Too much Bike for older folks?

[jb92563]

I am in a bit of a quandary with deciding whether I should keep my Tenere 700 or move to a lighter bike more beginner bike.

I'm new to off roading but went to a one day offroad course using one of their Dual Sport bikes.

Month later, in Socal, when I finally got my T700 I went out on some off road trails, with a group, that were quite rocky with loose and sandy sections.

I fell off about 4 times in 30 miles at low speed and became really exhausted lifting/fighting with the T700.

I ended up riding a slower pace in order not to fall anymore as I was too exhausted to pick the bike up one more time.

I became discouraged and feel like the T700 is too tiring to lift so many times in a ride.
I did lower it to help get my feet down but have not been off-road since.

The bike feels top heavy and letting it get much past vertical at slow speed just makes it impossible to save in time.

 

I'm debating whether I should go with a lighter easier bike like a Honda CRF300 Rally or just be persistent and hang in there with the T700 till I get more experience?

 

A fellow with a CRF 300 said I should stick with the T700 as I might feel like I want the T700 back after playing with the 300 for a couple months due to outgrowing it.

 

I'm not into racing and prefer a docile peaceful ride through nature and stopping to enjoy the scenery so not sure if outgrowing an easier bike is a concern.

 

Any word of encouragement for going either route and sharing your own experiences would help.

 

I'm a new older rider in my 60's and only rode street bikes for a while about 15 years ago. 

 

[Hibobb]

You already know the answer.... get a used street legal dirt bike.

A 450 pound T7 is massive for a old guy with little experience.

A T7 is wonderful, but it is what it is. Don't sell it yet, just add the smaller bike to the garage.

[winddown]

1 hour ago, jb92563 said:

 

...I'm new to off roading but went to a one day offroad course using one of their Dual Sport bikes.

...Month later, in Socal, when I finally got my T700 I went out on some off road trails, with a group, that were quite rocky with loose and sandy sections.

...I'm a new older rider in my 60's and only rode street bikes for a while about 15 years ago. 

 

 

Well you have made some mistakes, imo.  You assumed a one day course would be worth something, and they are, but only to add a skill, not to teach or renew riding skills as a whole.  Then you went out straight away on a group ride, on rough terrain.  Big mistake!  Oh no doubt you learned quite a bit, but the hard way, much better, again in my opinion, to learn the easy way by just riding the bike carefully on a test circuit of your own design for a month or two.  Yes, that's what I did after a 10 year hiatus from biking, it's just too dangerous to be coming in cold.

 

I'd say you have three choices, keep the T7, ride it on the road till you feel totally confidant throwing it around, then move slowly onto dirt.  2/ Sell it and buy a much smaller bike, or 3/ keep it but get a cheap bike to ride dirt until you feel confidant.  That's sort of what I did.  I was a regular weekly street rider but at age 60 decided to try dirt.  The T7 was fine onroad but on dirt road I had no confidence so I bought an XT 250 and rode that for a few months.  I kept my T7, now I'm fine on the dirt, well mostly fine lol.

 

Good luck.

Edited September 19, 2023 by winddown

[jb92563]

That's encouraging to hear that I'm not unique in my journey and just dove in a bit beyond my skill level too early.

I have a good sized backyard to practice and having a smaller dirt bike to practice a lot more sounds like a great idea.

I did learn that having good protective gear is essential.

I took quite a few spills and without the right gear I would have broken something for sure.
All my spills were no problem to walk away from except the one where I got my leg pinned under the bike on the exhaust side.

Narrowly escaped a broken leg and a burn but thanks to my hard MX boots I walked away with only a bruised leg.

 

I did buy a 2001 WR 426 to practice with before my T7 arrived but the kickstart is a pain to start and it has quite a punchy throttle.
I made the wrong choice on that for learning on. Its a beast of an Enduro bike apparently and wants to fly more so than going slow around cones.

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by jb92563

[winddown]

Most of those little bikes have very high seats, higher than the T7.  I didn't like that, I liked to be able to throw a leg out close to the ground if I felt a corner was getting away from me.  I'm lucky in that I live 3 minutes from good dirt roads and one forms an 8km circuit, I still go around and back around, pushing my personal envelope on ground that holds no surprises.  Except for that one day when I crested a hill by a house and there were several small sheep crossing the road.  That's when my emergency braking practice came in handy.  Whatever you do, don't forget to turn that ABS off when you get to the dirt!

 

Check this dude out JB 

 

 

 

[406T7]

On 9/19/2023 at 10:44 AM, jb92563 said:

went out on some off road trails, with a group, that were quite rocky with loose and sandy sections

Just got a T7, but I'm coming from a KLR650, a DL650 before that, and a DR650 before that (with many more road-oriented bikes prior) and I've got a CRF250X. I've spent time on dirt roads, some pretty rough, on all of them, I'm a bit younger middle-aged rider, and I'll take the CRF every time over the T7 on the surface you describe for your group ride. If you really plan to do the scenic dirt roads stuff, the T7 should be great. If you're going to run rough trails, it may never be fun on the T7.

