For my wife: I'm thinking CRF3230

[MotorSWATCop]

My wife is looking at getting into off-road riding too. I'm thinking about the Honda CRF230. Here's her info:

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important) 5'4"; 115 lbs; 28" inseam
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? Physical - yes; Aggressive - moderate
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ????? Trails and Woods
4) Do you have any riding experience? She is a good street rider (Lowered ST1300); solid fundamentals
5) Do you think you will race ? No
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? I am and will do most of the work.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? Not specifically. I like the price point on the CRF230
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? Yep
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? <$3000
10) Do you live in California? Never set foot there
11) Your age? She is 37
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion She is a surprisingly good student. She is not afraid of motorcycles and is smart about what she can and can't do.

I'm anxious to hear what you have to say.

 

[Blink-182]

i would think that a crf230 would be to heavy for her, but i could be wrong i remember hearing it somewhere,it wont have anywhere near the bite of what she rides right now
a crf150f or crf150r would be a great choice but with the r its a racing model so there would be ALOT more matinence, and its already pretty much set for her size, unless you wouldent mind getting her a 2 stroke a rm100 or kx100 would be perfect

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I think it would be a great bike for her.

It is not a power house race bike but she is so light that it should carry her without any problems. The lower seat height will allow her toes to touch the ground, which they wouldn't on a full size MX bike. The electric start will go a long way towards making her rides enjoyable.

At 249 lbs CRF230 is not the lightest bike available but it isn't what I would call "heavy" either.

Rod

 

[bmcd308]

That bike is really heavy. My GF went from a CRF100 to a KX100, and we put the middle Steahly flywheel weight on it, which I think was a 10 oz. If I had it to do over, I would get the heaviest, which I think was a 12 oz.

She loves the bike, which is way lighter than a CRF230 and has a reasonably controllable motor in the woods with the flywheel weight.

The only problem is the lack of e-start, but the kx is way easy to start unless something is wrong.

 

[Cman250]

I personally think it would suit her needs and exceed. You can always look for a used one , and most owners are kind enough to let you try it out before making a decision, in fact i wouldn't buy a used bike without riding it first. Even dealerships will let you take out a pre-owned bike for a spin. 249 lbs? Never would have guessed unless i had to pick it up. The bike feels and rides very nimble so much so that its weight feels a hundred pound less than what it is. The low 1st & 2end gears are great for beginners to get the feel for the bike. I was surprised what the potent little 223cc power plant was capable of, even coming off a 250 2 stroke mx bike. Bought one today and no regrets. Go for the 230!

 

[fatcat216]

Woman's thought. I have no clue which bike would be "better".

I'll only say this: when your bike is laying on the ground 100 lb difference is HUGE.

My bikes have about that difference in weight. The ttr is kick start- the dual sport electric. I took my dual sport out on some tight trails which were a challenge for my experience level. I was feeling like I had it made since I had e-start on the big bike, rode it all the time...Feel completely at ease handling it......And that was pretty much true on the trails- Up until it was laying on the ground and I had four or five riders coming from behind me, I was riding with someone I'd just met, and I couldn't pick it up fast enough.

Sure, it's nice when someone lends you a hand and picks it up for you to speed things along so you don't have to get your legs under it. But I was completely mortified I couldn't lift it quickly. For my part- I'd much rather be independent than rely on chivalry.

Having said that there are lots of women on this forum who ride much much bigger bikes, and some of them are pretty petite. I've never heard this complaint from any of them. It's just something I would think about given my riding habits. I was a bit taken aback, after having never had trouble with my little bike. That 100 lbs difference from the ground up was more than I realized. Maybe you should ask her opinion on that score, or better yet test out picking up the bike- preferably when she's hot tired and bruised.

The best advice I ever ever got was from a guy who told me I'd really want that(kx) 100 when I was pushing the bike out of the woods when it had mechanical problems.

 

[gopat]

I have 4 kids aged 19 to 25 that all share a crf230. They are all new riders and just love that bike....

Having said that my 19 year old daughter (5'3", 130#) does quite well on that bike. Yes, in the beginning, I had to pick up her bike a few times. Now I can't remember the last time I had to do this... The point is, the better she gets, the less likely she will need lifting help. She loves that bike and loves to ride. Period...

Just another point. I rode that bike one day with my dirt bike buddies on a sandy, whoopy trail. I usually blow their doors off, with my 2 stroker, and I still could with that bike and I had a gas. The ride was rougher (less suspension), but I was still able to go wide open over the moderate whoops. I think this is a great starter bike that will keep her happy for a long time...