hold on cmott, your Beta Xtrainer is street legal? you must have put a kit on it.

 

Sure, some of the newer 2 strokes are great, if you enjoy rebuilding after a couple of races, and you're happy to pay that much for a dirt bike.

It's not that none of them ever make it here to Borneo, they do - and we see them fail and spew their guts, we see the riders constantly falling and we see the facebook posts of the repair and service bills.

That's why so many of what few there are, come up for sale.

I have the scar to prove it - my own fault for using an aftermarket exhaust without a heat shield - where a KTM fell in front of me and I took a tumble, landing on my exhaust with my inner knee. Wanna see the picture?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fgbzxn5d7b...21700.jpg?dl=0

Heat shields. They're a thing!

The vehicles that go on these "roads" are us, on bikes, the 6 wheel drive trucks of the rubber or palm oil plantations, and, as long as they are coming downhill or not too steep, the Landrovers, Hiluxs, Landcruisers, Rangers etc of the locals having fun. I have a Ranger myself, love it.

Want a vid?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r5iuxekw2u...10141.mp4?dl=0


For a long time I hankered after the 250 EXC, after seeing them do great things on Youtube. In fact I don't think I've updated my bucket list and it's still on there. That was before I came to know the problems. They are what they are, exotic, expensive and high maintenance race bikes, from a company that doesn't seem interested in supplying parts for older models.

(I'm sure someone will tell me that THEIR KTM dealer can get every part of every KTM ever made, but no dealer in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand or Brunei would agree with you. I know, because I tried finding parts when I was thinking of buying a friend's 200. I gave up. So had he, that's why he was selling it, as he had too many bad experiences trying to order parts by post)

I'm afraid I can't show too many photos as it's not like I've asked other people's permission and frankly I'm not here to argue about other bikes, just to learn about and to get the most out of my KLX.

I can show you my own bikes I guess, here's my Honda MTX200:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v7gggwkp9u...G1620.jpg?dl=0

30 HP, with Honda's "Auto Torque Amplification Chamber", or 'ATAC"... Yes, 2 strokes can produce a lot of torque - and it was crap at getting places where the little KLX150S can go, precisely because it was incapable of steady traction. Huge fun and a great wheelie machine, but I sold it to get a more useful 4 stroke thumper, ie a locally-made and surprisingly good MLE XTM200R:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t5p869m1u6...emily.jpg?dl=0

200cc, 14.7 HP, and it was better for long distance adventures than the 30 HP Honda. Vastly easier to start too.

And damn do I miss that 12 liter fuel tank!

However ultimately it was a motard with knobbly tires, and the suspension was killing me, so take a long hard look at this photo...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tglrowke5h...3_HDR.jpg?dl=0

Notice something?

Every one of them is a Kawasaki KLX150S.

And there's a REASON for that, the reason I've already told you. They just get you there, over any terrain, and they'll get you home again.

So, if you can't beat them...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/84gnlq3vet...0003.jpeg?dl=0

I bought a new, shiny KLX150S (You can see my MLE (I called her Emily) and my Ford Ranger in the background, for those that say I talk a 'crock of ****')

And yes, I fully understand the desire to modify and have fun with your bike - it would be easier to explain what I *didn't* modify on my KLX than to say what I did - the frame, suspension, brakes, fuel tank, headlamp and gearbox were stock, as was the battery.

Everything else, not so much.

I loved that little bike, and would have kept it, but my wife has a silly little Demak D-Force 120, and she's scared of it. She has the heart to try, but once kitted out in full gear, on the bike, engine running... Nope. So she kept asking to go on the back of my KLX instead. Now my little 150 (172cc actually..) was a great bike, but it wasn't up to carrying passengers...

Hence I now have the 250, as it's big enough, has adjustable suspension and the extra 100cc of torque and fun to pull my 55 kg wifey

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c9d98gl3yu...81044.jpg?dl=0

As well as the Huskys and KTMs, a bike often mentioned for adventuring is the KLR650...

Great bikes. Here's a pic of my buddy's one, as we set off on an epic camping ride...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ah9n69y8zh...70841.jpg?dl=0

Notice my (already heavily modified) KLX150, and my buddy's KLX150. On the rough trails we rode on, guess which one fell to pieces?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9e1bg8gm6p...14332.jpg?dl=0

When we had so many punctures we ran out of innertubes and we needed rescuing after I got yet another front puncture, guess what the savior arrived on?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/15i45mojap...13325.jpg?dl=0

A Kawasaki KLX250

When the KLR650 needed more attention? Another KLX250:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jpcxtjg7e0...92214.jpg?dl=0

I guess I'm talking a crock of **** when I talk about 2 stroke boat engines too? Here you can see our His n Hers bikes, and my boat in the background:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ruyxn6ntln...20659.jpg?dl=0

So sure, say I'm talking **** all you want, but bring your Beta here to Borneo, just you and the bike, no support vehicle? I'll race you on my KLX250, village to village, over 10 villages?

