Whats The Bike For Me?

[TheLadiesMan]

1) Your physical size (both height and weight are important)
About 5'11" 130lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you?
Not very physical or aggressive. Did some mountain biking 2 years ago and my physical ability improved very quickly. My hobby is cars pretty much.
3) What do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
I hope to do mainly trails and some track stuff once I got better. But I dont see myself getting into racing. Eventually id like to be able to get some air though. With friends of course.
4) Do you have any riding experience?
Zero riding experience. Although I tend to learn quickly and I know my physical potential is there.
5) Do you think you will race?
Nah not really. Id like to go fast in general though.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
Yes I do my own work on my cars and worked in a auto shop for a year.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
My first choice would probably be Yamaha, maybe KTM, then Suzuki, then Kawasaki, then Honda. I guess id prefer a 4 stroke for the lower powerband and I wouldnt want to buy something that is going to be phased out in the next few years.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
Ive got a pretty large place nearby that carries Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki.. Also got another little Honda bike dealership nearby.
9) How much do you plan to spend on a bike?
$2000 max right now with my current income. Ive seen a few barely used bikes for around $2000 and I cant afford to buy something new.
10) Do you live in California?
Nope
11) Anything else that you think would help form an opinion
Basicly id like something that I can learn on but im not going to have to upgrade after I gain a little experience under my belt. I was initially looking at 125's but now that im reading some of other peoples advice, im starting to think id grow out of a 125 pretty quickly so I was looking at 250s. I think id also like something like a dual sport purely based on the fact of looks and id feel more comfortable having lights if I get lost at night. Im also in New Jersey so finding places to ride could be an issue. At this point im hoping I can spend the $2000 on something in good condition and then my mom will help me out with the riding gear cause shes all about safety.. Basicly looking at something like Yamaha's TT-R250

 

[Moparman1539]

I would look at the KDX200/220. Its a great trail beginner bike. But can be used on he track. Alothough not that great on the track. But for a 4-stroke and $2,000. Thats iffy if it is a MX 4-stroke.

And a TT-R250 would be a nice beginner bike. Low maintence, and has some decent power. But you might get bored of it in the long run.

I would say your best bet is the KDX200 or 220 It is a great trail bike. It has a headlight, and a bunch of other stuff. It is made for the trails, and it is upgradeable. Alothought it is a 2-stroke it has alot of the charisteristics(sp) of a 4-stroke with lots of low end power and contolable powerban.

But if you wanted a MX bike then i would look at a 2-stroke 125. Or maby a 250 4-stroke. But once agian. A 4-stroke MX bike for $2,000 is very iffy.

 

[TheLadiesMan]

Also, if I cant get a decent condition 250 in that price range, id rather have a 125 in better condition. I was also noticing the weight increases and massive price differences between 125s and 250s.. So it again looks like im more able to get a 125.. I like Yamaha's TT-R125 or Suzuki's DRZ-125. I also like that KDX220 you suggested..

 

[2 strokes for life]

Moparman1539, you beat me to it.

i think a KDX220 would be a great bike for your applications.

 

[Moparman1539]

Also, if I cant get a decent condition 250 in that price range, id rather have a 125 in better condition. I was also noticing the weight increases and massive price differences between 125s and 250s.. So it again looks like im more able to get a 125.. I like Yamaha's TT-R125 or Suzuki's DRZ-125. I also like that KDX220 you suggested..

there TT-R125 and the DRZ-125 are both 4-strokes. they would be nice for alittle bit. But they are made for smaller people. And i think you would get used to it farley fast. For $2,000 there arnt to many 4-strokes that will fit the fill. Maby an xr250 or bigger or something will work. They are older and heavier. But they will get the job done. you just dont want to get a full blown MX bike like the CRF250/YZf250/WR250F/KFX250/Etc. for under $2,000 because then there are problems with it. unless you get luckey. It was either not maintained. Or there is somethign wrong with it. Which will cost alot to fix.

But an XR250 and up. or a TT-R250 and CRF230 would be fine used, and you might be able to find them for your price. I do think a 125 4-stroke will get boring fast for you. Try looking at some 2-strokes. It wont be phased out in th next few years. And I personally think they are going to make a combeack in the next few years. But we'll see.... And the powerban isnt that hard. its like NOS... just a sudden little kick of power. You will get used to it, trust me!

