Bike for my wife and I

[ARHepler28]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
I am 5'10" and hover around 175 lbs
My wife is around 5'2" and 115-120 lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
I am fairly aggressive; however, have never ridden a dirt bike before so I'm not sure how I'll be on them.
My wife is the same as me for the most part.
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
We plan to ride mainly in the woods or fields, maybe occasionally down the railroad tracks.
4) Do you have any riding experience?
I've ridden a quad a couple times and been on a dirt bike once, so I guess in short, not much experience.
5) Do you think you will race ?
We do not plan on racing
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
I may attempt to work on the bike myself, but if it seems too complicated I will take it to a shop.
7) Do YOU have a preference to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
We have no preferences as to brand/motor choice. Although, I have heard that 2 strokes have less maintenance than the 4 strokes.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
We have several dealers close and they carry all of the popular brands.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
We are hoping to find a deal, whether it be on craigslist or from a local seller. So we were hoping for cheaper rather than more expensive.
10) Do you live in California?
Nope, we live in Pennsylvania.
11) Your age?
We are both 22 years old.
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
Nothing that I know of. Just that we are both beginners and will mainly be riding on trails hoping for a tough bike that won't cost us a fortune to maintain.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Let me start by admitting that I am a chauvinist and tend to stereotype people: Which means I expect you to be a reckless adrenalin junkie while your wife would be a pretty, petite, gentle thing. Of course, there are a few women in my club that just kick my ass out on the race course but that doesn't change my initial impression! :-)

So, with that disclaimer:

I would not recommend a two stroke bike for either of you. I would disagree that the 2-strokes require less maintenance, it is just that one of the major maintenance items (top end rebuilds) is a LOT easier to do on a 2-stroke. The major disadvantage of a two stroke is that their power delivery is not constant, and it can be very difficult for a beginner to handle the "peaky" power curve. Riding a 2 stroke slowly can often lead to fouling plugs as the cylinder temperature is not high enough to burn the oil.

Let me start by explaining that dirt bikes come in two major flavors: there are race bikes and "off road" bikes. Examples of race bikes are the Yamaha YZ series. They are born and bred for racing, leaving out all the frills such as kickstands, headlights, electric start, etc. They usually require the higher octane gas. The race bikes have high performance engines that due to their very nature require frequent rebuilds. These bikes are light, powerful, but rather delicate. The rest of the bike is as robust and solid as a bike comes, but the engines just were not built to last (recommended top end rebuilds are on the order of 20 hours of use). Seat heights for the full size bikes are around 38". Suspension travel is around 12 inches.

An "off road" model is built for general easy riding. The engines are lower compression so you can use the cheap grade of pump gas. As performance is not such an issue the engines are built a little more robust so they can withstand many more hours of use without a tear down / rebuild. They are not nearly as temperamental as their racing cousins. They are usually heavier, less suspension travel (8 to 10 inches) and will typically have a lower seat height (a major advantage to those vertically challenged riders!). They also cost a lot less, about half of what the race bike might cost. Standard features include a kickstand and many include electric start.

My recommendation to you is to buy bikes that you only intend to keep for a year or two. Buy a cheaper "off road" model that is easy to learn on, get some experience, and then trade up once you have the basics. Falling into my stereotypes I would expect that you would be able to survive the frustration and difficulty that starting off on a high performance bike would cause, but I would be very concerned about your wife.

For you, I would recommend something like a Yamaha WR250 or Honda CRF250X if your budget allows (these actually are high performance bikes but with the frills) or a
Yamaha TT-R230 or Honda CRF230F if you want to go the cheap "off road" model.

For your wife, at 5'2" tall she really needs to have a lower seat height. I can't stress enough the importance of being able to put both feet on the ground! A good bike for her to learn on would be a Yamaha TT-R125LE. Pay particular attention to the "LE" suffix as Yamaha also sells a TT-R125 (no suffix) that would be too small. The "L" stands for "large wheel" and the "E" is for electric start. THis bike will have a 31.7 inch seat height which should fit her well.

Another good bike would be the Honda CRF150F. It's seat is just slightly higher, at 32.5 inches.

As these are generally kids bikes you can find them lightly used for really good deals.


Don't forget proper protective gear. Helmet should be obvious, but I wouldn't get on a bike without a proper pair of riding boots. Goggles are also essential. I highly recommend a chest protector and knee pads.

Good luck, have fun!

Rod

 

[ARHepler28]

Thanks!!

Wow, I never imagined to get a response with so much information in it. I really can't thank you enough for taking the time to respond in such a fashion. I'm excited to go out looking for my first bike!

 

[jb_dallas]

It would really help to know how much you plan on spending. I would recommend the Honda XR series. A CRF250X or WR250 may or may not be in your budget. You can pick up a decent XR250 (for you) for around $1000-$1200 that will be reliable and low maintenance...if you know what you are doing...that is the big disclaimer. No matter what you buy, learn what to look for or take someone who does. For your wife, I think the TTR is a good suggestion.

 

[medwaste]

TTR-125LE, KLX140L,or CRF150F. By all means with electric start and bigger wheels for your wife. These bikes are so much fun.