New member seeking new bike!

[melomania]

I used to have a moped when I was about 14 years old and I love it to death. I had to sell it when I turned 16 to buy a car. Now I am currently 19 years old and I miss the feeling of riding around but I want something that I can take off-road.

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
6'2, 150 pounds
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
not very aggressive
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
woods, fields, on road
4) Do you have any riding experience?
yes
5) Do you think you will race ?
not at all
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
of course
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
2-stroke, but 4-stroke will also do
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
I am around Indianapolis, basically all brands
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
no more than $1500, used I'm sure
10) Do you live in California?
no
11) Your age?
19
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion

I am tall, but skinny. I am guessing you will probably recommend a CR150F or a 125. I just don't know what year to look for. I've checked the classifieds, nothing yet. AutoTrader?

 

[2 strokes for life]

A kawasaki KDX220 or 200 would do good. Also, any kind of XR200 or bigger.

 

[J-man]

dude your not ganna find much under 1500 bucks.

 

[sixds]

dude your not ganna find much under 1500 bucks.

if you just like to putz around on something, dont let everyone think you need a new top of the line bike.. you can easily find an early 1990's 125 of some sort for cheap.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

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

The "on road" part would make me recommend a "dual sport" bike, which is going to force the equation to be limited to four stroke models.

The real question will get down to how much on road vs how much off road. The big difference is the tires. In order to be legal on the road you of course need the license plate, mirrors, turn signals, headlight and taillight. You also need DOT approved tires.

The mirrors are usually the first casualty of taking a dual sport bike off road. Just passing too close to a bush will snap the mirrors off. Laying the bike down is generally pretty hard on the turn signals. People who use their dual sport bikes on the road today, but off road tomorrow will often take the mirrors and turn signals off when they leave the road. Those who ride their bike from home to the off road location either ride very carefully when off road, replace mirrors a lot, or simply run without while on the road and risk getting stopped.

The tires are a bit more difficult to deal with as they are not something that you can just change when you reach the edge of the dirt. DOT approved tires generally suck off road. The big knobby tires for off road would be terrible at highway speeds plus the asphalt would tear them to pieces in very short order.

Many of the major manufacturers sell dual sport models, such as a Yamaha XT225 or several models from KTM. Depending on the state you live in some regular dirt bikes can be converted to dual purpose with aftermarket kits (to add the mirrors and lights).

Since your price range will require buying used your best bet is to buy one that is already street licensed. You will probably need something about 10 years old to get into your price range. In a four stroke I wouldn't recommend anything below 225cc. If you live in a major population center then I would recommend checking out Craigslist.

Rod

 

[2 strokes for life]

rmc_olderthandirt, i did not see the on road part. A Yamaha XT250 or XT225 would fit the bill or a older Honda XL250 or something along those lines.