But still i think the KDX200/220 is the best. Great for trials, ok for track. 2-stroke, easy to maintain, bullet proof. And an all around good bike. and you can find them in your price range (and i think there is one for $2000 in the for sale section right now!)

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Your budget and preferences make this a hard one.

First off, make sure that you understand that the bike manufacturers have two lines of dirt bikes: "Off road" and "MX". The MX bikes are built for racing, and have high performance engines and better suspension. The off road bikes are more tame and cost a lot less.

You contradict yourself a bit when you say that you are not agressive but that you want to get some air. If you have a serious desire to hit jumps then I would recommend a bike that has a suspension that will absorb the landing, especially when you mess up and case one.

If you buy a two stroke then a 125 would be fine, but if you go four stroke I would recommend at least a 230. You will not be happy on a 125 four stroke.

If you could increase your budget a bit I would recommend something like a Yamaha YZ-250F or a Yamaha WR250F. Even though the WR250F is listed under the "off road" section for Yamaha they are pretty darn close to the YZ as far as suspension and engine performance.

To stay in your budget you will either need to be in a newer off road model (Yamaha TT series) or go 10 years old and buy a YZ two stroke.

Rod

 

[TheLadiesMan]

Well I guess im not sure how aggressive id be on bike cause I havent had any experience yet. But to give you an idea, I drive my cars aggressively. I take them to the track. I go way over the speed limit on curvy back roads. But thats cause im confident in my ability to handle my cars and so forth.

So I guess id have to ask what do you mean by racing? Racing like going to englishtown raceway and participating in events and competition? Or racing as in wanting to move quickly through a trail or a field? I know for a fact I dont want to race as a sport. But I want to be able to go fast and have fun. At this point though id be scared to go fast on a bike in the middle of the woods. But I might get over that quickly.

The other thing about 2-stroke/4-stroke. Most people on the forums here seem to be suggesting a 250 4-stroke based on my size, regardless of my experience and for a prolong'd "fun rate". Everyone I ask locally that goes and rides said I will snap my neck and die on a 250.. What am I to do here? The more I look at the KDX220, I really like it. Its a nice mix of the trail sport bike I want and its not as powerful or expensive as a 250 but its not as quick of a "bore factor" learning curve as a 125 4 stroke.

Also, anyone got any opinions on the NJ Pine Barrens? I know its illegal. But I still want to go down there anyway. And I see lost of vids of people down there. Also I was invited to go with some local guys down there this weekend with my friend and use a couple of his bikes. They apparently go down to the barrens every weekend. I dont know.. decisions.. Basicly a fully paid vacation down there..

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Everyone I ask locally that goes and rides said I will snap my neck and die on a 250

A 125 two stroke has more than enough power to get you into trouble. A 250 two stroke will get you into trouble twice as fast. It is not unusual for a rider to get thrown back on the seat a little and as your body shifts back you pull yourself forward and in so doing twist the throttle wide open. If you are already off balance and out of control then going WOT on a 250 two stroke will be very interesting....

Learn not to do that!

I promise you that a 125 four stroke will be too small for you. A 125 two stroke will do just fine. A 250 four stroke will do even better. A 250 two stroke will have more power than you can handle for a while, but you can learn to NOT twist the throttle all the way.

Rod

 

[TheLadiesMan]

Yea I see what your saying.. If I go out riding this weekend I guess he'll let me use the bike hes trying to sell me.. lol Its a honda I think.. 125 2-stroke.. think he said it was a 97.. its beat up pretty bad I think.. wants $1000 for it.. But I guess he says ill die on a 250 cause hes refering to a 2 stroke 250.. Another thing id be concerned about with the 250s is the weight.. Im only a 130lbs.. im pretty thin lol.. But I typically surprise people with the amount of strength I have for my size..

I just dont want something thats going to be riding me when im the one who should be doing the riding.. Is that KDX220 a 4 or 2 stroke bike? Anyone know where I can get a list of specs on it?

