What trail bike for me?

[jamesh75]

What bike is for me?

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important) 5'11", 170 lbs, standard build
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? Fairly aggressive
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ????? Woods, fields, trails, riding with my 6 y/o son on his PW50.
4) Do you have any riding experience? Yes, I rode dirt bikes for 6 years and raced flat track for 3. But havn't done any of it for about 15 years. I currently ride a Harley and have been riding street bikes for about 5 years. I ride my brother in laws Suzuki RMX 250 once in a while.
5) Do you think you will race ? No.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? Minor maintenance, could probably do a top end job without a problem.
7) Do YOU have a preference to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? I prefer 2 stroke, no brand preference.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? I have dealers close enough for all five major brands that brand isn't an issue.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? My wife put me on a $1000 budget.
10) Do you live in California? No
11) Your age? 32
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion. I have been reading these forums, and it seems that there are a lot of recommendations for a KDX for the type of riding I plan to do. However, in my area (St. Louis), a cheap KDX is hard to find. I have read about buying a MX bike and taming it down for woods riding. What is needed to tame it down and would a 250 MX bike be a good bike for me? Unfortunately, my wife put me on a $1,000 budget so I need to stay right around that. I do have a helmet, goggles, boots, and gloves, so my $1000 budget is strictly the bike.

Thank you.
James

 

[Higgsy]

I got back into dirt bikes again this spring and I haven't owned a bike since 1989. I bought a 96 RMX 250 to do the same riding you described in your post. Your about the same size as me and with this bike I can trail rider with my kids and still have something that will scream when I am out riding with the guys. It's pretty much stock except the spark arrestor and bars. It's a good bike for the woods but I can't comment on how it works on the MX track yet. Just remember with $1000 budget your not going to find much out there that doesn't need work and more $ to bring it up to snuff. If you buy a MX bike the best way to tame it down is to install a heavier flywheel and go 2 teeth smaller on the rear sproket. A 250 would be your best choice for your size. The KDX's and RMX's come with heavier flywheels right from the factory. My buddy just bought a KDX and it has a 6 speed tranny which is nice out in the open areas compared to my RMX that only has a 5 speed. I would suggest buying a 2 stroke bike because they are easier to work on and cost less to maintain. IMO. But If you can find an old Honda XR in your price ranges that's in good shape you should consider buying one of them also because they are so reliable. I hope this helps you out, and let us know what you buy when you find something.

 

[2 strokes for life]

jamesh75, if you were to buy a 2 stroke 250 MXer this is what i would do,
1. Flywheel weight
2. skidplate
3. reed spacer
4. radiator gaurds
5. bigger gas tank
6. 18 inch rear wheel
7. bottom end pipe
8. and a softer seat.
The nice thing about doing it this way is you can spen that buddget on the bike intialy and then add these parts to it later. There not listed in any pacific order.

 

[jamesh75]

Thanks for the info. My brother in law said he would sell me his 95 RMX250 for $1500. I have ridden it a few times. It runs good, but won't idle, even when the engine is hot. As soon as you let off the gas and it idles down, it dies. It has a brand new plug and fresh gas in it. Is this anything major or just a simple carb adjustment or cleaning? Overall, the bike is in good shape except that it needs tires and needs a good cleaning. I know it has never been raced or ridden too hard. Is this a good deal?

 

[SpeedyManiac]

If compression is good I'd say that's a decent deal. My bikes never idle so I wouldn't be too concerned. You should be able to get it to idle by adjusting the carb.

 

[2 strokes for life]

jamesh75, sounds like a fairly good deal and proper jetting will solve that isle issue. If the bike cant idle without throttle then its jetting. I think a quick adjustment of the idle or throttle slid adjustment screw would solve your problem.

 

[jamesh75]

Thanks to all. I ended up buying a 93 KDX 200 on Saturday. Rode it for a few hours on Saturday afternoon and I love it.