Which bike for mudding?

[crashnburn86]

Help plz need to buy bike soon

Ok so i have NEVER ridin before and im looking into getting a bike very soon. I just purchased 7 acres and im planning on making trails throughout the whole property. Alot of it is muck so i need a bike that will be good in the mud. Im 6'3 190 and i dont know what size bike cc or anything. i dont need a new bike im looking at used i only have 1200$ so if anyone could help me out here any advice would be great im clearly the trail this weekend so i need to figure out which bike soon :-)

 

[Deadohiosky39]

It kinda depends on some other factors. Fill out the form at the top of the What Bike To Get section and it will give us a better idea of what to suggest. I would say with your size a 250 two stroke or 450 4 stroke would be good. But, i'm not sure you could find either of those in your price range and they might be a little to "hardcore" depending on how aggressive you are. They would also require a lot more maintainece than say an xr400 and without knowing if you are doing the work yourself, have a dealer close by that would do the work or what its hard to suggest a race bike like those. An xr400 or a similar bike is pretty bulletproof and would do pretty well at the trails so that's my choice until you give us a little more detail. Do you have a preference on two stroke vs four stroke or one brand over another?

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Yeah, fill out the form in the sticky, otherwise the advice could be all wrong.

In addition to the sticky:

Is there a specific purpose for this bike, or is it just for fun? By specific purpose I mean like you intend to use the bike primarily for transport around the property, such as checking on livestock or moving sprinkler systems. By "fun" I mean that you intend to cut some trails and just ride.

If your property is essentially flat and you just need to get around I would recommend a four stroke "off road" model, one that has a kickstand, headlight, etc. Something like a Yamaha TTR230. Cheap, very low maintenance.

If you intend to build a MX track and get aggressive then you would want a MX bike. To get into your price range I would recommend something like a Yamaha YZ-125 two stroke.

Do you have a significant other that might also ride this bike?

Rod

 

[crashnburn86]

Sorry i didnt see this first time on forum.... so heres the info.

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
6'3 190
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
i have never ridin but i always say go big or go home so i guess that means aggresive :-)
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
woods ... i bought 7 acres only 1 acre is cleared and 6 of it is thick thick woods with alot of muck im going in the weekend to make trails for the bike..
4) Do you have any riding experience?
none
5) Do you think you will race ?
never.. strickly for fun making trails mudding ect...maybe a couple jumps when i get some clay to build em.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
yes and if i cant do it i have friends that can
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
no but i was looking at a honda crf 230f ive heard there good trail bikes?
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
i live in orlando im sure theres dealers for anything around but i want used
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
eh depends 1k - 2k trying to spend less then 1200 but if need be.....:-/
10) Do you live in California?
nope
11) Your age?
22
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion

i have never ridin and i know nothing about bikes so anything would be help... thx

 

[XRpredator]

for mudding?

one of these:

 

[crashnburn86]

lol im not talking about deep mud its just alot of muck on the roperty it goes from dry to wet dry to wet so in my trails i will have anywhere from 0 inch of mud to maybe 1 foot at most so i need something that could possibly push through it if i hit a patch. looking for so more helpfull advice

 

[_JOE_]

An xr250 would be fine. 400 would be more powerful. 250 2 stroke would be even quicker. At 190lb I would stick to a bike with long travel suspension, you will be pounding the suspension on a 230 if you leave the ground.

 

[mideastrider]

1200 bucks is going to limit you for many models. But for that money you can almost always fine a late 90's KDX that will suit your needs.

 

[crashnburn86]

Thx joe i need more advice on bikes not on how my money is going to limit me i can get whatever i just would prefer not spending alot on my first bike. so forget about cost i need opinions on what bike will suite me for that property....looked at the xr250 i like the looks of the crf's is there a crf250? if so would that be good?

 

[_JOE_]

MX 4 strokes are high budget machines. Trail bikes are really durable with minimal maintenance. It depends alot on how hard and how often you ride. Don't buy the cheapest bike you find. Often times a little more money up front can get you a bike that will end up costing you less in the long run. I still say XR, 250cc+ or KDX for bashing around the woods and roostin some muck.

