Hey Guys i need some advice...(First Bike)

[Arob4107]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'11' 155lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
fairly aggressive
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
trails, but im sure ill end up at the track with some friends every now and then
4) Do you have any riding experience?
barely, only ridden a few very short times
5) Do you think you will race ?
probably not
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
most of it, unless its major
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
i think 4 stroke because thats what ive ridden
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
i need to buy used, money is a issue
9) How much do you plan to spend on a bike?
up to $2500
10) anything else that you think would help form an opinion


Hey guys, im looking for my first dirt bike. i was looking into yz250f's but they are expensive. i would like to get a 4 stroke (i think) because ive ridden them before. i dont know much about two strokes except that ive herd the power sometimes comes hard and suddenly. im not sure if thats a bad thing, but if its hard to predict and comes to strong im afraid i might get thrown off or something. i havent ruled out 2 strokes tho.

i will mostly be riding trails and in the dessert (i live in so cal). also im worried about spending a bunch of money on a bike, only to want more power very shortly. what do you suggest i get, i like yamaha's but its pretty much all about the money. whatever will satisfy me with the least amount of money is what im looking for.

The reason money is so important is because im buying it all myself and i only have $3300 to my name, so i need everything but the pants and jersey cause my friends gave me some. if you guys had only that much money, what would you do?

Thanks,
Alex


EDIT: the bike i rode a few times was a TT-R125 and i knew i would be able to fully control it after a day or two of riding. i want a bike where im afraid to ride it at full speed

 

[Arob4107]

:cool: up

 

[lefty20]

i would suggest a ttr230,there big and 4 stroke but if you want to hit jumps i woudltn suggest one,look at used 250f's but they would be hard to get one for 2500,its possible but i would also concider looking at 125 2 strokes or a kx100 but your probibly too big

 

[Arob4107]

up :cool:

also i am wondering, is it worse to buy a bike that has been raced or not? cause thinking about it dont racers take much better care of their stuff? and wouldnt a bike that is ridden in the desert all the time be subjected to much more mechanical stress? cause it would be like reving at full speed and stuff (im assuming, i dont know for sure...)

 

[Josherichy]

If i were you I would get a 2 stroke, you will probobly get tired of a 230, you may look into a 125 2 stroke...

 

[FruDaddy]

You can't really compare the TTR125 to a performance driven 2-stroke, not even a KX65. That being said, "money is a issue" and "i want a bike where im afraid to ride it at full speed" tells me that you should look at the 125 2-strokes, if you feel really brave, get a 250 smoker instead. At first you may be scared, mut you will soon learn to love it. Ideally, you should go with a brand with a nearby dealer that you can get parts from for the bike.

 

[dood]

I suggest a kdx 200 or 220 they are 2 strokes, easy and cheap to maintain, reliable, the powerband does not hit hard like a race bike (yz kx cr etc.) and they hop up easy if or should I say When you want more power. I didn't like them untill I got one.

 

[Moose]

I don't think he'd be able to handle a 250 2 smoke. He's 17. Hasn't ridden a bike before, except a TTR-125, which is pretty tame. A 125 2 stroke is calling your name.

 

[kawicam250]

i agree, a 125 smoker would be the ideal choice for you as a first bike. but after a while, being as tall as you are, youll want more. i suggest to buy a used 125 2T from either cycletrader.com or evilbay. the only thing cheaper than 125's is dirt( if your lucky). i got my 2000 KX125 with several mods and maintained very well, never raced for $1400. good luck with your bike-hunting.

 

[Arob4107]

first let me say thanks for you replies everyone, also for some reason i really want a 4-stroke, but im not sure why. Although $1400 is very much in my price range...btw what about the whole racing thing i was talking about in my eariler post (#4). cause raced bikes seem to be a bit cheaper... is a raced bike really a bad quality?

also my budget has gone up a little bit, i have $4000 in the bank now

 

[Milk And Bread]

Well a raced bike means that they rode it really hard and fast, thus more wear and tear on parts such as motor and frame.

 

[Okiewan]

If you want a 4-stroke that you won't get bored with in short order and have 4,000, you will have plenty of used 250F's and 450F's to look at. Don't rule out 2-strokes and specifically a 250. You can lug a 250 around until you get more comfortable. A 125 is (more) of an "on or off" bike.

If you will do trails 90% of the time, a KDX is a good option. With 4K, also look into KTM's.. a 200 would be great. More time on the track, go with a MX'er. It's easier to ride a 250MXer in the woods than a KDX on the track, IMHO.

"Raced" bikes many times will be in better shape due to on-going maint. it's a matter of finding someone who took care of the bike more than if it was raced or not.

