bike beginner

[98sr5]

ok im new to bikes and want to get a dirt bike/commuter for riding around its gotta be street legal and be offroadable. what are your guys thoughts on this what would be a good beginner bike for cheap like 3-4000. my reasoning is its cheaper and more fun to get a bike then a corolla or something else for a commuter. the speed limit on the roads i travel on are like 55 tops.

 

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

I’m not a big fan of the ‘dual sport’ bikes available from most of the manufacturers, so I can’t really recommend a bike to you that is ready for both off-road and street use right out the door. However, I might recommend a four-stroke off-road bike, then going through the process of legalizing it for street use. Depending on your state’s laws, this process can vary from pretty easy (such as adding a Baja kit and some DOT tires) to nearly impossible.

I have a Honda CRF 250X, and have found it to be a reliable and capable bike both off and on road. With your budget, you should be able to pick one up that is only a couple of years old.

 

[goodtimes]

How much on road vs how much off road?

Quantify "off road". (blowing down single track, cruising down forest roads, something in between?)

How far between gas stations while off road?

Anything you just "can't live without"?

General rule of thumb: All bikes are fun. Some are more fun off road than others...but those which are more fun off road tend to be less fun on the road. Off road light and tall is good...on the road, heavy and low is good. Get something that has a range compatible with what you need...but don't forget about aftermarket tanks...

I am very happy with my BMW, but I spend probably 75% of my time on the pavement (commuting), and when I am in the dirt, it is usually forest roads, which somewhat resemble real roads...so a heavy bike with a less than inspiring suspension does fine.


As with most things, there is no one "right" answer.

 

[98sr5]

its probably gonna be maybe half and half. i live in florida so we got some dirtbike places that are mostly forest trails and sand sand sand. im mostly thinking a tw200 just something to mess around with and ride around the area with then take to croom which is like 10000 acres of riding. or maybe i should just get a straight up off road dirtbike idk what are some of the best bikes right now reliability wise

 

[flux]

Look hard at a DRZ400. Good all around bike, reliable, and easy to find a cheap one. It is a good compromise. In my opinion, eventually you'll want something else but it is a good one to start with and big enough to stay on for a good while.

 

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

It’s really tough to get a bike that’s great for both on and off road, and in my opinion most dual sport bikes aren’t that goodt for either one. Like goodtimes suggests, think about how much on roar and how much off road ridding you’ll do. I’m a big fan of Honda’s and KTM’s, and I’d suggest looking at XR 650L. Also, if you looked through the latest Overland Journal, pg 81, you’d see an article about a 2003 KTM 640 Adventure… looks like a great setup, and in my opinion would be a best-case bike.

Whatever way you go, I’d suggest first determining a set of criteria that will make the bike most useful for you, and then go look at many different models to determine which bike will fulfill the most of your goals. There will be no bike that fulfills everything, but you’ll soon figure out which direction to take.

Another tip- if you’re going to be riding primarily on-road, then a bike with a larger displacement would likely work to your advantage, where as off-road, a 250cc four stroke will work great for a 190lb rider. Again- getting a bike that is great for both the street and off road is near impossible, and there will be sacrifices for each situation.

:roost:

 

[Clutch]

....getting a bike that is great for both the street and off road is near impossible, and there will be sacrifices for each situation.

:roost:

I guess you never ridden a KTM 950 Super Enduro....Yee Haw!!! Will tear up the tarmac and the dirt.

98sr5:

Yep, just keep it simple, get something you'll thrash on. Best way to become a great motorcyclist, is to start in the dirt. Worry about a daul sport (street) later. Use the truck to commute.

Riding in the dirt first, will get you used the bike sliding around and such. Then once you learn that, moving on to pavement riding is almost like cheating...'Hey look ma, traction!"

My vote is a Honda XR 400, aircooled and damn near bomb proof. One of the best beginner bikes out there. If that is too big, they make them smaller a XR250 or XR230 would be perfect too. I know a guy who is an expert rider that rides a XR230, he romps on the guys with high dollar race scoots. The late models are called CRF now, still the same as the XR's of old, just different plastic.

