looking for a new bike

[Nitrogen23]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
I'm about 6'1" and ~165 lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Fairly physical... not sure what else to say.
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
I ride trails, mostly in fields and hillclimbs (carnegie)
4) Do you have any riding experience?
Yeah, I've been riding about once a week for like 6 months.
5) Do you think you will race ?
Probably not.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
Yes, maybe not anything too major though.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
I've been using a 4 stroke but I'm kinda looking at 2 strokes now, they just seem more fun in general.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
Yeah, I've mostly been looking at used stuff on craigslist though and there are tons of different bikes around here.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
Less than $5000 (used)
10) Do you live in California?
Yes
11) Your age?
17
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
So like I said I've been riding for about 6 months and I've been using a yamaha tw200 that my dad has, it's been a pretty good learning bike but it is very slow and really isn't that great for the stuff I'm doing now, and I feel that I've outgrown it. I've been looking at lotsa bikes and so far I'm sort of leaning towards a yz250 or a cr250. I also need a green sticker bike so I can ride all year round. Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Just about anything will be an improvement over that TW200

You are obviously already aware of California's green sticker issue and if you want to ride at Carnegie year round then a green sticker is what you need to have.

In two strokes a Yamaha YZ-250 would be a good choice and a budget of $5k gives you a lot to work with, but to have a green sticker it will need to be 2002 or or older. Not that that's bad, there are a lot of 10 year old bikes out there that still have a lot of life left in them.

If you wanted to stick with four strokes then I would recommend a Yamaha WR-450, 2006 or newer. Note that the 2003 through 2005 models were Red Sticker bikes. The WR series has the same basic frame and engine as the YZ series with a few extras thrown in, like headlight, battery, electric start and a kick stand. I really like having a kick stand! The WR series is not as nice on a MX track but can be better on the trail.

My best suggestion is to buy a bike that has current Green Sticker and title in hand. You will find a lot of bikes that were never properly registered in California for sale here and they won't have any title (pink slip). That isn't necessarily a deal breaker if you have a bike you really want but it will be a major hassle.

I have managed to get two such bikes registered. It requires at least two trips to DMV (one with the bike) and one trip to the CHP (with the bike) and filling out lots of forms. Factor in about 20 hours worth of your time into the purchase price of such a bike. Be aware, however, that if the bike you are attempting to register turns out to be stolen you could be left with nothing.

Oh, wait, you are 17. That means that it will be your Dad that has to spend the 20 hours messing with this. Nope, not worth it. Buy a bike that already has a green sticker.

Rod

 

[Nitrogen23]

Yeah, I'd definitely get something already registered and everything as my dad recently just got completely screwed over by the DMV when he was trying to register an old bike of his.

And I'm completely okay with getting an older bike, that's pretty much exclusively what I'd be looking for anyways because I don't have a lot of money.

As for 2 stroke vs 4 stroke, I am really not sure if I am ready for a 2 stroke yet. I've never ridden one, so if you (or anyone else) could maybe describe the power difference going from a 200 4 stroke to a 250 2 stroke, that would be nice.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

A four stroke is very forgiving. In any engine, horsepower = torque x RPM so you have to have the RPM up in order to get the power. On a four stroke, the torque is essentially constant from very low RPM until the RPM gets so high the engine can't breathe. On a two stroke, the torque is not constant and peaks near its top RPM range. The bottom line: You can lug a four stroke and it will still supply some power, you try that with a two stroke and it will just fall flat.

You will hear a lot of the two stroke "power band" which is the result of the torque increasing with RPM. Where it peaks and how sharp of a peak is a function of the expansion pipe (exhaust). Dealing with this peak can be very difficult for beginners. You can be holding the throttle wide open, wanting more, wanting more, wanting more, and then suddenly be getting way too much! If you are climbing a hill on a four stroke and find yourself in the wrong gear you might just let it lug and crawl up the hill. On the two stroke, you have to down shift or it will just stall on you.

If you have been riding every weekend for the last 6 months then I would expect you to have enough of the basics down so that the two stroke won't be a problem for you.

Some people like the two stroke power band, others don't care for it. A two stroke bike is going to be lighter than an equivalent four stroke and they are certainly easier to maintain.

Rod

 

[Dirtjunkie85]

I will always have a love for 2-strokes, but if you decide four-stroke is the way to go then I am a huge fan of the WR-250 or CRF250X. The 450 engine is great, but it's most likely going to be more than you'll ever need and the bike will be heavier. The 250s have plenty of power to do anything you want and you may have more fun on them because they will feel a lot lighter.