Bike recommendation

[Kohldanielzimmer]

I’ve been into stand ups for a long time but never ridden dirt bikes (save my trusty trail 70 as a kid). My brother is getting me interested in riding.

Looking for recommendations. I’m 6’3”, 185 lbs. will be mostly trail riding. I prefer Japanese but that’s just my general inclination from car/jet ski experience.

Of course I love 2strokes but ( as mentioned) I have no riding experience so not sure if a 4 stroke makes any more sense for me due to flatter power band.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Quinc]

Honda cr250 or Yamaha yz250 is a great cheap bike if you want to stick with 2stroke. Or any of the big name 450's would be good. If you need a taller bike with a ton of power you can get XR600's pretty cheap too.

 

[Big Kahuna]

What kind of riding are you wanting to do?????????

 

[kevbo]

You don’t need a lot of power for trail riding. The four stroke 250s are very easy to ride and you are tall enough to touch the ground. Start there.

 

[Kohldanielzimmer]

You don’t need a lot of power for trail riding. The four stroke 250s are very easy to ride and you are tall enough to touch the ground. Start there.

I was leaning this way. Brands of preference? Years?

 

[kevbo]

They are all modern designs since they replaced twostrokes in the mid 2000s. I like Yamahas or Hondas just because of parts availability. KTM has a good one.

 

[Quinc]

Or if you can find a Yamaha bigwheel 350 it's the perfect bike.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

depends on if you want to putt put on trails or if you want to go fast , the Honda crf230f or CRF250f is hard to beat for just riding trails, if you want to go fast look at a Honda CRF250R or a Yamaha WR250F

 

[800750]

Honda or Yamaha 250f. 450s are way touch power for us mortals. Yamaha got the 250f right from the get go with out many reliability problems.

 

[Sparkplug]

Stark. My buddy has 3 snow bikes. 4 or 5 2022+ bikes. Track at his house. Said stark blew his mind. Quirky. Lil bit. But power is insane. Ride time is fine for trail.

 

[Mobile Chernobyl]

What's your budget?
Where do you ride?
What type of riding? (Track style motocross woth jumps? Trails in the mountains? Huge sandy hill climbs? Flat turn tracks through fields?)

I have a Beta 250 2 stroke. Highly reccomend finding an electric start 2 stroke with a wide ratio 6spd gear box and hydraulic clutch.

But it really comes down to your planned and preferred riding! I wouldn't keep my bike if I were strictly riding motocross for instance but it can take me to the top of any mountain in Colorado or the southwest!

 

[Kohldanielzimmer]

What's your budget?
Where do you ride?
What type of riding? (Track style motocross woth jumps? Trails in the mountains? Huge sandy hill climbs? Flat turn tracks through fields?)

I have a Beta 250 2 stroke. Highly reccomend finding an electric start 2 stroke with a wide ratio 6spd gear box and hydraulic clutch.

But it really comes down to your planned and preferred riding! I wouldn't keep my bike if I were strictly riding motocross for instance but it can take me to the top of any mountain in Colorado or the southwest!

I don’t wanna spend much more than 5k.
Trail riding in mountains. Maybe pismo dunes but rarely.

 

[Mobile Chernobyl]

Look for a used ktm 300 XC-W 2 stroke, no older than 2012. Covid pricing is not really impacting used bikes as bad so you *might* be able to find a 2017 or newer which is ideal as they have a great counterbalanced motor and great ergonomics starting that year.

A 300 2 stroke is ideal for trails in the mountains as it can lug like a mule all day and for your height/weight you'll appreciate the power.

I don't ride KTMs personally but usually reccomend them to people in your position as they are easier to find parts for and more common on the used market than other niche brands like Beta.

Jap 2 stroke bikes are great and all for the track or racing but you gotta be honest with yourself on their age these days, as only yamaha still makes a 250 2 stroke. But it's still Kickstart only and even the 'wide ratio' x version is still a mid ratio 5 speed at best compared to all the euro 2 stroke trail bikes. Kawi, suzuki and Honda have long been out of the 2 stroke game at this point - nearing 20 years almost...

