When we start in the world of off-road motorcycles we ask ourselves a thousand questions when thinking about which motorcycle to buy, which brand is more reliable, if it is worth it to be new or better second-hand, what displacement and power to choose, how knowing if the motorcycle we buy is in good condition or even if it is better Maxi Trail, light Trail, Enduro or Motocross... All this is important, but in this article we are going to focus on the use we are going to give to the motorcycle.
And according to our preferences in the use that we are going to give to our motorcycle, we are going to differentiate three different motorcycle concepts: Trail, Light Trail and Enduro.
If you are clear that you want an Enduro motorcycle, you can watch this list of videos where we analyze all the possibilities of 2T or 4T, displacements, power... as well as other interesting videos from our YouTube channel:
Trail or Maxi Trail motorcycles
Trail motorcycles are style motorcycles Honda Africa Twin, Yamaha Tenere 700, Triumph Tiger 900 Pro Rally… They are very versatile motorcycles, although they are more focused on asphalt driving than off-road driving, these motorcycles will allow us to do simple roads and tracks without problem, they are ideal for long routes since we can make long road connections. But it should be noted that with a high level of technique we can also allow ourselves to enter more complicated areas such as difficult roads, trial roads or narrow paths (enduro type), of course, for this we will need to have weight control, brakes, gas and perfect clutch.
On Trail motorcycles, the clutch is used much more in complicated and slow terrain than on Maxi Enduro or Enduro motorcycles, so its control would have to be perfect. Also You have to be more attentive to the pesos, anticipating any unforeseen event. since these motorcycles are much heavier. In short, if what you like is to take long trips, but also want to do some easy Off Road, the Trail bike would suit you perfectly.
Light Trail motorcycles or Maxi Enduro
The Light Trail or Maxi EnduroThey are motorcycles in the style of the KTM 690 Enduro or Husqvarna 701. They are very versatile motorcycles, we could say even more than the Trail and Enduro motorcycles, since they are between these two. They are motorcycles that do not excel in either of the two terrains, but they defend themselves very well in both, that is, we can make medium road connections, although with more vibrations and less comfort than on a Trail motorcycle and we will have a motorcycle with a behavior very similar to that of an enduro motorcycle.
To give you an idea, with an average level of riding we can do Enduro perfectly. The conclusion about this type of motorcycle is that they are suitable for everything, including also for intermediate road routes (not as long as those normally done with Trail motorcycles), since, even if we make a long road connection, we are not going to have problem
Enduro motorcycles
To finish, let's talk about motorcycles. Enduro, are motorcycles designed 100% for Off Road, perfect for this type of terrain. They are very light motorcycles with a lot of suspension travel, but very uncomfortable for riding on asphalt. (no aerodynamic protection, many vibrations, very short development...).
The biggest problem with these motorcycles is that to make long road connections to reach the Off Road area they are very uncomfortable and we need a car. We could do a 10/15km link without problem, but it would not be recommended for longer stretches.
How to choose my first dirt bike: Conclusion
If you live near the countryside or don't mind having a car, and what you want is a 100% Off Road motorcycle, the ideal is an Enduro motorcycle. For something intermediate between the Trail motorcycle and the Off Road motorcycle, but more focused on Off Road and that allows you to go anywhere, the motorcycle that best suits this would be a Maxi Enduro. For long and mixed routes between asphalt and simple Off Road, the perfect motorcycle would be a Trail or maxi Trail type.
