Need Help Finding a Bike

[daemanisameanman]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'10/150lbs

2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Go big or go home, but never on dirtbikes tho. Surf,wake, etc.

3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
Dirt trails with friends, not much track, more fun rides.

4) Do you have any riding experience?
None

5) Do you think you will race ?
Nope

6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
Install truck suspension lifts and custom fabrications

7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
Kawasaki, Honda

8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
just craigslist

9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
2000 but will swing up to 2500, want to see if i like it first


10) Do you live in California?
Yes, bay area but Arizona for college

11) Your age?
19

12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
my buddies have CRF250's but have been riding for many years, what will i need to keep up with them


THANKS ! :laugh:

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Will you be riding in California, or in Arizona?

Since you live in California ( I assume that is where your driver's license says you live) then the first thing that you should be aware of is the "Green/Red" sticker issue. If you only intend to ride in Arizona then it won't be as much of an issue, until you want to move back home.

California requires all off road vehicles to be registered. Vehicles manufactured after 2003 or later will be assigned a "red" sticker if they do NOT meet the emissions standards. Vehicles manufactured in 2002 or older are "grandfathered" into a Green Sticker and newer bikes that meet the emissions will also get the desirable green sticker.

If you lived in Southern California and rode the desert you could get away without having any sticker at all. In Northern California, however, it is much more difficult to avoid the rangers so a sticker and an approved spark arrestor is usually required.

Here is a web page for DMV that gives information:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/ohvredgreen.htm

Note that the 8th digit of the VIN number (stamped into the frame on the fork tube) will indicate if the bike is eligible for a green or red sticker: if it is a "3" or a "C" the bike will get the red sticker.

When you buy a bike getting one that already has California title will save you a lot of time and some money, so factor that in when shopping. If you are going to be riding in an area (such as as national forest) where the rangers actually inspect the bikes as you enter the OHV area (like you have to drive past the ranger kiosk at the gate) then having an approved spark arrestor is a must. An approved spark arrester will say "USFS Approved" on it, usually stamped in the metal. If it doesn't say it, it isn't approved. When comparing prices figure a couple hundred dollars for a spark arrestor.

As for the type of bike: a 250 four stroke shouldn't be too hard to keep up with once you build up your skill. A bike similar to your buddies would be good. If you wanted to go two stroke you could buy an older 125 that would keep up with 250 four stroke no problem, or get a 250 two stroke and leave them in the dust.

I suspect that if you like your new sport you will advance quickly and and a 250 four stroke might not be enough power for you before long so don't spend too much on a first bike.

Rod

 

[daemanisameanman]

thanks a lot dude. so just hopping on a 250 wouldnt be that big of a deal considering ive never been on bikes before?

 

[Aryain]

Well, how much growing are you planning on doing?

I am sitting at just about the exact same size as you and I got to take my friends KX250f for a spin the other day. It was a blast.

As soon as I get enough money I'll have one of them in my garage. :cool:

EDIT:

so just hopping on a 250 wouldnt be that big of a deal considering ive never been on bikes before?

Well, just hopping on a 250 2 stroke would be a pretty big deal. That's a hell of a beast. The 250 four strokes are a lot more manageable and a lot more forgiving.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

thanks a lot dude. so just hopping on a 250 wouldnt be that big of a deal considering ive never been on bikes before?

Riding a 250 fourstroke wouldn't be a big deal, and I wouldn't recommend going any smaller for your situation. A four stroke is very forgiving and will allow you "putt".

A two stroke is a different animal. You will hear terms such as "on the pipe" or "in the power band" whenver two strokes are discussed. This is referring to the nature of two stroke to have a "resonance" with the exhaust pipe where the intake and exhaust suddenly becomes much more efficient and the engine just comes alive. Outside of the power band a two stroke won't develop much power. When you hit the power band, you better be hanging on!

This creates a difficult situation for beginners. A two stroke won't tolerate "putting" for very long, if at all. If you don't get the RPM up and make the engine work the spark plug will tend to foul and the engine will simply stop running. If you have been putting for a while and then ask for power it may take a few seconds before the plug clears and you get what you expected.

To ride a two stroke, especially a smaller engine size, requires that you keep the RPM up and stay "on the pipe". If you come to an obstacle, slow down, and then try to power away and find yourself in the wrong gear a two stroke may just fall on its face and you will stall out. A four stroke in that situation will lug along and at least give you a chance to down shift.

The sudden change in power when a two stroke hits the power band can also take a novice by surprise. You're climbing a long hill, working your way up, giving it full throttle as you slowly pick up speed. Suddenly you enter the power band and the engine starts delivering about 4 times as much power as it was just a second ago. Your weight is too far back, the hill is steep and suddenly your front wheel is lifting off the ground. You can suddenly find yourself falling over backwards with the bike on top of you.


A 250 four stroke will be much easier to learn on. It is much more forgiving and predictable. You won't need to shift as often which can make the difference in getting to the top of the hill or not.

Once you get to the point where you can mainatain 15 MPH over the rough stuff instead of slowing to a crawl, shift when you need to shift instead of when it is convenient to shift, and predict how the bike is going to react a 250 two stroke will kick ass.


You mentioned that you were aggressive at wakeboarding. Can you throw a Raley? Tantrum? IF you are not afraid of air, don't mind the pain of the crash and have the physical ability to pull those tricks I would expect you to be jumping the whoops in no time. Before long you will be wanting either a 450 four stroke or a 250 two stroke. If the 250 two stroke doesn't kill you in the beginning it will serve you well.

A word of advice: Get all the protective gear!

Do NOT get on a bike without a full helmet and goggles.

You really, really want to have a good pair of boots. They protect your lower leg from bushes, insulate you from the heat of the engine, make it a lot easier to kick the starter. Eventully you crash, or simply put a foot down and then the boots can save your ankle.

Gloves are essential. Bushes tend to jump out and attack you as you go by, and your knuckles are prime targets. When you crash (not "if", when) your hands tend to take a beating.

I recommend a chest protector. When you and the bike go tumbling down a hill the chest protector will save you from a lot of bruises and perhaps broken ribs.

Ever since I went over the handlebars I have been wearing knee pads. My knees are still all scarred up from that lesson.

I also wear hip, thigh and elbow pads. As long as I don't fall on my ass I am pretty well covered! :-)


Rod

 

[daemanisameanman]

thanks a lot man i think im going to hit up a 250 4 stroke for sure

 

[2 strokes for life]

You could also look into a KDX250, WR250, RMX250 because they have softer powerbands then a MX 250 2 stroke. But if you are set on a 250F go for one. Also, a KTM 200EXC would also be alright.

 

[daemanisameanman]

just found a good deal on a YZ 250 2 stroke 2002 for 1200 bux. Would it be hard to hop on this when never riding before?

 

[peterttr230]

I would recommend a CRF230 they are cheap, reliable and average speed.