Need advice about inexpensive adult playbike

[rocket1243]

Hey,
I'm new here and need some help. I am interested in getting a dirtbike to play with, riding woods and what not. I have not ridden dirt in about 7 years but have been riding street. I am 22, 6'3", 200 lbs, and ride a 929, I have 11 years of riding under my belt. My dirt riding level is, well I don't know but I'd bet not great. Anyway I've been looking for something $1500 Max, and that will not kill me in maintence or power. So far I've looked at KDX's 89 and up, XR 250's and 400's. I've been having a hard time finding a clean bike in my price range. I'm going to look at an 87 TT350 tomorrow, and today I went and looked at a 99 YZ125 the kid only wants 1500 bucks for it but it looks a little thrashed although it does have a new cylinder, topend, chain, sprockets, and plastic. BTW the only reason I even considered the yz is the price. I do like the hit of a 2 stoke maybe because I've been riding sportbikes for the last 7 or so years, but I'm worried about the maintence on one. Anyway sorry for the long post, but I want to know if I'm on the right track, and if anyone know a good place besides the cycle trader, and the classifieds to find a strong reliable bike at the money I want to spend.
Thanks in advance! Josh

 

[atc3434`]

Josh,
Your definatly on the right track with a KDX if your looking for easy to ride and low maintence. However, 125's get a bad wrap as a lot of maintence. Yes, if you bet the crap out of it and ride it into the ground, it will break. So will a KTM520. If you take good care of a bike, run good oil, warm up before romping on it, rebuild with quality parts and care, it'll be good to you. $1500 for a 99 YZ125 is a pretty fair price. I paid $1300 for my 94 RM125. It was in decent shape, worn, but well cared for. Looks can be deceiving, bad plastic could still mean a great running bike, and then you can have one looking great thats beat. But $1500 is probaby about right, maybe even a deal if its got a properly done top end, and all new extras. Keep your eye on the classifieds here too, some great deals come up. Don't be stressed about maintanence on a 125 either... if you do do your own work on the 929, a 125 will be like building a paper airplane after building 1/5 scale working models.

 

[beer_stud_76]

atc -

of course any bike ridden hard and not maintained will break, even a KTM 525. but that's not the question. given manufaturers' own maintainence schedule, a 125 will need WAY more work that a big bore 4 stroke (clutches, pistons, rings, etc), so there's really no equivocation between the two.


rocket -

you're on the right track with a KDX. they're a blast to ride and (according to my friends who own them) for a two stroke they are pretty low maintenance(sp). at 1500 your choices are quite narrow. good luck.


jeremiah

 

[rocket1243]

thanks for the replys! I do my own maintence on the 929, but all that means is changing oil, filters, keeping the chain clean and lubed, and things of that sort. I don't change my tires because it is a PITA, and my local yamaha dealer keeps me with fresh pilot sports for a really, really good price. I would like a KDX and found a clean 97 for 1500 but it sold in one day. What about a early 90's DR350? there are a couple in the cycletrader right now. I remember reading that they are hard to start and have poor suspention. Is that true? Also about the 87 TT350, are parts hard to find being that they were around for only 2 years 86 and 87? I went and looked at one today and it rode well, plenty of umph, no clutch slipage or anything. But it did feel like a tank, almost as heavy as my 929.

 

[atc3434`]

You definatly don't want heavy, thats just no fun in the rough stuff. DR350 doesn't have great suspension, and yeah, being a 4 stroke, can probalby give you fits, especailly after a hot fall. Probably pretty heavy as well. I'm sure looking for parts for a TT350 isn't exactly fun, probably another heavy tank too. You probably want to try and stay away from most of the dual sport bikes if you can help it... its just not easy to make a bike that can street and dirt well. They can be nice, but you already got the 929. Keep your eyes open for a KDX, they are a great bike.

 

[Jimbokdx]

Rocket,

I agree that the KDX is the bike. I have owned several. As a matter of fact, I have a great 1994 KDX200 (with the upside down forks) that I need to get rid of (I just bought a WR450 and the wife won't let me keep the KDX). I think my price is going to be around $1500, but unfortunately, I am on the other side of the country from you. If you happen to be coming out to CA any time soon, let me know!!

Jimbo

 

[rocket1243]

Jimbo, I wish I was going to be in your neck of the woods sometime. But it looks like I'm just going to have to look for something around my area. Thanks anyway!
Josh

 

[Fark]

I'm not fast so top ends can easily last me 40+ hours. Don't get me wrong, I ride hard for my abilities, but the bike isn't screaming and at the limiter for more than a second. I find the power to be in the middle anyway.

