Author Topic: Those of you who ride MX...School Me. (Read 4870 times)

iNfErNaL · « **on:** Dec 13, 2006, 01:40:29 PM »

I started riding when I was 4 and rode up untill I was about 19 wich was when I got really into wheelin so I've been out of the loop for a little bit.I know 4 strokes are pretty popular now but I still love the 2 strokes...Here's the deal,my wife wants to ride and I'm thinking of buying her a dirt bike for X-Mas but I don't want to buy her anything too big because she doesen't have very much riding experience so I'm gonna buy her a 125cc...I know gotrocks rides and I've seen a couple others on here as well.Just wondering what bike you guys recomend in the 125 flavor.Not looking for the most power,just wich one is the most reliable.I allways rode Hondas,and I hear 2007 will be the last production year for the CR125,but I was thinking of buying her a KX because both my sons' quads are Kawasakis and my Jeep is the same color.She'll mainly ride the Dunes because we go to Glamis and Baja alot...Whach'yall think?

abnormaltoy · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 04:18:19 PM »

It's been a long time since I've ridden (CZ was still a viable bike), but I know people that ride...you may want to get her something a little bigger. 125s are so pipey, that new riders often have trouble even starting off. Maybe you could check out 185-200cc bikes.

FIREBALL · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 04:33:13 PM »

If it's for your wife and power isn't as big of an issue then I would go for the 4stroke. It's less maintenance and starting is probably going to be easier too, especially if you do a CRF with electric start.
If you're a honda guy you like the CRF's.
A buddy of mine teaches a beginers dirtbike school and he uses several differant size CRF's and they've been great bikes for beginers and up. I thought the 200 was a good combo between a good learner and something you could still have some fun on after you got better.

red · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 04:54:30 PM »

the honda's will be the easiest maintainance and the most reliable. go with a 180-220 size and she will have a great time. quick question tho, how tall is she? the new bikes sit alot higher unloaded for some reason, you almost have to either lay the bike on its side or jump up on a dirtbike to get on it. but once it has some weight it sits at a great height.

kneedownnate · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 06:16:43 PM »

Beginner: 4 stroke honda
dunes: 4 stroke honda
ease of maintenance: 4 stroke honda

So in summary, buy her a 4 stroke honda! Go to the dealer, find a salesman who is willing to do a little talking then fill him in completely on the situation. If he keeps pushing a big bike, tell him he's an asshat and walk to the next salesman, lather, rinse repeat. You may hafta do this a few times before getting somebody who understands, but this is your wife's well being we're talking about, so safety and fitment go hand in hand.

I completely agree on the 200cc range too. If she's about 5'7" or less, the 230 is probably the biggest she'll feel comfortable on, but if she's taller then you may consider the crf 250 enduro version. It'll have many of the characteristics and handling of a 125 2 stroke, but will feel torquier and have a much broader powerband. Also, don't let people mess you up with the term powerband. Many people believe it's what happens when a 2 stroke hits the pipe, but every engine has a powerband, being from it's lowest rpm to redline.

Don't overlook used for her first bike either. She's going to be dropping it more than usual, so an already beat bike that runs well will offer a far lesser loss the more she drops it. If you do look at a used bike for her, I'd strongly recommend the xr200. Very well built and dead reliable. If you really really wanna get her a 2 stroke with good manners though, kawisaki kdx200 all the way!

iNfErNaL · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 09:59:39 PM »

Quote from: red on Dec 13, 2006, 04:54:30 PM

quick question tho, how tall is she?

She's 5'7".

iNfErNaL · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 10:04:42 PM »

Here's some pics of my 5 year old.

iNfErNaL · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 10:20:38 PM »

Thanx for all the info so far guys.

kneedownnate · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 11:02:53 PM »

I love the goggles and lbz sticker! You can totally see the runover from suzuki and kawi joining together, looks almost like a green lt50.

iNfErNaL · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 13, 2006, 11:06:19 PM »

Quote from: kneedownnate on Dec 13, 2006, 11:02:53 PM

I love the goggles and lbz sticker!

