Bike for friend.

[HhawkK1292]

This is being posted for my friend Jon.

Like me, he is a beginner with dirtbikes.

1) your physical size-14 years old. 5' 2" around 100lbs
2) How physical/aggressive are you?-medium agressiveness
3) what do you plan to ride- probably woods and fields with friends
4) Do you have any riding experience?-twice on a Polaris Quad
5) Do you think you will race? -Probably not
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?-not the big stuff, or easy stuff lol
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice - no preference
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?- KTM, Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha.
9) How much do you plan to spend on a bike? 3500-4000
10) anything else that you think would help form an opinion- This is going to be a first bike for me, but I want power.

This is gonna his first bike

 

[matte1014]

a 4 stroke trail bike sounds pretty ideal for him.. for his size i bet he could fit on a CRF150.. it would lug him easily around all the trails and fields he wanted and he would have plenty of growing room too.. If he has never ridden a dirtbike and doesnt learn easily, maybe a TTR125L..

 

[kawicam250]

this is again ironic. you yourself are really, really, tall. where as you have a friend who is really, really, short. anyways, at Jon's height and weight, id go for a KX100. its basically a KX85 Expert( expert means it has a longer swingarm and bigger tires), but not really faster( ive heard mixed comments on whether or not a KX100 is any faster than a KX85). the seat height is 34.3in. which would be great for him. go to Kawasaki's website and check it out.

 

[HhawkK1292]

k thx guys, i think he'll be happy with the replys. he was actually looking at the CRF150 earlier

 

[Josherichy]

The crf 150 is a good bike but kx 100 or a yz 85 might be better for some one his height and age...

 

[XMotoX]

Maybe you guys can clear this up for me...

This kid has little to no experience and is small, and you are suggesting 2-strokes. My dad and some kids who own 2-strokes told me that they are not for beginners and that if you don't know how to ride them, you can really mess them up. They said you can't ride them wide open, have to deal with the powerband, and you have to give it throttle, and let off. But, it seems like everyone on here suggests 2-strokes to beginners...

Are they really that hard to ride for a beginner or is my dad/friends full of it?

 

[HhawkK1292]

well, me and him both have 2 stroke pocketbikes, and they arent much to handle. I know they are small, but hey they do pack a punch lol, and riding ability has nothing to do with the type of engine (2 or 4 stroke). :cool: :cool:

 

[Chili]

Maybe you guys can clear this up for me...

This kid has little to no experience and is small, and you are suggesting 2-strokes. My dad and some kids who own 2-strokes told me that they are not for beginners and that if you don't know how to ride them, you can really mess them up. They said you can't ride them wide open, have to deal with the powerband, and you have to give it throttle, and let off. But, it seems like everyone on here suggests 2-strokes to beginners...

Are they really that hard to ride for a beginner or is my dad/friends full of it?

I think in this instance why you are seeing 2 strokes recommended more is due to his last comment about wanting power. The 4 stroke trail bikes are definitely far easier to ride for a beginner. That being said a 2 stroke is not all that difficult to learn on either and the only thing you are likely to mess up is fouling a plug if your not riding it hard enough which is easily solved by changing the jetting. Yes it takes some time to get comfortable with the "hit" of the powerband. You can ride any 2 stroke wide open, but if he is referring to going 5 miles down a fire road wide open then letting off the throttle, well yes you'd likely seize the engine.

In short is your dad's friend full of it? Not completely but I would suggest he's over exaggerating to steer you to a 4 stroke.