Up for it?

Or are you just talking ****?

(BTW, medical insurance. It's a thing.)



Peace.

 

Here ya go, some guys on Bergs and KTMs, doing what my guys do for fun every weekend.

They were constantly stuck, they crashed repeatedly and relied very heavily on 4x4 support vehicles:

Borneo Equator Expedition - Jungle , Swamps and Heatstroke | Adventure Rider

Heck, one village they passed, a guy on a KLX125 followed them for a couple of days, just for fun - in his flip flops.



That's a great thread and worth reading, though to me it's funny how they make it sound so awful. I thought so too, for the first year or so, but you get used to it.

And it's how you get to appreciate the KLX.

 

Nice post Bigs - enjoyed all the pics.. Those bikes need bikini babes on em..

 

No, the Beta Enduro's come with high/low headlight, tail/brake light, horn and horn button, DOT tires and a plate mount. Only thing need to add was a mirror. My state does not require turn signals but the bike did come with turn signals pre-wired with a turn signal switch. I did add turn signals because I like to have them.


The New Beta 2-strokes are Electronic Oil Injected so no need to mix gas when filling up. Which also gives them a long time in between rebuilds, roughly 1000 hours. And 2-stroke rebuilds are easy and cheap, $120. No Cams, No Valves, No Problems

 

Hell yes I would take you up on it. I know what a KLX250S is capable of and it has no advantage. I know you are just trying justify your purchase And I am telling you that he Modern 2-stroke kicks a$$. Search YouTube for Beta.

 

Then go for it? You're obviously wealthy with all the toys, come play?

In fairness the X Trainer is great bike, much smaller. lower and detuned for smoother power than most KTM type machines, and it's about $1000 cheaper too.

It looks like a perfect example of the fun I was creating with my little souped up 150 as a 'go anywhere' bike. If any European exotic could handle here it would be that, as long as it can withstand the heat and humidity.

It seems to me you're the one trying to justify your purchase, hanging around a KLX forum to tell everyone how happy you are to have changed bikes? That would be like me hanging around a Honda MTX200 forum, to tell everyone how **** the MTX is. I don't need to do that, as I've moved onto something more useful and rugged -a KLX250S.

There's zero need for me to justify a KLX on a KLX forum; I was simply helping the OP understand that the relatively gentle power delivery of the bike is a feature, not a flaw. It's a major reason the KLX250 is so popular here, as it makes poor riders look good and good riders awesome.

It gets you there, and it gets you back.

When we do the "Let's get to where the dart lands on the map" rides, some bikes prove themselves better than others. Put it this way, when I purchased mine there were only 2 left in all of Borneo, let me see if I can find the advert for the other one...

Legendary Kawasaki KLX 250 Scramble - Motorcycles for sale in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Note they call it legendary - because around here, it is.

You're comparing a lightweight 2 stroke fun bike to a the all-steel 4 stroke warhorse, adventure and working bike that is the KLX. They're different animals.

Load your Beta with a week's camping gear, fuel, water etc (don't forget your 2 stroke oil) and see how it handles then?

I'm by no means immune to the allure of such bikes, and was starting to get interested, despite my sensible shoulder-angel yelling, not whispering, "Dude, no parts!"....

But then I read this... https://www.dirtpunk.co.uk/beta-xtra...h-inquisition/

Fuel leaks, bits breaking off, the sticky-out exhaust hitting rocks and crumpling away the power? And the usual lack of parts from bewildered main dealers?

"The closest Beta dealer was an hour away in (another country!) Andorra… A quick phone call got us “Beta Xtrainer? WTF is that?” (in a really helpful Andorran Catalan accent of course)"

I take it back, don't bring that thing to Borneo - it wouldn't last 5 minutes

 

Theres no need to argue guys. As far as toughness and durability goes, NO two stroke can come remotely close to a KLX. Two strokes have to be rebuilt after so many hours. ALL of them-- if they're tuned to have any power whatsoever. Theres no denying the KLX is a tank-- and has proven to have one of the most reliable engines ever put in a bike.

Those pics from Bigs showing guys winching bikes up mountains is ridiculous! 99% of people on these bike dont come close to terrain that gnarly, so props to you and if the KLX has a reputation in that type of environment, it speaks for itself!

 

I don't know Josh, thanks to the arguing, I'm getting a cool feel for what it's like riding in Borneo with Bigs' posts.. And learning a bit with his other links..

So,,, Hey Bigs, my mother could ride those trails on her TW200 !


(Yes my 78 yr old mother has a TW200.)

 

Your right, the KLX250s is the world's greatest bike. So great they don't even import them to the US anymore.