Recommendation for first dirt bike?

[Venture]

I don't think it's a secret that I'm not a dirt rider...yet. My motorcycle experience is limited to the street. Although I have a very long history of ATVs and mountain biking, I just never ended up on a motorized dirt machine that only had 2 wheels.

I'm looking for some recommendations for a good first dirt-only cycle. Something reliable that I can cut my dirt teeth on. Preferably something mainstream that is easily found on Craiglist at a good price. Used of course.

Any suggestions?

 

[Yamaguy55]

If you don't limit it to dirt only, then either an XT225 ( electric start, reliable as an anvil, cheap and found easily for about 2500-3000 in Craigslist right now, low miles too.) or if more high tech, and more money, a WR250r. You wouldn't outgrow that very fast. Often, dirt only bikes tend to be high maintenance thoroughbreds or beat cast off toys. The TT series isn't like this, but Yzs and such can be. I have a Wr250R and one of my riding associates has a 225, we just ride them. By the way, if you do get a street legal bike, you can come on up and ride with us. We have me, the old goat, and several others, one of which is from over on ADV and has done the TAT. We'll get you up to snuff in no time.
It has to be plated and street legal in the State Forest where we go, but it is more than demanding enough, plus there's sections for all skill levels.

 

[ptfjjj]

My son has an XT250 enduro and it reminds me a lot of the 250 enduro that I used to ride. I almost forgot how much I miss that bike. A great bike for reasonably gnarly off road riding, but still street legal. The WR250R is also a sweet machine which I've given thought to looking for to give me a chance to get back to the dirt riding that I used to love. That or maybe a WR450. Although the WR's aren't street legal as stock, there are kits to make them so for when you need to get out onto the pavement to get to the dirt. You can even get these new for a pretty good price if you find last years model that a dealer still has taking up space on the sales floor. Offer about 70% MSRP and after a little bit of haggling, you could end up paying maybe $3500 for one. Another great option, if you can find one, is the Suzuki DRZ400. I have looked for them used, but never seem to find any. They are very popular, so once someone gets their hands on one, they hang onto it. Like Yamaguy55 said, the really serious dirt bikes need constant TLC. We used to ride the crap out them all day on Saturday and then spend most of the week tweeking and adjusting them to get them ready to do it all over again the next Saturday.

 

[Yamaguy55]

My son has an XT250 enduro and it reminds me a lot of the 250 enduro that I used to ride. I almost forgot how much I miss that bike. A great bike for reasonably gnarly off road riding, but still street legal. The WR250R is also a sweet machine which I've given thought to looking for to give me a chance to get back to the dirt riding that I used to love. That or maybe a WR450. Although the WR's aren't street legal as stock, there are kits to make them so for when you need to get out onto the pavement to get to the dirt. You can even get these new for a pretty good price if you find last years model that a dealer still has taking up space on the sales floor. Offer about 70% MSRP and after a little bit of haggling, you could end up paying maybe $3500 for one. Another great option, if you can find one, is the Suzuki DRZ400. I have looked for them used, but never seem to find any. They are very popular, so once someone gets their hands on one, they hang onto it. Like Yamaguy55 said, the really serious dirt bikes need constant TLC. We used to ride the crap out them all day on Saturday and then spend most of the week tweeking and adjusting them to get them ready to do it all over again the next Saturday.

One caveat: PA makes you jump through some serious hoops to plate a non-street legal bike, no matter what you do to modify it. Some states, it is silly easy, but not us. I think it is VT that allows you to put plates on two strokes and use them. That would never fly here. So, if you need it to be street legal, (which is my personal vote, as then you can ride it anywhere) you probably should start with a street legal bike to begin with. I ride with a group occasionally, off road. One has a KLR650, which is game, but far too heavy for where we go, another has a DRZ, which is about the most weight you would want, another has a XT225, which goes anywhere, including buzzing down the highway to go home, and I have my WR250R, which is right at the max: it is as much weight as I would call manageable off road. I bought the WRR to take advantage of the huge amount of off road riding around here, and exploring back roads and single/two track. It works very well for that, perhaps even ideal. It isn't a race bike, but it is not only street legal, but upper end suspension. FI, decent power, etc. If you go that route, let ,e know, I'll point you to the standard mods. (you'll need a bashplate, for starters..I'll let you look at mine if you like) By the way, I bought my Wr over in Tamaqua for 4300 bucks and it had 160 miles on it. So you can find good deals used. Worth every penny.