Ha ha,thanx he also has a green mohawk that goes over the helmet too.

motorider228 · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 12:50:09 AM »

I have raced motocross for almost 9 years and I have owned hondas, yamahas and kawasakis. The kawasakis are by far my favorite bikes and I have had the least amount of problems with them. I started racing 125's when i was probably about her height or a little shorter and I could control the bike fine. I doubt she needs the power of a 250f because she will probably never see a track so i would get her a crf230f and they aren't too expensive I think a brand new 07 is right around $3500. Just get her suspension set up for her body weight and her height, she will be able to control the bike much easier if it is set up for her.

iNfErNaL · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 01:21:29 AM »

Thanx motorider,I knew you'd chime in as well.So the crf230f is only around $3500?.That's actually pretty good.So that's a 4 stroke I take it?.I've been looking thru TransWorld and Dirt Bike rider and a few others and it seems like 4 strokes are making it big nowadays.When I rode,2 strokes were the shizzle.What's the deal with that?...It's funny,I used to be all into MX and knew all about it and now I feel like a total newbie.

crazywb · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 08:15:05 AM »

I've got around 7 years of racing and been riding since I was 8. I would stay with the 4 strokes for your wife. And the new high performance 4 stokes have just as much maintenance as the old 2 strokes if not more. I have a 06 trx450r with some goodies. The power is awesome fore a four stroke but they don't have the top end of a 2 stroke. Also there is that whole red sticker thing. All 2 stroke and race 4 stroke are red know. That really sucks if you ride in a state or blm park, And besides put her on 4 wheels man

. That way she can easily follow the little one. Check out the Honda 250 4 stroke quad.

CJ

motorider228 · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 09:05:37 AM »

Yes infernal the crf230f is a four stroke and i would reccomend that for your wife because she won't have to shift as much and the power is easy throughout the gear unlike a 2stroke where the power band jumps out at you. Personally I prefer high performance 4 strokes over 2 strokes now just because they are less maintenence and the power out of a high output 4 stroke is insane. I am looking to buy a 2007 kx450f soon so that will be nice. Mainly the 2 strokes were phased out because of the emissions in california and that really killed the 2 stroke industry so they started making 4 strokes with more power and it's awesome. I swore by 2 strokes when I raced minis and moved up to 125's but I bought my first 4 stroke in 03 and I loved it. Any mid sized trail four stroke would be a good choice for her that's why I suggest the crf230f because it is the right size for her in power and size of the bike but she won't be overwhelmed by the power of a 250f.

79coyotefrg · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 09:58:30 AM »

ive always heard 1cc per pound of rider, for beginners.

my buddy recently got a pair of honda 230's and his wife is 5'7" and its a little more than shes comfortable with. even though shes riden befor, i suggested lowering the rear suspension so she would get more control when riding slow so she woulndnt keep beating her shins up

Justina and her Mom both ride where are you Justina?? Beth??

79coyotefrg · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 10:22:44 AM »

this just in from FFC's Mom Beth,

Quote

It depends a lot on her mobility, size and strenghth, but like a horse, get one that isnt going to hurt or scare her. Let her get the feel of it and the sport. Sport cars and racing horses are not the first choice. I started out with a Kawi100 enduro and it was tall enough for me. It is flexible enough for the road or the dirt. Not too powerful but not too lazy. I preferr hondas, and that is what I have now, but the Kawasaki was a good start. Beth

Thanks Beth

*FFC* · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 10:31:36 AM »

Quote from: 79Coyotefrg on Dec 14, 2006, 10:22:44 AM

this just in from FFC's Mom Beth,

Thanks Beth

A Kawi? I don't recall a Kawi

Eenyway, mom pretty much summed it up. Get her something that's not too much power to start out on. Maybe even start her on your kid's quad. I was unable to read the whole thread as I've got like 1 more min on my break and I was just directed to this thread. But if you start her off on something not too powerful, she can work her way up gradually. I'd advise that as it's not only safer, but she'll be more comfortable.