 

[Moparman1539]

The KDX220 is a 2-stroke. It is about eiqul with a 125 2-stroke. And i has more bottom end grunt. And here are some specs. **technical specifications**, **Review and other specs**

And post some pics. And tell us some information about the Honda CR125. And we will tell you what we think about it. And weather its worth it or not..

 

[just_a_rider]

At your weight a 125 holds many surprises of it's own :nod: The torq on a 125 is not that great but the power band hits very quick as the bike is high strung and is a fun bike to ride and is light and monueverable. I'm 209 lbs and my friends 125 has no trouble giving me a good ride. You could probaly pick one up for a thousand if you start at a 2000 model and go down. One of the best things about two strokes is that they are not expensive to work on compared to their new 4 stroke brothers.

 

[TheLadiesMan]

Yea I guess ill try to get pics of this bike this weekend.. And I guess thats the bike he'd give me to ride. Who knows.. I might even buy it. Ive almost got $1000 in my account right now. My problem is just the condition of it.. I asked him if he had any old junky bikes he was looking to sell and he pointed me to this one. And then another guy, I guess one of his riding buddies, said that that one was a junky one and they blew the motor up like 5 times. I was like.. woo great.. Then he was like.. oh yea but still works good.. said they obviously rebuilt the motor and what not. And the guy sellin me the bike and going riding with is kinda an old friend of the family.. seems like a generally nice guy.

I just am iffy on hearing about the motor being rebuilt since im used to cars. Ive built a few myself and I know that certain things are critical and need to be done right. Unlike my first car where the guy ghetto rigged the car together and bent a valve the second day I had it.

Anyway ill you guys know. Be able to give you my opinion. If I go it'll be my first time riding.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I just am iffy on hearing about the motor being rebuilt since im used to cars. QUOTE]

"Doing the top end" is pretty much a fact of life when you ride high performance bikes hard. They just aren't built to give you years of trouble free commuting. They are built to get you around the track as fast as possible.

First, let me define what I mean by hard. It isn't the top speed or how many whoops you hit. What I call hard is keeping the engine pegged out at max RPM for sustained periods of time. This is what destroys top ends.

If you ride the bike a more gently then the engine will last a lot longer.

When the guys here say that a 2 stroke is so much easier to work on it is really the top end issues that they are referring to. Rebuilding the top end isn't very hard. Take off some plastic pieces, the seat, the gas tank. If water cooled you have radiator hose to remove and perhaps a top engine mount. Four or five nuts and the cylinder head is off. Four more nuts and the cylinder slides off. Circlip and the piston is off. Typical case is cylinder boring/plating, new piston, a few gaskets and reassemble. Now the engine is as good as new.

The appearance of the bike will probably be dominated by the plastic pieces. These get scuffed, torn, faded, etc. and can make the bike look dingy. Look past that: look for dents in the pipe, big scrapes on engine covers, funny welds on the frame, jury rigged anything.

$1k for a '97 12 sounds reasonable to me. When you get down to that price the condition of the tires can make the difference between an "okay" deal and "great" deal (a fresh set of tires can set you back $200).

If you are completely new to this whole thing and the guy who is selling the bike has an assortment then he probably has stacks of riding gear he might be able to throw into the deal. Most of the people I know who have been in the sport for a while manage to accumulate helmets, boots, goggles, etc. If you could get those thrown in it would really make that a good deal.

The fact that you get to ride the bike before buying is a BIG advantage. You will know exactly what you are getting.

I am betting that you will find that 125 two stroke to be a thrilling ride.

Rod

 

[TheLadiesMan]

Yea I also asked him if he had any spare riding gear I could buy off him. He said yea he has tons of stuff.. a lot of it like new. Said I could just have some of the stuff for free..

 

[Big Worm]

I just bought my son a DRZ 125 but he's 10 years old, you might be able to pull it off cuz your 130lbs but your definately going to get bored quick. With your weight I'd go with the 125 two stroke. The hit of the powerband is not as bad as you think and you can pick up a 2003-04 under $2000. There's also not alot of performance parts for the 125 4 strokes either.

 

[400exman27]

I think that would be a good deal and It would be really good if he gave you a helmet or boots or somting because that stuff is expensive to.

 

[TheLadiesMan]

Well, I finally went riding yesterday.. A gorgeous day too..

