Looking for bike suggestions

[KMAPRO]

1) Age: 32 Weight: 230 Height: 5'-8"
2) In decent shape - semi-agressive
3) Plan to ride trails, woods, open areas, and some track
4) Haven't ridden in about 12 years - last bike I rode was a CR250R
5) Might race in old-fogie class after experience is brought back up to par
6) I am somewhat mechanically inclined - what I don't know, I have people that do know
7) No real brand preference..prefer 2-stroke because of maintenance cost, but will not rule out 4-stroke
8) I have access to most brands (Honda, KTM, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki)
9) Used - $2500 New - $5000 (+/-)
10) Most of the place around me to ride are track related - people who have built their own tracks, but I will be making occasional trips to places like Durhamtown Plantation down here in the Good Old South. I will also be riding with my son who has never rode before - he will be getting his first bike soon (CRF70)

I know I stated that I preferred a 2-stroke, but I have looked at a new Honda CRF250R. But seeing as their power rating is somewhat considerate of the CR125, I am afraid that it will not have enough power for my size (as mentioned 230 lbs).

I am also considering a new Yamaha YZ 250. I just hope that the power would not overwhelm me seeing as how it has been a few years since I have even straddled a bike. And yes I know that I don't have to hold it wide open...

I like the KTMs but they are a bit pricey and I do not know enough about them to make an accurate decision between the models.

So any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tony Eeds]

OK folks ... this man asks for help on bikes, gives you a ton of good info and it is up for FOUR days with 41 views and NO responses. :bang:

Where is the luv? Come on now. :(

OK from my perspective, KTMs are good as my avatar would indicate. I can be biased as I bleed orange, and bleed I have, as I am a tree banger.

If you want to get an all around good bike the 200 or 400 KTM is a good choice. The 200 is considerably more flickable (at least for me) but is might be a tad small because of your weight. My son is about 220 though and can scream on the 200. The 400 is a great bike, but heavier as it is a 4 stroke and is the MXC version which means it has a large fuel tank that adds a buch of weight up high when it is full. My son rides it and can horse it around easier than I (I am about 165#).

My inseam is 31 inches and it is a stretch for me to get my feet to the ground in many situations, so I just spent the $$$ to have my suspension lowered in my 200. I like is much better in the lowered configuration.

BTW - I would look for an EXC version of any KTM that you look at. They have wide ratio gear boxes and therefore should cover most any situation you face with the possible exception of racing MX.

Now the guilt or controversy ...

Every bike besides KTMs stink and you shouldn't even consider them. If that doesn't get you any comments, nothing will. ;)

 

[BradFrost]

Well obviously you need to steer clear of those Orange People you find marooned in the bush and hook up with a Yammy of some description… preferably with a 2stroke engine and a nice fat power pipe :yeehaw:
Sounds to me like your real question is between 2moke and 4poke.... and that is answered by what type of riding will you be doing/ want to do in the future. I got my YZ outta the crate and as far as your “I just hope that the power would not overwhelm me” query goes I’m not ashamed to say the power sure humbled me on more than a few occasions- mostly when I didn’t have my armour on :coocoo: You’ve ridden 2stroke250's before so you’ll be in familiar terrain. The thumpers these days are totally awesome and considering some of the top competitive models are able to be road registered (I assume so over there) it’s a tough choice.
Considering your stats in terms of weight and the fact you want to ride woods and trails maybe the 2stroke would leave you wanting more bottom end pull and be more inclined to stall under braking. That would have you tending for a 450 4stroke. Just make sure you add a hammer and a credit card to your off road tool kit if you buy a KTM. :laugh:

 

[Old Man Rider]

You will potentially have an issue with a Two Stroke MX bike offroad because it will not meet the sound requirements and I don't believe they have a spark arrester. You may want to consider a YZF (will need to make mods for trail riding) or a Yamaha WR450. I have a new WR which fits my intentions of mostly trail and verry little MX. It is tame out of the box but can be made more agressive with some minor free mods. Nothing pulls like a two stroke but that pulling on a long trail ride is not optimal. The WR has gotten very favorable reviews in recent dirt bike mags. I know this is a big decision - feel free to send me a note if you have questions on the WR. There is also a great site called thumpertalk which has dedicated forums for each bike.