 

[crashnburn86]

k so i looked at the xr 250 if its more durable then the crf230+ then ill go for that but remember when u say kdx i dont know what kind ur talking about so what kdx do u recomend?....im willing to spend a bit more in the megining if i can beat the bike up and not worry about it .. lemme know? thx joe

 

[_JOE_]

Honda replaced the XR name with CRF around the time they started the MX 4 strokes. They also changed the engine sizing. Now you have the 150f and 230f instead of the 250 and 400. The 650s are still made. They are comparable in reliability. The newer, smaller bore crf/f's will not be big enough for you. You should probly stick to the older, taller models.

Kawasaki makes the kdx, it's a trail tuned 2 stroke with soft suspension for woods riding. These bikes have a cult following. I've never owned or ridden one. They seem to have more issues, however minor they may be, than the xr's.

Look for the cleanest, newest bike you can possibly afford.

 

[_JOE_]

Something like this......http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=167267&highlight=250

You could find one cheaper I'm sure. Just gotta wait and see what pops up.

 

[crashnburn86]

Awsome joe i appreciate all this help im going to start searching for an xf or kdx 250+ when i find one ill post the link so maybe i coudl get ur opinion that link u sent me on the xf i loved that bike but its in ohio im in florida looking for something close......

 

[crashnburn86]

http://orlando.craigslist.org/mcy/869454096.html
http://orlando.craigslist.org/mcy/873772654.html

im finding alot of 200 cc and 230 hard to get 250?.. would those be to small?

 

[crashnburn86]

also what do u think about a yz or yzf 426 im finding those fairly cheap 1600 and under on craigs list ?....

 

[_JOE_]

The kdx would be worth a look. It's a full sized trail bike, which is what will serve you best. Simple design, easy to work on, minimal service. The 200/230s are shorter and less powerful.

The 426 is an mx bike. Probly more power and maintenance than you want.

 

[crashnburn86]

ok the only thing that confuses me is u say the 200/230's are less powerfull then why do u say look at the kdx 220? isnt 220 less powerfull? and how do i know what is a trail bike or mx.....

 

[jackflack44]

no, the kdx is a 2 stroke. 2 strokes happen to be so beastly, that their beastliness can make their engine half the size of a 4 stroke and still competitive. cuz 2 strokes rule.

 

[jackflack44]

as for the mx v trails. kawasaki kx's are for mx, klx, kdx, for trails. honda cr for mx crf for trails and mx. yamaha yz for mx. ttr, wr for trails. suzuki rm for mx. Drz for trails. of course there are more but idk off the top of my head

 

[crashnburn86]

so i found a 2007 yamaha ttr 230 4 stroke for 1800 and the guy is willing to do trade for something i have.... it only has 10 hours of run time he just bought it to teach his wife to drive a motorcycle now she has a bike now and the have no need for it.... what do u guys think? is it big enough for me? i have pictures and it looks brand new

 

[_JOE_]

MUCH too small. Even a full size mx bike will be smaller than ideal for 6'3". That 230 is at least a few inches shorter, and way underpowered for almost 200lbs.

 

[justalonewolf007]

so i found a 2007 yamaha ttr 230 4 stroke for 1800 and the guy is willing to do trade for something i have.... it only has 10 hours of run time he just bought it to teach his wife to drive a motorcycle now she has a bike now and the have no need for it.... what do u guys think? is it big enough for me? i have pictures and it looks brand new

No. It is not big enough for you.

I am an entire 13 inches smaller than you and about 85 pounds lighter, and would not get a TTR 230 if you paid me to. (well...okay if you paid me a lot I might get one...if I could leave it in the garage and buy a different one...).

You will regret the 230...Shop around a little more and get a Honda XR 250 or 400.

They are bullet proof, pretty snorty if you uncork them, and GREAT for mudding. It'll also hold it's value for quite a long time...Maintainance is super easy on them too.

 

[crashnburn86]

k glad i asked lol....ill keep seraching ill post next one i find

 

[crashnburn86]

k so im going to look at this bike on friday? any objections? big enough for me? oh and im not 200 i weighed myself im 190 not big diff but w/e and im 6'2!... anyways lemme know what u think i heard kdx's are bigger then ttr's. Plus its a 2 stroke so it has more power?..