28 Years old and Noooo experience.

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Dano104

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Sep 17, 2005
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Hello, I have a couple questions for you all. I'll start off with some descriptions about me. I'm 28 I stand about 5'7" :) on a good day :) I weigh in the neighborhood of 165lbs. Like the title says I have very little... to no experience on dirt bikes. The closest I have ever owned was a old TW200 (don't laugh), very far from an mx'er. I just finished a 7 year tour in the Army as a helicopter crewchief, I'm going to school full time ( gi bill ) and working full time; needless to say my wallet is a little on the light side.
My question is ..... which mx'er or trail bike would be cheap to fix up, or rebuild for lack of better words. okay okay, i'll cut to the chase, I can only afford about 1200-1500 dollars. So any bike that I'll hopefully be able to aford will be a fix-er-upper. I was looking into the 90-98 yz's kx's & rm's both 125's and 250's. I also thought pretty heavily on the kdx's, klx300's, and ktm 200's.
Am I wasting my time? Is it expensive to rebuild a bike?
I was a helicopter crewchief for 7 years, so I like to think my mechanical skills should be decent.
My second biggest fear or apprehension is my shortness! I would appreciate any opinions at all on this.

Daniel
 
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Ruff Rider

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Sep 14, 2004
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Hey, well first off, how would you describe your location for riding (ie desserts, woods, mix of both, meadows) and second, what type of ride are you looking for. Obliously youre looking into mx type bikes but are u going to be riding tracks or trails or just fun stuff on others or public land.

As far as your height, many riders are your size or smaller (cutting down the seat padding is just one of many ways to lower). Id recommend getting a bike that when u sit on, atleast one foot can touch. Ideally, both feet should be flat on the ground.

Keep in mind that 4strokes are heavier and in greater demand right now. Engines need to have a larger cylinder to produce an equivilant to that of a 2stroke 1/2 the displacement.

All in all, 2strokes are more common (parts, repair tips etc), lighter, cheaper, and argueably more fun.

Id recommend a 250 2stroke - easier to ride than a 125, plenty of power for your size, and common. A KDX if youre looking for a good all around bike (but theyre not that great in tracks). Either would be great.

By the way, youll find the best deals, after thanksgiving but before late march.

Good Luck
 

Dano104

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Sep 17, 2005
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Thanks for the quick response.

I live in Southern Illinois so i'll be doing some trail / woods riding. Something about the straight mx bikes appeal to me more than a trail oriented one. Kdx's allways struck me as being cool too, I'm just scared that I'll want more power.....

Seriously 250 2 strokers are easier than 125 2 strokers?
 

KX02

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Jan 19, 2004
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Yes, they CAN be easier to ride, but you do need to respect the throttle, they haul ass! 125's can be difficult to ride on technical trails because they generally do not have much torque. I agree with Ruff Rider that would be a good bike, or you could get a 125 for cheaper I would bet. Actually used 125's are really cheap now. I just sold a 2002 KX125 for $1600 to get my new 250. The bike I sold was in great condition overall, they are hard to sell because people are flocking to 4 strokes for racing.
 

sick 96 250

Damn Yankees
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Jul 16, 2004
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with the money your looking to spend you could def find a nice running bike that wont need work, prob like a 96 on up. Just keep your eyes open and you will find something
 

phatrob82

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Sep 18, 2005
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i am also wont to get started and no nothing about mx how do i get started iam 22 and have been a skate boarder for 8 years but iam starting to loose intrest in it and mx takes my fancy. i dont wont to sound funny or like a wona b but just wont some tips on how to get started! can any one help me as well iam about 5.8 feet and way about 10 stone i live in the uk!
 
Aug 26, 2005
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KX02 said:
Yes, they CAN be easier to ride, but you do need to respect the throttle, they haul ass! 125's can be difficult to ride on technical trails because they generally do not have much torque. I agree with Ruff Rider that would be a good bike, or you could get a 125 for cheaper I would bet. Actually used 125's are really cheap now. I just sold a 2002 KX125 for $1600 to get my new 250. The bike I sold was in great condition overall, they are hard to sell because people are flocking to 4 strokes for racing.

250 2-strokes are so much better overall and easier/more satisfying to ride than 125s. You really have to keep a 125 strangled the entire time to get any power out of it, while you short shift a 250 and still be quick. However, a modern 250 2-stroke MXer is VERY fast and not ideal for a beginner. You can get into trouble quickly with a 250. I always see 125s at my local riding spot buzzing around at redline, but not really moving that fast, and they fall of their faces if you drop out of high rpm. Not so with a 250. If you rev it hard, it can easily put a beginner in the weeds! I would probably consider a KDX200 2-stroke if I were you, they are a good bargain now and great all around bikes. Maybe a MXer would be better for your 2nd bike. :nod: Another option could be something along the lines of a XR250 or XR400 4-strokes, but I am partial to 2-strokes. ;)
 

Dano104

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Sep 17, 2005
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Yeah my future bike will definately be a 2 stroke. I actually enjoy turning wrenches, and feel I'll be more able to work on the two strokers. Like I said I have really been considering kdx's, I just don't want to end up wanting more of a bike.
 