Edited September 22, 2023 by 406T7

[Alan M]

Definitely get a lighter enduro bike to develop your skills but as others have said, keep the T7 if you can afford to.

 

 Personally, I came late, late 40’s, to off road riding but on an enduro bike. I’ve been riding the enduro now for about 6 years and couldn’t imagine taking a T7 off road as my first off road bike.

 

Like any sport you have to develop a certain level of muscle memory, dirt bike riding is no different. Learning on a 120kg bike is a lot less painful than a 200kg+ adventure bike.

[AZJW]

7 hours ago, Hibobb said:

You already know the answer.... get a used street legal dirt bike.

A 450 pound T7 is massive for a old guy with little experience.

A T7 is wonderful, but it is what it is. Don't sell it yet, just add the smaller bike to the garage.

This /\

[vicep3]

I'll back up most of the comments above. I've had my T7 since 2020. It was my first taste of adventure bikes and I've enjoyed every minute riding it, from paved and dirt roads to some narrow trails. I'm a fit 60 year old, but dropping the bike gets old quickly. It's not that bad to pick up, but parts bend pretty quickly under the weight. As you've seen, it's also big and cumbersome when you get into any sort of technical stuff.

 

So I got a CRF300L to practice/explore/learn on. And it's so much fun! You don't mind seeing where narrow trails go and descending steeper roads with loose gravel or rocks is not so scary. Having both the T7 and the CRF gives you so many options and with the smaller bike you will see a noticeable skill improvement. The Tenere 700 is a fantastic bike, one just has to be realistic of what its capable of in their hands.

[Hollybrook]

@jb92563 that WR is a bit much as a bike to learn on.  Something with a lot less power will help you develop better riding technique and then you would be ready to move to a more powerful bike. 

 

I'd recommend a XT250 or CRF300L as a better bike to learn dirt riding in. 

[DT675]

I agree with all the small dual sport suggestions here.  Especially the idea of keeping the T7 and adding in the DS bike to the garage.  I'll toss the KTM 390 Adventure into the ring.  It's been proven to be a great little ADV bike- reliable, fantastically road competent and pretty darn good off-road too.  It carries its weight very well considering its wet weight.  Rides like a DS bike that also does 80 MPH all day on the highway without complaining.

 

It's time for me to come out of the closet on this forum- I've owned one almost as long as my T7 and I love it.  I picked it up "just to try it" as a replacement to my Honda CRF250L. I figured I'd probably let it go the following spring.  Well that was a few springs ago and I still have it.  It just keeps offering up a fun factor that is completely different than my T7.  Unless the new Triumph Scrambler 400x Proves to be a big hit, I have no intention of letting it go.

 

[Hibobb]

My vote is for a classic dual sport from last century!

Air cooled, problem free, cult bikes!

Perfect for us "seniors".

 

PS, be sure you get electric start...

 

 

[jb92563]

Looks like there is a consensus on keeping the T7 and adding a ~250ish Dual Sport to get the skills.
Great and helpful comments all around.
I'll sell my WR 426 and get a tamer bike to train with and if it has EFI even better and Electric start is mandatory.

Something not so tall so I can get my feet down with my 32" inseam.

 

I really enjoyed those video's posted above and I'll be setting up a training course in my backyard so I can lock in those skills and others.

 

One thing as a newbie I noticed on the T7 on my group off-road trip was getting used to the back end moving around a lot.
Something a street rider rarely experiences. Once I started getting comfortable with that it started to feel more confident.
 

 

[mpatch]

7 hours ago, Hibobb said:

My vote is for a classic dual sport from last century!

Air cooled, problem free, cult bikes!

Perfect for us "seniors".

 

PS, be sure you get electric start...

 

 

Super Sherpas are hard to find and when they do come up for sale they sell for way more than I’m willing to pay. 
I’ve been looking for one for a while now. 

[Hibobb]

5 minutes ago, mpatch said:

when they do come up for sale they sell for way more than I’m willing to pay

Pre-covid, used bikes were reasonable. Now...wow!

I have two DR350's, but not a Super Sherpa. I have been watching for a clean one but as you say, they are hard to find.

[Husafreak]

Interesting discussion! The WR426 is known to be a beast to start and with the power of a YZ426 a beast to ride on trails. Your decision to sell that makes sense to me. That was one of the first really competitive four strokes. A lot has been learned about how to make them since 2001. I bet you could get a dirt cheap DRZ400 from about the same era and those have wonderful motors. But you probably can't win a national enduro on one 

I say keep the Tenere if you plan on riding roads as well. A 700cc twin can cruise highways at any speed and carry a ton of gear if you decide to ride and camp or go long distances. Y'now, adventure riding. Much smaller is just too limiting on asphalt IMHO. One thing about the Tenere is it is easier to ride difficult terrain on it at a good clip, going too slow it will bite you. The old saying "when in doubt gas it" really applies here. Because of the high weight you have to keep it moving, but of course crashing at speed is more dangerous. I think it's a great bike for guys with a lot of dirt riding experience. But I am still very leary of getting into rough terrain with mine. FWIW I'm 64.