 

[eemsreno]

Venture You said "dirt -only" In that case are you wanting a motocross dirt bike or a woods dirt bike? If you are going to use it on a closed course mx track then real motocross bikes are the only way to go. The modern 4 strokes [250f] can be a bomb wating to explode if you buy used. I still ride 2 stokes that are cheep to fix and easy to work on. If you are wanting a woods bike like KDX 200 or KDX220 or KTM XC 200 They have easier to ride power but do not handle as good as a real MX bike. You can still find new KDX 200 s cheep!!! Brenys cycle in Bettendorf ,Iowa has a new one on there floor for $3,000. It is like a 2004 model though. C&C cycle in Cheriton ,IA. still has a new KDX that is about an 05 model. Dirt biking is major fun and gives you better riding skills if you wear all the right protection it might be safer than the street.

 

[Yamaguy55]

Venture You said "dirt -only" In that case are you wanting a motocross dirt bike or a woods dirt bike? If you are going to use it on a closed course mx track then real motocross bikes are the only way to go. The modern 4 strokes [250f] can be a bomb wating to explode if you buy used. I still ride 2 stokes that are cheep to fix and easy to work on. If you are wanting a woods bike like KDX 200 or KDX220 or KTM XC 200 They have easier to ride power but do not handle as good as a real MX bike. You can still find new KDX 200 s cheep!!! Brenys cycle in Bettendorf ,Iowa has a new one on there floor for $3,000. It is like a 2004 model though. C&C cycle in Cheriton ,IA. still has a new KDX that is about an 05 model. Dirt biking is major fun and gives you better riding skills if you wear all the right protection it might be safer than the street.

+1

 

[toompine]

Anything from a Yamaha TT125LE to to a KDX to a DRZ 400. Get a simple low stressed motor and as light as is reasonable for your weight. You are just startiin to ride dirt so you really do not need mx capable. You want to learn the basics, ride some trails and the bike is going to be way more capable than you for a while. Keep it simple and cheap for a while. I agree that most modern 4 strokes are an issue for reliabality used, but if you buy a non race model you will be ok. Personally I love 2 strokes and they are way easier to work on but they add one more skill levle to ride easily.

Electic start, smallish (easy to foot) and tractable motor and you will be able to concentrate on learning to ride

 

[markjenn]

The key question that needs to be answered is whether you want a dedicated dirt-only machine you are going to trailer to riding areas or whether you need a plated dual-sport. And if you need the plate, how hard is it to plate dirt-only bikes in your state which can vary from incredibly easy to absolutely impossible.

Essentially impossible to advise without this info.

- Mark

 

[switchback]

If you are looking for something to learn on and have no competitive aspirations then try a TTR230 or TT250 (older) both are capable to go anywhere but gentle as you need them to be while learning.
If you want something with more of an edge but still rideable as a noob and something that you won't get tired of too soon then go for a WR250F or a KDX 200.
If you don't mind ending up on your backside you can go bigger but I don't recommend it. Of course my recommendations are Yamacentric (except for the KDX) but those other brands have equivalents.

 

[Venture]

Real good info so far guys, much appreciated.

I'm still thinking dirt only. Here is some additional info:

1. My main riding area is a large properly my dad owns in northern PA, which is all dirt roads/pasture/trails. I really don't need to be street legal for that.
2. May as well keep it as light as possible to get the hang of it. I can always upgrade later.
3. I may actually just leave the bike in the shed up at said property, so limited electronics would be fine (read: carbs vs FI), and I'm certainly fine with a two stroke vs a 4 stroke, we always have chainsaw gas ready to go.
4. If need be I can trailer the bike to a riding area, I guess this is another reason not to worry about the street legality just yet.

