What Bike..?

silentdonut said:

1) your physical size: 150, 6'1
2) How physical / aggressive are you: I play tennis..?
4) Do you have any riding experience? no
5) Do you think you will race? not anytime soon.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? somewhat. not with bikes.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? the easier to work on.. 2 stroke..
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? less than 3k with a trailer
11) Your age? 21

Click to expand...

These factors seem to be the most determining in my suggestion.

First off, do you have friends, or know anyone that rides?

How close is a location where you can legally ride?

Also, Plan to spend about 500$ in gear. On a dirtbike, taking a spill is absolutely gauranteed no matter how nicely you ride.

Helmet and goggles: MUST!!!

Quality over the ankle boots (Motocross style preferred): MUST!!!

Chest Protector: Very important!!!

Gloves: Save your fingers from the evils of scraped knuckles

These are the bare essentials, and can be found by visiting almost any dealer. If they don't have something in your size, shop around online. Do not ride without them.

Now we'll get to the bikes:

...the cheaper the better ATM: (no order)

2006 Rocketa 250 Dirtbike - $1000 (4 stroke, electric start 250 dirtbike)

Click to expand...

No. Off brand or "knockoff" bikes will end up costing you more in the long run because they are NOT reliable. Some of these bikes can be unsafe due to their cheap nature. Parts will be hard to find, dealers don't usually stock parts for these bikes either.

Stick with the better known brands like Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and KTM.

1995 KX250 - $950 (New top-end, DEP power chamber FMF Silencer, Gripper seat, New CEET Graphics. Runs Good.)

Click to expand...

Pros: the price is right, it's a two-stroke (easier to maintain), and the frame would be big enough to handle your size.

Cons: A 2-stroke 250 is a wickedly powerful bike. If you accidently drop the clutch, it will really take off on you. If you accidently grab too much throttle, it will take off on you. As it is an older bike, some parts might be very worn out on it (suspension is usually very worn out by this time).

Given, some individuals have learned to ride on bikes like this, I don't suggest it.

1986 Honda CR 250 Dirt Bike - $700 (Runs great! Fresh motor & clutch)

Click to expand...

This one is pretty doggone old. You can do better for your money. Because it's older, the power might not be as scarey fast. However, given your lack of experience with wrenching on bikes, I wouldn't suggest this one either.

1999 YZ 250 & Trailer 4 Sale Package or Sell Seperate - $2500

Click to expand...

This looks like a neat package, but I am thinking that the bike might be too much for learning on (the seller's broken ankle might give you a little hint?). It is a 2-stroke, but they are wickedly powerful. Those that own them will testify to it.

Again, these bikes have been ridden by beginners, but if you don't know the basics of shifting, you could easily ruin your new toy, not to mention yourself!

Honda CRF 230 , 2004 LOW HOURS - $1875
(It has new back tire, protaper handlebars, new grips, vortex sprockets, D.I.D chain. Adult owned low hours.)

Click to expand...

I would suggest looking into this one a little. It would be fantastic to learn on, as it has fairly good power (it is a 4-stroke) without the wild fear factor involved in the 2-stroke 250s. Being as it's a non-racing 4-stroke, it should take very little maintence (regular oil changes, clean the air filter every few rides).

Optimally, you should look into getting either a Honda XR250 (a 4-stroke bike I recommend to many, beginners or those looking to upgrade to a bigger style). They have lots of power, but it is extremely user friendly. They are also bullet proof, last forever, and need minimal maintenence.

Also, you don't need to pre-mix gas and oil as you would have to do with the 2-stroke.

Another good choice for you would be a Honda CRF 250 F (not the R) model. For a new rider, with a height and weight like yours, they should be the right size.

5 KAWASAKI KLX125 - $1650 UNDER 50 HOURS ON BIKE... MAKE OFFER
WITH--
ENCLOSED TRAILER $1700 MAKE OFFER new tires GREAT FOR SAFTEY lock it up no worries about stolen gear or bikes...

2000 YZ 250........... 2 stroke beast..............make me an offer - $3000

Click to expand...

Do not get the KLX 125. You are way to big for that size of a four-stroke bike (it is made for someone at very least a foot shorter than you). Once you learn a little about riding, it will run out of power in two days.

The YZ "Beast" sounds like it's been very tuned. This would mean way more power than necessary, and highly tuned bikes tend to be more difficult to maintain at that level. Also, it seems to be rather overpriced compared to other bikes of it's year and condition.

Hopefully, this short novel will have helped you a little...If you have any questions, post, and I'll (or someone with even more experience and knowledge) will get back to you! :) Good luck!

I needed a study break from finals :)

Another option you could possibly think about would be a 2-stroke 125. They're a full size bike (unlike the klx). They also have a lot of rip, but seem to be a lot less crazy than the 250 2-strokes. However, from what it sounds like, I think the power style of a 4-stroke would fit your riding preferences better.

Just wait and shop around a little. Really, when you find the right bike, you will know it as soon as you see and sit on it.

Hook up (no not that kind of hooking up) with the chick, if you can, and do some riding together. Riding with a friend or two is very rewarding, even if they're on a diff style of machine.

Good luck!

I would go with the 250 not the 230... it is smaller and very heavy and the 230 and 250 are not similar bikes... but i am 5"2 and im going to a 250 for trails and mx

A kdx200/220 would also be a fine choice. Stay with a full size bike for sure. I would avoid a 250 2t mx bike for a while, they are very powerful. A 250f is easier to ride, but will require more mechanical ability to maintain. They are also a gamble to buy used. The xrs are great bikes and all but indestructible. You don't have to worry so much about buying a used one. I agree the 230 is small and will be a bit underpowered after a while. I would suggest buying a used bike to start out on. If you find a nice clean trail bike chances are you can sell it in a couple years and not lose much money on it. If you buy a new bike you can plan on losing a grand when you load it up.

I have seen trailers that would be fine for bike transport at our local Tractor Supply for around 500 bucks (just looked, they're 369.99). I would also say 500 for gear is plenty to get you started. So that leaves 2000 for a bike. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a 2001-2004 xr/kdx for that much. Good luck!

Ok, maybe you missed all the suggestions to AVOID a 250 2 stroke to learn on?

If you really want one of them yz 250's then you should really ride one first... they have alot of power and no beginner bike... a kid at the track i go to decided to get a 250 2-stroke and rode only a few times before well it was too much power and crash and nearly broke his shoulder and neck... so you should try to ride a 250 2t first if you really instist on one but chances are it will be too much bike for a beginner... and by the way the 2 strokes are kx, yz, sx, cr, and rm and the four strokes are kxsizeF, yzsizeF, SXF, crf, and rm-z. Well those are kawasaki (kx), yamaha (yz), KTM (sx), Honda (cr), and suzuki (rm)...

silentdonut said:

or ...a 1990 yz...

2001 YZ 250 - $800 (runs good looks a little rough)
l

Click to expand...

I might not have said this clearly enough before.

DO NOT GET A YZ 250!

It is a high performance 2-stroke *race* bike.

They are not meant for learning on.

Get a CRF 250 F

Well 250 2t is not a smart choice for a beginner and besides a 250F (four stroke) will have plenty of power and speed for you.

Most likely on your budget a 250f will be a time bomb. If you wanna go that way, buy new or VERY GENTLY used, and try to stay 06-07 with very few hours. These bikes are very high maintenance.