TrailDawg
Member
- Sep 7, 2001
- 41
- 0
Well, after taking the past 5 years off I've got the bug to get back into riding. Of course being out of the loop those 5 years now has me scratching my head as to what bike to go with. So, here we go...
1) Your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'11" tall, 175lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
I lean a little more towards the aggressive side in that I like to attack the corners pretty hard and ride at a fairly fast pace.
3) What do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
Mostly trail and woods riding on public land here in the midwest (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana)
4) Do you have any riding experience?
Have 20+ years of riding under my belt both on and off-road, as well as some motocross and hare scramble experience.
5) Do you think you will race ?
Not likely, but if I do it will be the occasional enduro or hare scramble just for fun.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
Will do all of the work on my bike except for bottom end engine work.
7) Do YOU have a preference to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
As for 2-stroke vs 4-stroke, that's the big question. I like the idea of the 4-strokes but it seems valve adjustment tends to be an issue with them and they're more expensive to add power to. The 2-strokes are easier to work on, cheaper to hop-up, and are what I'm familiar with, but there are very few options aimed at the type of riding I'll be doing.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
Honda or Kawasaki would be preferred as that's my closest dealer, but there's a Yamaha/Suzuki dealer about 30 miles away.
9) How much do you plan to spend on a bike?
I'll be going the used route and hope to find something for around $2,500 to $3,000. That will leave me money to send the forks and shocks off for valving and springs plus add a few other mandatory go-fast goodies.
10) Do you live in California?
Nope
11) Anything else that you think would help form an opinion
Basically I've been looking at the Honda CRF250X, the Yamaha WR250F and the Kawasaki KDX220. My last bike was a 2000 KDX200 and I really liked it, but I'm looking for something with power down low rather than primarily in the mid to top end. Signs of getting older I guess. :|
The KDX220 obviously wins the low buck battle, but it's also very outdated and aftermarket part options for them seem to be slowly disappearing. The Honda or Yamaha will both cost me a little more, but from what I've read are both exceptional bikes outside of a few minor mechanical annoyances here and there.
The KLX300 might be another option, but I think the WR or CRF would be better suited to my needs/riding style for a 4-stroke.
1) Your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'11" tall, 175lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
I lean a little more towards the aggressive side in that I like to attack the corners pretty hard and ride at a fairly fast pace.
3) What do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
Mostly trail and woods riding on public land here in the midwest (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana)
4) Do you have any riding experience?
Have 20+ years of riding under my belt both on and off-road, as well as some motocross and hare scramble experience.
5) Do you think you will race ?
Not likely, but if I do it will be the occasional enduro or hare scramble just for fun.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
Will do all of the work on my bike except for bottom end engine work.
7) Do YOU have a preference to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
As for 2-stroke vs 4-stroke, that's the big question. I like the idea of the 4-strokes but it seems valve adjustment tends to be an issue with them and they're more expensive to add power to. The 2-strokes are easier to work on, cheaper to hop-up, and are what I'm familiar with, but there are very few options aimed at the type of riding I'll be doing.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
Honda or Kawasaki would be preferred as that's my closest dealer, but there's a Yamaha/Suzuki dealer about 30 miles away.
9) How much do you plan to spend on a bike?
I'll be going the used route and hope to find something for around $2,500 to $3,000. That will leave me money to send the forks and shocks off for valving and springs plus add a few other mandatory go-fast goodies.
10) Do you live in California?
Nope
11) Anything else that you think would help form an opinion
Basically I've been looking at the Honda CRF250X, the Yamaha WR250F and the Kawasaki KDX220. My last bike was a 2000 KDX200 and I really liked it, but I'm looking for something with power down low rather than primarily in the mid to top end. Signs of getting older I guess. :|
The KDX220 obviously wins the low buck battle, but it's also very outdated and aftermarket part options for them seem to be slowly disappearing. The Honda or Yamaha will both cost me a little more, but from what I've read are both exceptional bikes outside of a few minor mechanical annoyances here and there.
The KLX300 might be another option, but I think the WR or CRF would be better suited to my needs/riding style for a 4-stroke.
