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Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

I didn't even think about suspension. That's a good point.

So smaller 2 smoke, bigger 4 stroke. Got it.

Bigger 4 strokes are hard to find around here for under $5Kto$6k, but if you want something street legal from the get-go that performs well off road, a Suzuki DRZ-400S (or DRZ-400SM if your into Super-Motard style bike) may be the way to go. Google the bike & check the reviews.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

I'm 45 years old 6'2" 200#s I had a Tenere, got tired of a big bike.
I now have a 2009 KTM 450 exc and I love it I have 14 acres I plan on making an enduro track. I also ride out at Hidden Falls and I can also ride around town if I want too.
It was $3000 for the win.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

I know from speaking to you that you want to learn those skills that so many of us learned growing up, usually with minimal injuries instead of the ones that can come with crashing a big bike. So, if I'm spending your money (I know you don't mind instruction) go here,

http://texastornadobootcamp.com/


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUJZDIf4_a0"]Texas Tornado Boot Camp Shofner Films - YouTube[/ame]


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQwklL_DyzI"]Getting Sideways at Texas Tornado Boot Camp TTBC Video | Riders Domain - YouTube[/ame]
Some inappropriate language, it is Collin Edwards after all. :trust:


If you didn't need a plated bike and you could find a decent one, I think the KDX would be excellent for you.
 
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Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

"as I have seen many $11K KTMs out putting around dirt roads you can drive a Camry down, and those guys have big smiles on their faces."

Using them as intended, lol!
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

"as I have seen many $11K KTMs out putting around dirt roads you can drive a Camry down, and those guys have big smiles on their faces."

Using them as intended, lol!

Is that the KTM drivers or the Camry drivers with the smiles, or maybe both? :lol2:
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

As you have read so far, "which dirt bike should I get" is quite a bit like what should I have for dinner. It really all just depends. For me, my next dirt bike will be a KTM 250 XC-W and I am going to have a blast on it. But the type of riding may not be the type of riding you want to do.

I do agree with JohnF in that to me a dirt bike is just that, a dirt bike. And plating a dirt bike for use in TX is kind of a waste of time, effort, and money. They aren't fun to ride on the pavement for any more than a few miles, and unless you are one of the very few that live down the road from the national forest by Houston, then you aren't riding just a few miles to get to any trails. For places like Big Bend, I couldn't stand my plated dirt bike. It was great if you wanted to blitz the fire roads at mach 1 but that really isn't the point of going out to Big Bend if you ask me. I can go fast at a bunch of places closer to home.

If it were me, and I had a 5 acre place, and wanted to ride on it, I would either be looking for a used KTM 200, or heck even a trials bike. Then I could go out in my back yard and put around over some rocks or trees and have a blast going 0.5mph. Something like a 450 would just be way overkill on a small piece of property I feel.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

I went through several bikes over a few years on my way to what I own now. All were plated and all were 4 strokes. The key to me was to buy right so that you can get out of it with almost no loss if you decide you want something else. Buying and selling the right bikes is pretty easy. I even had one 2 weeks :-)

Since you're so new to dirt a 250 would probably be ideal. Not too hard of a throttle hit and super light to pick up.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

... or heck even a trials bike. Then I could go out in my back yard and put around over some rocks or trees and have a blast going 0.5mph. Something like a 450 would just be way overkill on a small piece of property I feel.

That would be a skill builder. It's advice I should take myself.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

If it were me, and I had a 5 acre place, and wanted to ride on it, I would either be looking for a used KTM 200, or heck even a trials bike. Then I could go out in my back yard and put around over some rocks or trees and have a blast going 0.5mph. Something like a 450 would just be way overkill on a small piece of property I feel.

A trials bike is exactly where I ended up. Reflecting on it we I could have put in a decent, though small, track around the perimeter or our place, but it would have meant ruining the place for all the other things we like to do there. KTMs munch ground.

I ended up with Helwig's Sherco and have been adding obstacles in the lower pasture ever since. Even turning figure eights in the ditch by the road can be a challenge if they are tight enough. If skill building is the goal, then a trials bike is a good option. Nothing reveals your sins like a trials bike.

Funny, I had six bikes at one point and the one that I used to get around the farm most frequently was a DR200.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

I find my self not riding as much as a few years ago, but I find the riding I do on my trials bike to be most fun/work and fulfilling, with little chance of debilitating injury.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

As noted earlier, suspension makes or breaks the off-road experience. At 260# you're looking at springs and valving at a minimum, unless you like blowing through the stroke on a routine basis.

