New to riding, not sure on which bike to get

[pattymac]

I've never been on a dirt bike. I'm a car guy but i want to get into bikes too because they seem more fun and ive been on the back of a few and i loved it. So im going to buy my first dirt bike around christmas and need all the information possible on what one to get.

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
about 6 feet, 210 lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
im strong enough, speed is a nice thrill for the straightaways but not a necessity
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
ill be 99% out in the woods or on the side of a road or in a field.
4) Do you have any riding experience?
nope
5) Do you think you will race ?
nope
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
i could do some most likely i just need some direction.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
4 stroke please, rebuilding a top end doesnt seem like fun to me every 20 hours.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? 2 dealers, they carry honda and yamaha as far as ive seen.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
<3500 would be great
10) Do you live in California?
nope
11) Your age?
19
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
used is really not a choice. my area doesnt have a craigslist and all thats being sold on kijiji is 2 strokes. i was looking at a tt-r125 but everyone says itll be too small for me? i was also looking at some hondas that said CR on the side but i couldnt see a number.. would one of them be reccomended for me?

 

[jb_dallas]

A tt125 seems small for your size. A CR is a 2 stroke motocross bike and you stated that you want a 4 stroke. Keep in mind that the "new generation" 4 strokes are higher maintenance than a 2 stroke. A 2 stroke top end is fairly cheap and easy to rebuild. If you go 4 stroke, I would recommend an "old generation" 4 stroke such as a Honda XR. They are low maintenance and easy to learn on.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

The frequent top end rebuilds is not specific to two strokes, it is specific to high performance racing engines. If you buy a MX bike, two stroke or four stroke, you are going to have the maintenance issue. Rebuilding the top end on a two stroke is MUCH easier than a four stroke. In addition, the four strokes have maintenance issues with the valves that a two stroke does not.

Dirt bikes come in several basic flavors, each has advantages and disadvantages;

A MX bike is built for racing. They are lightweight, no frills high performance machines. What you get is a high performance, high compression engine that can really crank out the horsepower. You have to feed that engine higher octane gas and do the maintenance (including top end rebuilds) or they will fail catastrophically. These bikes are expensive to purchase new ($7K to $8K) but after 5 years old they get pretty reasonable. Examples of MX bikes are the Yamaha YZ line or a Honda CRFxxxR (The R suffix is the key)

"Off road" or "trail" models are far less expensive (about $4k new) and hold their value really well. They are heavier, less suspension travel, and have low compression engines. The seat height is usually several inches lower than the MX bikes which makes them a good choice for shorter riders (not an issue in your case). Electric start is common and they usually come with a kickstand (which the MX bikes lack). Change the oil often and these bikes will just run for a long time. Examples include Yamaha TT_R230 or the Honda CRF230F.

There are bikes that are a combination of both: Lightweight high performance with frills such as kick stands, headlights and electric start (along with the kick starter). These bikes are the most expensive, a little bit more than the MX version. Due to their high performance engines they also require frequent top end rebuilds. Examples are the Yamaha WR line (WR250 or WR450) or the Honda CRF250X.

A TT-R125 is ridiculously small for someone 6' tall. The TT-R125L (big wheel version) is only slightly better but way too small and underpowered for you. I bought a TT_R125LE for my 5' 4" wife.

If you are going four stroke you will want at least 230cc. The trail bikes will be a great bike to learn on but I suspect that you will be upgrading to a MX bike in a year or two.

Rod

 

[GoldDrum]

I am your size, not age, and started out on a 2001 XR400. It is a big bike, has plenty of power, and runs forever as long as you change the oil. I think it was great to start out on, of course I like power too. I rode it for 2 years and never had any problems, great trail bike. It is a bit heavy, but for your size it would not be too much.

 

[jb_dallas]

Golddrum

I have the exact bike...what gearing do you have? I think I am about to change my stock gearing from 15/49 to 13/49. Any input?

Sorry to get off topic on the thread.

 

[GoldDrum]

I am not sure, it was stock as far as I know. I ended up trading it a few weeks ago for a KX250 so I no longer have it.