Ag bikes

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Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 29 Jun 2020, 3:18 pm

I’m in the market for a new two wheeler Ag bike. So far I’ve looked at the Honda XR Ag which is about 190cc and $47-4800 and the Kawasaki Stockman which is 250cc and about $62-6300. Anyone had one of these? Or what else is worth looking at? Not really interested in the Yamaha.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Blr243 » 29 Jun 2020, 6:27 pm

In 1996 I bought a Honda fourstroke xl185 I used it to chase pigs thru melon hole country in south east Qld and pigs and dingos up cape York. it’s still going strong , as is my Honda genset and my Honda quad bike. I buy Honda because I don’t want to break down in the middle of nowhere
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Col » 29 Jun 2020, 7:31 pm

Shootermick,

Ditto to what BLR says. I have 2 Honda CTX 200 ag bikes which are great, reliable and have a nice wide seat for us older gents. I also run Honda 4 wheelers which have been super reliable and strong. Everything else is Toyota or Polaris UTVs.
The Kawasaki Stockman is also a good bike, I borrowed one in 2010 at Cunnamulla which was a good reliable unit. We were mustering stock that we had on agistment up there, in some pretty rough country.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Larry » 29 Jun 2020, 7:32 pm

Suzuki make a good Ag bike dont know the model number but have ridden one a bit.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by GQshayne » 29 Jun 2020, 7:38 pm

If you are using it in rough country, then a bike with good suspension may be a step up from an "Ag" bike. My farmer mate in western Qld did not buy ag bikes for this reason, preferring bikes such as the DT200 and XR400.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by TassieTiger » 29 Jun 2020, 8:04 pm

Surprised the kawaka is more expensive than Honda in ag bike world...
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 29 Jun 2020, 8:04 pm

Col wrote:Shootermick,

Ditto to what BLR says. I have 2 Honda CTX 200 ag bikes which are great, reliable and have a nice wide seat for us older gents. I also run Honda 4 wheelers which have been super reliable and strong. Everything else is Toyota or Polaris UTVs.
The Kawasaki Stockman is also a good bike, I borrowed one in 2010 at Cunnamulla which was a good reliable unit. We were mustering stock that we had on agistment up there, in some pretty rough country.

I’d like a CTX 200 but they were discontinued in favour of the XR Ag. I like Honda’s too, they’re my motor of choice around the farm for augers, pumps generators etc. The old man had a CT 125 when I was a kid, it was the first bike I ever rode. It had the hardest life imaginable and was almost bullet proof, but I think we managed to kill it in the end.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 29 Jun 2020, 8:09 pm

I also would like a CRF 250L, it would be good for a cruise on the road as well as in the paddocks, but I’m not sure it’s worth the extra coin at $7200 when the Ag is over 2k cheaper, and paddock work would be main job for the bike.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 29 Jun 2020, 8:11 pm

GQshayne wrote:If you are using it in rough country, then a bike with good suspension may be a step up from an "Ag" bike. My farmer mate in western Qld did not buy ag bikes for this reason, preferring bikes such as the DT200 and XR400.

That’s a good point, but it is pretty flat around my joint.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by TassieTiger » 29 Jun 2020, 10:34 pm

The question for me would also be one of cooling - air cooling vs water cooling...
Air cooling can be a pain in summer when leaving to idle for a while, lower performance, more servicing, etc but - get unlucky and drop a water cooled bike puncturing radiator...hard one.
If you want a marginal step up to bike vs farm machine, The DR’s have a reliability reputation - and a lot of aftermarket parts for all manner of comforts.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 30 Jun 2020, 6:45 am

TassieTiger wrote:The question for me would also be one of cooling - air cooling vs water cooling...
Air cooling can be a pain in summer when leaving to idle for a while, lower performance, more servicing, etc but - get unlucky and drop a water cooled bike puncturing radiator...hard one.
If you want a marginal step up to bike vs farm machine, The DR’s have a reliability reputation - and a lot of aftermarket parts for all manner of comforts.

I’d probably go for air cooled.
Suzuki make one for the Ag market which is a DR 200, model name is the Trojan.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by hunting99 » 30 Jun 2020, 5:54 pm

One word Honda.
Use them everyday on the farm and hunting.
The CRF230 is a very good lite reliable air cooled bike.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Jakethefake » 12 Jul 2020, 4:12 pm

I bought a CRF230 earlier in the year. I looked at the XR Ag - it seemed like a good deal, but they had a poor reputation from what I read about them. I'm not 100% sure but I think they're made in China now. They were also ridiculously heavy for what they are, which put me right off them.
I have an old Honda CT200AG that has the Honda reliability, but its a horrible thing to ride. Terrible handling, too heavy, and slow.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 12 Jul 2020, 7:46 pm

Jakethefake wrote:I bought a CRF230 earlier in the year. I looked at the XR Ag - it seemed like a good deal, but they had a poor reputation from what I read about them. I'm not 100% sure but I think they're made in China now. They were also ridiculously heavy for what they are, which put me right off them.
I have an old Honda CT200AG that has the Honda reliability, but its a horrible thing to ride. Terrible handling, too heavy, and slow.


