First bike

[Axeman149]

Try to include the following info in your first post
1) your physical size 5'11 185lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?Ive ridden once or twice, but I am an aggressive guy usually.
3) what do you plan to ride- woods and fields with friends
4) Do you have any riding experience? no not really
5) Do you think you will race ? no unless its some friendly competition
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? Im mechanically inclined, but never with a bike. However i do have some friends who have messed with bikes.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? no
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? ya there are some dealers closeish.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? not much unless i go get a loan
10) Do you live in California? no i still have residency there, that shouldnt matter though.
11) Your age? 22
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion The real question here is that I know of a 2003 cr250 for 1200 and its in good condition. I would love to buy it, but i really dont know if that is a good starter bike for me....the power in a 2 stroke for mostly trail riding i hear is way out of my league. Or that might just be my "consious" talking. The only other option I see is that there is a TTR 125 for around the same price, but ive also seen that a TTR 125 might be too small for a guy my size. I would like some power, and not a bike that I will be done with after a month! I guess the real question is either one a good fit? If not, what would be a good realatively cheapish fit?

 

[beck2222]

CRF 250; it's a 4 stroke and should match your riding style well.... i don't practice what i preach, i have a cr250r (2 stroke) even though i ride trails and ride slowly with my son.... my bike is CRAZY fast (i've ridden cruisers on the street as well) and is waayyy more than what i need - but i got a good deal on it and i love it nonetheless despite the fact i'll rarely use 80% of the bike's potential.

 

[longtime coming]

Try XR250/400, KDX200/220. CRF250 cheap will be a money pit.

 

[Axeman149]

ok thanks for the info....im gonna keep looking looking for a good deal on any of the bikes ya'll mentioned.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

The TTR-125 is way too small. The TT-R125L is just a tad taller due to the larger wheels but still too small. I bought a TT-R125L for my 5'2" wife and daughter and it fits them just fine.

A 250 two stroke is the bike you will eventually want (assuming your budget is going to be the limiting factor), the only question is if it kills you before you master it.

If you have ridden "once or twice" then you should have the basics. I would say go with the 250 two stroke. Just make sure your health insurance is paid up!

Rod

 

[Axeman149]

haha my health insurance is through the military, so i guess all i have to do is say that i fell down the stairs and broke my collar bone. I've already said no to the TTR-125, im really Naive to all the acronyms and names of bikes, so when i found out the TTR was a mini, that made me realize it wasnt for me....sorry if this question seemed stupid, im a newbie!!! the 2 stroke 250 seems like the bike i would love to keep for a long while, but getting there would be a lot of pain!!! I do have the basics and im not afraid to have fun, i just dont want to make a stupid decision in buying a bike.

 

[beck2222]

1200 for a 2003 cr250 is a really good deal if it's in good shape, didn't see that before.... i see that you're military, thank you for your service - I just got out a couple of years ago and the 8 I was in were the best of my life.

Go for the 250 if you want, if there is land owned by the military around the base you're at (like there is here), it's bound to be some of the best riding around - just make sure before you buy that there aren't any noise ordinances that are going to be a problem - as a rule, 2 strokes are much louder than their 4 stroke brethren.

 

[YZ__rider]

I agree that a cheap CRF250R (4 stroke) will likely be a money pit. Axeman, I also agree with your idea that a CR250 (2 stroke) is alot of power for someone with no experience (yourself). Alot of beginners on here have a tough time getting that through their heads. With that being said, it really depends on the terrain you are riding. As mentioned above, an XR or KDX would be a good option. I own an XR400 and love the bike...plenty of power for a beginner and very low maintenance. A CRF250R is about as high maintenance as you can get.

 

[Axeman149]

beck2222 thanks, and thank you for your service. im in the DC area right now, and there is noooooo land on post to ride, and very few within an hour. Also, just found out about a trip i need to take here in a few months, so its going to be a little while now before i go buying a bike. the good thing is that im almost done here in the DC area, so ill be heading back out to one of the AO's were in right now, and that means when i get back ill be able to buy whatever bike i want to get! so with that being said, im gonna lurk on this site for a while and get some more good info to make an educated buy when i can.....Thanks for the info everyone!

 

[YZ__rider]

Feel free to click on the "Search this Forum" button. Most questions about models, years, brands, etc has most likely been covered in the past, its just a matter of finding them.

Good Luck