Enduro Motorcycle for Hunting Transportation

[ScrapMetalSlug]

The mountain bike hunting transportation thing got me thinking, does anyone use an enduro type motorcycle for hunting? It could easily be carried in the bed of a truck to your hunting area. Shooting large animals requiring packing out meat would be similar to a mountain bike but faster. Anyone with motorcycle experience know how a ruck sack full of meat on your back would balance on a bike? Anyone has any real world experience, ideas, or comments?

 

[X-Rap]

I can say that the areas I have hunted quickly shut down to 2 wheeled traffic when it rains and I have seen some models of ATVs even load up so that they were useless. It seems that once September passes about 50% of the time it is wet so I wouldn't depend on a bike or motorcycle as my only means of travel.
We used motorcycles a lot in the past during archery season and if you have a good pack and some balance skills it is no problem hauling meat on permitted trails because we used to ride a lot of cow paths back then.

 

[TwoEyedJack]

A few guys around here use motorbikes for hunting, mainly Honda fatcats. I have never seen the utility. They are dangerous in snow, useless in mud, most of the trails are closed in hunting season, and make a lot of noise. OTOH, my horses do fine in snow as long as it is less than a foot deep unless there is a hard crust, laugh at mud, make almost no noise, and are legal to ride on pretty much every square foot of public land all year long.

Where motorcycles are useful is for pre-season scouting. I have a KDX200 that I ride during the late summer before hunting season to get a feel for where the animals are.

 

[Steel Talon]

Yes, before quads and 3 wheelers. I rode Enduro's into the hunt. Had a set of soft packs to carry the game back home in. had handle bar mount for my long gun.

Quads are much wasier to use now-a-days

 

[H&Hhunter]

Motorcycles are awesome on dry ground and can really get you where you want to go. However they are almost worthless in mud or snow and you are severely load limited. For hunting a quad is a much better choice.

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

Alot of good responses. Since I don't have an ATV anymore, I was looking from the point of being an upgrade to walking long distances instead of being as good as an ATV. Another thing about the dual purpose bikes is they are street legal, when ATVs usually aren't in most places.
If you are making multiple trips packing out meat it doesn't really matter I guess, because you will probably need a truck in the parking area anyways to get home.
I was specifically thinking about a motorbike for a caribou hunt, if I am fortunate enough to move to Alaska in the next couple of years.

 

[TNboy]

I've spent a lot of time hunting and a whole lot of time riding any kind of motorcycle that I can swing my leg over. Not big on cruisers, just not my thing, but I've spent a lot of time on dirtbikes. However, I have never hunted from a motorcycle. I could see how it could work well for the right person in the right conditions. Unlike a horse you don't have to feed the bike all year. You also don't have to own a large piece of land or pay to keep the bike somewhere so a bike could be much more practical than a horse for many people. A stock exhaust would not be silent but as long as you don't have the throttle pinned it wouldn't be obnoxiously loud. Depending on how much mud you are looking at a motorcycle may be able to handle it. I have yet to come across much of anything mud wise that my dirtbikes couldn't handle. I've done a good bit of trail riding in the snow as well. I guess a handle bar mounted gun rack might work pretty good. I don't think I would have reservations on tying deer sized game to the back of the seat, but around here a typical doe goes about 100 pounds give or take. I know of at least one public hunting area that I used to hunt you could only operate licensed vehicle so an ATV would be off limits but a tagged dual sport would have been legal.

 

[MCgunner]

I ride TOO the place and if wet, no problem. I sold my old trusty, but rusty Toyota 4x4 some time back and bought a 200cc cheap chinese DP bike which I still have. I bought it in 04 and it's still running great, though I've had to repair things on the frame and drive gear. It's light and goes where no ATV will go. I bought Booger, my nasty booger green mud machine last year for on highway (55 mpg), touring (comfy, though not a Goldwing), and works on a muddy road better than any other open road worthy bike. Oh, I sold my old Wing, but still have an SV650S for fun, but it's not what I choose to hunt off of.