Also, you might want to ride a few bikes before pulling the trigger. 2 strokes' power delivery frequently catches novice riders off-guard, and require a higher level of finesse than 4 bangers. Newer riders often prefer engines that "lug", which is a 4 strokes' domain.

Your geared-up weight approaches 280+, and 250Fs will struggle. 350s have a large following, but expect to drop more than $3K, as nice used versions sell quickly. A de-tuned 450 might be your best bet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

A trials bike is pretty specialized. That wouldn't be my recommendation for a first dirt bike. Something more generalized makes sense to me. That leads me back your plain Jane 250.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

I'm selling an 06 ktm 450xc that's plated. You should buy one of those. ;-)
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

Borrow a bike from a friend. Look for a dated and tired 250 / 350 four stroke like an XR250, XT250/350, XR400, DR350, DR250. Get one with a front disk, so stay away from old stuff from the 80's.

$1000 should do fine. Go fine tune your off road skills on a clunker and decide what you like more: power, light weight, comfort, outright power, low end torque, ground clearance, low seat height, wheelies, not wheelies, jumping ability, etc, etc...

Here's a DR, street legal, $1400 in Dallas, 1900 miles, dual disks, electric start, 85 mph top speed. https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/mcy/d/1997-suzuki-dr350/6625847155.html This is a bike you could thrash for ever and sell for what you paid ($1200 is probaby fair price to buy it for). My son Sid rode one 5,000 miles across Mexico and aside from a leaking valve stem, he never put a wrench to it. Texas to Guanajuato to Zihuataneo to Salyulita to Phoenix and lots of stuff in between. And, despite being on an old underpowered kinda heavy and squishy bike, he never had issues being at the front of the pack on Mextrek, drifting in and out of corners on the edge of traction. These old bikes usually had rear racks standard so hanging a set of saddlebags off it is easy, as is taking extra gas and a tail pack. And most will run 60 - 70 MPH highway so you can get from home to trail on a freeway if needed.

Buy cheap, learn what you like, sell. Then move up to something to make your heart race. Sid rides a KTM450 and a WR426 now and will forever appreciate just how capable they are in comparison. But he definitely had more genuine smiles on the DR350.

As you learned with the Africa Twin, it may pop wheelies and go uber fast, but so does a V-Max.

Colin's boot camp, especially if you can find a one day camp, is the best money you'll ever spend to become a better rider. And it is redic fun.

Peter

20171029_123810-XL.jpg
 
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Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

Get a KTM380EXC :mrgreen:
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

I'd vote for these as a first dirt bike, but the last 2 for ease of buying and selling and not taking a loss:

CRF250L - 1 vote
WR250 - 1 vote
DRZ-400 - 1 vote
DR350 - 1 vote
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

The TT is the dirt only version of the XT350 I recommended. The one downside of this bike is the overly complicated dual carb setup. So, given ethanol in modern fuel, I'd like to withdraw the xt/tt350 from my nomination list. Stick with an xt 250 or be safe and go honda xr or suzuki dr 250/350/400.
 
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Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

Jarrett, like you I too have a AT and great as it is, the darn thing still weighs 525 lbs at least, more when I am tired.

I picked up a lightly used Husky FE510S and freaking love it. It must have 70% of the HP the AT does but at 50% the weight. It is a thousand times better off-road than the AT, but it isn't as good on the street as the AT.

There is no one perfect bike, but if you have twin, the KTM 500 or Husky 501 is a great addition. I have been pondering the need for an even lighter KTM 250 2T or something like that, but I need to get more saddle time on what i have now before i can justify yet another bike.
 
Re: IF I were to get a dirt bike, what should I get?

Yeah... definitely three bikes if you want to cover the whole spectrum well :lol2:

I have my 1200 GS, which is an awesome road bike and decent adventure bike. This is the bike I'd ride to Alaska and back. or on some prolonged adventure trip.

I have my KTM 530 EXC, which is a total BLAST on tight twisty pavement and handles the really nasty two track, and some single track. This bike gets trailered to a general area, then I might spend a week riding it, camping along the way or doing hotels. For instance, I've trailered it to Montana, Arkansas, and North Carolina. I would never ride it to any of those places and back. IF I had the money to spend, I would upgrade this to a 500 EXC so I could get the fuel injection.

IF I had the time to ride one and the money to spend, I'd be all over the KTM 300 two stroke. I got to ride one in the sandy trails in the SHNF and loved it. This would be a day ride only bike. I would not try to load it up with camping gear. I'd trailer to and camp in a single spot and ride out/back each day. If I wanted to camp somewhere else, I'd load up and trailer there too.
 
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