Keyhole

Member
Aug 22, 2006
2
0
Well I'm in the market for a dirt bike and I'm not quite sure what bike to get.

1) Physical Size: I'm 6ft tall and around 230lbs right now. I should be in the 200lb range by next riding season.

2) How physical / aggressive are you ? I'm in decent physical shape, but my riding style is not all that aggressive. I prefer to go out and come back in one piece :)

3) What do you plan to ride? Trails & Motocross tracks. No racing right now, just going out to have a good time.

4) Do you have any riding experience? I have been riding street bikes for quite some time (currently on an r1), have ridden dirt bikes quite a few times, but never owned one of my own.

5) Do you think you will race? I don't think I will be racing anytime in the near future.

6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? Yes I am good at working on cars and motorcycles and will be performing my own work

7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? I'd like to stick with a Yamaha or a Honda preferably, but I'm open to suggestions.

8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? There are dealers for every brand near me. I will be purchasing used from a private party most likely though

9) How much do you plan to spend on a bike? Looking to keep the cost of the bike under $2000

I've heard that a 125 2 stroke is not a good bike for trail riding because it needs to be rev'd high to avoid damage to the head. I don't believe the guy that told me, but I'd like to verify.

Is a 125 too small for a guy my size?

Thanks for any help!
 

gwcrim

~SPONSOR~
Oct 3, 2002
1,881
0
Yeah, a 125 would be pretty tapped out for a large guy like you. Look at a 250 or if you have the cajones, a 500. A 450 4 stroke would be OK too.

Don't be affraid of larger displacements. Especially considering you ride an R1. They have great bottom end power and you'd be familiar with the throttle control needed for riding a big bore.

Try and avoid the 'trail' or play bikes. They are down on power and suspension vs. an MX bike. KTM makes some great woods bikes.
 

FruDaddy

Member
Aug 21, 2005
2,854
0
Either a 250 smoker or a 426-450 thumper. A big man needs a big bike. You should be able to find a 3-7 yr old 250 in your price range. The thumpers will be a little harder to find under 2 grand. But you might be able to get your hands on an old YZ426. Don't worry too much about brand (but if you prefer the red and blue, by all means, go with it), it sounds like you are more interested is having fun than finding your limits on a bike.
 

Keyhole

Member
Aug 22, 2006
2
0
Well I guess I will be going with the larger bike.

I found a 97 yz250 in good condition for $1500 obo locally...

What are some differences between mid-late 90's bikes, 2000-2003, and the current bikes?

What should I be looking for?

I'm not all that familiar with 2 strokes...

Thanks for all the help!
 

gwcrim

~SPONSOR~
Oct 3, 2002
1,881
0
Look for a bike that appears to have the least amount of hours and has been well maintained. I'd rather have a cherry '93 than a clapped out '03. Only if you are racing competitively would you possibly know the difference.
 
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