I am looking for a good bike for my 20 year old daughter. She has been riding a quad for the last few years and is pretty darn good on it but now she has her eye on a bike.
1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5' 2". Short. And she isn't going to grow any more! I can't tell you her weight, one because I don't know and two both my wife and daughter would never speak to me again if I posted that on the internet. Let's just say she isn't skinny.
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Very. She plays soccer and hockey on co-ed teams and not afraid to put her body in harms way. She hits the terrain parks snowboarding. On the quad she will attempt and usually succeed climbing the gnarlyiest hills
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
Mostly desert, some woods. One reason she wants the bike is so she can enter the family enduros (they don't allow quads).
4) Do you have any riding experience?
None on a bike, about 4 years on a quad.
5) Do you think you will race ?
Family enduros for sure, possibly more later.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
Dad will take care of that.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
I was thinking four stroke for the ease of use but I am concerned about the available power in a bike with a low enough seat height to fit her.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
Doesn't matter.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
I was thinking around $2000 but most of all I am looking at value. I figure it might be trading up/down/sideways in a couple of years, just want to get something decent back for it at that time.
10) Do you live in California?
Yes, and the green sticker is an issue. It won't be a deal killer if the bike is red sticker but green would be preferred. That is one reason I am considering a 2002 or older so that it will be green sticker.
11) Your age?
She is 20. At least for another 23 days, 12 hours, 8 minutes and 32 seconds (according to the countdown timer she has going....)
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
I had been thinking along the lines of a Yamaha TT-R125L (big wheel version) or a
Honda CRF150F (also the bigger 19"/16" wheels). My concern is if the engine size will be appropriate for her.
What I am hoping others can help me with is to recommend some older two stroke models that would be suitable. New bikes I can look up the specifications for, older bikes are a little harder. Were there any 100cc two strokes in 2002?
I had her sit on a bike with a 32" seat height and that looked pretty good, but it certainly wouldn't want to be any higher. I also want to keep the weight down so she can pick it back up after a fall.
She already has the helmet, boots, gloves and goggles. I will be getting her a chest protector and knee pads before she rides.
Rod McInnis
