Want An Experience? Go Biking In The Boonies

There's a phrase that's been doing the rounds more and more lately: never mind material possessions, life is about experiences. And if you haven't heard it, then you must have been out in the boonies. Iain Macauley, automotive journalist, explores the topic further.  

 Actually, thinking about it, you may have been out in the boonies because you have heard it. Because if there's one sort of classic machine that lends itself to experiences, then it's classic trail bikes. 

 "What, take my classic out into the mud and rocks?" you wince. 

 Why not? After all, unless it's a fully-restored near museum piece, then for as long as you've had it you've probably been polishing the dents and scratches anyway, hopefully occasionally giving it a run on local roads - but also discovering that these early adventure bikes don't like sitting in a garage or shed. 

 Immobility can often hide your bike's impending sulks and niggles - fork, suspension, engine and gearbox seals going hard and causing leaks, and fuel going off and gunging the fuel system. 

 And don't forget, some of those '80s and '90s off roaders are tough as old boots, relatively over-built and over-engineered for an initial market - North America - that didn't tolerate unreliability or failure. 

 But there's another point: North America has far more unclaimed or public access real estate than the UK, or much of Europe. 

 And that means you can't just ride up into the English or Welsh hills (Scotland has more localised rules), take a left, open a gate and blast through the mud - you really need to know what you're doing to avoid anything from a fine, to confiscation of your bike, to understandably irate farmers and landowners. 

 But first, what to take off road, and what not to? Well, if it's a rare early 1970s Yamaha DT or Suzuki TS, for instance, it'll be perfectly capable of doing most of what you'd want. However, finding spares and replacement parts for pre-plastic era bikes, with metal mudguards, tanks and side panels, can be anything between a challenge and impossible. 

 Some bits simply no longer exist. 

 Late '70s bikes have rudimentary electronic ignition set-ups, meaning more reliability, '80s machines a little more sophistication, but no complex ABS, ride-by-wire or other mysterious black-box systems. 

 '80s bikes are quite possibly, therefore, the sweet spot. Specifically which machine to use, or buy?  

Every Japanese manufacturer produced a parallel range of "soft-roaders" and quasi-competition bikes. Let's focus on Suzuki. 

The road/trail orientated TS185 has the power, but is also slightly smaller than the TS250 meaning less of a handful for the slight of build. But earlier machines, especially good condition, can be pricey, and spares difficult to come by. 

Going a little more hardcore, all 250s have more than enough grunt to do the job, but some of us are smaller than average build, some bigger than average, some of us more or less experienced, so we may need to look outside that often default 250 go-to. 

 Suzuki's PE250, assuming you can reach the ground, will do just about anything most trail riders will want. But the PE175 is lighter and nimbler, a preference for many - assuming you're not carrying around too much, erm, ballast. If you want or need more power, then the PE400 is highly capable of beating most trails into submission. 

Yamaha, Honda and Kawasaki, as well as some European names, produced similar tough and not-so-tough machines. 

 So, you have the bike, where do you ride it? 

They may be touted as "go-anywhere" bikes, but that doesn't mean you can ride them anywhere without permission, or lawfully. 

 Ordnance Survey maps - and you'll need them rather than Google maps - show and mark the types of roads and trails you can use, assuming your bike is taxed and insured, and you have an appropriate licence. 

They're called "Unclassified County Roads" and "Byways Open to All Traffic", or, generically to the trail-riding community "Green Lanes". 

They're basically anything from farm tracks to rarely-used formerly tarmac roads to linear swamps. 

 You won't get very far into map gazing before you're trail blind, and, of course, a line on a map gives few clues as to the state of the route you're looking at, and whether it's a good novice trail, or something more challenging for the experienced rider. 

There's also some etiquette about trail riding. Hikers and walkers, sometimes understandably, sometimes bloody-mindedly, don't like powered machines on such trails - so be prepared to stop, switch engines off, and give way to walkers or horses. 

 The answers and guidance to all these challenges lie with the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF). They've been around for half a century, have a massive database of trail riding route maps, and huge experience of how to go about such adventuring, whether it's the right bikes, the right gear, the right sort of preparation, and, importantly, as heading out into the boonies on your own is a safety no-no, details of your local trail riding group. 

 And any concerns about your classic trail bike? If it's rare, collectable, restored and immaculate, then leave it that way.  

 Instead, speak to TRF members, get their views, decide on what might work for you (a BMW 1100GS may look the part.... until you're up to the bash plate in cluggy mud....), go buy something old but effective, and then join in one of their local rides. 

 The other things about '70s and '80s off-road bikes is their generous seats: a more modern skinny saddle is not the place to be for half a day or more. 

 eBay or Bike Trader are as good a place to look as any for a classic trail bike, but, again, TRF members will know of bikes that look like they've been to the depths of the Congo and back but are actually well-sorted and able to take on just about anything most trail riders might encounter. 

 You don' have to look far online to find images and videos of off-roading fun, but it'll also give you a good idea of what sport of riding gear you need. 

 Being waterproof isn't just about repelling the mud and water you'll encounter: at the end of the day there's the all-important cleaning ritual at an en-route garage jetwash. 

 It's not just your bike that'll need a hosing down...