First dirt bike for conservative middle-aged lady?

[catnip]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'8", 33" inseam, 140lb

2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
very conservative when learning, and I learn slowly, but above-average "aggression" when I finally get the hang of things! I'm as "physical" as a 46 year old female body allows me!

3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
woods and trails. There is a mountain near us with some old service roads. I tried the dual sport on it, but it is very rocky with some ruts and large rocks, and the weight of the dual sport (just a Suzuki DR200!), and the rocks intimidated me, and I didn't get very far!

4) Do you have any riding experience?
10+ years street riding (sport bike), and dual sport riding, but just on dirt and gravel roads

5) Do you think you will race ?
no

6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
husband and I can do basic maintenance, i.e. brakes, oil changes, etc.

7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
prefer 4 stroke, small engine, have owned all brands except Honda; no preference really

8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
dealers of all brands around locally, including KTM

9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
prefer used to start, under $1500

10) Do you live in California?
no

11) Your age? 46

12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
want something light that I can throw around and also pick up by myself. Have looked at a Suzuki DR125 and Kawasaki KLX140. I know I'm fairly tall, but feel I could handle these little bikes while I'm getting the hang of riding on something more challenging than a gravel surface. Am I underestimating myself (as I usually do? ;) )

All comments and suggestions are welcome, and thanks in advance!

 

[jb_dallas]

A DR200 isnt exactly a monster, what do you not like about the bike? The best solution is to ride a few bikes and find out what is comfortable for you.

 

[SS109]

It sounds like to me you already know what you feel you need to be comfortable. The Suzuki DR125, Kawasaki KLX140, Honda CR150F, and Yamaha TTR125 would all work for you until you build up your confidence. IMO, the only draw back is you would probably outgrow all of them pretty quick and want to sell it fairly quick. Also, the suspensions on them are not really suited to jumping and/or serious hard riding unless mods are done. The TTR125L (which my son has) even needs a frame cradle (in addition to the other mods) for it to survive jumping.

From what I found a DR200 should weigh in right around 250lbs. I can understand the weight issue as I'm only 5'8' and 150lbs and my KDX200 (220lbs) can be a real pain to stand up after a spill depending on terrain. Is the weight your only real concern on the DR?

 

[catnip]

I doubt I'd be doing much jumping! Yes, the main concern on the DR is weight. I can toss it around easily on roads, but had a hard time on the rocks. Though I can more than easily flat-foot it, it still felt "big" to me yet on the more challenging terrain. Thanks for your input!

 

[GoldDrum]

There are a few ladies in TRH that ride CRF230s and say they love them. They are easy to handle and have plenty of power. That is what I am going to get for my wife.

 

[jb_dallas]

The problem is that most bikes of this type (small trail bikes around 200cc) are going to be heavy. Small motocross bikes are much lighter....but that sure isnt what you need. The CRF230 weighs in at 240 pounds, which is not much less than the DR. A CRF150 weighs about 220 pounds, which may help with the handling, but will not be very powerful. However, the lack of power may be ok for you.

 

[Chili]

Here is your ultimate bike, well except for the budget part :laugh:

http://www.servicehonda.com/honda-2010-models/junior-x

 

[fatcat216v2]

hey-

I bought my first two bikes ever when I was just about your age- with no road motorcycle experience. One was a dr200se and the other a ttr125-L. I understand your concerns about the DR on the conditions you talked about.

For me the concern with the dr is in picking it back up (lost a lot of strength due to some health issues and that 100 pounds difference is huge for me). I liked zipping around on the ttr, but don't find the 200 too hard to control on hilly loamy/sandy wooded soils. However I was a little more chicken going over big logs and was far more concerned about dumping/getting stuck in a rut. However.... I don't have even a fraction of your experience on or off road..... so?? Keep that in mind.

You could easily pick up a used ttr in the price range and sell it again in 6 months if you found yourself wanting more power. Or, you could just be a little more patient with yourself on the DR and try something a little less challenging if possible to build your skills, until you get your confidence up. Pick up a skill at time- then go conquer the mountain?

Just some thoughts.

 

[fatcat216v2]

oh yeah- and I'm almost exactly your build. I've also ridden the klx 110 (my daughter's) and found it VERY zippy on the low end (compared to my ttr125). I'd expect the 140 to have similar properties, but have no experience with it- but an acquaintance had suggested the 140 for ice riding when I mentioned missing my ttr. random thoughts - not sure how helpful.

 

[catnip]

Here is your ultimate bike, well except for the budget part :laugh:

http://www.servicehonda.com/honda-2010-models/junior-x

Oh, wow, that looks perfect! (Except my piggy bank doesn't fit it, of course!)

 

[catnip]

And fatcat, thanks for your input! Nice to know of someone in a similar situation (and size!)

 

[nikki]

I would suggest a Honda CRF150F. The newer ones have electric start, which is nice. The bike is a little heavy, but at 5'8" you should be fine with it (unless you plan on crashing and picking it up a lot). But the power is smooth and consistent, and the bike/chassis is very solid. You should be able to find a used one in pretty good condition around $1500-$1800 (at least there are a lot available here around IL). They also hold their value pretty well, so if after a year or two, you decide to trade up to something a little bigger and/or with more power, you should do good with resale.

 

[FX]

Being tall IS A BENEFIT with todays bikes.

 

[justalonewolf007]

I'll vote with everyone else on the CRF150F.

At first, I would've thought about recommending the CRF230F, but there are a few things that put it as a second bat compared to the 150.

1 - Weight weight weight. If you've been on a sportbike, the weight and handling while riding wouldn't bother you one bit...that is, until it tipped over on it's side. This is something that we ultra aggressive wimmens tend do to a lot.

Once on it's side, that thing is quite the unruley beast, and it will most likely make you say an aweful lot of bad words. While I am half your age, I do have arthuritus, and this makes it a wicked challenge to pick the thing up.

2 - Height won't bother you as much, as you have a good 6" on me. You are blessed there. But for a first bike, go with the smaller and resell it. As Nikki said, the resale on the 150Fs are pretty good right now.

3 - Pricewise, the 150F is also the way to go - there are a good number of them to be found in your price range in very clean condition, with one or two hundred bucks left over for gear. 230's are a little higher priced at roughly 1800-2300 on average.

Hope this helps you out a little :)

 

[catnip]

I'll be going to the big motorcycle show in New York City in a couple weeks, so I'll have a chance to check out all the bikes. I will definitely check out the CRF150F, as it sounds like what I'm looking for. Thanks, all for your input!