I need HELP!!

[dirtlover47]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)5'10 125lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? when I get comfortable with what i ride very.
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ????? I would mostly be riding in like our back yard 7 acres or trail and woods with friends and family and the snow and and dunes once in a while
4) Do you have any riding experience? I have owned a PW 80 when i was younger and now own a quad
5) Do you think you will race ? probably not but i would like to
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? Depends what needs to be done. Any bolt on and off yes but messing around with the motor no.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? No
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? Yes they have all brands
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? 3000
10) Do you live in California? No Washington
11) Your age?15
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
I own a artic cat dvx 400 right now and love it but I have kinda been thinking about switching over to a dirt bike. Im not afraid of getting a bike with alot of power. Any Ideas of a bike would help. I am thinking about a CRF 250x?

 

[jb_dallas]

I would recommend riding CRF250X before you drop 3 grand on one. Im not sure you would be tall enough...maybe. I guess my main concern is your limited experience ..a 250X is not a slow bike...especially for a beginner. With regards to workin on the bike, you said "Depends what needs to be done. Any bolt on and off yes but messing around with the motor no." This would imply that you have limited mechanical experience. A CRF250X is a high maintenance motor...if not maintained...BOOM..and you are hiring a mechainic at $80 an hour to rebuild it. My personal opinion would be to try another bike.

 

[jayhedrick]

I kinda think if you came from riding a dvx 400 your gonna think the 250x is very slow... I have rode both and the dvx will smoke the 250x but being tall enough is a concern... Try 2 find one and ride it to see if you are tall enough for it.. With the right gearing and pipe it actually turns out 2 be a fun bike..

 

[dirtlover47]

Hmm i defenitly dont want something thats slower cause I love to go fast

 

[jb_dallas]

Whether the DVX is faster or not really isnt the point. The point is that this guy is 15 years old with limited dirt bike experience. One can hardly compare riding any 4 wheeler to 2 wheels. I have a 7 year old neice that rides a 400cc four wheeler...anybody can ride a 4 wheeler. Putting this kid on anything bigger than a 250 is a mistake.

 

[flyingfuzzball]

He is 5'10". that is fine for any full size bike out there. i think that the perfect bike for you would be a 125 2T though. for 3k you should be able to pick up a newer one in good shape. (my dealer had a leftover 07 cr125 for 4k). they are race bikes so there will be maintenance required but since they are 2T's they are simpler to work on and parts ETC are cheaper.

 

[jayhedrick]

Ok Dallas lol just remember we are talking about a 250x a freakin rm85 big wheel Will smoke it I have seen it done many times... any 125 will destroy it also ha ha... But your right dude...

 

[jayhedrick]

He is 5'10". that is fine for any full size bike out there. i think that the perfect bike for you would be a 125 2T though. for 3k you should be able to pick up a newer one in good shape. (my dealer had a leftover 07 cr125 for 4k). they are race bikes so there will be maintenance required but since they are 2T's they are simpler to work on and parts ETC are cheaper.

yea I agree with you man I think that would fit him well....

 

[jb_dallas]

I doubt a stock 85 2t will outrun a stock 250X in a drag race of more than 100-150 yards with riders of equal weight and skill...but that really isnt the point of this thread.

By the way, I never said a 125 2t was a bad idea...it all depends on the rider. My point is that you cant substitute 4 wheeler experience for motorcycle experience. If you read my original thread, my advise was to ride it first...which is always a good idea.

 

[jayhedrick]

I doubt a stock 85 2t will outrun a stock 250X in a drag race of more than 100-150 yards with riders of equal weight and skill...but that really isnt the point of this thread.

By the way, I never said a 125 2t was a bad idea...it all depends on the rider. My point is that you cant substitute 4 wheeler experience for motorcycle experience. If you read my original thread, my advise was to ride it first...which is always a good idea.

I'm not trying to argue with you man I'm just saying that he came from riding the dvx400 Wich is a insanely fast four wheeler and that he will get tired of the power of the 250x very very fast...and I understand about riding different bikes and yes that is a very good point...

 

[dirtlover47]

Ok I see all the points you guys are making. But the only problem is I have no friends that have bikes. So where should try to ride one at the dealership? Or should i try to find one craigslist to ride?

 

[RM85rider123]

I'm not trying to argue with you man I'm just saying that he came from riding the dvx400 Wich is a insanely fast four wheeler and that he will get tired of the power of the 250x very very fast...and I understand about riding different bikes and yes that is a very good point...

uhhhh, it's not that fast. He would do just fine on the 250X, or a 125 if he wants to. Dirtlover, you could probably find a demo at a dealership. You could also try to ask them if you can just test ride one if they are not running demos, and they might let you try it out. :cool:

 

[jayhedrick]

uhhhh, it's not that fast. He would do just fine on the 250X, or a 125 if he wants to. Dirtlover, you could probably find a demo at a dealership. You could also try to ask them if you can just test ride one if they are not running demos, and they might let you try it out. :cool:

Well the bone stock one sitting in the building out in my back yard is extremely fast.. Its my brother inlaws... Anyway yes he will do just fine on a 250x or a 125 what I was saying is that he will be bored with the 250x in no time...