Now, Booger is too heavy to be of much use in some situations, but he'll take on any 4x4 road/trail if the rider is capable. I've been riding and racing motorcycles over 40 years. I wouldn't suggest that a newb could handle an off road bike without a spill now and then. ATVs are much easier to ride. I used to flattrack and getting sideways is no big deal for me. I picked my handle as I'm a "motorcycle gunner", not been in the marines or anything. Bikes do require experience, especially in bad off road conditions, but I've always been on a motorcycle for transportation, hunting or otherwise. When it's bad cold out and I'm not wishing for punishment, I put the 200 or Booger on my Mototote (plugs into my class 3 hitch receiver) and just drop him off where the pavement ends. I've hauled in stands, a hog trap, feeders, etc with that 200. I hauled my hog trap down to my place with it when it was REAL muddy. I got almost to where I wanted it OFF the muddy beaten path and the bike bogged pulling the weight of the trap. I got off, didn't have to deploy the stand as the bike was stuck and didn't tip over. I drug the trap the last hundred feet or so, set it up, picked up the back of the bike and swung it out of the hole it was in (a little tougher on a 400 lb 650), and rode on off.

Before I had the 200 and Booger, I had an old XL600R that was pared down to about 275 lbs dry. It was good, also, and could go places in the mud four wheelers feared to tread. Again, it takes more experience, though, than a 4 wheel ATV.

Oh, I brought a hog back on my old Goldwing once when it was dry down there. That was fun seeing all the looks I got from JQ Public on the road with a 200 lb hog strapped over the seat.

Here's Booger....





Here's my 200 when it was newer. It's a bit more beat up, now, but still runs good.

 

[MCgunner]

BTW, I have this sheet of tough plastic I got from Cabela's called a "Deer Sleigher". You set the game in it and tie it down to drag it out...ostensibly by hand, but I do it by 200cc dual sport. I came out with a nice 8 point couple years back, mud off the rear tire all over his head, but he cleaned up and ate just fine. I tied a small spike down on the bike/rack one year when I had help, but I mostly use that chunk of plastic, cheap and effective way to retrieve game out of inaccessible areas.

 

[MCgunner]

Motorcycles are awesome on dry ground and can really get you where you want to go. However they are almost worthless in mud or snow and you are severely load limited. For hunting a quad is a much better choice.

Not so with good tires and a good rider, but not for the nimrod. I can go places in the mud that no ATV would dare tread. A LIGHT ATV might be okay, but my 200 is so light, I've found even if it gets stuck, I just pick it up and move it, no winch necessary. I've yet to find anything that will stick it and the mud down at my place gets REALLY bad at times.

Again, the rider must have dirt experience on a bike, must be comfortable getting sideways. I am, have flattracked and even road raced on the professional level. Skills for me are not a problem. For the 99 percent out there reading this thread, though, you are probably right.

 

[X-Rap]

Not so with good tires and a good rider,

You ever get up to Colorado in Nov. bring that bike. The Colorow Mtns west of Meeker will change that tune for sure. I have seen Suzuki and Kawasaki ATVs load up so bad that low range wouldn't even move them. I have 2 Honda and they have made me a believer. I think the JQS outside of Rifle would shut down a bike as well.

 

[finnwolf64]

Enduro bikes are good if you can ride, but I agree that Quads are safer & can carry extra load. A quad is also better for scouting in that you don't have to spend all the time looking at the track, as you do on a bike.
That said, I've used Honda XR250's for years as a hunting bike. I'm 47 & have been riding forever, so my bike gets me where I want. If you're new to riding in the scrub be prepared to come off. I'm 6 ft so the Enduro bikes are OK, but a smaller AG/ farm bike, that you can put both feet on the ground is probably the best bet. Look at HondaCR230F - with headlight option.

 

[Sav .250]

I`ll stick with my Honda ATV,4 wheel drive. J s/n.

 

[MCgunner]

You ever get up to Colorado in Nov. bring that bike. The Colorow Mtns west of Meeker will change that tune for sure. I have seen Suzuki and Kawasaki ATVs load up so bad that low range wouldn't even move them. I have 2 Honda and they have made me a believer. I think the JQS outside of Rifle would shut down a bike as well.

I have racing friends that go dual sporting up around Silverton every year, beautiful around there. They're not hunters, just love the area and motorcycles. These guys, of course, are very skilled riders and they ride two up with their spouses to boot! I was supposed to go last year, but had to back out due to a trip to Oregon eating up my cash reserves. Wife's daughter was getting married, so ain't like I could put THAT off.

Again, I've taken bikes, properly set up and ridden well, where no ATV would make it without lots of winching. It can be done, but for the unskilled, newb rider, I agree that bikes really aren't the best way to go. If you grew up dirt riding, you probably don't NEED to ask this OP's question in the first place, so to the OP, you're better off on an ATV which is much more forgiving and a lot easier for the unskilled to ride.

