Second bike advice/help!!

[bkelly360]

1) your physical size? 5'7" 107lbs.
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? Not very.
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or? Mostly woods/trails possibly a track in the future.
4) Do you have any riding experience? I currently have a 2003 Honda XR80.
5) Do you think you will race? No, probably not.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? No, only basics.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? Not really.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? There's a Honda dealer and a Kawasaki dealer near by.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? No more then $1,800 for a used bike.
10) Do you live in California? No.
11) Your age? 18.
12) Anything else that you think would help form an opinion? I'm a girl.

I've been looking on Craigslist for used bikes, but I'm just not 100% sure where to go from a XR80. I don't know if a KX100 would be a little too much power for me. I thought about a XR100, YZ85, KX85, and RM85. I also read other posts but I wanted to give this a shot.

Thanks.

 

[jackflack44]

how much more do you think your gonna grow height wise?

 

[bkelly360]

I'm pretty much done growing.

 

[pyrofreak]

If you just want to play around and trail ride, I'd check out the CRF150F, or a KLX140L (although it's new, you may just get lucky enough to find a used one) They're a step up from your XR80, and will keep you happy for awhile. The KX100 can be made into a heck of a woods machine, but if you aren't aggressive at all, you probably wouldn't like it the power delivery. Is there any way you could try out some of the bikes you're considering? You might find that a bigger bike, or the two stroke bike will give you more confidence and push you to be a better, more aggressive rider.

 

[jackflack44]

pyro freak pretty much answered for me lol so i agree with him it depends what kinda riding your gonna do

 

[bkelly360]

Thank you. I just want a bike I won't kill myself on, but I want some power and good suspension. It's hard to find something that fits my needs. But thanks again for the advice. I'll look into test riding them.

 

[Deadohiosky39]

My girlfriend is about an inch shorter than you but maybe 15 pounds heavier (big booty :) don't tell her i said that). And she just got a CR85 for her first bike and i honestly think she is too tall for it. I think if she would have ridden anything before (even an XR80) that i probably would have got her a full size bike. But since it was her first time with the clutch/shifting thing besides in cars that i thought it would be intimidating to her to barely touch the ground. I'm basically the same size and ride a CR250 but not touching the ground doesn't bother me because i've been riding so long.

I'd say the KX100 is about as small as you would want to go but if you aren't very aggressive then the power might be frustrating/annoying in the woods. I think its a love/hate thing. Some people hate the way the power comes on so suddenly with the small two strokes but others have no problems with it. I will say my girlfriend has already done some accidental wheelies. I agree with the guys above it would be nice if you could ride some other bikes before you buy. Maybe one of the KDX's or a bigger XR/CRF. You'll be disappointed in the XR100 since you have an 80 now. Theres really no difference between them. Sorry i know thats a lot, but im just excited now that my girl is riding with me that i'd like to help out other girls if i can.

 

[bkelly360]

Thanks so much. That helps a lot. I tested a CR80 and I personally didn't like it too much. It was a bit too jumpy for me. I just want a bike that isn't too big because riding in the woods, I want to feel comfortable and be able to get my feet firmly on the ground if needed. That's my personal preference. But thanks a lot, I really appreciate everyones opinions and advice. It helps a lot.

 

[jackflack44]

crf230 sounds right to me 34' seat height trail bike pretty tame bike that you can ride without having to white knuckle the handlebars...

 

[medwaste]

You definitely will feel the difference in ht. and wt. between the 230s and 140-150s. These bikes are virtually indestructable and I'd love to have one in my garage. Test ride before you buy.

 

[pyrofreak]

The bigger the bore on a 2 stroke, the easier the power gets to control, because of the additional torque and power that is spread over a broader range. So a 125, to me, is easier to ride than my old 80, but a 250 has wayy to much power for me to ever want. I am also a GIRL, by the way. :P I started on a YZ80, and probably should have went to a 125, but skipped to an XR200 and a DR200 instead, both of which were heavy, underpowered pigs! I have a few atvs right now and the DR still, but plan to get a 125 as soon as I can sell one of my wheelers. If you have prior exprience, get some to help your skills grow, not something to hamper them. Maybe try looking at some of the 230cc trail bikes too. Make sure you can pick the bike up incase you ever fall, or worse, get stuck underneath it. The CR85 is a very pipey, snappy bike anyway, try a KTM, RM, or KX if you'd really like an 80-85cc bike. They will be a bit small, so go for the big wheel, or like the KX100 and KTM105, which have a larger frames as well. It's much easier to lower and detune a bigger bike than constantly trying to upgrade a smaller one! And once you get on a "big bike" you won't ever wanna get back on a little one ever agian!!!

 

[bkelly360]

Thanks guys :)