Like they said; warm it up, use oil to the oil manufacturers suggestions and you'll get more life out of it than you think. I'm on the same piston and ring as last summer. I wouldn't doubt I have almost 60 hours on it. I'm a sportbike rider too so you know I romp on it when appropriate :).

Besides; the difficult maintenence is greasing the suspension. That's a PITA and you should do that on ALL dirtbikes, 2 or 4 strokes. It's not even hard it's just not as fun as a top end. :)

Some advice dude; save up a good 3000. If you ride a 929 you can handle a 250 2 stroke. Get a 250 that's 2 years old and doesn't need a total rebuild. You don't want the hassle of a basket case with a sloppy suspension (no one takes care of older bikes) and a crap bottom end (a few bundred bucks). Grease all the bearings, verify rich jetting and bring extra plugs and come by here often. You'll be set straight.

I'm 21 and started on the street 4 years ago. I got a dirtbike last year and I've never looked back. My F4 is up for sale.

You seem like a smart dude just in your post; no run ons and you know where the shift key is. Are you a hands on type of guy? These bikes are great to learn to wrench and tune. I actually enjoy the maintenence and tuning.

Some final advice, pick up Eric Gorr's book MOTOCROSS AND OFF-ROAD PERFORMANCE HANDBOOK. It tells you what to look for in a used bike. It's $25 and will pay for itself.

 

[rocket1243]

Fark,
I went and looked for Eric Gorr's book today, but the local Books-a-Million didn't have it. So a 250 MXer or something more like a RMX? I am a "hands on" type of guy, I know what end of a wrench does what, and I can follow instructions really well. I have never ridden a 250 2 stroke, the fastest dirt bike I've ridden is a XR 400 and to be honest the low end torque kind of caught me off guard. I guess I was a little cocky "I ride sportbikes so I can handle it" well I almost looped it right off the bat. Anyway thanks for the advice and I will consider holding off my purchase until I have some more money. Unless I see something that is just cherry, but for 1500 thats going to be rare I'm afraid.
Later, Josh

 

[rocket1243]

Does anyone know anything about a 97 KTM 250 EXC? There is one around here for a really good deal; 800 bucks! It needs a little work, top end and bearings, and a few other things, a total of about 400 bucks in parts. And my friend at the honda shop said we could do all the labor after hours. So figure a total cost of about 1200 to 1400 total for that bike in good shape. One of my friends whom I trust knows the guy who owns it and vouches that it is a good bike that just needs a TLC. Any opinons or suggestions would be very much appreciated. Should I fix'er up or run the other way?

 

[Michelle]

I'd say if it's in good nick (check the barrel), go for it. My husband has a 360SX (the mx version of KTMs) & it did the job well for a couple of years. We got stung as the bike looked perfect, but had we looked at the barrel, we would have walked away - cracked exhaust port bridge. It's currently in bits waiting for a few parts & then back together again (only taken 13 months so far). This time round it needed a new barrel, piston, crank blah blah blah (we thought it'd seized due to an oversight of putting oil in the gas, but nope, it seized because the bottom end died - oops lol). Parts still should be okay to get for the 250.
98 is the first year of the PDS suspension, so 97 the last of normal suspension.
Hope that helps some.

 

[Fark]

My bike's a 97. Every chassis bearing in the bike was frozen, rusted, or completely disintegrated. I spent a couple hundred in that alone. My advice is to get that book; it tells exactly what to look for when examining a used bike. Then have a look at that KaTooM. Let us know how you make out brother.

 

[James]

I think now is a good time to be buying bikes...more for sale than buyers it seems. I use cycle trader and ebay. If you have a mechanic that will help you work on an older one...all the better.

 

[cactusreid]

Most of the folks here seem to be steering you towards a enduro type(kdx,rmx,ktm exc,xr) type of bike.. TAKE their advice and stay away from MX types of bikes for playing around and learning on.Peaky powerbands and close ratio trany's are a pain in the a$$ to try to learn on. Good luck in your search.

 

[rocket1243]

Thanks for all the help guys! I am still searching, but I'm sure that I'll find something that I'll love. I've just got to be careful and not let my emotions make me buy something that I don't really need or want. It's hard to think clearly when looking at something like a bike that you want badly. I'm just trying my best not to buy somebody's headache. I'm sure I'll have a ton more questions for the board when I do make a purchase. But first I'm going to pick up Eric Gorr's book, and then search the Earth or at least the Southeast for that cherry bike thats out there waiting for me in somebodys yard with a for sale sign. Oh yeah I still don't know what up with that KTM but I think I'll go Jap just because of the price of parts.
Thanks again,
Josh