Heck, I started out at 14 with a Honda CT90. It had a dual range gear box, first year for that, 67. Was my little two wheeled jeep. It was small, but I was small. I got all nostalgic when I found one, same year model, in a barn. I bought it for 50 bucks and restored it. I couldn't believe how tiny that thing was, didn't remember that about it, ROFL! I later sold it. What I like about that cheap Chinese bike is it came with a rack. THAT is handy for hauling feeders, stands, and such that I couldn't do on that XL600R which didn't have a rack. I can stack 100 lbs (two bags) of feed corn on it and haul it in to my feeder no matter the mud. My KLR has a HUGE rack, but it's a heavy beast. Really prefer a 125-250 off road, 350 at most. The KLR will make it down a muddy road where a 4x4 would be fine, but I ain't taking it out in the soft stuff where I take the 200 all the time. I've stuck 4x4s out there, can't just pick 'em up and swing 'em out of the hole like ya can a 250 lb or less bike.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Heck, I started out at 14 with a Honda CT90. It had a dual range gear box, first year for that, 67.

My dad bought one of those in 67 or 68 (can't remember). I just remember laughing at him for buying a "girls" motorcycle because of the V frame without the cross bar. I quite laughing when he came out in "low range" first gear with a big ass buck tied onto the rack and told me to walk my little ass home for laughing Have to say, that old bike would go pretty much anywhere my horse would and did so quite often.

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, that old CT90 would climb up a brick wall, but for lack of traction. Low, low was slow, but could climb anything. That bike, though, had a low fender mud would crud up in and stop wheel rotation. High fenders on modern bikes are an improvement there. The rack on that old CT90 was very useful, too, big and spacious. In 8th grade shop, metal shop class, I welded up a gun rack that clamped to the front "fork", a leading link unit, got a good grade on that.

I used to strap my shotgun on the gun rack, my decoys in a bag on the rack, and ride through Freeport on my way to the marsh. Cops would smile and wave at me. I remember one opening day my mom gave me an excuse from class at 2PM to get out to go hunting. My buddy's mom worked at the junior college, we went and got guns and gear out of her trunk right there in the parking lot of the school and rode over to the marsh. A front had blown in during home room, blue norther. I stopped 3 miles from home on the way back and begged the old man to come get me, couldn't stand it, hands and feet were numb. I hadn't even brought a jacket cause it was in the 70s that morning going to school. It was in the 30s by the time we left the marsh. I learned to pay attention to the weather forecast later in life. :banghead:

Times have changed. Just picture a 16 year old on a motorcycle with a shotgun dressed in camo now days 4AM in any town in America. TERRORIST!!!!!!! And, try taking a shotgun out of a car in a school parking lot!

BTW, that was a memorable duck hunt, limit of 10 birds in an afternoon with my old 870 20 gauge Wingmaster.

 

[hardluk1]

Check out the rokon motorcycles . these are made for the worse terrian you will ever find. http://www.rokon.com/

 

[ScrapMetalSlug]

Check out the rokon motorcycles . these are made for the worse terrian you will ever find. http://www.rokon.com/

The Rokon's look pretty good, the only problem is they aren't street legal and cost more than alot of other dual purpose bikes.

 

[MCgunner]

Rokons are underpowed a bit, too, 5 hp Honda implement motor IIRC. For the money they cost, one can get a medium sized 4x4 ATV or a street legal dual sport. The Yamaha TW200 big wheel always looked pretty trail worthy and easy to ride, to me. It's street legal, but not up to speed limit cruising on the highway if that matters. Solid little bike, though. One draw back, those odd sized tires are kinda pricy.

 

[MCgunner]

Here's a good review of the TW200 and some of its competition.

http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/yamaha/2010-yamaha-tw200-ar62990.html

 

[matrem]

My KLR 650(two wheels) is great for going places that require "street legal" to get there.
And as capable as it could be in a pinch, if street legal isn't an issue, a quad is far better all the way around.

 

[Rem.222]

I hunted antelope once with Yamaha XLT 550 I used a Contender in a shoulder holster and dry out when I started. I shot a nice buck and started to bike was great to hunt from. Until a big thunder shower came up no shelter, no trees and it started to hail ouch!! But after he was skinned and boned out, I loaded goat in backpack on bike on a trail that was muddy gumbo that is slick and balls up fast and 2 miles to the road bike stopped about 300 yrds down the trail all balled up. Left to walk soaking wet, bruised, load of meat, gun, and "five hundred" pounds of gumbo on my feet. Uffta mia.
Bike was great until rain came up and changed it all.