The 230 gets plenty of praise, I’m going off the Xr Ag. I looked at a Suzuki Drz 250 the other day and liked it, air cooled and just a nice step up from your Ag bikes, as the 230 would be too. The CRF 250L was high on my list but I’m trying to stay away from liquid cooling as it might take a few knocks and tumbles on the farm.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Jakethefake » 13 Jul 2020, 7:53 am

Do you need it to be road legal? The biggest downside of the 230 is that it isn't. The DRZ 250 is a nice bike, my uncle has one. Its also one of the few bikes you can buy now that has a kick starter and electric start and is air cooled.
The Kawasaki KLX230 might be worth checking out too. Simple air cooled machine like the CRF230, but its road legal.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 13 Jul 2020, 8:13 am

Jakethefake wrote:Do you need it to be road legal? The biggest downside of the 230 is that it isn't. The DRZ 250 is a nice bike, my uncle has one. Its also one of the few bikes you can buy now that has a kick starter and electric start and is air cooled.
The Kawasaki KLX230 might be worth checking out too. Simple air cooled machine like the CRF230, but its road legal.


Yeah, I need to register it to get up and down the road from block to block. I’ll check out the Kawasaki.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Larry » 13 Jul 2020, 9:24 am

I have the Suzuki DR 650 not really an AG bike although that is what I use it for now. A bit high in the seat. The good Ag bikes have good breaking mechanismis like postie bikes. Brakes on both sides and park brake options nice and low seat good options for rear racks for carrying stuff, The suspension is not a huge issue you are not going out on rough trails fast ect. A small upgrade in Suspension to my 650 and it works great on the single track up against much lighter bikes. but that is its problem it is to heavy I have it way geared down so can tractor pull up a hill.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Blr243 » 13 Jul 2020, 6:45 pm

I also have a dr 650. Used it in the bush once very big and heavy
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 13 Jul 2020, 9:25 pm

Larry wrote:I have the Suzuki DR 650 not really an AG bike although that is what I use it for now. A bit high in the seat. The good Ag bikes have good breaking mechanismis like postie bikes. Brakes on both sides and park brake options nice and low seat good options for rear racks for carrying stuff, The suspension is not a huge issue you are not going out on rough trails fast ect. A small upgrade in Suspension to my 650 and it works great on the single track up against much lighter bikes. but that is its problem it is to heavy I have it way geared down so can tractor pull up a hill.

I’d consider a 400, but definitely not a 650. Have ridden an XR 400 years ago.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by GQshayne » 14 Jul 2020, 7:27 pm

If you want to use it for hunting, then I would stay small and as quiet as possible. My experience over the years is that larger 4 stroke single cylinder engines can be heard from quite a distance. Small 4 strokes with good mufflers and 2 stroke engines are much better in this regard. I have listened to a 4 stroke XR that I could hear in the distance, but could not even see, and had 2 strokes ride straight towards me and not hear them at all. Quite a big difference in the sounds and how they travel.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 14 Jul 2020, 7:32 pm

GQshayne wrote:If you want to use it for hunting, then I would stay small and as quiet as possible. My experience over the years is that larger 4 stroke single cylinder engines can be heard from quite a distance. Small 4 strokes with good mufflers and 2 stroke engines are much better in this regard. I have listened to a 4 stroke XR that I could hear in the distance, but could not even see, and had 2 strokes ride straight towards me and not hear them at all. Quite a big difference in the sounds and how they travel.


I probably wouldn’t hunt with it. Just use it around the farm, might take the 22 along for the ride, but don’t want it specifically for hunting.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by boingk » 14 Jul 2020, 8:57 pm

Check out the Kwaka KLX150BF. Aircooled, light, reasonable power and only 4k RRP. Road legal as well.
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Larry » 15 Jul 2020, 1:37 pm

I never bought the DR650 as a farm bike or a serious off roader. it has been around the world and on some serious single tracks and is ok around the paddocks too. but not what it was bought for. The 400 is a better off road bike but not as good for when you want to cruise on the bitumen. All the bikes have a purpose task that they were built to excel in or be moderately suitable for more than one
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Re: Ag bikes

Post by Shootermick » 15 Jul 2020, 6:11 pm

Larry wrote:I never bought the DR650 as a farm bike or a serious off roader. it has been around the world and on some serious single tracks and is ok around the paddocks too. but not what it was bought for. The 400 is a better off road bike but not as good for when you want to cruise on the bitumen. All the bikes have a purpose task that they were built to excel in or be moderately suitable for more than one


Yeah, totally agree. And I suppose my bike would be 90% in the paddock and 10% on the road, so it doesn’t need to be anything over the top in terms of on road performance for the small amount of bitumen it’d see.
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