance on the trail bike scene in ’84 with two new models - the 350 four stroke Alla Rossa and two stroke 125 Alletta Rossa. The 350 was too heavy for off road fun, but the 225 was a different matter - given better advertising and promotion, the Alletta Rosa could have been a successful machine.
Marketed as learner legal, when I tested one of these superbly engineered machines back in 1984 no-one would give me any conclusive evidence as to how/if the 125 was restricted. However, with a top speed approaching 85mph and more bottom end grunt than any 125 has a right to, I think the facts speak for themselves. The 125 was then priced at £899, on a par with the Jap trailsters; but far better made. Sadly, within 12 months these bikes were no longer imported - rare on the secondhand circuit, certainly worth chasing after if one comes up.
Most of the other Italian bikes were either too expensive or very rare. Such a machine as the Morini K1 125 was praised as having excellent quality when imported in 1985, but at £1395 was too expensive. Likewise, the Gilera RX125 Arizona, which in 1986 was the only non Jap trail bike in its class - whose main problem was both rareness of machines and parts.
Many other European manufacturers made 600cc plus bikes which were not imported and even of those that have been, none has been a viable green lane proposition, despite the attempts to shoehorn V-twin motors into new frames. They all looked very aggressive but such machines as the Sahara and V65TT are really more in the street poseur class than serious green lane machinery; not the least of the problems being expensive repairs to these near road machines. BMW now have the pleasure of producing the largest capacity - 1000cc - trail bike, they can’t be serious, can they?
With the two stroke market devolving into into an endless supply of trick learner machines, the four stroke market all but deserting the smaller capacities, it was left to evolve into larger and more sand racing type trail bikes. Probably only because Honda didn’t change their 500, Yamaha uprated their XT500 to the XT550 in 1982. A machine with very similar styling to the 125 it proved an unpopular model and certainly no successor to the highly popular and near classic status XT500. In its day, it was somewhat complicated with twin carbs, a four valve head and mono- shock suspension. It was far too high geared for trail work, the bike able to hit 37mph in first. Like the 500, it could be a real pig to start.
Two seasons later in 1984 this became the XT600 which was also available in Tenere dress, thanks to sand racing successes. By this time Honda had retaliated with the XL600, Suzuki with the DR600 and Kawasaki with the KLR600 - which sensibly featured an electric start.
The first KLRs were a little troublesome, with owners reporting such problems as shot main bearings, missing thrust washers from the balance shafts, electric problems, leaks from the cam cover, with sheared balance shafts through to a persistent loss of compression. However, Kawasaki stated that they had no widespread problems with the model as a whole.
Out of such thumpers came the Paris Dakar replicas; generally a stock machine with a large tank and even more aggressive styling, which in Honda’s XL600M meant a bright red engine! The main grumble regarding this machine being the same as any dry sump engine - having to run the engine for a few minutes before being able to check the oil - thereby doing even more damage should you be unlucky to be low on engine lube. However, it was the first trail bike to sport tubeless tyres.
I would say that the best of the large thumper bunch was the no nonsense V-twin 750 Honda, which not only looked the part of a desert racer, was a robust tool as well. Generally, though, whilst all very impressive, it was not such machines that the British market hankered for; more the inoffensive, four stroke, smaller machines that make the most suitable trail bikes. But the marketing men know what we want, don’t they? So bigger and more garish P-D replicas are the order of the day.
A sense of normality returned to trail bikes in 1985 with the launch of the XT350. As with the earlier Honda XL185, Yamaha had finally produced a bike with the power of the larger XT in a chassis no bigger than a 250, weighing in at 280lbs on the road. It proved an instant success in trail riding circles, but was not without fault. The sealed O-ring chain being of a size unique to that model not only means you HAVE to buy the Yamaha item but also that you can’t play around with different sprockets to change gearing. However, it’s possible to convert the XT350 to a 520 chain, giving greater gearing flexibility by using XT550/ 600 gearbox sprockets. Folk have also voiced complaint about the narrow swinging arm which restricts the size of tyre you can fit.
Virtually nothing green lane sensible came out of the mid-eighties. The Big Four had the learner market sewn up with large, bright, water-cooled two stroke 125s. These amazingly resilient machines seem to have more reliability than the older strokers of the Seventies - the new moan being how to de-restrict 125 easily, for all these machines are restricted in a similar manner - basically by & washer welded into the exhaust. In the case of the TS125 that’s it! For the DT125LC it is also necessary to raise the gearing and richen the carburation. The KMX requires different shims in the KIPS linkages; for the MTX rejetting.
Honda still believe big is beautiful and have nothing between 125 and 600cc. Suzuki have all but forsaken the trail rider, with no new updates to their 125 - 250 two strokes or DR600 four stroke. Kawasaki have the new KMX200 and have dumped their old lineage KE125. The BSA, DT175 engined, trailster may be available soon. Prices? It’s really difficult to pigeon-hole trail bikes into price brackets as their use and abuse is so widely varied. Some trail bikes never see dirt but are thrashed unmercifully on tarmac; some are trailed but carefully maintained; whilst some of the 200-350 machines are often used in enduros. A dead giveaway as to whether a machine has been used off road is to look at the side panels and/or frame tubes by the footrests - the paint is always worn away from the rider standing on the pegs.
I would, however, say that for any of the pre-learner machines I would hesitate to pay more than £200 for an up to 200cc bike or more than £400 for an up to 350cc bike. For the newer 125 machines, you can generally reckon on losing around £300 in the first year, then a steady decrease of approximately £100 a year. However, these prices really only relate to clean, sound models.
Rosie Marston