 

[jackpinesavages]

I do, but on an XR650R that I street legalized-it's great for bigger fellas and heavier loads. The TW200 is perfect for anybody over 4"10".

I'm not going to try and convince anybody this is a good way to go as it is futile-been doing it for years. If a fella wants to dump 5-10K into an ATV he's gonna do it.(most just don't want to admit they're outta shape and/or too fat to ride a dirt bike anymore!)

Whatever gets YOU into the woods more! I recommend most Honda products as prety damn bullet proof, whichever ones fit you the best.

 

[X-Rap]

Rem22 knows the kind of mud I'm talking about, it is all over the west, mostly silty sediment that has three consistencies, hard as rock, talcum powder, or bread dough.

 

[MCgunner]

My KLR 650(two wheels) is great for going places that require "street legal" to get there.
And as capable as it could be in a pinch, if street legal isn't an issue, a quad is far better all the way around.

The KLR is a pig in the dirt, WAY too heavy, but it WILL get you don't a muddy jeep style road. A lighter bike is preferred, 200-350ccs.

I do, but on an XR650R that I street legalized-it's great for bigger fellas and heavier loads. The TW200 is perfect for anybody over 4"10".

I'm not going to try and convince anybody this is a good way to go as it is futile-been doing it for years. If a fella wants to dump 5-10K into an ATV he's gonna do it.(most just don't want to admit they're outta shape and/or too fat to ride a dirt bike anymore!)

Whatever gets YOU into the woods more! I recommend most Honda products as prety damn bullet proof, whichever ones fit you the best.

The TW is short, but that's a good thing if you're not an experienced rider. I think it'd be GREAT for the not so experienced. Ain't what I'd chose for motocross, but that's not the purpose, here. The "Rokon" mentioned makes the TW200 look like a MXer. Sure, it's a 4x4, but that's ALL it has going for it, which ain't enough to make me want one. My little cheap POS 200 (or if I coulda afforded one, a XR200) is all I've needed no matter the amount of slop after a rain. I do like the rack it came with, sturdy and handy.

Thing about ATVs, if I had one, I'd never use it EXCEPT when it was muddy on my place. I can drive down there in my all terrain Toyota Echo when it's dry like it has been last 2 years. However, I've stuck my 4x4 82 Toyota pick up twice down there. Had to use my XL600 those years to get down there. Had to hire a D3 Cat to get me out, once. If the bike gets that stuck, if it were possible, one can just walk it out and ride on. We're probably 20" behind on rain right now last couple of years. An ATV would just sit. I have taken the 200 on little jaunts in town to keep it fresh. Right now, I've drained the carb and tank and it just sits, but better a bike I have 500 bucks in sitting than a 5000 dollar ATV. Plus, the bike don't take up as much room in my shed! Now, the KLR, which is more of a highway bike with limited off road capabilities, gets ridden, and the higher gas goes, the more it gets ridden, though it shares ridding time on the highway with a 01 SV650S. But, I couldn't ride an ATV 180 miles on the highway at 70 mph as I do the bikes twice a week. Been riding all winter, too. One can do that when it never freezes. Anyway, the bikes are just more practical for ME than would be an ATV. An ATV would RUST before it wore out if I had it. It'd never get used.

The KLR is like a dirt capable touring bike. It's more of an "adventure tourer" (motorcyclists will know that term) than a dual sport. I had an XL600 R what had the air box replaced by K&N filter pods and the battery replaced by a capacitor. It was great, road it to work every day, didn't worry about chemical plant stuff getting all over it, was already pretty faded. It didn't have a rack, wanted one, but no one made a rack for it anymore. The XR650 is a better, bigger, yet relatively light weight big inch bike, but it's for the experienced rider. I'd never recommend one to a new rider where the TW would be easy to master for a new rider. The short seat height is one reason for this.

Anyhow, WE both know the advantages and true capabilities of the dirt bike off road. Yes, with a decent rider, it can toss mud on an ATV, especially one of those 1400 cc 1400 lb things, exaggeration, but not by much. Might as well have a Jeep as one of those big displacement ATVs. The Jeep is street legal, too. If you haul in a thousand pounds of feed corn at a time on you lease or perhaps use one row equipment to plant food plots deep in the forest, of course, the ATV is the choice, but for me, I've lived quite better with my little 200. I want to get a better one in the future, but for now, it still works. Great thing, it has a kick starter, so even though the battery's gone flat and doesn't have the juice to spin the motor, I can still ride it. It sits up a lot, so that's no biggy with me, float bowl is easy to drain, and it only takes up a little space in the shed.