The KTM390 is a good bike to do it all. But I ride and camp with the NorCal BMW Club and a 390 is too small a displacement for what we do.

I think if you really want to learn dirt bike riding skills you should use a different bike.

The Tenere will always be a big bike and require a lot of commitment.

[mpatch]

My advice  would be KTM 500 and be done with it. 
Best true dual sport ever made. 

[headwinded]

As much as I love my T7, you need to be physically quite strong to contend with this bike once things start going sideways.   I would not suggest this as a beginner bike especially if you want to do technical off road at all.   Even moves like elephant turns require much more effort than a smaller, lighter machine is going to demand.

[Hollybrook]

I'm 67 and agree with what @Hibobb said - the T7 is happier going fast rather than slow.  I do have a modified suspension and the bike seems happiest squaring off the corners and accelerating hard. 

[mpatch]

Smaller is better. 
I’ve gone through a pile of bikes and no matter the bike once the pavement ends lighter/smaller is better and the inverse is true once on pavement. 
 I’m fortunate enough to have a almost full stable of bikes. 

Goldwing

T7

KTM 500

And the battery bike (which is by far the most fun for smiles) not cheap but fun that until you ride it you’ll never understand 

I have no problem letting people ride my stuff and the battery bike is the only one that is like crack. 

 

[winddown]

On 9/21/2023 at 4:56 AM, jb92563 said:

I'll sell my WR 426 and get a tamer bike to train with and if it has EFI even better and Electric start is mandatory.

Something not so tall so I can get my feet down with my 32" inseam.

 

One thing as a newbie I noticed on the T7 on my group off-road trip was getting used to the back end moving around a lot.
Something a street rider rarely experiences. Once I started getting comfortable with that it started to feel more confident.
 

 

 

Sounds like a plan, all you'll hear here is opinion, a lot of it often sound, but at the end of the day, your the one riding hey, you're in charge.  I think a trait of a true rider is that they will do what they want regardless of the opinions of others and you need to be aggressive and self-willed to ride well and safely.  I have seen too many in my life that just weren't cut out for the saddle and it often ends in grief for them.   I hate the group ride thing personally, I always tend to ride right to my limits in that environment because there is always some younger better riders that set the general pace.  But a one on one with a better rider I find is very helpful, that draws me out further than I would normally go but in a more controlled environment.  

 

This is all talk of course, we could write books on our experiences lol.  But there is a way, for every rider, a way between the extremes of going too slow and cautious and going too fast and reckless, a sweet spot where we find the greatest pleasure out of tooling along the open road.  This is what I work for, that zone where it feels perfect.  For me it comes with lots of regular ride time, and then all else seems to fall into place.

[sunndog]

Get thee some landmine exercises. Well I say "some" I mean every day for years and then forever after that

[discoganya]

The T7 is too much for most people, regardless of age. I'm in my mid 40s, been riding dual sports for many years and the T7 is still challenging to ride "well" off road. No wonder you see so many of them for sale with so few miles. People watch the Pol Tarres videos and go buy a T7. In reality most people underestimate the skills needed to ride this bike well off-road.

 

If you are doing simple fire roads with a few obstacles here and there, you'll be fine. It's easy to tippy toe the bike around, drop it every now and then and complete a ride without much drama. But it's a lot more fun to rip on a 250. 

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by discoganya

[winddown]

6 hours ago, discoganya said:

The T7 is too much for most people, regardless of age. I'm in my mid 40s, been riding dual sports for many years and the T7 is still challenging to ride "well" off road. No wonder you see so many of them for sale with so few miles.

 

 

 

 

Totally agree.  I read this quote off youtube when I first bought it and had no illusions.

 

"... it comes down to horses for courses.   Riding rural roads in Australia it is perfect for.  Single track, not so much."

[Hollybrook]

9 hours ago, discoganya said:

The T7 is too much for most people, regardless of age. I'm in my mid 40s, been riding dual sports for many years and the T7 is still challenging to ride "well" off road. No wonder you see so many of them for sale with so few miles. People watch the Pol Tarres videos and go buy a T7. In reality most people underestimate the skills needed to ride this bike well off-road.

 

If you are doing simple fire roads with a few obstacles here and there, you'll be fine. It's easy to tippy toe the bike around, drop it every now and then and complete a ride without much drama. But it's a lot more fun to rip on a 250. 

I rode off road every day in my youth and raced a little motocross.  Actually, most of my off road riding was informal racing with friends on natural terrain motocross courses we designed. 

 

Fast forward a few decades of only street riding and then I saw Pol's videos and thought if he can ride the T7 like that, I should be able to rip off road. There is certainly a leap of faith there that did not completely come true. I can ride the T7 aggressively, but have come to realize that the consequences of crashing such a big bike at my age are more than I am willing to risk. 

 

My solution has been to keep the T7 for ADV riding adventures, but try to keep my speeds a bit more conservative and only do single track if it is easy. And since I am still a kid at heart, I picked up a YZ250F for more aggressive riding. Oh boy, the 250cc bikes have come a long way since I last rode a race bike!