XTrainer - How suited for Dual Sport Purposes ?

[29H]

I'm currently in the market for a Dual Sport. 55yr old guy, who grew up in the Good ol days of the 2T. 5'8" 180lbs. Male. Nothing like the sound of 2T singing with the sweet exhaust aroma.

I need a little Beta Rider experienced input here.
My off-road riding will primarily be on the dirt / gravel back roads ( NOT Single-track Tree Dodging) , and Trail Systems of Wisconsin and Michigan. I ride for the enjoyment of the Woods, but of course also like that zing of the 2T. I will also prefer the chosen bike to be Street Legal as to not get any issues when going into town for gas or eats.

So ... The Xtrainer has caught my attention. Does anyone use these XT's (Detuned 300 2T Torque Monster )for General Off-Road Dual Sport type fun riding ?

Some of these Railroad bed trails can go for lots and lots of miles, as well as other ORV Trails. Again, won't be spending much time on any single tracks. No Rock hopping , stump jumping, pole vaulting etc. etc. etc. ... I'm old, however, just want a more responsive bike out on the trail than perhaps one of the Jap 250 Dual Sports CRF, KLX, WR.

As Sexy as I see these Beta's , I don't want to buy the "wrong tool for the job". My anticipated riding scenario is very honest. 70% Off-road / 30% On-Pavement.

[Trail Rider]

I dont own an x-trainer, I have the RR. IMO, the x-trainer would not be the best bike for you. In fact, its kinda designed for the exact opposite kind of riding that you describe, slower, more technical/rocky trails & single track. Not that you couldn't use an x-trainer, maybe just that something else might be better. Based on what you describe, I would say a beta 390 4-stroke or another brand with similar characteristics.

[29H]

The Xtrainer caught my interest due to the lower seat height, light weight, and power band is in the low and mid range. From what I've seen in the vids, that bike can lug (all day by my description) and not get loaded up. That's why I thought perhaps the XT may be an option. I don't want to have to keep a bike "on the pipe" riding around enjoying the scenery, so low/mid power band sounds like it might fit.

I go through the same analysis when we upgrade our snowmobiles ( 2T or 4T ), but fortunately BRP still offers 2T's in their line-ups so I have not been forced to step into the 4T realm.

I do agree, a thumper is probably the more practical choice for the Fire Roads, and Wide Trails, and pavement sometimes.

[Lotus54]

I primarily use mine for the super slow, tight stuff.
But I also will ride it on gravel roads, paved roads even a little hiway.
With the stock gearing, I don’t really like going over about 45mph. Sure, it will do it but not really much fun for any length of time.
I air up and down my tyres (I run radial trails on rear) for road stuff- I have tubliss so can run really low pressure with no issue. But 3psi on a radial trails on the road is spooky., easy to add a bit.

Perhaps the balanced engine would be better, but I think the vibration would get old on the roads (gravel and otherwise).
Good stuff? Lower, nice linear power, light feeling.

I picked up a KTM 520 cheap not long ago, it is LOT better on roads/gravel roads. But I don’t like it on anything but the easiest trails. Much heavier. But loads of power and will do 60mph all day.

Best bet? try riding one and see what you think- only you know really what use you will give it.

[hooter]

I don't know, I think the X-trainer might be a disappointment for you. The suspension is not that great, and by the time you're done upgrading it you've poured a lot of time and money into it whereas the 250 or 300 RR have full blown dirt bike suspension and should be good to go right out of the box. These bike also have great low- and mid-range power, they are not tuned like a motocrosser.

The other big difference of the X-trainer is the smaller 7/8 frame size, but I have both a Beta 300RR and a Husqvarna FE350s and I can vouch for the fact that the 300RR has more compact ergonomics than the Husky. I think you'd be fine on the 300.

I'm also from a time when two strokes ruled the forest, but are you sure you really want to dual sport on a two stroke? They don't have the fuel range of a four stroke, and the four strokes (eg Beta 350 or 390) are pretty damned good these days.

[wwguy]

I have 300+ mountain singletrack hours on my Xtrainer, and love it for that kind of riding. I also have a WR250R four-stroke dual-sport that I ride on 90% dirt (singletrack, ATV trails, and forest roads) and 10% pavement to link the dirt sections together when necessary.

The only reason I keep the WR250R in my lineup is because I think the Xtrainer (or any other dirt-oriented two-stroke) isn't well-suited for riding extended sections of hardpack dirt, gravel, or pavement roads. It buzzes, vibrates, and is considerably less fuel-efficient than four-strokes with comparable displacement.

Not saying you can't have fun riding a two-stroke dirt bike on the roads once in a while, but they make for poor dedicated dual-sport bikes. Right tool for the job and all that.