If you want to start exploring the 6000 miles of legal green lanes in the UK, the first thing you need is a trail bike. But where to begin? The spectrum of capable, road-legal dirt bikes is broad and bewildering. Do you pick a focused-but-fragile enduro, or a solid-but-steady roadster? Two-stroke or four? Single or twin? Old or new? Small, featherweight nymph or substantial, speedy tank?
Just about the worst thing you can do is ask a couple of riders for their opinion, as every answer will be different. Far more useful would to ask nearly 2500 trail riders all at once, then boil the numbers down to a shortlist of the most common models. That’s what the TRF (Trail Riders Fellowship) did at the end of 2023, with respondents providing details of the 4000-plus bikes they own and ride.
What we have here, therefore, is Britain’s 10 most popular trail bikes, as voted for by the people who actively go trail riding. So if you’re looking to start green-laning, chances are one of the bikes below is where you should begin. And if you are taking your first steps away from tarmac (asphalt, technically), we heartily recommend joining the TRF – your membership gets you access to their ultra-useful online Green Road Map, as well as a quarterly magazine and exclusive discounts. More importantly, it helps fund a dedicated team who help protect our trails, both by physically maintaining them, as well as legally guarding our rights to ride them.
Best bikes for green-laning
1. Honda CRF250L & Rally
2. Honda CRF300L & Rally
3. KTM 350 EXC-F
4. Beta XTrainer 300
5. Yamaha Ténéré 700
6. KTM 690 Enduro R
7. Husqvarna 701 Enduro
8. BMW R1200GS
9. Husqvarna FE 350
10. BMW R1250GS
Reliable, affordable, accessible and capable, it’s easy to see why Honda’s friendly 250 is the most popular bike in the TRF’s survey. It’s a sheep in wolf’s clothing: it looks every bit the pukka enduro (or rally) bike, but the reality is a safe, soft and super-durable bike that’s part daily commuter, part easy-going byway explorer. The motor is derived from the CBR250R road bike, and while it only makes a shade over 20bhp, it has 8000-mile service intervals. In fact, if you go by the owner’s manual, after the first service you don’t need to change the oil filter until 16,000 miles…
Point is, if you want to have a go at green-laning without the relentless maintenance (and costs) of a dedicated enduro, this is the perfect choice. Plus, it’s as friendly to ride as it is on the wallet. The motor is gentle and well-balanced, suspension is soft and forgiving, and at around 150kg fully fuelled it’s a great compromise between featherweight enduros and heavyweight adventure bikes.
There’s plenty to choose from on the used market too. From when it was launched in mid-2012 to when it was discontinued at the end of 2020, Honda sold more than 5000 CRF250Ls and Rallys in the UK, and the vast majority are still taxed and in use today.
2017 saw the only noteworthy update, the CRF250L gaining new bodywork, a whisker more power and torque, a new dash and switchable ABS. It was also joined by the Rally version, which has Dakar-racer style bodywork, a larger fuel tank and longer suspension. Cosmetically the Rally might have the edge, but it’s also 10kg heavier with more plastics to damage if (or when) you topple off.
2017 Honda CRF250L – Technical Specifications
- Engine: 250cc four-stroke single
- Power: 24bhp @ 8500rpm
- Torque: 17lb·ft @ 6750rpm
- Weight: 146kg (claimed, kerb)
- Seat height: 875mm
- Fuel tank volume :7.8 litres
Given everything we just said about the CRF250L, it shouldn’t be a surprise that its replacement takes the silver medal for popularity in the TRF’s survey. For 2021 Honda replaced the 250s with a pair of lighter, more powerful 300s. The motor was stroked out to 286cc, power increased 10% and torque by a whopping 18%. New intake and exhaust systems helped the motor breathe better, gearing was overhauled to add both pep in lower gears and smoothness at speed, while an assist/slipper clutch made the lever action 20% lighter.
Just as usefully, Honda found a way to trim a hefty 4kg from the chassis. The CRF300L also benefitted from longer-travel suspension, while the Rally gained a larger 12.8-litre fuel tank and a slightly lower seat height. A new LCD dash added a gear position indicator for both bikes. All nice changes, and all definitely worth having, but looking at the big picture it’s hardly a night-and-day transformation. In short, the 300s are unquestionably better all-round than the 250s – but they’re also more expensive and in shorter supply on the used market.
2023 Honda CRF300L – Technical Specifications
- Engine: 286cc four-stroke single
- Power: 27bhp @ 8500rpm
- Torque: 20lb·ft @ 6500rpm
- Weight: 142kg (claimed, kerb)
- Seat height: 880mm
- Fuel tank volume: 7.8 litres
In the daunting world of hardcore enduro bikes, the 350 EXC-F is often described as the perfect middle-ground, blending the power of a 450 with the agility and manners of a 250. Kinda like an off-road GSX-R750…
KTM launched the 350 EXC-F back in 2012 and it proved an instant hit. The single-cylinder, twin-cam, fuel-injected engine weighs less than 30kg and puts out something in the order of 45bhp (though, as with most enduros, KTM don’t officially claim power or torque figures). To untrained eyes it doesn’t look to have changed an awful lot over the past decade, but KTM say the 2024 model is 95% new, with a fresh frame, updated suspension, repositioned engine, plus rider aids including a quickshifter and traction control.
