I am noob, please help

[kingofnoob]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important) 5'11" 230lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? Just starting out, so I'll be taking it easy at first
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ????? wooded/mountain trails
4) Do you have any riding experience? none, at all
5) Do you think you will race ? no
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? no, but i can learn here and there
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? whatever's best for begginers
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? the only ones I've found that carry dirt bikes don't have bikes w/ brand names
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? Under $4000 if I can finance, sigh... under $1000 if I can't
10) Do you live in California? no
11) Your age? 32
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion

I see cheap bikes for sale, with designations like DB-P13 on websites like PowerSportsMax. But i see no manufacturer. Are these sites reliable? Are the bikes you can buy for under a grand any good?

Would it be a good idea for a begginer to start with an automatic transmission or manual?

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

My recommendation is to stay far, far away from the no-name bikes.

I have known several people who have bought the cheap bikes for their kids. In every case the cheap bike ends up collecting dust in the garage because some stupid part breaks (which shouldn't have broken in the first place) and the bike is out of commission forever because a replacement can not be found, or simply because something breaks on it every time out and it isn't worth the effort to keep running.

6 years ago I bought my first dirt bike: a 1986 Yamaha YZ-125. I paid $600 for the bike, and I got a pair of boots, chest protector, gloves and a helmet in the deal. I still wear the boots, but everything else has been upgraded, but I still have all the stuff, except the gloves which wore out and have been tossed.

A YZ-125 is not the easiest bike for a beginner to learn on but I managed. Buying new tires for the bike really helped a lot, but was probably a confidence boost more than a real performance enhancement.

That old bike and I had an underestanding: I treated it right and it treated me right. I oiled the chain, kept the tire pressure up, tightened things that needed tightening, replaced worn parts with appropriate replacement parts. It, in turn, ran reliably and never quit on me (as long as I remembered to turn the gas on....)

It has always amazed me how much abuse these bikes can take. I have looped the bike going up the hill and watched as it cartwheel back down. I really messed up once and dropped off a ledge, going over the handlebars and tumbling down the hill with the bike crashing after me. Except for broken clutch or brake levers I have been able to pick the bike up and keep on going.

Over the 6 years I have replaced the handlebars, front and rear sprockets, chain, chain guides, air filter, rebuilt the top end, replaced the radiators, hoses, rebuilt the carburetor, even put all new plastics on it. This is all the kind of stuff that you need to do to a bike that you are riding a lot, old or new. What is important is that I was able to obtain all these parts for a 20 year old bike. If you buy a no-name bike you may not be able to get these parts a year from now.

What I am saying is that there is more life left in a $600, 20 year old bike than there is in a brand new no-name bike.

My recommendation is to go to Craigslist and find a name brand bike that you can afford.

The brand name bikes tend to come in two flavors: The "MX" or racing bikes and the "off road" bikes. The racing bikes are generally taller frames, longer suspension travel and stronger built. They also will have high performance engines, which can be a little tempermental and harder for a beginner to deal with. They also tend to be fairly basic: no kickstand, no electric start, etc.

The off road bikes are generally four stroke, may come with electric start, will have kick stand, perhaps a headlight. The engines are de-tuned a bit, which makes them easier to start and have a wider, more predictable power band.

An example of a MX bike would be a Yamaha YZ-250F. An "off road" bike would be a Yamaha TTR-230.

The Yamaha TTR-230 would be a great bike to learn on but you might outgrow it (skill wise) pretty quickly. Since they are a less expensive bike to start with you should be able to find a used one that isn't too old that is in your price range.

If you wanted to go a MX style bike then you will be looking at an older two stroke. Two strokes are cheaper and easier to maintain but they can be tough for a beginner to get the hang of.

And you aren't going to find an automatic transmission on a dirt bike. At least not on any dirt bike that you would want to own.

Rod

 

[kingofnoob]

Wow, thank you very much, I appreciate the help.