New bike on a budget, all advice helpful please

[tcgravy]

Try to include the following info in your first post
1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'10'', 185 lbs

2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Never ridden before, ride snowmobiles, I would say cautious to start, after some experience semi-aggresive

3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
woods, trails, fields with friends

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?
YES

7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
I would like the reliability of a 4-stroke, but looking for advice here too

8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
not worried about driving

9) How much do you plan to spend on a bike?
less than $1500

10) Do you live in California?
no

11) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
just getting into the sport, want to see what it is all about without spending too much money. don't need the best or hottest bike out there, just something thats reliable enough to run consistently and that has enough power to make for some fun.



I have been checking various websites, and I see some "copy" bikes by no name manufacturers for very cheap (less than $1000 for a new bike, 125-200 cc 4strokes). Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these or has an opinion. It seems like this would be a good economical option for someone like me looking for something decent (reliability and power) to learn on without breaking the bank.


Thanks for the help in advance.....

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

First off, I would recommend that you stay away from the non name brand bikes. Those "copy" bikes can have a lot of drawbacks. Many of those bikes have no vehicle identification numbers which can be a real problem in states that require registration and/or licensing of off road vehicles.

I would also expect the quality of such a bike to be very poor. It is a lot cheaper for a reason. There are lots of places they could cut corners in the design and manufacturing process and the result is a bike that won't last.

Speaking of lasting, you WILL need repair parts. Right now, I can go online and buy genuine Yamaha OEM parts for my YZ-125 that was made in 1986, at least the essential stuff, like engine parts and gaskets. Newer name brand bikes you can purchase aftermarket stuff. I can buy a manual that tells me how to fix a name brand bike. You buy a "copy" and the first time it breaks you may be out of a bike.

Save your money a bit longer, buy a name brand. I would much rather have a 20 year old Yamaha than a brand new "copy".

Okay, now, what sort of bike? There are two basic model choices: "Off road" and "MX".

The MX bikes are built for racing, thus they have better suspension and engines that are higher performance. They cost a lot more than the "off road" bikes. High performance engines generally (for all forms of cars, boats or whatever) are more finicky and trade idle/bottom end for top end horsepower. They will also allow you to abuse them to the point that you can destroy them very quickly.

An "off road" bike will be cheaper, perhaps a little heavier, not quite as good of a suspension system. The engine will be "detuned" a bit, making it more general purpose and forgiving.

I am most familar with Yamaha so I will quote models based on that. Honda, kawasaki, etc. all have similar models.

The Yamaha YZ series are their "MX" bikes. In your price range a 10 year old YZ-125 could easily be found, and you might be able to find a decent YZ-250 a few years older. These will be two strokes. The four stroke YZ bikes will be a bit out of your price range. A YZ-125 will be plenty of bike for you.

The Yamaha TT series are the "off road" bikes. Much cheaper, four strokes. I would recommend a 220 + engine size. You should be able to find one that is less than 5 years old in your price range. Being newer it would be in generally better shape, plus it is still current enough that aftermarket parts (plastics, silencers, etc.) are available. Based on your description of your intended riding I would recommend one of these bikes.

When considering your budget don't forget all the extras. You will need a helmet. Riding boots are highly recommended. A chest protector is a really good idea. Gloves. You will want a gas can to dedicate to the bike, especially if you end up with a two stroke. To haul the bike around you will need tie down straps, and a ramp to get it into the truck. Chain lube. Spare spark plug (especially for a 2 stroke). A used bike may need new tires soon. You may find that all this costs more than the bike!

Sometimes you can find a really good deal on a used bike where the seller is getting out of the sport and will include all his gear, spare parts, oil, etc.

Rod

 

[mtk]

As he said, skip any brands you see for sale at Pep Boys and the like.

Beyond that, make sure you have money for safety gear. I can't stress this enough.

You WILL fall off. It happens. Having the right gear can make the difference between laying on the ground laughing and going home bruised (or worse).

No one has ever laid in a hospital bed wishing they spent less money on gear.