first bike input?

[zukrider]

hi guys. im new to this site and wanted to say hello.

i am an avid four wheeler, backpacker, and mountain biker though you would never know it looking at me. i have really been leaning towards a dirt bike, and i just saw efuetes' post on the honda nx250. very inspirational!

so i need some reccomendations. i am 5' 10", 260. i want a four stroke. other than that, im open to everything. and the price needs to be as low as possible.

thanx for help in advance!

joe

 

[zukrider]

oooops. my riding will trail oriented with some occasional sand. and at first, very little street.

thanx

 

[theksmith]

i don't have alot of bike experience, so i'm sure some more experienced people on here can help... however, i did just go down your same path...

i just got a DR-Z400S after doing a fair amount of research. I wanted a good starter bike that was primarily a dirt bike, could do street, and some touring too... I plan to do about 70% trails, 20% street, and 10% touring someday.

Finding a used bike fairly cheap was a big criteria for me. If money is no object, go str8 to some of the newer KTMs.

After all my research, it was between the DRZ and the KLR. I felt the heavier but more powerfull KLR was better for street and touring and the lighter DRZ would be better for more aggressive trails, hence i leaned towards the DRZ for my particular needs.

I would strongly recommend you check out http://www.advrider.com/forums and do some research there. http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum is another great resource, and finally if you find youself, like me, looking at the DRZ, also check out http://www.paochow.com/DRZguide/DRZguide.php

good luck in your quest to find the right bike!

 

[Ric]

as far as the bike itself goes, most are pretty much the same thing, engine wise (suzuki, yamaha, kawasaki).. Id make sure you get a GOOD helmet, with a snell rating... I use to sell bikes and my saying was "If you have a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet"
Any helmet over 4-5 years old, is to old, the lining does go bad...

Good luck on your search, post up when ya get one :victory:

 

[jl8088]

I don't think you can go wrong with a suzuki DRZ400. They sell it in "e" trim which has more power than the others, but not street legal. The "s" is street legal with electric start. The "sm" is supermotord so it should avoid the dirt. The "s" model is a jack of all trades. It will do everything and with some jetting and airbox modifications it will be decently quick too. It will give you a good basis if you ever wanted to upgrade to a "dirt only" or "street only" type of bike. They all have rock solid reliability

I went with a honda XR650R based on a good deal and reliability. Similar style of bike, just bigger displacement and STREET LEGAL!

Have fun with the selection.