Switching from quad to bike

[ak47]

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important) 6 foot, skinny, 155 lbs.
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? suicidaly aggressive
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ????? a little MX, woods, fields, sand dunes
4) Do you have any riding experience? only quads
5) Do you think you will race ? NEVER
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? I'll do anything but motor work.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? 4 stroke only
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? They carry all brands.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? no more than $3,600 used
10) Do you live in California? no
11) Your age? 21
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion reliability is very big for me. Thats why I got a Honda 400ex. Something at the same speed as my quad because I am dangerous. But I love to jump high too.
Thanks, ak-47

 

[2 strokes for life]

ak47, well reliability and a MX chassie has not mixxed well with a liquid cooled 4 stroke but regular matince and inspecting parts will increase the longevity in your bike. I think a WR450F, CRF450X, KTM 450XCF-W or KLX450R would be good for you.

 

[RMZRyder]

Try an mx bike for jumping KTM any sx model Yamaha yz f models Suzuki rmz model Kawasaki kx f model Honda cr models, but the first thing you should do when switching from a quad to a 2 wheeler is buy a helmet :laugh:

 

[_JOE_]

I would try to find someone with a mx 250f to try out. I would be suprised if your 400ex would be any faster. Your weight may be a little low for a 450, and being "suicidally agressive" would most definately get you hurt. Save about 600 bucks of your budget for gear. Coming off a beer caddy you probly don't know what that is so......helmet, boots, pants, jersey, gloves, and goggles. That's the bare minimum. Also think about a chest protector, braces, kidney belt and so on. If you ride hard you crash hard. It's a rule.

 

[dirtbikingdad]

Coming off a beer caddy you probly don't know what that is so......helmet, boots, pants, jersey, gloves, and goggles......

ttt. It's a 400EX, not a beer caddy. It is over generalizations like that which was one of the factors for me to switch. Ever hear the other over generalization that people who ride motorcycles are hoods and delinquents? :)

A 250F will be impressive compared to the 400EX, I know, I had one with some motor mods. The 250's are also way within budget and plentiful. Welcome to dirt bikes. The best part about bikes, is they are cheaper to buy and maintain! :cool:

 

[flyingfuzzball]

from what i have heard the WR is the most reliable four stroke. but you still have to do all the maintmence or it will fall apart. or blow apart.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I own a Honda 400ex, which I do ride frequently (its the only thing I own with lights...)

MY YZ125 will outrun the Quad with ease and feel much more comfortable doing it. I expect that you will find that any dirt bike will provide greater speed than you are used to from your quad. Where a quad will shine is in soft sand or crawling over insane boulders.


If you are reluctant to do engine work then I would advise against buying a "MX" bike. Perhaps a bit of definition is in order here. The major bike brands will make two or more different product lines of dirt bikes.

The MX bikes are made for racing and are no frills (such as kickstands or headlights) and as light and fast as possible. The engines are "high performance", usually requiring high octane gas (91 octane) and when you push them to their limits they don't last long. The owner's manual will tell you that the piston needs to be changed on a regular basis.

The "off road" bikes are made for more general trail riding. Their engines are generally of lower compression, allowing them to use regular gas. They are detuned slightly so that they run cleaner (environmental issues) and will also have lower internal temperatures which makes the engines survive a lot better. The bikes will often have lower seat height and less suspension travel so they will not be as great for jumps. Electric start is fairly standard on an "off road" model.

I have a hard time picturing a 21 year old who describes himself as "suicidaly aggressive" on an "off road" bike so I would recommend either a MX bike or one of the cross overs, such as the Yamaha WR450F. You had better learn to do engine work, however, as it won't last long if you don't maintain it.

As others have implied, you should also consider upgrading your protective equipment. I assume that you already have a helmet. Unlike riding a quad, when you ride a dirt bike aggressively the odds are very high that you will go down. A good set of boots, gloves, chest protector and kneed pads will go a long way to helping you get back up again.

Rod