Want to get into riding, need a bike...

[UHAULER]

Everybody seems to be comparing apples to oranges. You don't get a bike to grow into, you pick the bike based on what kind of riding you want to do. If your primary riding is in tight technical singletrack you will never "GROW" into a klr650.
The KDX 200 is a great all around trail bike. The DRZ's are good trail bikes and dual sports and i'm sure the klr is a good adventure/ touring bike.

 

[scarysharkface]

Everybody seems to be comparing apples to oranges. You don't get a bike to grow into, you pick the bike based on what kind of riding you want to do. If your primary riding is in tight technical singletrack you will never "GROW" into a klr650.
The KDX 200 is a great all around trail bike. The DRZ's are good trail bikes and dual sports and i'm sure the klr is a good adventure/ touring bike.

The original post is a bushel basket of apples and oranges, hence the comparisons.

I think one big limiting factor with a KDX220 is that the OP would be able to do significantly more exploring on a bike with a plate.

Keep in mind also that a KDX220 is a LOT of bike for someone who's not interested in racing or ripping down trails at high speed and is looking for a beginner bike.

DRZ400 is an exceptional bike, or a DR350 which can usually be had for less than a clean KDX220.

John

 

[expeditionist]

Just found this thread and feel compelled to chime in. I too am a novice rider with limited experience. I bought a 2004 DRZ-400S as my first bike ever at age 27. At the time I was living in rural eastern Colorado and my trips were long to get to civilization. For me the bike was just too small to take on extended high speed trips. Add a passenger and gear and it was downright slow. Not to mention the banana seat torture device. Sold it with around 1500 on the speedo. Replaced it with what is to me the perfect Dual Sport for my budget and needs.
2008 KLR650.
No its not a beemer or a KTM, but its an affordable and reliable 650. There are a million goodies for these bikes and they have proven there worth time and time again for decades. And personally, I think they look ************. Drawback is size for off road endeavors. They are well suited to backcountry roads, fireroads and highway travel, just the riding I do. But certainly can handle more rugged terrain. You can have one brand new for just over 5K and add a 5 year unlimited milage warranty for another $500 if your worried about reliability. Hope this helps and good luck

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Well I actually just picked up my first motorcycle ever last night.

Bought a 2004 DRZ400S with 266(not a typo) miles on it. It's CHERRY. It looks brand new in person, not even any scuff marks on the case cover by the shifter. The guy apparently bought it to follow his son around on a 50cc and realized his son wasn't going to be going very far and that it was easier to follow him around on a quad, so it just sat.

I think I got a pretty good deal on it($3500), and I'm happy :wings:

Now I just need to armor up(my body and the bike) and start riding

 

[expeditionist]

Nice!! You got yourself a heck of a good deal on that bike. Its Brand New! That is EXACTLY the same bike I had(year/color) and I think you will love it. Build quality on the DRZ is impressive. If you get into any distance riding, you will want to change out the seat. It really hurts your rear end. Larger windscreen too. Otherwise, you did a good thing buying the street legal version. You get full turn signals, bigger headlight with high/low beams, steel gas tank, mirrors, etc. Great starter bike and one you can enjoy for years. Have fun and take it easy in the beginning. Takes time to step it up but you will :roost:

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Thanks, I'm super excited!

I felt the street legal version was a necessity for me, as a lot of the places I want to ride in the "dirt" are technically roads and require tag/insurance/etc.

 

[T.Low]

If you want a street legal bike I would look at the DR400 for a guy your size. There are a lot of them around in the used market, they've proven to be pretty reliable. However, there are a lot of good bikes out there in the used market. I would shy away from the 650's as your first bike, they're typically a little heavier. And a lighter bike would serve you better on the trail. I think a 250 would be a little bit small for your size and you'll be wanting more power in short order. There are lots of bikes that'll fit the bill for you, in your price range look for older Suzuki DR400's. I also think you can find nice Yamaha XT350's and DR350's for even cheaper than you've budgeted. If you have friends that have bikes similar to what your looking at, talk them into letting you take a spin on their bike. A quick spin will tell you a lot about what you want in a bike.

On a side note, the KDX 220 you were looking at is not a good bike for you seeing how your just starting out. It's a two stroke and produces power completely different than a 4 stroke. A 4 stroke produces nice trackable linear power which will be much easier to learn on. A 2 stroke produces more explosive power which is IMO more exciting and fun to ride. However, 2 stroke bikes are very unforgiving and it will kick your but in a heart beat if your new to bikes.

Hope this helps.

I totally agree. My buddy has a DRZ 400 and it's been good to get him back into riding. After two years, he now knows that he wants to be faster on tighter trials and just purchased a KTM 200, but will probably keep the DRZ, unless he decides to Big Traile like GS850 or something.

The low end grunt of the 4 stroke and the street legal aspect is nice.