Best woods trike?

[TecateDan]

I ride in Afrothundercat's trail system a lot and I'm telling you the absolute best bike for that boulder-strewn mess is a 250SX. All the other guys ride 250R's and 350X's there and they do fine.

An air cooled R will beat a 350X in a drag race if that really matters to you.

Any R, X, or a 250SX will be the way to go in that place. Full suspension is a must and I prefer balloon tires there as well.

For the record I ride a Tecate

[TecateDan]

Wow! Dan thanks a lot. Appreciate that. Big Mike OUT!

In your defense and the defense of the P3 it was really only that 2 foot 90 degree ledge that unless you got a hell of a lot of speed when you hit it you aint making it. Well unless you ride a 250sx like fab's an then you can climb anything...lol Your's is more dependable then mine though and the ride is a whole hell of a lot nicer too. Took it for a spin at TF and it really supprised me how nice it was. The only real difference I see is the 250sx in first gear is unstopable with the low end grunt and the P3 will bog down unless you can get the rpms up. JMHO

[brrcuda]

to each their own but i have been riding in the NorthEast woods for 20 years on trikes. I'll take a stock 85-86 250r anyday as the ultimate trail bike. Put a set of flats on the back and ill run just about any trails and hit corners like a pro. Put a set of meaty 22s on the back in the winter and its golden. The 2 stroke is so light and nimble, i can float it on mud, jump anything in my way and easily move it back when its stuck. And when it does get stuck on a tree or something it stalls and does not roll over you. i like that, saves my 40 year old legs.....

The 350x was nice but too much torque and too heavy for me, when they roll, it rolls over you cause it just doesnt stall. Also winter starting was the worst on those cold 4 strokes. Tri-z was nice but alway broken, and 86 tecate is too fragile for replacement parts to ride em the way they should be.

Im getting my 87 200x going soon, and i really like the lightness of it and quiet stock exhaust but a little small for a 200 pounder.

[sledcrazyinCT]

If you need a trike with a clutch try a 350X. Otherwise a 250SX is good for the woods!

[Afrothunderkat]

to each their own but i have been riding in the NorthEast woods for 20 years on trikes. I'll take a stock 85-86 250r anyday as the ultimate trail bike. Put a set of flats on the back and ill run just about any trails and hit corners like a pro. Put a set of meaty 22s on the back in the winter and its golden. The 2 stroke is so light and nimble, i can float it on mud, jump anything in my way and easily move it back when its stuck. And when it does get stuck on a tree or something it stalls and does not roll over you. i like that, saves my 40 year old legs.....

The 350x was nice but too much torque and too heavy for me, when they roll, it rolls over you cause it just doesnt stall. Also winter starting was the worst on those cold 4 strokes. Tri-z was nice but alway broken, and 86 tecate is too fragile for replacement parts to ride em the way they should be.

Im getting my 87 200x going soon, and i really like the lightness of it and quiet stock exhaust but a little small for a 200 pounder.

Pickin up a 85 250r tomorrow, ill post pics after i go through it. Guy has had it since Highschool.

[Blown 331]

Good choice. Obviously its all a matter of opinion but I think the sport models are way better as a woods bike. I don't care for drum brakes or shaft drive (can't regear). Plus the utilities are down on power compred to a 250 2-stroke or 350x.
I did some woods riding yesterday I was on my 400ex and my brother was on a TRX300. I'd say the 3-wheeler equivilents would have been a 350x and 250sx. Let me tell yeah compared to a 400ex that TRX300 is lame for woods riding.

[BeersBuds&Mud]

Pickin up a 85 250r tomorrow, ill post pics after i go through it. Guy has had it since Highschool.

Sucker!!!! lol, just kidding.. im looking to buy one after i budget the new house i just bought!!!

[fabiodriven]

Plus the utilities are down on power compred to a 250 2-stroke or 350x.

I understand your train of thought and normally I would agree. It is true that the SX is down on power compared to a 350X or an R. This place where we ride though, it is really, really rough. The rocks are an absolute killer. All of the riders in our group are advanced and we go fast. Like 4th and 5th gear through this mess. I know many trails are 4th and 5th gear, but not all trails are completely comprised of boulders like this place is. This place is like riding in a creek bed. That's what levels the playing field. I am right with the fast bikes on my SX because they can't go any faster than they already are. I just do it in more comfort. My balloons soak up the rocks, my electric start makes me laugh every time we're getting ready to ride again after a break, my reverse gets me our of anywhere with no effort, my granny gear allows me to billy-goat up rabbit paths, and my narrow wheelbase allows me to shoot between trees the other guys have to go around. My lack of horsepower is a non-issue in this particular environment.

