Dirt bikes anyone?

[General Lee 01]

I want to own a Dirt Bike sometime (It's on my "Things to do before I die" list ).

 

Do they have manual Clutches like the Yamaha Raptor I was disscussing in the ATV thread?

[Wingnut]

Yup.

[General Lee 01]

Oh  yeah, I forgot to ask some things...

 

What brand do you guys think make the best?

 

 

What's the difference between 125cc and 250cc?

[Wingnut]

What's the difference between 125cc and 250cc?

About 125 cc's  

 

As far as what brand...I always liked KTM. Had a 125, and a 250.

 

What brand is entirely up to you.

 

People are just as opinionated about Yammies vs. Kawisakis vs. Honda vs. etc.... as they are about Chevy and F###.

 

Just ride a few, and see what you like....Then pick the one with your favorite color.

[MarkD]

What's the difference between 125cc and 250cc?

How much do you weigh?

 

A 125 cc will have a lot more power than you would think.  The problem is, the powerband is more eratic.  Say it has a 13k redline, it may not have any power below around 6k rpm, and then around 9k rpm, it takes off like a starving rotweiler after a cat.  No kidding, it feels like the handlebars are trying to run away from you.

 

The 250 will have more low end grunt, and probably be a funner (word?) pleasure ride.

[Z71GUY]

Well, when talking about the 125cc vs the 250cc in a 2 stroke engine, thats a big difference.  All depends for your weight and riding ablility...the 125 is a good size to start out...the 250 is just a beast, too much to handle for a first bike.  I've seen guys buy the bigger 250 because they could and end up selling it for a 125.  Something you may want to consider are the 4 stroke versions of their bikes....MUCH smoother power (no insane powerband) and more lower end grunt.

 

As for the brand, as mentioned above...just ride 'em and pick the one you want.  I would suggest the Honda's though....my friends and I have had VERY good luck with them.... very strong & long lasting engines.  

[General Lee 01]

How much do you weigh?

About 180 or 185.

 

 

 

What do you recommend for the inexperienced rider?

[Z71GUY]

125 2 stroke -or- 250 4 stroke

[MarkD]

125 2 stroke -or- 250 4 stroke

Ditto!

 

When you first ride it make sure you have plenty of flat, clear area to learn how the bike responds before you experiment.

 

I rode a friends Husqvarna (sp?) 250 years ago.  I started out on it and was disappointed with the power (all I had used was 2k-4k rpm).  So... I grabbed a handfull of throtle. Around 5k to 6k rpm, it was like twin turbos.  The front end came up and I had to wait until the power leveled off to losen my grip on the left handlebar and back off of the throtle.

[Z71GUY]

125 2 stroke -or- 250 4 stroke

Ditto!

 

When you first ride it make sure you have plenty of flat, clear area to learn how the bike responds before you experiment.

 

I rode a friends Husqvarna (sp?) 250 years ago.  I started out on it and was disappointed with the power (all I had used was 2k-4k rpm).  So... I grabbed a handfull of throtle. Around 5k to 6k rpm, it was like twin turbos.  The front end came up and I had to wait until the power leveled off to losen my grip on the left handlebar and back off of the throtle.

Your story made me laugh.  One of my friends bought a YZ250 from a guy he worked with.  Well, he putted around a small field and bought it.  We went riding that weekend and I almost fell off my quad laughing the first time he nailed the throttle....looked like a wild horse trying to buck him off.  He ended up selling it for a thumper (4 stroke)

 

This is my analogy of engines for bikes, excluding power characteristics (ie powerbands)

 

125 2 stroke = 250 4 stroke

250 2 stroke = 450 4 stroke

 

Also keep in mind how complex each engine is to work on.  A 2 stroke motor will require more maintance than a 4 stroke (ie top end rebuilds) but they are MUCH easier to do.  There are no valves to mess with, no cams or rocker arms.  A 4 stroke can go much longer before a top end rebuild but is more complex (same as a normal car engine).  Just something to keep in the back of your mind...

 

Eric