Ruff Rider

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Sep 14, 2004
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Well KDXers are very desireable and i doubt that if you bought one cheap, work on it a bit, have fun, learn the basics, you could sell it after one season of riding for almost no loss or possibly a profit.

(If ud get an mx'er, i would doubt youd be wanting to sell it after a season or too unless your finance situation changes and you come across a nicer bike)

KDXs since 1995 are very similar so thats something to keep in mind.
 

tyesai

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Nov 4, 2004
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I would get a 250, I never rode dirtbikes either untill last year but I rode for 10 years on the street. The 250's have a ton of power but being that you are a little bit older it won't be a problem and you won't get bored with it quick. The maintenance is easy, it doesn't take much, just a little common sense. Just try to find the cleanest one you can in your price range. MX bikes work just fine in the woods, they are just a little different than KDX's and such. It is kind of like Jim Beam and Coke and Crown and Coke. Both are tasty, they both get you a buzz but they taste a little different.


On a side note, what helicopters did you crew? I have worked C-130's for the last 12 years. Air Force crew chief, but I have almost always worked back shop, spent most of my time in Aero Repair.
 

Dano104

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Sep 17, 2005
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CH-47 Chinooks, tandem rotor helicopter. aka the flying bus. lol. If I was to go ahead and get the 250 mx'er, is there a way to detune it until my riding skills improve? I was thinking like a notched out piston to reduce compression.... Then once my skill improves go back to oem.
 
Aug 26, 2005
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Dano104 said:
CH-47 Chinooks, tandem rotor helicopter. aka the flying bus. lol. If I was to go ahead and get the 250 mx'er, is there a way to detune it until my riding skills improve? I was thinking like a notched out piston to reduce compression.... Then once my skill improves go back to oem.

I wouldn't bother detuning it. Just ride it with lots of respect, but remember, 2-stroke don't like to be lugged. Make sure you at least get some revs in to avoid plug fouling. My CR250R is actually my first 2 wheeler, although I am experienced with ATVs and have ridden 2 wheelers in the past, including a '90s KX250. The first few rides on my CR were a bit scary!!! But I adjusted very quickly. :nod:
 

kdx220freak

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Aug 23, 2005
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if your trail riding get a kdx. I have one and its got great power. If you are gonna be in tight trails and stuff the kdx220 is a better choice. I can make it up anything. If you want more speed ge the kdx200. My bike goes 70 which i think it fast enough for me. But i love my bike. It is a workhorse and it never breaks
 

Ruff Rider

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Sep 14, 2004
195
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Dano104 is there a way to detune it until my riding skills improve? [/QUOTE said:
Easiest ways are either:
heavier flywheel (smooths power and doesnt stall as easily)
adding or subtracting teeth on your sprokets (decreses accelleration but adds to top speed)
decreasing exhaust flow (some bikes have them, not exact on specific term)
 

Dano104

Member
Sep 17, 2005
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You would not believe after reading some of these post how many bikes some people have! Someone give me their junker bike! ;)
 

notenuftoys

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Sep 3, 2004
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Last year, I got back into riding after a 14 year lay-off. So I qualified as a beginner again. Go KDX! It's a very forgiving bike, and there's enough parts available to get more power as you get better. Then after a couple of years, step up to a 250. If you've never ridden motorcycles before, stay away from a 250 until you've got some hours under your belt.
 

xsnrg

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Jul 20, 2004
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I have to second that...start out on a KDX 200 or 220. If you are primarily trail or play riding and not going to be hitting MX tracks, they will do quite nicely for you. Jeff Fredette just finished his 25th ISDE 6day enduro race on one and got a silver medal! (granted his is souped up a bit) You can buy one new for under $4k, and there are lots of used ones out there with goodies on them in good shape for around $2k or less. As said before, they haven't changed a lot since '95 so you can get an older one if price is an issue. They are almost as low maintenance as a Honda aircooled 4stroke...you can go three seasons on a top end and still be in-spec, and there are a lot of easy and relatively inexpensive modifications you can make to one to get more hp out of it as you seek it. If a year or two from now you desire an MX 250, you should have no problem getting your money back out of a used KDX.
 
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