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Look for a used ktm 300 XC-W 2 stroke, no older than 2012. Covid pricing is not really impacting used bikes as bad so you *might* be able to find a 2017 or newer which is ideal as they have a great counterbalanced motor and great ergonomics starting that year.

A 300 2 stroke is ideal for trails in the mountains as it can lug like a mule all day and for your height/weight you'll appreciate the power.

I don't ride KTMs personally but usually reccomend them to people in your position as they are easier to find parts for and more common on the used market than other niche brands like Beta.

Jap 2 stroke bikes are great and all for the track or racing but you gotta be honest with yourself on their age these days, as only yamaha still makes a 250 2 stroke. But it's still Kickstart only and even the 'wide ratio' x version is still a mid ratio 5 speed at best compared to all the euro 2 stroke trail bikes. Kawi, suzuki and Honda have long been out of the 2 stroke game at this point - nearing 20 years almost...

Yep a KDX 200 is an excellent trail bike, plenty fast , good suspension , lots of low end grunt which is what you need for trail riding

 

[wiikstromm]

An xr to have fun on gnarly trails is like riding a stock superjet in pro freestyle.

Ktm ex/exc, yamaha wr/wrf or husqvarna fc

 

[Big Kahuna]

Yep a KDX 200 is an excellent trail bike, plenty fast , good suspension , lots of low end grunt which is what you need for trail riding

KDX220 was even better!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mobile Chernobyl]

My buddies and I picked up used KDX 200/220s during covid for fun side projects and to see if the nostalgia was more than just that. We all sold them in about a year lol - their suspension and geometry pails in comparison to just about any modern enduro 2 stroke bike. The power is also very flat - which probably made it feel like it had a lot of bottom back then. I even put a gnarly pipe on, new PWK air striker carb and meticulously jetted my KDX based on researching what fredette/RB was doing.

Compared to the Beta 200 (2 stroke) I had at the time (a 2020 model year bike) it really felt under gunned and an awkward riding position.

I sure do wish Japan would make a modern 2 stroke, with e start, modern suspension and geometry and a wide ratio 6 speed tranny - but I think that's a pipe dream at this point...

 

[WFO Speedracer]

KDX220 was even better!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I actually meant to type 220 , back in the day when I worked there they were 200's

I used to race hare scrambles back in the day, way back in the day, my bike was an XR200 twin shocker , engine was ported and polished, huge White brothers camshaft , white Brothers head pipe and white brothers rear supertrapp tail section , mikuni 28mm flatslide carb , it was fast seriously fast but the suspension absolutely sucked, I got a first and a third place 200 class on that beast and I would come by YZ, KX and CR250's like they were sitting still, they would pass me in the woods , I would blow by then on the straight sections , it would wheelie on demand in any gear , it was a really fun little bike.

 

[Quinc]

My buddies and I picked up used KDX 200/220s during covid for fun side projects and to see if the nostalgia was more than just that. We all sold them in about a year lol - their suspension and geometry pails in comparison to just about any modern enduro 2 stroke bike. The power is also very flat - which probably made it feel like it had a lot of bottom back then. I even put a gnarly pipe on, new PWK air striker carb and meticulously jetted my KDX based on researching what fredette/RB was doing.

Compared to the Beta 200 (2 stroke) I had at the time (a 2020 model year bike) it really felt under gunned and an awkward riding position.

I sure do wish Japan would make a modern 2 stroke, with e start, modern suspension and geometry and a wide ratio 6 speed tranny - but I think that's a pipe dream at this point...

Sold my big bikes off during covid and was just looking at a kdx220. Just saved me a ton of grief. =)

 

[Big Kahuna]

Sold my big bikes off during covid and was just looking at a kdx220. Just saved me a ton of grief. =)

I had an XR250, Buddy had the KDX220. At one point he was looking at a RMX250, I would ride his 220 while he was on that RMX, I absolutely loved the 220. It was lighter than the XR, would handle tight woods with easy...... Calling the power flat to me is what makes it a good woods bike, not pipey like a CR/KX....... It had plenty of torque. Now, the XR? Just put it in 2nd gear and you could climb up most tight twisty hills...........