Starter Bike for my son

[golfdaddy]

Here's the lowdown on my son, who's been asking for a bike for several months:

1) 5'6" / 160 lbs
2) Can be very aggressive
3) Aaaahhh...herein lies the rub...don't know what kind of bike. He has friends who have Mx bikes, and there are a couple of tracks not too far from our home.
4) He has no riding experience, but before I buy him anything, I'm going to enroll him in the MSF DirtBike school.
5) I think he might like to race.
6) I can do some stuff, but there are a number of cycle shops within 15-20 minutes of our house.
7) MY preference would be a 4-stroke, but I'm not all that educated about MX/Trailbikes, which is why I'm here.
8) We have Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha dealers close by.
9) I don't want to spend a lot on his first bike, just in case he decides he doesn't like riding.
10) We're in the Houston area.
11) My son's 15
12) Like I said, I don't know much about off-road bikes, which is why I'm here. I've been looking at online auction sites, but until I know what to get, I don't want to pursue anything too seriously. I think I want for him right now is something that he could learn on and maybe take to a track now and again with his buddies.

Hopefully, y'all can help me make a better decision.

Thanks!

 

[Cman250]

Well First things first, if you do not want to spend much because your not sure how much he may or may not like riding you would be better off to consider buying used. Just make sure you look over your bike before you hand over the green. Secondly, its all about where and how you ride. If he's gona be doing his majority of riding on the track get an MX bike, if he does alot of woods, field, trails, and just putting around the yard you would lean more towards the Trail bikes.
Deciding the brand and model of your bike can be one of the simpliest or hardest decisions you make in your riding history. As most people judge by a brand name and have their own preferences most companies now a days have equal pro's and con's. For his height, weight, and riding ability if you decide to go trail id look at a Honda XR250, Honda crf230, Yamaha tt-r230,drz250 all are reliable 4-strokes, easy to learn on, and have some ad ons that you can buy to help performance as he increases his riding ability. If he were to go about on the track he might consider a 125 two stroke MX bike, it would definitley be a bike to grow into and is a more technical bike to ride on with all of its clutch work, but is still a possibility and will turn him into a better rider with the clutch work required.
Sorry for some bad info I gave earlier. Man!, i got to stop Midnight posting, its starting to get to me.

 

[FruDaddy]

A 5'6" 160 lb rider is far to large for any 85 class bike, and this includes the Honda 150R. Since you are interested in the thumpers, I would say that most all of the 250F bikes would do well, but to make a good rider out of your boy, and also to save money, go with a 2-stroke 125. A minor lowering might be in order.

Whatever you do, accept the fact that Cman is a 15 year old without a bike. Sorry kid, you started well, then recommended a dwarf bike for a full sized rider.

 

[_JOE_]

Fru is right, hes too heavy for a mini. May be a lil short for a 125. You should look into a full size, small engine bike. What style depends on the riding he will do. If mostly woods, a kdx may serve him best at this time. The newer 250f mxers have a fairly mellow powerband, but fetch a good dollar. A 125 may be a little pipey at first, but at his weight he should be fine. At 15 yrs old he'll probly grow an inch a day, so I wouldnt get too crazy trying to lower a bike for a few months. Good luck!

 

[MeanorMX]

I'm 15, and I really like riding a 125 two stroke. They have a decent amount of power (actually really good) and you can find them for really cheap. I luckily found a deal on mine and ended up paying $900. One thing you need to educate him on though is upkeep and mixing fuel. Very important things. Also if you want to upgrade, you can always buy a more expensive bike in the future, without feeling bad for getting such a "crappy" bike now. A 125 two stroke would be perfect.

All in all: My recommendation is to get a 125 two stroke, but perhaps lower the shocks a bit, or shave some foam in the seat to make it more ridable for him.