[Blown 331]

I understand your train of thought and normally I would agree. It is true that the SX is down on power compared to a 350X or an R. This place where we ride though, it is really, really rough. The rocks are an absolute killer. All of the riders in our group are advanced and we go fast. Like 4th and 5th gear through this mess. I know many trails are 4th and 5th gear, but not all trails are completely comprised of boulders. This place is like riding in a creek bed. That's what levels the playing field. I am right with the fast bikes on my SX because they can't go any faster than they already are. I just do it in more comfort. My balloons soak up the rocks, my electric start makes me laugh every time we're getting ready to ride again after a break, my reverse gets me our of anywhere with no effort, my granny gear allows me to billy-goat up rabbit paths, and my narrow wheelbase allows me to shoot between trees the other guys have to go around. My lack of horsepower is a non-issue in this particular environment.

Again just a friendly debate, but that sounds like an exception to woods riding. I guess when I hear "woods riding" I think of the woods riding I do around my house. My dad lives in a 40 acre woods and owns some other areas we ride and my uncle farms so theres a lot of ground there too, plus my other uncles owns some woods as well. None of those areas are anything like you describe so I would never have to worry about anything like that. Its mostly dirt with some big hills, some creeks etc. There aren't really any rocks other than creek crossings at all.

[Big Mike]

what fabio fails to mention is that these trails we ride is basically climbing a mountain in NH. that is covered in granite. there must be at some point a change in elevation of a couple hundred feet.

While I enjoy riding here. it takes a ton out of me and its is borderline torturous following these guys because they aren't joking about how fast they ride.

[fabiodriven]

Again just a friendly debate, but that sounds like an exception to woods riding. I guess when I hear "woods riding" I think of the woods riding I do around my house. My dad lives in a 40 acre woods and owns some other areas we ride and my uncle farms so theres a lot of ground there too, plus my other uncles owns some woods as well. None of those areas are anything like you describe so I would never have to worry about anything like that. Its mostly dirt with some big hills, some creeks etc. There aren't really any rocks other than creek crossings at all.

That's what we have down here in Mass. It's not usually rough at all, depending on where you go. The mountains of NH though, that's a different story!

By the way, if anyone ever wants to come experience it sometime you're all welcome to give it a shot.

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...w-England-Ride

[ctk]

fabiodriven do you got some pics or vid of these rocky trails. Im not calling you out. I just want to see what this riding area looks like. Ive never rode anything like that.

[TecateDan]

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...w-England-Ride

there are lots of picture between pages 1 and 45 be sure not to miss the picture of where I tore my case in half and you can see the transmission on page 29 ...lol

[Knobby Addict]

After reading the posts here I see it finally came around to one of the key factors in this debate. How each person defines "woods riding" some think it's a logging road through the woods in top gear where others consider it rolling over 3 inch saplings in first gear. I think this definition should be clarified so apples can be compared to apples.

for isnstance I have ridden New England and the NH rock beds since I was in short pants and considered it really rocky. I then was fortunate enough to ride Moab Utah....I now have a more educated understanding of "rocks"! My point is that this entire discussion is based on each persons point of view on "woods riding" .

All that said I....... agree with Fabio, NH rocks are softer on a 250sx with big soft 2ply knobbies! Even softer on two wheels and only a 5 inch wide tire to navigate through them.

[dougspcs]

The terrain in NH sounds similar to the portion of the Canadian Shield that my brother and I ride in the spring..

I agree with Fabio, a 250sx would be better equipped to handle this without undo hardship on the machine and rider as the 350x/250r. The constant clutch feathers thru the difficult sections would be challenging and tiring to say the least..

We have attended the spring ride in Kearney for 2 years now and our 'utility' machines (250SX & 250ES)perform extremely well..we are the only trikes in a pack of 400+ so I couldn't comment directly about the sport trikes.

However there are riders on sport quads and they always seem to come in near the end of the pack..though I never get to see them during the ride these faster machines are clearly out of their elements in this brutal 100km trail ride and we are way ahead of them!!