What 2-Stroke for a heavyweight?

[halowords]

What two-stroke do I need?

I'm a bit of a novice on bikes I did great on my MSF course/tests and have decided, now that I can legally drive a motorcycle on the street, I decided to do the logical thing and get a dirtbike! Go figure. If nothing else, it makes my wife feel safer.

That being said, I'm 220 lbs., 27 years old, about 5' 9" and have some limited experience with motorcycles. I'm looking at getting a 2-stroke MX bike for motocross tracks and trail riding. I'd primarily like to do trails and jumps that happen to be on the terrain. I've pretty much decided on either Yamaha, Honda, or KTM depending on what I find and what I hear is best for my purposes.

So, getting to the point, at my weight what two-stroke would be best? Specifically, what size engine should I get, and what year(s) have certain advantages over other years. The YZ125's sound nice, but I'm worried my weight would bog down the engine (it seems like everybody else is lighter than I am). As for the 250's, the CR and YZ seem highly comparable. I know the '00-'01CR250's had great engines, but the '02s and later had better frames. wasn't sure what years of the YZ250's (or 125's) or KTM's have advantages over any of the others.

Any advice?

-Cheers

 

[halowords]

I'm a bit of a novice on bikes I did great on my MSF course/tests and have decided, now that I can legally drive a motorcycle on the street, I decided to do the logical thing and get a dirtbike! Go figure. If nothing else, it makes my wife feel safer.

That being said, I'm 220 lbs., 27 years old, about 5' 9" and have some limited experience with motorcycles. I'm looking at getting a 2-stroke MX bike for motocross tracks and trail riding. I'd primarily like to do trails and jumps that happen to be on the terrain, but there are a couple of MX courses close by as well. I've pretty much decided on either Yamaha, Honda, or KTM depending on what I find and what I hear is best for my purposes.

So, getting to the point, at my weight what two-stroke would be best? Specifically, what size engine should I get, and what year(s) have certain advantages over other years. The YZ125's sound nice, but I'm worried my weight would bog down the engine (it seems like everybody else is lighter than I am). I'll upgrade the suspension, unless that's already been set up for my weight, but I'm still unsure of what size engine I really need.

As for the 250's, the CR and YZ seem highly comparable. I know the '00-'01CR250's had great engines, but the '02s and later had better frames. I wasn't sure what years of the YZ250's (or 125's) or KTM's have advantages over any of the others.

Any advice?

-Cheers

 

[XRpredator]

this probably isn't the best week to ask for info, since a lot of people are playing at DirtWeek in Oklahoma.

in my limited experience, you would be okay with any Honda CR250, '94 and up, or any Yamaha YZ250, '98 or newer, as long as they aren't hammered. KTM's are nice, but not quite as cheap to rebuild as the Honda or Yamaha. I don't have a lot of experience with Suzuki or Kawasaki.

You'll probably get a better response in the "What Bike Should I Get" forum. :)

 

[BunduBasher]

KDX220R - should be able to find one for around 2 grand !!! :thumb:

 

[Rob1111]

For trail and track I would suggest a KX250. 2001+

 

[gonzo843]

Have you ever considered a 4-stroke? The YZ250F would be a perfect bike for you. Honestly I think the YZ250 would be too much for tight trail riding. It's very fast and you dont need that much speed. The 125 would seem a little weak for you going up hills and stuff. Like I said the 250F would be the way to go.

 

[KX02]

I would say they 125 would not have enough torque for you. I would probably go for a YZ or KTM 250 over the CR.

 

[gwcrim]

Yeah, for your size, a KX250 would be a good choice. If you prefer something a bit more mellow, look at a KDX.

Kawasakis have a KIPS exhaust power valve that helps smooth out power delivery vs. a more abrupt hit with a CR or YZ. I think Suzuki uses some type of power valve as well.

 

[XRpredator]

Not trying to screw with you, man, but let's keep the same topic to one thread. :)

 

[trout]

actually...any modern 250 2stroker would make a happy man out of you.

 

[mtk]

Kawasakis have a KIPS exhaust power valve that helps smooth out power delivery vs. a more abrupt hit with a CR or YZ. I think Suzuki uses some type of power valve as well.

Every 250 has a power valve of some sort, as do the 125s.

 

[ktmboy]

KTM 300EXC---- very smooth but plenty of grunt to haul your heft around.

 

[YZ165]

actually...any modern 250 2stroker would make a happy man out of you.

Yep.

 

[JasonWho]

Here, here. Any modern 250 MX bike seems to fit your needs.

