which type of bike?

[larrybird1]

1) your physical size 6'-0", 220 lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? moderate
3) what do you plan to ride- mostly woods, fields with friends
4) Do you have any riding experience? little, I've been riding my buddies yzf450 (4wheeler) probably 5-8 times.
5) Do you think you will race ? probably not
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)?
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? 1k-3k
10) Do you live in California? no
11) Your age? 32
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion

originally i was planning on getting a 125 2-stroke to learn and mess around on, but after talking to some people, i'm told that i would be to big for a 125. but i've heard 250 2-strokes are beasts and not for a novice. I prefer a 2 stroke, but would also not mind a 450 4 stroke. so I'm pretty much all over the board.

please advise.

 

[jb_dallas]

You are probably too big for a 125. You would probably lack the experience to handle a 450f...and the cost would be at the top of your budget. Riding a 450 on 4 wheels vs 2 wheels is a whole new game. You might try a 250 2 stroke if you are feeling ballsy or better yet an "old generation" 4 stroke such as a XR400. I own a 2001 XR400 and they are excellent trail bikes which require minimal maintenance. I paid $1800 and it is very clean.

 

[larrybird1]

thanks for the response... i'll look into an xr400. any other ideas i had not thought of are always welcome.

 

[GoldDrum]

I have a 2001 XR400 as well, am 5'11" - 6' and about 210lbs. That bike will stand up if I get into it hard. It is a great bike, had mine almost 2 years and no problems at all. It is a great trail bike, going to be doing more tracks so getting away from it and going with another bike though. As for riding the 450f quad, I have raced a buddy in a grass field who has a Honda TRX450r and we are pretty close now that he has put mods on it. This is a great bike though.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I disagree that anyone is too big for a 125 two stroke. Seat height and suspension they are essentially the same as any other MX bike. They are obviously lacking in power compared to a 250 two stroke or 450 four stroke, which can be a plus or a minus.

I am 6', 200 Lbs and I started off on a 125 two stroke. I really enjoyed that bike and still have it, and will choose to ride it when speed is not an issue. I finally bought a 250 two stroke when I started racing enduros. My best finish (2nd place Super Senior) was on the 125 two stroke, however.

On my last enduro I had the opportunity to ride a 450. This came about because my 250 broke down on Saturday and my 125 broke a clutch cable 30 minutes before the start so a friend loaned me his bike, a WR450F. The only chance I had to ride this bike prior to the race was the 500 yards from camp to the start line, and I almost looped it off the start line. Thank God for the three for free at the start as it gave me time to get used to that low end torque. I don't think I ever opened it up the entire enduro.

My experience is that a quad and bike have very little in common so I wouldn't count on your experience on the quad to help you out much. You are going to want a bike that is easy to learn on and won't get you seriously hurt.

A 125 two stroke is a reasonable bike to learn on. On essentially flat ground it will do fine, more than enough power. You shouldn't have too much problems on moderate hills, you just need to keep your momentum up. It is the gnarly up hills that the 125 will be harder to manage as you have to keep them in the power band to have a shot at climbing the hill. This means keeping your momentum and slipping the clutch when necessary.

Rod

 

[jb_dallas]

I recently owned a RM 125 as my backup bike. I have a friend who is about 240 pounds and probably has less than 10 hours experience on a motorcycle. He was ready to upgrade after about 6 to 8 hours of riding. I sold it and I now I have a XR400 which is much more versitile, way better on the trail, and bulletproof. I will never own another 125 2 stroke. For each their own...I suppose.