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Posted by: Xyzzy---------------------
Hi...
I have been saving for the last year or so to buy a dirt bike... I haven't rode since I was a kid, and that was back somewhere around the time Jeff Ward was still winning... I think that was around '87 or so... :scream:
Anyways, I finally have enough dough to maybe pick up a bike and some gear and maybe some tools... I'm kinda leaning towards a 250 2-stroke... I'd consider a 4-stroke, but I'm not sure I'm up to the complexity... I'm pretty good with working on 2-strokes... I'm also going to have this bike for awhile, and I'm concerned about this EPA thing, but I can't seem to get a grip on what is going on...
I picked up a few magazines last weekend, and it seems that half the mag is dedicated to freestyle and the other half is just apparel ads... I have been lurking here for a while, but most of the conversation is over my head... 
I'd class myself as a beginner... I weigh 250 pounds, but once I get off my fat ass and actually do something, I will drop back down to 190-200... I'm 6 feet tall...
I actually considered a 125, just for the fact it is lighter and I suppose they make as much power now as a 250 from 15 years ago, but I don't know for sure what to do...
I'd like to piddle around at first, and maybe do some simple MX work and maybe something like a hare scrambles... I'm not very interested in supercross... I like outdoor MX best... To me it ain't fun unless you are going really fast... I like to pretend I am Mert Lawill too... :confused:
When I was a kid, in Ohio, KTMs were very popular... I'm also looking at Yamaha...
I would consider used, but I'm not in the mood to deal with someone else's problems... I have real bad luck with used crap anyways... Fortunately, my budget, I think, will allow me to buy new... There is no chance that I will not stick with riding... When I was younger I'd ride all day long and then spend a couple of hours looking for cans so I could buy more gas... 
My main concern is that the bike be gentle enough to get back to speed on, and reliable enough to run with regular maintenance... I'm pretty good with working on crap and a top-end teardown is not scary to me... Either is busting the cases or rebuilding a fork and crap like that... My wife says I am obsessive-compulsive, but I like to think that I am just "really proactive"... Besides, I like working on crap... I have no problem with budgeting extra money for maintenance...
My dream bike is a Husaberg, but I'm not sure that is exactly a good choice... I have a friend with one, but he lives in California, so I've never had a chance to ride it... I'm seriously considering one because I would like to keep it for a long time and when you amortize the cost over several years the sticker shock isn't too bad...
One concern I have is where to keep the damn thing... I live in a condo and I don't have a garage... I suppose I could wheel it into the living room if it could fit through the door... My wife would get a little upset at first, but I think she could deal with that... She is pretty cool with the crap I pull... We're considering moving, so maybe I'll get lucky... Garages are not very popular in North Carolina, though... I live in Durham... I can only hope there are riding areas around... I'm still looking...
Oh yeah, my budget is a little under $9K...
BTW, I am retired (long story) so piddling around and working on a bike is something I plan to spend a lot of time doing...
I've been waiting since 1980 for my very own bike and it looks like I might actually pull it off...
I apologize for the length of this post... I have about a billion more questions, but I'll leave those for another day... I am willing to chat via phone if someone wants to take this further... I can pick up the cost... I'm also on AIM...
In a nutshell... Husaberg? If not, 250? 125? 2 or 4-stroke?
<<< Subliminal message --> Talk me into the Husaberg! >>>
Posted by: Tommygun---------------------
I was off for 25 years, so I can kind of put myself in your shoes. Money was not an object for me, and I can see that with your budget of $9K you can get just about anything you want too. Don't forget all the protective gear (~$800), trailer (~$800), tools ($500) and assorted oils, parts, etc. ($300) you need to get started properly.
I wanted a Husaberg too, as I had a great dealer (Sportscycles of Houston) down the street. However, never having experiencing a 250 MX 2 cycle bike, where I have read on this forum is "the best toy ever invented" broke me down to get one first. I bought a used 2001 Honda CR 250. Fast and fun. No regrets at all. I plan to keep it for a year or two, then get a 4 stroke after technology improves the weight/reliability to the 2 stroke level. I think it is only a couple of years off (look at the new Huskys!). Good luck with your decision and welcome back to the sport.
Posted by: WoodsRider---------------------
Since you classify yourself as a beginner, but have aspirations of racing here are my thoughts. If you plan on doing more off-road (trail) type riding and/or enduro/hare scrambles, look for a KDX200/220. If you plan to do more track (motocross) riding/racing, look for a CR250. These are all 2-stroke machines. I would only recommend one 4-stroke, an XR250, to a beginner who is interested only in trail riding. Yes, there are plenty of great new 4-strokes out there, but these are truly high-strung race machines that require a lot of maintenance and are expensive to repair. I also would not recommend a 125 2-stroke to someone your size.
Posted by: john1216---------------------
XYZZY, if it's a Husaberg you want, why not??? Sounds to me like you have the time for the very little extra maintenance. You are looking at a lot of time, money on whatever choice you make so it should be one you are comfortable with. The 400FE is an excellent bike that is forgiving, but with unlimited growth potential. Good luck.
Posted by: bluerider125---------------------
howzabout a yz250 with a flywheel weight?
oh yeah, you said husaberg, nevermind i dont know anything about them.....
