Finnally moving away from chinese crap, what bike should i get?

[cheesenuget]

I finally have enough saved for a decent non-chinese made bikes. I have experience with a 125 and 90cc chinese. I will be mostly riding on the road but i need good offroad performance as well because there are some good trails, they are very hard trails tho so the bike has to be tough. When on the road i need to be able to do 60mph+, and the trails i ride can be very steep and slippery so im gunna need decent power and of course i can upgrade tires. I am on a kinda tight budget of $4,500, used is okay tho. I am 15, 120lbs, 5'9. I would like to spend as little as possible for what i want, leaving room for some upgrades. I dont so much need specific models, would be nice but i am mainly looking for manufacturer.

thanks

 

[Okiewan]

http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=108916

 

[cheesenuget]

pretty much answered all that in a less formal way...

no, not planning on racing, very aggresive, 4stroke preferably, live in canada so if it can handly slippery roads thats a plus, steep muddy terrain, not much riding experience but i can learn quickly, dealers dont matter to me, i would like to be able to beat a 06 yamaha 350 from like 0-60.

 

[DougTx]

Well...

When you say road, let's assume you mean street legal.... if that is so you are in a weird spot.

You wanna beat a 06 350 Yamaha... problem is that there is somewhat of a "deadspot" for Dual purpose bikes from what I have seen.
It jumps from bikes like the CRF230L from Honda to an XR650L.
Yamaha only makes the XT250, Suzuki makes the DRZ400 line and Kawasaki has version of the same for themselves (they cross produced it I believe but only the Suzi is street legal variant avail I believe)

Like I said, tough spot from what I know... unless you go older and get back into the days when people still believed more in dual sport bikes.

Anything that big will also be tall.... at 5'9" that is not impossible but will be intimidating, especially for slippery riding where I would want to be able to put a foot down to stabilize in tricky spots.


I am not the most knowledgeable but since no one else was speaking up... I thought I would put my $.02 in...

Hit Craigslist and shop in general to look for something you can ride... but for size, power and dual purpose, late model bikes may be hard to find.... unless of course you mean beat a 350 Yama by riding better, or that on road means fire roads and you don't care about being street legal.

Need more info on that.... :)

 

[cheesenuget]

When you say road, let's assume you mean street legal.... if that is so you are in a weird spot.

You wanna beat a 06 350 Yamaha... problem is that there is somewhat of a "deadspot" for Dual purpose bikes from what I have seen.
It jumps from bikes like the CRF230L from Honda to an XR650L.
Yamaha only makes the XT250, Suzuki makes the DRZ400 line and Kawasaki has version of the same for themselves (they cross produced it I believe but only the Suzi is street legal variant avail I believe)

Like I said, tough spot from what I know... unless you go older and get back into the days when people still believed more in dual sport bikes.

Anything that big will also be tall.... at 5'9" that is not impossible but will be intimidating, especially for slippery riding where I would want to be able to put a foot down to stabilize in tricky spots.


I am not the most knowledgeable but since no one else was speaking up... I thought I would put my $.02 in...

Hit Craigslist and shop in general to look for something you can ride... but for size, power and dual purpose, late model bikes may be hard to find.... unless of course you mean beat a 350 Yama by riding better, or that on road means fire roads and you don't care about being street legal.

Need more info on that.... :)

thanks for the input, but i didnt mean street legal, just something that could be ridden on the shoulder of the road, not legally though, the 06 350 (maybe 07) is street legal, so im guessing its got alot of weight, plus my friend is really cautious so he wont be going wide open, hel ease his way into it, im more looking for low en acceleration, as long as its 60mph capable im fine.

thanks

 

[Okiewan]

In a less "formal way" I'll add:

just something that could be ridden on the shoulder of the road, not legally though

Is generally;
A (formal) way to get your new "beats a 06 Yamaha 350" bike impounded.

 

[cheesenuget]

In a less "formal way" I'll add:



Is generally;
A (formal) way to get your new "beats a 06 Yamaha 350" bike impounded.

nah, i live in a kind of remote area in southern Canada where everyone owns dirtbikes and its how we all get to and from each others houses because of the huge farms and such, the only cop in the area owns an atv he uses to get around

 

[TorrenT]

I would recomend the Husky (Huskqvarna or however its spelled) 450 Not sure of the exact model, but my friend has one and its good for both off-road trails and the road, street legal too.

o wait 120lbs... uhhh nvm either gain like 50 lbs or get something else. I will always recommend the CRF 250, best bike ever.

 

[J-man]

i live in a kind of remote area

Then why do you need 60MPH?

 

[cheesenuget]

Then why do you need 60MPH?

so that i can get around faster... i didnt mean it like i need it because im gunna be on the highway or anything like that

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

For the brand of bike, you can pretty much pick your favorite color, as long as you stay with one of the major brands: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, KTM, etc. . I assume you already know about the cheap brands!

If I am interpreting your needs correctly I would recommend a bike that has a headlight and taillight so you can get home after dark. A Yamaha WR450f would a great bike and in some areas you can actually make them street legal. The WR450 is a very capable trail or MX bike, just a little heavy due to the electric start.

Likewise, a Honda CRF450X is basically the top end race bike with headlight and a few comforts thrown in.

If you actually wanted to be street legal then a Honda CRF230L would do you good. It doesn't have quite as good as of suspension as the CRF450X but it fairly decent, street legal from the factory and a bit cheaper.

If price was no object then I would recommend a KTM 450exc. The the last couple of years they have been selling them street legal from the factory and for trail, dual sport or enduro events they are hard to beat.

Rod