Noob who could use a little help choosing a bike

[JonKerr]

OK guys. I'm getting into riding dirt bikes and need some help. I've been learning the basics of how to ride on a friends bike but I'm planning on getting a bike of my own in 3-4 months. (once the car is paid off ;) ) I have a lot of friends who ride and according to everyone of them, the bike they ride is the best thing for me. :whoa: :bang: I'm not really looking for a brand here as much as I'm looking to find out what type of bike should I get.

Here's a little info about me.
-I'm a good sized guy. 5' 10" 230 lbs (right now. working on trying to drop another 30 lbs. Have lost 45 total.) I'm 30 years old and I've only riden twice so far.

-I'm just learning to ride a motorcycle so I'm not going to be aggressive. And I don't really plan on ever being extremely aggresive.

-I'm planning on riding a bit of everything. I'm in San Diego so we really have everything around here. MX tracks, desert riding (sand and hard pack) some trail riding, etc...

-I may race casually once I really learn how to ride but I won't really be out there to get serious. Just race for fun.

-I'm not completely clueless when it comes to 2 weels. I ride mountain bikes and race BMX. So I have a little bike skill. But I've learned that riding a dirt bike is very different than a regular bike.

-I do plan on doing most of my own work on the bike. And the work I don't know how to do (yet) I have a number of friends and family who can help me out and teach me what I need to know.

-Locally we have dealers who cary just about every brand you can imagine and like I mentioned, I don't really have a favorite.

-The bike I'm learning to ride on is a friends 2005 CRF450.

My biggest question is should I go with a 250 or a 450? (I know I'll be geting a 4 stroke since that's about all you can find anymore) I've riden the 450 a couple of times and I haven't really pushed at all. I don't think I've even opened it up to half throttle yet. I'm just really rolling around the track in 2nd gear just learning how to handle the bike at the moment. The guy who's bike I'm learning on and who's teaching me is of the opinion that the 450 is better for me because of the smoother torque curve. Where a 250 may be a little too punchy on the bottom end for someone like me to learn on. However, many others have said once I get a little more comfortable and start using a little more power, the 450 is just gonig to be way too much for me to handle and that I need to go with a 250F. In all honesty I'm kind of leaning this way. I got on it one time on that 450 (again, I still don't think I got above half throttle but I may have) and it scared the crap out of me at first. I know that handling the power is something I'll learn, but I'm not convinced learning on such a powerful bike is the way to go.

Also, I've heard people talk about green sticker and red stickers. I'm assuming that has to do with getting the bike registered for use on outdoor trails. Like I mentioned, there is some trail riding around here that I'd like to do with my cousin eventually. So is it possible to get the green sticker for any of the common MX bikes?

I am looking for reliability too. The bike's I've kind of had my eye on are the Yamaha and Honda 250F or 450. I've had a lot of people tell me the Yamaha is the more reliabe bike in the model year bracket (2004 on up) that I'm looking into but not really the fastest bike. (Which I don't really care about) I'm looking for something I can spend more time learning on than working on.

So what do you guys think? 250 or 450? Yamaha, Honda, etc... I like the look of KTM's but they're damn expensive. Any help is appreciated.

Jon

 

[JonKerr]

Anyone?

 

[jb_dallas]

You are learning on a CR450F???? Man, that sounds dangerous as hell. For a beginner, I would imagine the 250F would be a better idea. Either way, do you realize the amount of maintenance a 4 stroke requires? I am surprised that your friends are pushing you towards a 450 and your info says you dont want to be aggresive.

 

[JonKerr]

OK here's the thing. Yes I'm learning on a 450. I know it's way too much for me. I'm really just rolling around the track in 2nd gear. Not getting on it at all. It's all I have to learn on right now though. Although I have another friend who offered to let me ride his KTM 250F next time we go out. I think a big part of why a couple of guys are saying I need a 450 is they're pretty talented riders and they are confidant I'm going to be able to pick up riding as easily as they did and that I'm going to want to get a 450 down the road anyway. They've seen me ride mountain bikes and know I have a little bike skill. But I honestly don't think I will pick it up like they did so I've pretty much ruled out a 450. Also, when I was asking them about a 250, I wasn't saying 250F so they thought I was talking about a 2 stroke which they thought would be way too punchy on the bottom end. After I cleared that up with them they agreed with you that a 250F would be the best way to go. So I think that's what I'm going to start looking for in a few months once the car is paid off. Probably a Yamaha or Honda 250F. Hopefully something that's only a couple of years old. Maybe a new bike if I can find a good deal somewhere. We'll see. Thanks.

 

[jb_dallas]

You can buy a new KTM 250F in Dallas for $5K. If you buy a used bike, read about what to look for and take a friend who is knowledgeable about bikes. There are so many things to look for when buying a used bike. I have learned the hard way.

 

[JonKerr]

Yeah that's the biggest thing that concerns me about buying used. My uncle wants to come with me. He's extremely knowledgeable and won't steer me wrong. I'm probably going to be buying from a dealer only because I'd like to be able to finance it. I know I'll be paying a bit more for it but financing right now is worth it. And actually not too long ago one of the local dealers had some brand new 07 Honda 250F's that just hadn't sold. They had them on sale for $3800 brand new. If I can land a deal like that I'd be all over it.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Here is an official website providing information on the California Red/Green sticker issue:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/ohvredgreen.htm

If you are riding on a private track then the sticker is not as issue. If you want to ride on any public land, including the desert, then you are legally required to have the appropriate sticker. You can often get away with riding in the desert without the proper sticker but if you have any intentions of riding in a OHV "park" where there is a ranger kiosk you won't even get the bike in without the sticker and spark arrestor.

Most of the bikes that are sold as "MX" bikes will be red sticker bikes. The disadvantage of a red sticker is that they close the riding areas to red stickers for most of the summer. Bikes that are year 2002 and older are grandfathered into green stickers and newer four stroke bikes that meet the emissions requirements get the more desirable green sticker.

With Honda and Yamaha there are an "off road" models that is very similar to the MX version but with a few features added (lights, electric start, kick stand, etc). The newer models meet the emissions requirements and thus are green sticker eligible. For example, the Yamaha YZ-450F is a MX red sticker bike while the WR450F is essentially the same bike with electric start headlight and a green sticker. Honda CRF450R is a red sticker MX bike, CRF450X is green.



When buying used bikes be aware that there are a few years of the WR450F and CRF450x that are red sticker! It took a couple of years for the bike manufacturers to get the emissions requirements met so a 2003 WR450 is red sticker while 2005 WR450 is green.

Also when buying used consider the fact that having the bike properly registered is worth some $$$. You will find a lot of used bikes that have no sticker / title at all. It is possible to properly register such a bike, I have done it twice recently, but it is a real PITA. It will require several trips to DMV and at least one to CHP, with the bike.

Rod

You will find a lot of used bikes being sold