AUKwrestle

Member
Jul 13, 2007
7
0
I'm obviously new to this forum, but I needed advice on a certain situation that is developing amongst my family. Currently, my family owns three different bikes. We have a Honda CRF230F, a Honda CRF70F, and a Kawasaki KX65. Normally I ride the CRF230F around my house (we have 4 acres of land), however, lately my brother, my father, and I have been venturing to the local MX track close to my house. The CRF230F is simply too heavy to handle the technical aspects of a motocross track. I have also gotten bored with the power delivery, it's just too pedestrian. There's no pep, not enough tourque. I guess I'm ready for something more. My question is this: would the CRF150R or the CRF250R be the better bike for me? I am short (5'6'') but I wrestle and if I can throw around the 230, I am sure I can handle the 150 quite easily. But would the 250 be too much bike for me? Could I lower the suspension a little or adjust the sag so it's a little more rideable? I weigh about 135lbs. Thanks for any and all replies. I really appreciate it.
1) your physical size (both height and weight are important) - 5'6" tall. 135 lbs. Wrestling build.
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? - about as aggressive as I can get with the CRF230F
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ???? - local MX track. 230 is for the woods.
4) Do you have any riding experience? - yes. a couple years.
5) Do you think you will race ? - probably not but who knows.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? - yes. my dad knows a ton about 2 and 4 stroke motors.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? - Honda. maybe KTM? probably 4 stroke from what I here. anyone think differently? maybe a CR125?
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? - yes. all brands.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? - depends on which bike I get.
10) Do you live in California? - PA
11) Your age? - 17
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion - see above.

THANKS AGAIN!!
Jon H.
 

FruDaddy

Member
Aug 21, 2005
2,854
0
I think the 250R would be a better fit for you. Trimming the seat foam maybe a lowering link should bring it down to your height. Don't use the sag to adjust the ride height.
 
May 10, 2007
957
0
i would say either would be good but i like the 150r. it is a great bike lots of torque lots of power. but if you do get the 250 i would just be careful when you first ride cuz its gonna be a lot more torquey and powerful then the 230.


ps where do you go to school /wrestle
 

mox69

Member
Mar 26, 2007
236
0
I think you have enough experience now to be able to ride a bike with a lot of power safely, I would go with the 250R. It will be a lot easier to ride the 250R like a grandma than attempting to squeeze every last bit of power out of a 150R.

A couple years from now when you really grow into the 250R you will be happy you jumped 2 steps up now.
 

_JOE_

~SPONSOR~
May 10, 2007
4,697
3
Yeah, you're better off takin it easy on a 250 than beating the crap out of a 150. Four stroke top ends can get expensive.
 

AUKwrestle

Member
Jul 13, 2007
7
0
Thanks so much for all of the replies. Everything that you guys had to say really makes sense. I think we're going to try to go with the 250R even though the mark up on it is quite a bit more. I think I'd get too bored with the 150R. Does anybody know what specific parts or procedures could be done/bought in order to lower the bike a bit to make it more rideable? specific brands and part names would be greatly appreciated! thanks again for all replies. flyingfuzzball, i wrestle for a small catholic school in Delaware called Archmere Academy. we arent very good as a team but every team has to start somewhere. we compete with schools including St. Marks, Caravel Academy, and Salasianum within our conference.
 

DougRoost

~SPONSOR~
May 3, 2001
720
0
250F is fine but consider a used 125. They can be had quite reasonably and are much more affordable to maintain. This is a key driver behind the AMA fixing their overzealous 4 stroke push by allowing 144cc 2 strokes in this class. It's easy to get more power out of a 125 by adding a 144 or even a 165 kit when you're ready. The other benefit is you'll be a better rider for it since you'll learn better clutch and brake use on the 2 stroke w/o the engine braking.
 

AUKwrestle

Member
Jul 13, 2007
7
0
DougRoost, i like your idea(s) about a 125, used or new. either way, they are significantly less expensive than 250 4 strokes and since i probably wont be racing, the performance that a 125/144/165 2 stroke can offer would probably be more than enough for me to gain more experience on. i also agree with your points about having to utilize more skill to shift/clutch to keep the the bike's rpms high through technical corners/jumps. where would you look to try to find a good quality used 2 (or 4) stroke bike? im looking for something that is between a 2005 model year and a 2007. ****? the daily paper? thanks for any response.

Jon H.
 

NM_KDX200

Member
Dec 29, 2002
441
0
AUKwrestle said:
DougRoost, i like your idea(s) about a 125,

looking for something that is between a 2005 model year and a 2007. ****? the daily paper? thanks for any response.
I've been riding a 450F for almost a year and just bought another 125 ('05 KX). 125's are very fun bikes. The maintenance is more "pay now" as opposed to the F's "pay more later". In other words, the 125 requires pistons/rings on a regular basis, transmission oil changes, and clutches (if you ride them that way). The 250F might go a year or more needing nothing other than oil changes, but when it comes time for rings, valves, seats, springs, cam chains, etc., the bill comes in with a vengeance. Many people sell the bike right at this point and if you buy a used F, be careful that the wrath of the repair bill doesn't fall on you.

The single most reliable, inexpensive, and versatile bike I've had was a KDX200. It took a piston/rings every 3rd year and that's it, aside from the usual tires, chain, etc. I rode mine in the desert, woods, trails, and track.

Where to find? The key is "how far do you want to drive?" Go to that auction site and set it to search for "motorcycles" w/in 200 miles. Sort thru those. Check the online Thrifty Nickel for nearby cities. Google those cities newspapers and check their classifieds. I live way out in the sticks and I'll drive 250 miles for a bike. Found my KDX by watching the online Amarillo TX classifieds, found my YZ250 by watching the Albq online classifieds, got the KTM200sx and KX125 on fleabay, bought the YZ450F new, found the KX125 in the back of a nearby dealers (still a 90 mi drive, though).
 
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