Which bike?

[jmnvhc]

Hi all, new to dirt riding with 7 years sportbiking on street( if that means anything for dirt) thanks for the advice:

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'9" 190lb
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Semi-agressive. I wouldn't bother with a dirtbike if I didn't plan to catch some air.
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
woods, OHV areas, maybe try MX track or two.
4) Do you have any riding experience?
7 years on a sportbike, couple of track days. No dirt.
5) Do you think you will race ?
99.9% chance of no
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
Yes
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
Yam/Honda/Suz, in that order, 2 or 4 stroke? Not sure
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
Yes, and all of the above, but I'm buying used.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
Up to 3 grand.
10) Do you live in California?
no, Oregon.
11) Your age?
34
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
Considering dual sport, but not a requirement.
Still want light-weight (no 650s).

Thanks again.

 

[jmnvhc]

Okay, I've been reading some more posts on 2 or 4 strokes, and I'm starting to open my mind up to 2-strokes more. I haven't seen a single post where someone says just not to get a 2-stroke, only posts talking about how fun they are.

I was concerned about maintenance, but it seems like easier and more often may be just as good as more difficult and less often. I've done valve clearances on my street bikes and that is a PITA, but I only had to do it once every 10k miles or so. They also had 3 more cylinders :)

Anyway, not knowing anything about 2-strokes or dirt bikes but having basic 4-stroke mechanical experience, is it easy to get into the routine of taking care of a 2-stroke?

If so I think I might switch over... I'm thinking a 125, but will that haul my fat a** around ? :)

Thanks for any advice.