Posted by: Xyzzy---------------------
Thanks for the tips guys...
I do have a question about "flexability"...
I'm assuming that a full-on MX bike is pretty specialized (They were when I was a kid) so maybe an enduro or cross country model would make more sense... I have posted in the "location" forum for some assistance on what kind of riding is popular in my area... I'm kinda leaning towards the FE400, but the cross country models look pretty interesting too...
Any thoughts?
From what I gather, and from spending months in the woods as a soldier at Fort Bragg, the terrain seems to be a lot of sand, a lot of rocks and a lot of pine trees... 
It appears as if there are several enduro and hare scramble series going on in VA and NC, so maybe if I can hook up with a buddy I can try those...
Also, I have a Toyota Tercel... I am looking right now to see if it will take a trailer, but I know it does not have a hitch... Any ideas? Links? What is a good trailer?
Final, unrelated question... I noticed the 550 MX has a 4 speed instead of a 6... Do they just block 2 gears, or are the gears beefier? What is special about a 4 speed anyways?
Thanks!
Posted by: john1216---------------------
I would say a tercel could pull around a light trailer and a bike or two. Dont really have that much exp since I own a pickup. Check out the manual. If you want more info on Bergs, check out thumpertalk.com under exotics, post a Q and read the past posts there... loads of info from riders who seem to know their stuff! Also husaberg.org, the "unofficial husaberg enthusiast site". I can tell you that I am in the process of buying a new fe400e right now and I cant wait to take it out! From what I can gather, the 470 comes either in cross country or mx style. one has electric start, the cross country one. If you want to be more flexible, this may be your best choice as it is well suited for trails or outdoor mx. And it is cheaper than the fe models (few hundred dollars i think). Anyway, good luck!
Posted by: danielst---------------------
Don't worry too much about buying a specialized "woods" model of an MX bike. Most of the pro's use MX bikes with some mods for woods riding. Heck, many of the fast guys on KTM's around here ride the SX model in harescrambles instead of the EXC.
I ride an '02 YZ250 and just put an 11oz flywheel weight on it. It now makes great power for the woods. Runs very well from lugging along a gear high to screaming at max rpm. Pretty much any of the new 250 models will work well for you as they are all high quality machines. The YZ's and CR's tend to have the highest ratings and largest following, but I do also really like RM's, especially in the woods. I personally didn't care for my KTM250EXC that I had before the YZ, it was too top heavy for my tastes. The YZ feels 30 pounds lighter.
Good luck and let us know what you get.
Posted by: MX-727---------------------
Quote:
Originally posted by WoodsRider
I also would not recommend a 125 2-stroke to someone your size.
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I agree with Woods on this. I'm down around 200lbs and feel that the 125 just doesn't cut it with my mass. It's fun to ride sometimes, but a lot of work to keep it on the pipe.
Posted by: JPIVEY---------------------
Yep, I would agree with Woodsrider
Posted by: Xyzzy---------------------
Thanks for the tips!
I found a hitch for my car at JC Whitney, so now I'm looking for a quality, lightweight (250-300#) single bike trailer... All I have is a class I receiver and 60HP... Any trailer suggestions would be appreciated... I would just get a 4x8 utility trailer, but those have such tiny wheels... I wouldn't be comfortable with anything under 12"...
I think I found some local riders who might be able to help me with the bike purchase... I got my money out of the bank today and I am *dying* to buy a bike, but until I get the storage situation squared away I am in a funk... I think I may just move to a place with a garage... Our lease is up anyways...
Again, thanks!
PS - I've narrowed down my bike search to either a 470 berg or a CR/YZ/RM 250... I was leaning towards a 400 or 501FE, but everyone seems to use their MX bikes for general-purpose woods riding...
Posted by: kciH---------------------
I agree 100% about not going with a 125. I'd love to have a berg, but economic rationality says go with a 250 and make a few hundred in mods and have a good woods bike. Since you haven't riddin in years, like me, you'll be best served by a 250 with the needed mods. When you go to sell the bike after 2 years, you'll get a lot more of your money back compared to the berg. I bought a new 01 YZ426 and it's a pretty good bike, but if you can't adjust the valves yourself, I'd only go with a 2-stroke 250 from one of the big 5. This approach will keep your maintenance costs down and leave you more $$$ to ride and have fun, and that's what this sport is all about.
Posted by: bscottr---------------------
Welcome back! I returned to the sport last summer after a 25 year layoff. It's good to be back. 
I think you're on the right track in your quest for a new bike. I currently ride a '01 KX250 and enjoy it very much. If I were to look for a new 2 stroke bike I'd include the YZ, CR, KX, RM, KTM and Gas Gas in the search. 4 strokes I'd look at the CRF and YZF, mainly because of dealer support here.
Look at the support you have in you're area, the cost of parts for the bike you are considering and remember the purchase price is only a portion of the ownership cost. But then again I crash allot and usually hard! :confused:
You may consider an enclosed trailer to address your towing and storage needs. It'll be harder to pull with your car than an open trailer, but you can store your bike in it. Just make sure it's as secure as possible as dirt bikes are among the targets for thieves. 
Good luck,
Scott
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