Quick questions from a new guy

[gsxrk7]

Hello gent's


I have a quick question for you all, all of my buddies ride yzf450/426's..etc

I have been looking to pickup something for the dirt so I can ride with them.

I honestly dont plan on going big on jumps but mostly just trail riding and mashing threw the desert.

I found a 2001 ktm 400mxc and an 2001 cr250 local both for around $2000 (thinking I can get either one for 1800 cash).

So, I was curious what you guys would think would be best for what I want to do with the bike.

The ktm I believe is a 4 stroke and I hear they are better for trail riding because of the low end torque but do they really lack in top end?

Also are the ktm's reliable? Given I understand its all about how well the bike is taken care of but was curious if they had a record for problem compared to the honda.

I also like the idea of the 2 stroke but I dont think it would suite best for trail riding, also having to do mixture...blah blah blah


Sooo....Was curious what you guys thought would be best for me?

Any help and or advice is greatly appreciated

Thank You

 

[gsxrk7]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
6ft 190lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Physical and a bit aggressive
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
Trail Riding/Mashing threw desert and maby some small jumps
4) Do you have any riding experience?
Sport Bikes and friends yzf 450
5) Do you think you will race ?
Most likely not
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
My own
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
Not sure yet,
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?

 

[sixds]

well you cant go wrong with a honda...

 

[gsxrk7]

well you cant go wrong with a honda...

No doubt about that,

I was just curious if it would be a good bike for what I am going to use it for seeing that its a 2 stroke.

Only thing that holding me back from the cr is the fact its a 2 stroke, dont get me wrong I love 2 strokes but dont like the idea of mixing the fuel everytime(I can maby see past this).

I like the idea of the ktm because its a 4 stroke and its a 400 but I hear its pretty heavy and doesnt have that much low end torque, could this be fixed by changing sprockets and how much top end would I loose?

Never owned a ktm, so im not sure how reliable they are.

I have good throttle/clutch control but I hear 2 strokes tend to be higher maintenance.

I dont plan to really race but just mash threw the desert and trail ride.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

In general, two strokes are considered lower maintenance because there are no valves to adjust. Personally, I find that repacking the silencer (gets all gooped up from the oily exhaust), occasional cleaning of the power valve (it also gets gummed up with exhaust oil) and fouling spark plugs pretty much evens the score.

If you are just starting off on a dirt bike I would not worry about "top end". I ride a YZ-125 and it is pretty rare that I hit my top speed. There is an occasional power line road that my buddies on their 250s just haul down and watch their dust fade into the distance as I hit 6th gear. They wait for me at the end, however, and once we hit the rough stuff I have no problem keeping up. There are a few hills that they climb and I fail but there are others that I climb and they fail.

Mixing the oil for a two stroke is the least of the hassles. I have a little plastic jar with a screw on lid that is marked on the sides for different oil ratios and gallons. The jar cost a few dollars but you can do the exact same thing by taking a jar out of the recycle bin, use water and your kitchen measuring cup to fill the jar and make marks on the side. I emphasize that the jar has a lit because when you are done you put the lid on, which keeps the oil from dripping out or dust from getting it.

You pull into the gas station, fill the jar to the mark, dump it into the can then put in exactly 5 gallons from the pump. If your can holds 6 gallons then you don't have to have the can completely empty. Or just make marks on the jar for 4, 3, 2, and 1 gallons. Very simple.

Two strokes respond differently than four strokes. I think its a lot of fun to get "on the pipe" and feel how powerful and responsive it is. On the other hand, when I am climbing a hill or turning a sharp corner and fall off the pipe at a time when I have suddenly gotten really busy I kind of wish I had a four stroke.

You indicated that you rode your friends YZF 450 so I assume that you know what it takes to kick that beast to life. I have decided that my next bike is going to be a WR450F, but it is going to have electric start.......

yeah, call me a wimp, but most of the cursing I hear on a ride is from someone who is unable to get their bike re-started....

Rod

 

[bsmith]

The 2001 KTM 400 would be a great all around bike. It has electric start, but the KTM's start very easy even without it. If you going through the desert I think you would like it better then the CR 250. If you get the CR, just do some research on what mods you should do to make it more desert/trail ready. Like bigger tank, exhaust, gearing, etc.

The KTM MXC is geared and ready for the desert, so would require the least amount of prep.

 

[gsxrk7]

Thanks for the reply guys,

I actually got off the phone with a guy who has a 2002 ktm 400 mxc and is willing to go down to $1700 for it.

He says its in good condition and fires right up but looks like an old bike ( I dont really know what he means but am going to go take a look at it later today).

Only reason he is selling it is because its to big of a bike for him, I believe he sayd he was like 5'5.

Now last time I checked I was 6ft (maby an inch under) and was curious if this would be to big of a bike for me?

I ride my buddies 06 yzf450, would that bike be comparible to the ktm in size?

 

[gsxrk7]

Forgot to mention that there is ALOT of softer sand out here in nevada, would the ktm still pull threw fine or would the cr250 dominate threw this terrain?

Also would like to take it to the dunes and get a paddle for the rear.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Only reason he is selling it is because its to big of a bike for him, I believe he sayd he was like 5'5.

Now last time I checked I was 6ft (maby an inch under) and was curious if this would be to big of a bike for me?

I ride my buddies 06 yzf450, would that bike be comparible to the ktm in size?

"Too big" could mean too much power, it could mean too heavy or it could mean that the seat is too high.

If you are six feet tall or there abouts then you don't have any worries about a bike being too big. I just looked at the KTM website for the specifications of their current model of 450 XC-g and it lists the seat height of 36.4 inches. That compares with a seat height of 38.8 inches for a Yamaha YZ-450F, so if anything it is shorter than what you have ridden before. The KTM weighs about 30 pounds more, but that is probably because the model on the website has electric start so a good chunk of that extra weight would be the battery. I am not familiar at all with KTMs to know anything about what differences a "MXC" vs a "XC-g" would be.



As for the sand: I hate riding a bike through the sand. I ride the California desert, out near Barstow. If I am following a buddy and he drops into a sand wash I will pop out and weave through the scrub brush instead of trying to ride the sand. My wife rides a quad and loves the sand washes so I will lead her down a wash and just bear with it.

It is a pain for me just to get moving in a sand wash, especially going up hill. I am sure it would do better if I let some air out of the tires but then I risk pinching a tube when I get out of the wash and ride the rocks. I suppose I might not hate the sand so much if I had a more powerful bike. I can't think of a better bike for that than a 450 four stroke.

Rod