Back to work

skid · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 11:47:45 AM »

Honda recently came out with their crf150r(not to be confuse with the 150f). Cr85 frame with a 150 4 stroke motor. Decent power and about 70 pounds lighter than the 230. Available in a big wheel version also.
http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles/motocross/model.asp?ModelName=CRF150R&ModelYear=2007&ModelId=CRF150R7

The 230 is heavy pig in my opinion. The lack of power and suspenion have detured alot of people.
A 230 in the sand is going to make everyone unhappy. Overweight and underpowered = not going anywhere for a while. Had a friend who didn't listen and bought a ttr 225 or 250. Went to the dunes in Idaho and stayed at camp becuase it would go anywhere. When we got home he traded it in on a wr450.

iNfErNaL · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 12:34:23 PM »

Damn,thanx for the link.I actually like that

.I think that would almost be perfect!!

iNfErNaL · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 12:38:17 PM »

Quote from: crazywb on Dec 14, 2006, 08:15:05 AM

And besides put her on 4 wheels man . That way she can easily follow the little one.
CJ

You know,I actually thought about that.I had told her we should get her a quad a long tme ago but she didn't want one.She just recently told me she's starting to like MX and would like to get a bike.We'll see,we were actually looking at quads online last night.

motorider228 · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 01:18:38 PM »

yes those crf150's are sweet, I was watching some kid out at the track the other day on one and they sound like my 250f. The only thing is, they might not be able to get green stickered so she will be restricted to tracks in the summer and only be able to ride trails in the winter, that's why i suggested a trail style bike.

Edit: I read what skid had to say about the crf230 and that may be true as I do not know AS much about trail bikes as i do about performance bikes. I just know my yz250f has no problem taking my 160pound 6 foot tall ass over a 110 foot double as i was doing las weekend. I figured the crf230 wouldnt be a slow pig but have not be too fast for a beginner. Personally if I was buying my mom a bike and 2 strokes were still ok to ride on trails I would get her a kx100 2 stroke.

skid · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 01:27:19 PM »

Quote from: motorider228 on Dec 14, 2006, 01:18:38 PM

The only thing is, they might not be able to get green stickered so she will be restricted to tracks in the summer and only be able to ride trails in the winter, that's why i suggested a trail style bike.
.

Not too familiar with the sticker thing. If it's a noise or spark arrestor issue, aftermarket silencer's are or will be available.

motorider228 · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 02:20:15 PM »

it used to be a spark arrestor thing but then bikes with them started getting turned down for green stickers and before long all sorts of crazyness started happening with the 2 strokes. When performance 4 strokes first came out you could ride them on trails in the summer but now you cannot, kind of bummed some of my friends out.

red · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 04:49:15 PM »

infernal, take your wife to a powersports dealership near you. if your near midland texas you can come by where i work at "midland powersports". alot of the dealerships have trails you can ride on, just have to talk to one of the sales guys. that way she can test ride them, and find one that she likes.

if you get a honda, get one that has an f on the end of the name. ie, crf150f. its not the race version so its not quite as powerful and has a slightly different suspension tune, its designed for just going out and having fun.

FIREBALL · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 07:24:40 PM »

I don't think the crf230 would be too much power, but I definetly agree, if you are going to the dunes with it, it's not going to be the best choice. I tried it, it definetly needed more power for that.
But is your wife planning on riding a bike at the dunes? If she's not real experienced, a quad my be a better choice. More stability and better handling.

motorider228 · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 07:57:41 PM »

yeah fireball is right if the primary riding will be dunes. alot safer too. i do suggest if you ever take her to the dunes on a bike get a paddle tire. dunes are scary on a bike without a paddle.

skid · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 09:39:03 PM »

Quote from: motorider228 on Dec 14, 2006, 07:57:41 PM

alot safer too.

debateable, I've seen way more quad come after a person on a hill than a bike. Easier on flat ground to ride, but way more effort climbing or side hilling. A lot to do with what your comfortable on.

motorider228 · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 14, 2006, 10:45:22 PM »

well i personally am way safer on a dirtbike, quads scare the

out of me because they dont turn like dirtbikes but for a beginner to putting around trails i think a quad would be safer. Easier to ride in the dunes as well for a beginner. When i ride the dunes to stay on top of the sane i have to be pretty much tapped out in 4th.

iNfErNaL [OP]

iNfErNaL [OP]

iNfErNaL [OP]

iNfErNaL [OP]

iNfErNaL [OP]

iNfErNaL [OP]

iNfErNaL [OP]

Related Topics