 

[dirtlover47]

So if I get a 125 2stroke what brand would be best? And when I ride on trails would it be fine?

 

[jb_dallas]

I recently sold my RM 125 for that exact reason...125 2 strokes make poor trail bikes. They are fun on a track or a field, but they are high revving peaky power bikes with very little low end torque. Low end torque is your friend on the trail.

 

[MXcruiser]

I have 125's, 250's and a 450. Gotta tell you gear your 125 right... It is light and a blast in the woods. The 250 gets nasty if you turn the throtle too much and the 450 is to heavy!

 

[flyingfuzzball]

yeah my one buddy rides a 125 in the woods. they arent the easiest bikes to ride but they do have the advantage of being light.

 

[jb_dallas]

Personally, I will take the weight and low end torque of my XR400 over the light weight of a 125 anyday. I have been riding for many years and I found the 125 very tricky on the trail...not enough torque and too high revving...regardless of gearing.

 

[jb_dallas]

Can you guys really see a 15 year old beginner riding trails on a bike that makes peak power at 11,500 rpm? There is a reason why they call them "motocross" bikes..thats what they are designed for...especially the 125s...which have the worst low end torque of just about any bike out there.

MX, your point about the 250 makes no sense. You can set up a 250 2t with the right gearing and pipe to make it a much better trail bike than a 125. Ive known people that have done it.

Dirtlover, if you want to struggle on the trail, go buy a 125. You will be into the clutch every 5 seconds revving up the motor, trying to make power.

 

[jayhedrick]

You will be into the clutch every 5 seconds revving up the motor, trying to make power.

Yea I agree I have tried a few trails with friends on my 125 def no fun.... But some people like it though...

 

[MXcruiser]

There really is not a perfect ticket for all riding that is why i have 10 bikes, depends on my mood is what I ride. I was thinking the 125 because at fifteen he will want to run the hell out of it and will probably learn how to rebuild it a few times as time goes on move to somethng else. 125's are cheaper to fix than other bikes and really can be a lot of crazy fun for a 15 year old. Apparently having a quad with some power moves hime away from the ttr230-etc. he wouldnt like the lack of rev. Back to my point about the 250 i have one of my bikes rolled down with 12/53 sprockets works well in the woods but i don't let my 15 year old ride it. and when i am with my nephews riding they ride the 250's 450's etc and i still smoke them in the woods on the 125 i ride at red river (last man standing) altitude is much of a factor. I will stop rambling.

 

[dirtlover47]

I just went to one of our local tracks with my quad and found a guy that had a 250R I did a couple laps on that and on the first lap I was pretty scared to get into the throttle and do some jumps, but on my last lap I got more comfortable with it and opened it up a lil bit. I liked that bike, but im guessing that would be a terrible trail bike?

 

[jb_dallas]

I wouldnt say terrible. MX is right when he says there is no one perfect bike for all types of riding. If you are mainly riding trails, my advise would be to buy something other than a 125. If you are riding motocross tracks, buy a 125. FYI - You will need to rebuilt it about every 30-40 hours of ride time (my manual claimed 20 or less), but they are fun bikes on the track. If you want to trail ride...maybe a CRF230 would work. If you can handle a CR250 as you stated...maybe a 250X isnt such a bad idea.

 

[flyingfuzzball]

actually the CRF250F wouldnt be too bad of a trail bike at all! the only problem with them is the maintenance. rather intense. but if you can stay on top of that then they have great torque making them great trail bikes.

If you are going to be riding trails rather exclusively then why dont you take a look at the KTM 200EXC's. they are amazing trail bikes. not the best for the track but if you are doing any trails in the woods they are very tough to beat. also the KDX is a good trail bike. IMO not quite as good as the KTM (though some would argue that) but still very capable in the woods. and again not so much on the track.

 

[jb_dallas]

I dont agree about the CRF250R as a suggestion for a trail bike, although it can be done. My YZ400F is a straight up MX bike and ride trails with it, but it is tricky. The bike is geared waaay too high and it will overheat if Im moving too slow...which will be the case with the 250R. Like we all said, there is no one perfect bike...thats why I have the XR400 for the trail. If it were me, I would buy the 250X. I changed my mind about the smaller bikes when the guy said he rode a CR250.