 

[trinc4me]

+1

and another +1...........bought a used '07 WR450F, had to rebuild the top end in less than a year...$$$$

 

[ptfjjj]

Real good info so far guys, much appreciated.

I'm still thinking dirt only. Here is some additional info:

1. My main riding area is a large properly my dad owns in northern PA, which is all dirt roads/pasture/trails. I really don't need to be street legal for that.
2. May as well keep it as light as possible to get the hang of it. I can always upgrade later.
3. I may actually just leave the bike in the shed up at said property, so limited electronics would be fine (read: carbs vs FI), and I'm certainly fine with a two stroke vs a 4 stroke, we always have chainsaw gas ready to go.
4. If need be I can trailer the bike to a riding area, I guess this is another reason not to worry about the street legality just yet.

With all of that said, I would look no further than WR250F. Light, simple, plenty of power, and should be easy enough to find in good shape and at low cost.

 

[switchback]

I will pretty much stand by my prior post. Any TT, TTR, XR trail bike will do well. Highly recommend the KDX for good power and light weight.

 

[switchback]

With all of that said, I would look no further than WR250F. Light, simple, plenty of power, and should be easy enough to find in good shape and at low cost.

Also good choice but go 2003 and newer to get the e-start. Kicking some of these hot can be a b!tc#.

 

[markjenn]

I'd go simple/light, but utilitarian, nothing exotic. The two-strokes are seriously simple/light, but most are a little too grip-and-rip/serious for a beginner. The 450's are rip-snorters too, so I'd tend towards the 250's or perhaps a DRZ400e. KTM's are the performance bikes in the enduro category, but they're all pretty expensive and serious.

Don't overlook simple four-stroke, air-cooled trail bikes like the XR250's. When the locals are out cleaning and scouting trails, you won't find them on high-strung MX bikes or KTMs, you'll see them on XR250's. That being said, I'd tend to stay away from the bargain basement dual-sports like are used in MSF beginner courses (XT225, DR200, etc.) which are seriously suspension challenged.

There is a tendency to overbuy WAY beyond one's needs or abilities - I'm as guilty as the next as I got a KTM300 for my first dirtbike since childhood and while it was a great bike, it was WAY too much bike for a novice. I'm on a DRZ400S now and much happier as it serves both as a simple trail bike and a light adventure rig. DRZ's are hard to beat because they've been around so long, there's a huge selection usually available and the aftermarket is robust.

- Mark

 

[Venture]

What are your guys thoughts on air vs. liquid cooling on a 250cc dirt bike? I'm actually surprised to see liquid cooling on an engine this small.

 

[Koinz]

Liquid cooling are on bikes as small as an 85cc. My son had a yz85. That thing ripped. Like any liquid cooled bike, they say the engine last longer due to more stable engine temperatures. The only issue I had was the water pump seal started to drip. 50 dollars in parts fixes that. They always recommend replacing the bearing and impeller shaft when that happens.

Of course, if you wipe out and damage the radiator or blow a head gasket your into a lot more money to fix it.

 

[markjenn]

What are your guys thoughts on air vs. liquid cooling on a 250cc dirt bike? I'm actually surprised to see liquid cooling on an engine this small.

You'll tend to see air-cooling on the lower-performance playing-around bikes, liquid-cooling on the higher performance more competition-oriented bikes. This stands to reason.... the more-expensive, higher-performing models can afford to do liquid-cooling and need to for their higher specific engine outputs.

Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. Provided the rest of the bike meets your needs, I wouldn't make it a deciding factor. Everything else being equal, a liquid cooled bike should last longer, but in this class of bike in which the use is only occasional, it is only a tiny fraction of engines that reach their service life - most are wrecked or the owner lets it sit one winter, never to start again.

- Mark

 

[Venture]

Ok guys, I think I got enough to keep my eyes open now. I'll probably take a ride to the dealer to check out the WR lineup and to see if they have anything suitable in stock.

 

[ptfjjj]

Check this out:

http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/2007-Yamaha-WR250F--97739778

I wonder if you could get this for $3500 cash?