A friend and I took the bike to a little local spot and started to teach ourselves. lol Took about a half hour or an hour to finally get the bike started.. But once we got used to the technique, it was easy. I, on my first run, almost went flying into some bushes because of the same thing everyone said. "When the bike pulls you back in the seat, your wrist twists the throttle.." and I am used to riding a normal bicycle so I instinctively went for the right handle brake.. needless to say it stalled out but I didnt drop it. Then it was my friends turn. Had a much better start then me and did a lap or two..

Long story short.. We both did pretty good and after the few hour ride, we were able to ride around, obviously still only in first cause that was more then enough for this area.. Initially the bike is so intimidating, but once you ride it you overcome that fear and its much easier to ride.. The rest was trial and error learning.. Got used to sticking out my leg for corners, tried to keep my two fingers on the clutch and my right foot focused on that brake pedal. By the end we were both going wide open on the little stretches and what felt like maybe topping out first gear.

Im very pleased with our progress for the day and it was a great learning experience. No one injured themselves (besides the kick start messed up my friends leg) and no one dropped the bike until I did at the very end just cause I over-throttled a little out of a corner and sorta understeered toward a bush so I instinctively hit the front brake again. I dropped the bike but I caught myself with my leg.

My dilemma now is whether to buy the bike or not. I dont have any easy way of transporting it and have to rely on other people, but the friend is in the process of finding a truck and then hopefully a bike for himself. The bike itself seemed to work fine other then it looks a bit beat up and obviously has been dropped tons of times. Some minor leakage in spots which im not exactly what it is yet so I want to talk to the owner about it. Basicly I want to talk to him about the bike overall before I make my decision. The power and condition seems fine for me but I just feel like something is ganna need maintainance as soon as I get it. He said he just rebuilt it but other then that.. no idea..

 

[TheSpookman]

Heh, I wouldnt say messed up but rather cut me up slightly. That 125 sure has got some balls :nod:

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

My dilemma now is whether to buy the bike or not. I dont have any easy way of transporting it and have to rely on other people, but the friend is in the process of finding a truck and then hopefully a bike for himself.

Sounds like you had a great first ride, but it doesn't sound like the "bug" bit very hard....

Sharing a bike with a buddy and riding around in a field is okay to start, but it won't be long before those other five gears start calling to you and you will need to find a more open space. Then you will need a buddy with a bike so you can both ride together.

If you can get a trailer hitch on your car then you can buy a trailer for hauling the bike. There are LOTs of trailers available that can be used for hauling a pair of dirt bikes, you should be able to pick something up for a few hundred dollars. Two bikes and a small trailer would probably weigh in less than 800 lbs so just about anything will tow it.

As far as starting the bike: technique is part of it but a lot of bikes are just really hard to start for the first time in a while. If the bike otherwise ran well, didn't bog or hesitate then I would say it is probably doing good.

Good luck!

Rod

 

[TheLadiesMan]

Update: I got the bike.. woohoo.. put a little down payment on it cause someone else was on their way to buy it for $1500.. Sold it to me for $1000, but ill be paying him in $200 increments.

As soon as the purchase was official, I went home and started taking things apart, cleaning it up, and tightening loose nuts and bolts. Heres a little info on it:

1997 Honda CR125R
Manfacture Date 7/96
Keihin Carb (?)
KYB Pro Pilot(?) Front Shocks
FMF Gold Series Fatty Exhaust
FMF "Power Core 2" Muffler
Turasago Excel Rear Rim w/ Maxxis Tire
HPP stamped on piece of the motor?

Said its got a fairly fresh rebuild on it but it hasnt been used in awhile. Few things I felt were problems was the bike didnt want to idle for a second. He said its a race bike so its not sapposed to idle. The brake pedal for the rear doesnt seem to stop me as much as id expect or like it to. He said it might need adjusting.

I was wondering if someone could point me in the direction of find service manuals or online manuals for this bike. I want to know what the factory spark plug is and what oil weight I should be using. Also a good place to buy parts online.

Here's a two pics during the disassembly and cleaning process.. Obviously it came with the plastics.

 

[2 strokes for life]

Nice bike have fun.

 

[TheSpookman]

Lookin good man, clean her up real good for next time.