 

[Dave.Smith]

Check out a KTM 300 EXC. More low end power than the 250s and a smoother transition to slightly more top end power.
The KTM line in a nut shell.
EXC, wide ratio transmission, lights, woods friendly motor, "enduro" model
MXC, close ratio transmission, lighting coil only, woods friendly motor, "hare scrambles" model
SX, close ratio transmission, no lighting coil, track motor, "MX/SX" model

 

[flyinzuki]

Keep in mind a spark arrestor is less than the premuim charged for a racing four stroke.

 

[killerbeez 75]

Well obviously you need to steer clear of those Orange People you find marooned in the bush and hook up with a Yammy of some description…

Ktms are awsome bikes and the more you learn about them the better they are.It takes alot of money to the other big four to bring it up to the quality of a ktm bone stock.Just look at a ktm and see what they come with such as wide pegs,brembo brakes,fat bars,and wave rotors bone stock.You do not get that with the others.As for the comment above,don't get a yammy,they are like tampons,every b***h has got one. :laugh:

 

[killerbeez 75]

Look at Chad Reed on the yammy,he's just the first loser.

 

[02crf450]

For your weight get a new crf 450 no questions. Trust me you will not be dissapointed.

 

[odiesox]

Ok, here's what I have to say. We are very similar in many ways, I am 36, 6', 235, probably considered an average rider, but fairly aggressive. I ride morthern California trees and mountains. I too had been out of riding for about 10 years when I got back into it 3 years ago. in that time, I have gone from an 84 Zuki RM250 to an 85 Yam YZ250, to my current bike, a 99 Huskvarna WR360. The husky was purchased for $2,000, only needing a shift return spring (2 hour fix, parts here in 2 days). This bike is a 360 2 stroke, wide ratio 6speed, lighting coil, kickstand kinda like the KTM. What I can say about this bike is: Great low end power, it can be lugged like a 4stroke, not "pipey" like my 250's were. Suspension is great, top shelf units. Brakes have good feel, and have never felt them fade at all. almost 3 gallons of fuel when full, so good range. This bike seems to have everything dialed in just right, with only one minor drawback. The chane is a right side drive, which means the kicker is mounted high, starting is a bit of a trick until you get the secrets down (kick back not down, put your left foot on a stump or rock, bump it just past TDC, then kick hard and fast).
I would reccommend this bike to almost anyone.
one thing to keep in mind, if you go husky, don't get anything built before the Cagiva buyout in 99, as I have been told that parts are tough to get.
Hope this helps,
Darin

 

[KMAPRO]

Thank you for the suggestions ya'll...

Believe it or not, with the exception of not knowing the difference between the KTM models, I have considered and thought about each one of the bikes listed...even the Husky.

I would like to add a little feed back to the comments and see if I can narrow it down a bit. I know I said I would be riding track and trail, but would probably be more track in the long run - due to the fact that most of the places I ride will be at friend's places that have tracks - but I will ride trails some too.

KTM - my bike of choice for this make would probably be a MXC. I will just have to do some more research on them and learn more. I have always been fond of the KTM and always heard mostly good things. I have already talked with the local KTM dealer about parts availability should the need arise and he has gauranteed that I would not be dissappointed.

Honda - It would be a toss up between a CR250 and the CRF450. I would just have to decide between strokes...

Yamaha - When I first decided that I wanted to get back into riding, I was dead set on Yamaha as I have owned 2 Yammy's before (1979 MX80 and a 1976 MX125) and had great service out of both. I owned the 80 for about 8 years.
My mind tells my to get a YZ250, but I have been reading alot about the WR450. I have heard - and please tell me if I am wrong - that I could get about the same performance out of the WR450 as I could from the YZF450 (with a few free mods) thus making it a very useable track bike while maintaining a good trail bike as well.

Husqvarna - I looked at the Husky on the internet. I have never ridden one nor have I ever even seen one in person. Again, I had heard good things about them - especially since Cagiva bought them out. The only drawback is that there are no local dealers for them.

Right now, I am really leaning torward the YZ or the WR..I am scheduled to pay a visit to a Honda/Yamaha dealer next weekend to pick up my son's bike (CRF70) - who knows, maybe I will bring home more than one....

Thanks for the info and I will check back into the KTM as well...