Here goes nothing....

[BONIFIED]

27, 6'1", 160 lbs with my hair dripping wet, but pretty scrappy. I'd rate myself 8/10 on athletic ability and 9.5/10 for being a sexy bi*ch. I'm so bored lately that I'm about ready to gnaw off my left thumb for the sheer hell of it. I've been lurking on this site for about 5 months paying special attention to this section. It's getting to be spring here in Utah and I'm getting the itch to buy my first bike.

FWIW (and I know not much) my background includes a lot of near-extreme sports including mtn biking, rock climbing, skiing, and billiards. My bike experience is limited to messing around in HS with a friend's XR 350. I am however a pretty good wrench and plan to do most if not all the mx myself.

It seems the consensus here would point me towards a KDX or XR. My only reservation is that I live in Northern Utah and from what I've heard there are few tight, ST, woodsy trails. Most of the stuff would be fire roads, jeep trails and some double track terrain. I also live about 3 hrs away from both the L. Sahara and Idaho dunes. Ideally I'd like to ride there once a month or so during the riding season.

Any suggestions from people who have riding experience around the Wasatch Front? I'd like a bike with some growing room so to speak and a price around $3k. I've thought about getting a 250mxer with flywheel weight and $500 in protective gear. Or should I be looking at a WR250 or CRF knowing that it might not provide too much umph when I visit the dunes? Any opinions would be appreciated.

Another issue is that used bikes seem scarce around here. I've called several dealers and they have little or no used inventory. I've also kept an eye out in the paper without any luck. It would probably help if I knew exactly what I was looking for first. I'm tempted to use e.bay. I've had good luck buying big-ticket items in the past (2 vehicles) you just have to be cautious.

 

[boardrider]

Try keepin' your eye out on craigs list dot com (put it together) in the salt lake section, If you stay on it, you could probably find what you are looking for.

 

[SpeedyManiac]

What about a KTM200EXC or GasGas EC200? More pep than a KDX but still pretty easy to ride. If you're not interested in those, the KDX is a good bike.

 

[gwcrim]

FWIW (and I know not much) my background includes a lot of near-extreme sports including mtn biking, rock climbing, skiing, and billiards.

Yeah, extreme billiards! If you miss a shot, do people pelt you with que balls? :nener:

 

[xsnrg]

BONIFIED, First, I hope you are a girl. It freaks me out when guys refer to themselves as a b*tch of any type. Beyond that, the KDX is indeed a great bike. You can get a 200 which is peppier than the 220 and there are plenty of upgrade options. If you can find a KTM 200 or 250 EXC in your price range, that's even better. Leave yourself (and these are somewhat minimums in my opinion)...$200 for boots, $150 for a helmet (HJC AC-X2), $125 for riding pants, $30 for riding jersey, $25 for riding gloves. That's minimum protection. You may also want knee guards or a chest protector. Also, the jersey and pants are optional...jeans will work, but you won't be stylin' for sure. I know less about the GasGas, but their fans that have had both KTMs and the GasGas' seem to like it. It's just going to be tougher to find a KTM or GG that is late model and still have cash for gear and not go over your $3k budget. I've seen several KDXs that were tricked out with $900 or more of aftermarket upgrades selling for around $2400. Better, in my opinion to find a bike that someone else has put all the expensive goodies on than buy a stock bike, because you never end up getting much of your money back on the goods you add to it.

So a 9.5 on the sexy scale chic in the Wasatch Front, and now you're into dirtbikes? In case you didn't know, that gives you at least 2 bonus points, so you are now officially an 11.5/10 on the sexy scale. If you are a guy, then disregard this and seek help.

***edit: forgot goggles ~ $35 unless you want Oakleys (which are worth the extra cash) You may get a way with using your ski/snowboarding goggles.

 

[BONIFIED]

It freaks me out when guys refer to themselves as a b*tch of any type.

You prefer it when women do? :nener: It was vague reference to Austin Powers.

Thanks for the ideas about the KDX. The nearest one I can find is 500 miles away and has suspension set up for a heavy weight (230). I guess I'll keep looking. Any riders from UT want to chime in?

My budget isn't too tight, I'm just not interested in buy new. I'd fee comfortable paying 3k for the bike and 1k for the gear.