 

[Shig]

Yeah, I'll jump on the 250 motocrosser dogpile too. You are too heavy to enjoy riding a 125 for very long. Just buy the newest one you can afford. Anything newer than 2000 would be ideal. FWIW, I thought the frame on my 2000 CR 250 was great, a huge improvement over the 97-99 CRs.

 

[Buckholz]

Buy a KTM300exc, street legal it, ride it anywhere, bike is a wonderful big boy 2stroke bike .....

 

[CPT Jack]

KTM 300EXC---- very smooth but plenty of grunt to haul your heft around.

Ditto, or a GasGas 300. Unless you plan on being a track guy. But if you're going to be an offroader you can't go wrong with either of these. Awesome bikes. Easy to ride & plenty of power. Find a used one.

 

[halowords]

Ditto, or a GasGas 300. Unless you plan on being a track guy. But if you're going to be an offroader you can't go wrong with either of these. Awesome bikes. Easy to ride & plenty of power. Find a used one.

So would the KTM 300EXC be a bad MX track bike? I'd like to do some MX track time, as well as some trail riding. Thought the CR250 seemed like a good choice, but KTM has a pretty nice reputation as well. The SX 250 sounds nice as well, albeit a bit pricey.

-Cheers

 

[sodflyer]

04 YZ250 jetted right will bring a big smile to youre face :) GO BLUE! Jeff.

 

[Buckholz]

I've got a '04 YZ250, great bike. I also have a '03 KTM250exc, great bike. I race enduros, Worcs races (including the MX sections), occasional MX, the Yam was a better MX mount, but have recently had the KTM suspension revalved, and it has also become a great MX bike while still being ok for enduro/hare scramble racing.....

Frankly, a KTM300exc is a better all around bike. And, well, it will make a fine MX bike for you also.

You are gonna need to put stiffer springs in whatever you buy, first thing.....

 

[todd]

fatboys on bikes

I'm a bit of a novice on bikes I did great on my MSF course/tests and have decided, now that I can legally drive a motorcycle on the street, I decided to do the logical thing and get a dirtbike! Go figure. If nothing else, it makes my wife feel safer.

That being said, I'm 220 lbs., 27 years old, about 5' 9" and have some limited experience with motorcycles. I'm looking at getting a 2-stroke MX bike for motocross tracks and trail riding. I'd primarily like to do trails and jumps that happen to be on the terrain. I've pretty much decided on either Yamaha, Honda, or KTM depending on what I find and what I hear is best for my purposes.

So, getting to the point, at my weight what two-stroke would be best? Specifically, what size engine should I get, and what year(s) have certain advantages over other years. The YZ125's sound nice, but I'm worried my weight would bog down the engine (it seems like everybody else is lighter than I am). As for the 250's, the CR and YZ seem highly comparable. I know the '00-'01CR250's had great engines, but the '02s and later had better frames. wasn't sure what years of the YZ250's (or 125's) or KTM's have advantages over any of the others.

Any advice?

-Cheers

 

[todd]

Dear fatboy, I'm only 15 years old, but my family has been riding for years. My dad has a yz 125 and he weighs about 250. It does fine for him because the suspension is so good, so dont worry about hurting the engine. Im no expert, but i recommend a newer model for greater suspension. Your height is also good for this bike. Happy trails fatty!

 

[mtk]

Now, with all that said, are you gonna get one or not, David? :D

 

[halowords]

Now, with all that said, are you gonna get one or not, David? :D

Yeah. I almost had one, remember? :D Then my lovely wife found out and we cleared up the timeframe issue we had. That was an unfortunate communication breakdown to say the least. I just have to save up some dough, and wait for my wife to get used to the idea, and I'm all good. I'm thinking I'll nab myself one after X-mas; I start payin' for grad school today. :pissed:

Actually, if you haven't CR500'd your '00 250 by then, I'd still consider it at that point, otherwise I'm torn between the CR250 ('00 or later) and the KTM 300MXC (unsure on the year, but pricing might factor into it a bit).

-Cheers

P.S. Kas, aren't you running out of space yet? FZR's, Honda CR's, and vintage dirtbikes . . . Where do you sleep these days?

 

[John Harris]

If money is an issue, learn on a used KDX '96 or newer. Then you can make a better choice to fit your needs on the more expensive mounts. KDX is primarily a woods bike as opposed to mx. There are precious few off road motorcycles that excel at more than one discipline and even then they take some "adjustments" to work great. But be sure you ride! Cheers John