There is an ol' saying..."It ain't the bike, it's the rider."

 

[Hltoppr]

DRZ400 with electric start, Honda XR650L, DR650, DR350...all good choices, and can be easily had within your price limits. I'm looking for a DR/XRL 650 to take to Mexico here in a couple of months....the 650 is a great compromise between off road prowess and on road cruising...

-H-

 

[MuddyMudskipper]

its probably gonna be maybe half and half. i live in florida so we got some dirtbike places that are mostly forest trails and sand sand sand. im mostly thinking a tw200 just something to mess around with and ride around the area with then take to croom which is like 10000 acres of riding. or maybe i should just get a straight up off road dirtbike idk what are some of the best bikes right now reliability wise

I think the TW200 is a bit too small and underpowered for anything beyond cruising around camp. I also think you will outgrow the TW200 quickly, if you don't get run over by traffic first (its slowwwww).

The DRz400 isn't very intimidating and very easy to learn on without outgrowing it too quickly. The SM version comes with better front forks but it comes with smaller rims and street tires only. However, you can get a set of take-off dirt rims on eBay for pretty cheap.

 

[Clutch]

...., Honda XR650L, DR650,-

Man, I don't know...those 650's are tall top heavy bikes for a beginner.

 

[flux]

Honda 650's can be a handful for a beginner...they ARE better on the road, though, but their weight can really be felt in the woods.

 

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

I guess you never ridden a KTM 950 Super Enduro....Yee Haw!!! Will tear up the tarmac and the dirt.

True- never have ridden one. However, I'd be willing to bet that if I was in an off-road race with someone of comparable skill level; they are riding the 950SE and I am on my CRF 250X, I'd win.

There are compromises with dual-sport bikes. For instance, the 950SE weighs a lot more than my bike, and would not be able to keep up with me on single tracks through the woods. Plus the rider on that bike would be getting beat up pretty bad on a typical off-road trail.

On the flip side, if we were racing on the street, I'd get spanked! - there's no way that my 250X could keep up with the 950SE through town, and especially on the highway.

What it comes down to is that there are a totally diferent set of criteria for what makes a great off-road bike, and what makes a great on-road bike, and there will need to be compromises on both ends for a dual-sport bike.

Dual-sports are a lot like the Chevy El Camino or the Ford Ranchero: Half car, half truck, not really useful as either one.

The late models are called CRF now, still the same as the XR's of old, just different plastic.

The CRF is now what Honda calls most of their off-road/motorcross bikes, but there are great differences between them. Some are air colled "woods bikes" While some are liquid-cooled motocross bikes.

 

[98sr5]

yeah im looking at more of a woods bike not a race bike ive seen and felt the weight of a 450 they are pretty heavy for me those things are a handful i actually went trail riding with a yamah 450 and honda 450 and looked like they took alot of skill. im probably looking at anything below a 250 leaning towards a 125 actuallly i dont want it to burn a too big a hole in my walllet.

 

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

98sr5:

As far as what you’re looking for, I just remembered two bikes. I used to have a Honda XR250L, and that would make an excellent beginner DS bike. Also a friend had a Suzuki DR350 that he really liked.


Both of those bikes could be easily had for less than $2500 (used of course, since I don't think either one are still in production), and both would be decent on mild trails, as well as on the street at ‘lower than freeway’ speeds.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I rode an XR650L Honda for a couple years. Nice bike. I'm a taller dude, so the seat hieght that bothered some wasn't a big deal for me. She's a little piggy off road if it gets technical, but on gravel roads and pavement it was a nice bike. I didn't think twice about taking that rig 60 miles on pavement to get to fun off road stuff. Pretty basic machine and the build quality was from the post Jurasic era...slightly. Nothing remotely like my BMW or Ducati bikes I've owned.

Your big challenge as a new rider is knowing what type of riding you'll eventually like most. For me, I'm not fond of real technical riding...nor am I any good at it.