It all sounds fabulously tempting, but a brand-new 2024 350 EXC-F costs £10,649. Thankfully there’s plenty choose from on the used market – more than 1750 are currently licenced, plus a further 1000 on SORN – while prices start at less than £3500. Maintenance and servicing is critical though, so don’t just jump straight to the cheapest one you can find.
2024 KTM 350 EXC-F – Technical Specification
- Engine: 350cc four-stroke single
- Power: No claim
- Torque: No claim
- Weight: 107kg (claimed, dry)
- Seat height: 963mm
- Fuel tank volume: 8.5 litres
Beta’s XTrainer (as in cross-trainer) refuses to fit neatly into any single dirt discipline. It’s part enduro, part trials bike, has the look of a competition machine, but is fundamentally designed as a friendly first-time off-roader. Perhaps most tempting is its 292cc two-stroke engine – and if that sounds a handful for a knobbly novice, then fret not: this one’s been (de)tuned to deliver its power smoothly and linearly, rather than in a peaky powerband.
Physically it’s not too intimidating either. The frame is smaller than a motocrosser, seat height isn’t towering, and the weight (or lack of it) is, frankly, ridiculous. Suspension is set plush for a comfortable ride, rather than super-stiff to cope with aggressive antics. Plus, you don’t have to mess about with two-stroke premix, as the XTrainer has an electronic oil injection system.
It’s not even ludicrously expensive – a brand-new 2024 model costs just £6595. Used bikes are priced below four grand and while the Beta name might be unfamiliar to many road riders, the XTrainer isn’t niche or rare. There are more than 750 currently licenced on UK roads, plus a further 400 on SORN.
2024 Beta XTrainer – Technical Specifications
- Engine: 292cc two-stroke single
- Power: No claim
- Torque: No claim
- Weight : 99kg (claimed, dry)
- Seat height: 910mm
- Fuel tank volume: 8.8 litres
Yamaha first teased their ‘T7’ concept back in 2016, then made us hang on for nearly three years before the Ténéré reached production. The wait was worth it though, as the Ténéré landed offering way more off-road ability than any rival. Slim, tall and ultra-stylish, it instantly imbued any rider who slid onto its thin, flat seat with the confidence to tackle a desert rally. Or at least potter along a gravel byway.
It speaks volumes about the Ténéré’s off-road credibility that it appears so high on the TRF’s survey – it’s not just the most popular adventure bike and the most popular multi-cylinder machine, but far more popular than plenty of smaller, lighter, single-cylinder enduros.
Clearly the Ténéré is a different proposition to them, but if you’re realistic with your ambition and sensitive to the terrain, there aren’t many middleweight adventure bikes as capable or as confidence-inspiring as this. The MT-07-derived twin is phenomenally versatile, with plenty of instant punch in lower gears, plus a serene smoothness at 80mph in top gear. If you’ve got a long ride before you can get to a decent green lane, this is a solid choice.
2019 Yamaha Ténéré 700 – Technical Specifications
- Engine: 689cc four-stroke parallel twin
- Power: 72bhp @ 9000rpm
- Torque: 50lb·ft @ 6500rpm
- Weight: 205kg (claimed, kerb)
- Seat height: 880mm
- Fuel tank volume: 16 litres
Few bikes straddle the gossamer-thin tightrope between usable roadster and credible off-roader like KTM’s 690 Enduro R. It’s kind of a surprise nobody else has really tried to copy the formula, given it’s not exactly a new idea. KTM has had a 690 Enduro in its lineup since 2008 – only, in true KTM fashion, that was actually 654cc. Over the years the model evolved through a longer-suspension Enduro R, then a true 690cc motor in 2012, then a big-bore, short-stroke 693cc engine in 2019. If you’re looking to buy used, it definitely pays to do some research on the model history…
That said, while the technology and power outputs have changed considerably, the ethos behind the 690 Enduro is the same now as it was on day one: a big, thumping single that’s powerful enough to entertain on the road, in a chassis that’s just about light enough on the trails. The long-travel WP suspension (it’s a KTM – what else?) is stiff but quality across all models, cockpits are sparse, and physically it has the feel and proportions of a pukka enduro bike that’s been enlarged 150% in a photocopier. If you’re struggling to decide between enduro and adventure, it might be worth starting here.
KTM 690 Enduro R – Technical Specification
- Engine: 693cc four-stroke single
- Power: 74bhp @ 8000rpm
- Torque: 54lb·ft @ 6500rpm
- Weight: 146kg (claimed, dry)
- Seat height: 910mm
- Fuel tank volume: 13.5 litres
The 701 Enduro debuted in 2016. Just three years earlier the brand had been sold by BMW to KTM – and as a result, the 701 shares much with KTM’s 690 Enduro R. At first differences were fairly minimal, the 701 using a slightly bigger fuel tank and longer-travel suspension. Over the years the spec between 690 and 701 has ebbed and flowed, with small differences in bodywork, ergonomics, springs and seat heights, but the two bikes have never been worlds apart.