 

[just_a_rider]

Man! with 4 grand your options are vast, I wish I had 4 grand, I'd have me a KXF450r for sure. I think you would realy love a 250f-r or a 125r for your first bike, a 125 2t was my first bike back in 85, dang am I that old :whoa:

 

[Arob4107]

If you want a 4-stroke that you won't get bored with in short order and have 4,000, you will have plenty of used 250F's and 450F's to look at. Don't rule out 2-strokes and specifically a 250. You can lug a 250 around until you get more comfortable. A 125 is (more) of an "on or off" bike.

If you will do trails 90% of the time, a KDX is a good option. With 4K, also look into KTM's.. a 200 would be great. More time on the track, go with a MX'er. It's easier to ride a 250MXer in the woods than a KDX on the track, IMHO.

"Raced" bikes many times will be in better shape due to on-going maint. it's a matter of finding someone who took care of the bike more than if it was raced or not.

okiewan (or anyone else who might know) what do you mean by "a 125 is (more) an "on or off" bike"?

thanks again for your posts guys (maybe girls too idk)

 

[Arob4107]

i have 4 grand to my name, thats counting just about every penny. and im 17 so it would be a really bad idea to blow all of it on a bike right now. but with that said, it still does raise the amount of money i can (wisely) spend on a bike.

a few days ago i was sitting on my friends 1987 XR250 and it was VERY heavy. so heavy infact i was worried if i fell riding a bike like that i would have a hell of a time getting it off me. so how much heavier is that 4-stroke 250, then a 4-stroke 250 made after say 2001? also does a 250f r mean its more of an off road bike then a motocross bike? cause kawasaki's site wasnt specific (that i saw)

another question, how much faster, heavier, and bigger is a 450 than a 250? i have seen the majority of 450f's in the cycle trader for less then the 250f's but that doesnt seem right to me. is there a reason you guys know? and if its not much heavier ill look more into those cause i have no problem saving money to get a faster bike :)

 

[motocross4life]

does a 250f r mean its more of an off road bike then a motocross bike?

The "r" is more of a motocross bike. look into the crf250x, crf450x, wr250f, and the wr450f for a more trailish bike.

a few days ago i was sitting on my friends 1987 XR250 and it was VERY heavy

:nod:

so how much heavier is that 4-stroke 250, then a 4-stroke 250 made after say 2001?

i think around 2005 they came out with the aluminum frame-I may be wrong- aluminum=lighter

 

[Moose]

1997 was the first aluminum frame I'm pretty sure.

 

[motocross4life]

1997 was the first aluminum frame I'm pretty sure.

like i said before ithink i was thinking of the yz125. I'm sure elliot is right

 

[motocross4life]

okiewan (or anyone else who might know) what do you mean by "a 125 is (more) an "on or off" bike"?

i think he is saying it has an on off powerband.

 

[Arob4107]

i think around 2005 they came out with the aluminum frame-I may be wrong- aluminum=lighter

so you're saying that today's 250 4-strokes are just as heavy as a 1987 XR250?

 

[Moose]

so you're saying that today's 250 4-strokes are just as heavy as a 1987 XR250?

I'd highly doubt that.

Oh, and what he means by the 125 being an "on and off" bike. Is that the power comes on really quick. It doesn't ease on much. That's the best I can explain.

 

[kawicam250]

i think around 2005 they came out with the aluminum frame-I may be wrong- aluminum=lighter

Honda has had aluminum frames on their big bikes for a while. Yamaha and Kawasaki put an aluminum frame on their 250F and 450 for 2006. Suzuki put an aluminum frame on their 250F and 450 for 2007. and KTM has yet to put an aluminum frame on any of their bikes. im pretty sure KTM has some sort of a Titainium frame, not positive though. either way, KTM makes the fastest but the heaviest bikes.

 

[motocross4life]

I'd highly doubt that.

Oh, and what he means by the 125 being an "on and off" bike. Is that the power comes on really quick. It doesn't ease on much. That's the best I can explain.

Yeah i dont think the 250f's are even close to as heavy as the xr.

 

[kawicam250]

Yeah i dont think the 250f's are even close to as heavy as the xr.

trust me, you dont want to know how far apart these bikes are weight-wise :nod: ;) :yikes:

 

[Arob4107]

trust me, you dont want to know how far apart these bikes are weight-wise :nod: ;) :yikes:

as long as its lighter...

oh i might be able to get a 2003 YZ250F for $2700 or somewhere around there, is that a good deal? sounds like one to me, its been raced (by a girl) but her husband runs a shop that makes bike parts, and they take great care of their stuff.

thanks again for the help everyone