Thinking about getting a dirtbike, few questions

As the title states, Im thinking about getting a dirtbike. Bare with me here, Im sort of a noob. Ive been around quads my whole life Anyways, for a new rider, is a 125 a good starter bike? im 6'+ 160lbs. Anything under a 125 I think would be too small for me. Ive also thought about a 150 or a 200, too much for a new rider? Ive ridden a 200 before, only once and it was my first time on a dirtbike. Definatly want a 2-stroke. Thoughts, comments, concerns?

 

bump. anyone?

 

All depends on what u want. If you wanna race a two stroke won't keep up. IMHO two strokes are fading fast. In the trails you will foul out plugs than the thing won't run. Get a 4 stroke 250 and your all set!

 

are you looking at getting something new? and what are you looking are do trails? race?

 

Im not going to race haha

Not new. Mostly trails. I was thinking yz125? Anyone have experience with those? I was also thinking a KTM 125, but those are pricey!

 

Which do you prefer? 2-stroke or 4-stroke? And why?

 

Four stroke! They r much more reliable don't have to rev the hell out of them
All day long in the trails. Don't have to worry about fouling a plug or
Messing with reeds and all that crap. Buy a four stroke they don't stink easier to ride on the trails since a two stroke always wants to go faster it's hard to keep at a constant throttle.

 

I thought 4-strokes had good low end power and 2-strokes had the high end power?

 

4 stroke.

Smoother power band... good torque available over a wider RPM range.
2 strokes have a very narrow band, and when they hit, they hit hard.
Inexperienced riders quite often loop it.

Of course, I've looped my 250 thumper a couple of times....




Yes, I'm flat-footing it. I'm 6'3".
Yes, I moved the pegs down and back, and modded the seat with foam that's 2" taller.

 

If you want a 2 stroke than definitely get a 125cc and if you want more power later on big bored it

If i was you id get a 250 4 stroke and since you do trails id recommend a crf250x. They are really easy to ride and they go as fast as you want them to go so they are okay for beginner riders. Plus you get electric start with a headlight on the x model. I ride both trail and track so i have the crf250r and it does great in both

 

Well this is interesting haha I figured a 2-stoke is a good starter bike.. My friends KTM 200 has a pretty wide power band

250 isnt to much for a beginner rider?

 

+1 on the dual-purpose competition grade bike.

Stay away from the 230, and be careful with Yamaha's WR series. When I got mine, the only difference between the WRf and YZf engine was the cam timing (easy enough to change). The WR had a wide-ratio gearbox which was AWESOME for trails... 1st gear you could idle at a walking pace, and the rev limiter in 5th was around 80mph (got there a few times in Ocotillo).
By comparison, the YZ is a pure competition bike. 50 pounds lighter without the starter and battery, but also tops out at around 65mph... and that's screaming wound out at the rev limiter (12k?).
The WR will cruise 65 all day in 5th.

BUT.....

Somewhere around 2008, Yamaha revamped the WR250 lineup and added a true dual sport and a street legal Motard.
At the same time, they separated the engine from the YZ design, so it became more than just a detuned YZ.

I'm not familiar with Honda's offerings, but in 2005 the CRF250x was the equivalent of the WR250F. Don't know if they took the same road departing from the pure performance of the CRF later or not.

 

wow thats some really good info. thanks! il keep this in mind

 

If you want a great woods bike that will be very low on maintenance upkeep look for a pre-owned ktm 200 xc-w. it's a 200 2 stroke with electric start and it's geared for smooth power ideal for the woods. Maintenance on a 4 stroke is very expensive compared to the 2 stroke. top end rebuild on a 4 stroke = $5-600 every 40-50 hours. Top end rebuild kit for ktm = $ 140 once a year at most. The ktm will have a bit more power but will also be a smoother power hit than a 125 that you'll have to run the piss out of to get it to go anywhere.

 

250 4-stroke competes in the same class as the 125 2-stroke.
450 4-stroke competes in the same class as the 250 2-stroke.

Oh... that's right... the AMA is doing everything they can to kill the 2-stroke.


But seriously, a 4-stroke is SO much simpler.
There's no mixing oil into your fuel... run out of gas on the trail and you can bum a gallon from anyone. Plugs last for-freaking-ever. Fuel lasts almost twice as long. Even on the stock tank (the '05 WR had a 3 gallon tank I think?) my buddy and I could ride 80 miles.
We added 4.3 gallon "desert tanks" and can make over 100 miles now.

And the EPA and some states are progressively taking steps to ban 2-strokes from the trails. Already, in California, you are severely limited in the "season" for riding what is called "red-sticker" bikes. In some desert areas it's Labor Day to Memorial day. In some mountain areas it's Dec-15 to Jan-15.

 

++++1

 

I wouldnt think so I pretty much jumped from a ttr125 to a crf250r when i was 12. Like i said they go as fast as you want them to go. A 2 stroke can get away from you and a 4 stroke can too but the 4 stroke has a much smoother power band plus i think they are easier on trails than a 2 stroke. I own both a kx144 and a crf250r and id take the 250 over the 144 just because its smoother. My kx144 is faster than my 250 and hauls ass but like anything you can control it to go as fast as you want it to go.

 

two of my friends have the KTM 200 xc. not the xc-w though. great bike just really pricey

Im well aware of the red sticker issue.. i used to have a 2-stoke quad lol. seems like most everyone is leaning towards a 4-stoke on here

 

Go with a 250 four stroke, im 5'9 and 140 pounds and its perfect for me so it'll be great for you and it has good power in all rpms. I have a kawasaki 250f right now, i had a yz125 2 stroke and it was good but youll like the 250 better! Good luck

edit: if you get a 125 youll want to upgrade later, so just go for the 250

 

i love 2 stokes. i would still have one if more people made em. seems they are fading. plus my 450 yamaha runs superb and takes very little maint. it has crazy torque, full fmf exhaust with megabomb header. but i still love 2 strokes.. btw I'm 6' 170 pounds so size doesn't always pick your bike, more about your skill