Today’s 701 Enduro has features including switchable throttle maps, traction control and a two-way quickshifter – all exactly like KTM’s 690 Enduro R does. There’s barely millimetres between them, to the point that even the price is an identical £10,399. If you’re looking used, we’d suggest the 2019-on model with the newer engine… or, if you want something that does set it apart, track down a 701 Enduro LR (for ‘Long Range’). It’s fundamentally the same bike, but the LR benefits from a massive 25-litre fuel tank giving a 300-mile range. Good luck mind: it only existed for one year (2020) and just 25 were sold in the UK.
2023 Husqvarna 701 Enduro – Technical Specifications
- Engine: 693cc four-stroke single
- Power: 74bhp @ 8000rpm
- Torque: 54lb·ft @ 6500rpm
- Weight : 147kg (claimed, dry)
- Seat height: 925mm
- Fuel tank volume: 13 litres
Easily the most popular large-capacity bike of the past two decades, and the subject of a million internet memes about how its owners never ride further than the nearest coffee shop. Well, the TRF survey suggests plenty of its owners really do get down and dirty on the GS. So stick that in your whatalottachocomochachino.
Sadly the survey doesn’t give any more details about which specific R1200GS model is the most popular with trail riders – and there are plenty to choose from. You can divide the entire 15-year lineage up four ways: between standard and Adventure; and between air and water cooled. The first R1200GS arrived in 2004, with the taller, bigger-tanked Adventure landing in 2006. Both were updated in 2010 with twin-cam heads giving more power. Then came the smoother, even more powerful water-cooled R1200GS in 2013, with the Adventure hot on its heels a year later.
Our tip? Don’t assume the Adventure is better off-road. The longer suspension travel may count in its favour on rough terrain, but it’s a wide, tall, heavy beast that requires an experienced hand to stay upright. If you’re crossing deserts where fuel stops are in short supply then fine; for a bimble down an easy British byway the standard, lighter, slimmer, lower R1200GS will be far more manageable.
2010 BMW R1200GS – Technical Specification
- Engine: 1170cc four-stroke flat twin
- Power: 109bhp @ 7750rpm
- Torque: 88lb·ft @ 6000rpm
- Weight: 229kg (claimed, kerb)
- Seat height: 850/870mm
- Fuel tank volume: 20 litres
Just as Husqvarna’s 701 Enduro is a not-too-distant relative of KTM’s 690 Enduro R, so too their FE 350 bears a striking similarity to KTM’s 350 EXC-F (see number #3 on this list, above). The FE 350 arrived in 2014, a year after KTM purchased the Husqvarna brand from BMW. KTM swiftly decided to fuse Husqvarna with Husaberg – a company born from when Husqvarna was originally sold to Cagiva back in the late 80s, and which KTM had bought in 1995. Keeping track? Us neither.
Point is, in 2013 KTM were making a Husaberg FE 350. A year later, it became a Husqvarna FE 350… which had the same motor as the KTM 350 EXC-F. Is this helping? Let’s try again…
Then, as now, the main difference between FE and EXC-F is to be found in the rear shock. The KTM uses a linkage-free, direct-action design they call PDS (Progressive Damping System). The Husqvarna, by contrast, works its WP shock via a rising-rate linkage. Which is better? Ask an owners’ forum and take cover…
There are solid arguments for and against both setups, but back up a moment: we’re talking about a bit of green-laning here, not trying to land a double knack-knack superman seat grab off a triple-deck tabletop heel clicker – or however the lingo goes. Just buy a nice one and get it muddy.
2024 Husqvarna FE 350 – Technical Specification
- Engine: 350cc four-stroke single
- Power: No claim
- Torque: No claim
- Weight: 109kg (claimed, dry)
- Seat height: 952mm
- Fuel tank volume: 8 litres
The Bavarian Behemoth makes its second appearance on the TRF’s top-10 list. The 1250 took over from the 1200 in 2019, with an 84cc-larger engine and a super-slick variable valve timing system called ShiftCam. Power and torque were both boosted significantly, neither of which are of much use on an average British byway. What ShiftCam does, however, is allow the motor to run more efficiently (and more frugally) at small throttle openings under 5000rpm – which is, potentially, how you might ride a GS on a green lane.
BMW also offered an “HP” model, which swiftly became known as the Rallye. It had a unique Motorsport paint scheme, spoked wheels, frame and radiator guards, a smaller screen, a shorter one-piece seat and larger, sharper footpegs. All are welcome (if hardly essential) touches if you’re taking a 1250 off-road. The HP/Rallye also had the option of being ordered with Sports suspension – a stiffer, longer-travel setup intended for serious dirt use. Fine if you know what you’re doing and ride aggressively off-road, but a bit much (and a bit tall) if you’re a road rider taking their first few steps along a green lane.
2019 BMW R1250GS – Technical Specifications
- Engine: 1254cc four-stroke flat twin
- Power: 134bhp @ 7750rpm
- Torque: 105lb·ft @ 6250rpm
- Weight: 249kg (claimed, kerb)
- Seat height: 850/870mm
- Fuel tank volume: 20 litres
If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.
