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Lots of noobie questions...

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Posted by: PlatnumToof---------------------

I have been interested in getting in dirtbikes, and I have no clue what the difference as far as pros and cons of the 2 stroke and 4 stroke bikes are.

Difference between MX and regular off road dirtbikes? I think MX are set up for racing and jumping, but Im probably way off.

Which bike would be good for me? I am 6'1, 160lbs. I have a Honda 954rr and Honda F3 for street experience if that helps any. I have no prior off road experience.

I am from Washington and I think there are all different types of trails over here, from single track to dunes.

Thanks in advance.
Denny


Posted by: cr125boy---------------------

2 strokes are more for racing. they are lighter, usually more maintanence. four strokes are not as responsive if u give it a ton of gas. four strokes are alot heavier.


Posted by: beer_stud_76---------------------

PlatnumToof -

what cr125boy said was true about 5+ years ago, but today, not so much.

there are plenty of race-bred, high maintenence, light wieght 4 strokes on the market today. and they are just as responsive on the throttle, though the power delivery is smoother.

some will disagree with me when i say this, but, at 6'1" and with your street acumen, you can hop on any dirtbike and withing 30 minutes be tearing it up.

given that, you must decided several things. 1) what type of riding will you do? 2) how much wrenching are you willing to do or pay for? 3) what color do you like? 4) how much do you want to spend?

being from western Wa too, i can tell you that there is tons of slow, technical single track, and tons of logging roads around here. and its nice to have a bike that does both fairly well. if you go with a 2 stroke, i reccomend at LEAST a 250 (a KDX220 will do). and if you buy an MX bike but do not plan to MX, have the suspension revalved and resprung for trail use. if you go with a 4 stroke, get at least a 400.

if you want more info on what bikes are suited to what purpose, its easy enough to find out, but like i said, i think you'd be fine on any dirtbike out there - power wise. that is to say, you need not worry about getting too much bike as long as you give yourself a big open area to putz around in for the first 20-30 minutes.

shop around and if you see a bike that looks interesting, let us know and we'll tell you what we think.


jeremiah


Posted by: SpectraSVT---------------------

Do you have any friends bikes you could jump on? I have a 2 stroke and ride mostly tracks. Every once in awhile I'll hit a trail or 2. On the difference between 2 stoke and 4 stroke: my buddy has an 03 CRF (4 stroke) while I have an 03 YZ250 (2 stroke). His bike has lots of power and you can ride it a gear higher but alothough 4 strokes are not nearly as heavy as they used to be, I still found it difficult to corner. It felt heavy, whereas my 2 stroke felt much nimbler and was less tiring to corner. On a positive note, his bike was able to hook up better in the dirt and could pull past my YZ in long straights because of its wide powerband.


Posted by: sfc crash---------------------

wow, you two stroke guys are like "ultra sensitive" or something as far as weight is considered. i personally can't tell the difference of 3-4 lbs between bikes, but that's just me. 2 stroke are going the way of the dinasaurs, unless the epa changes it's regs. you will probably still get "closed course racing only" 2 strokes, but it looks like japan will be putting more into the 4's. do a lil more research into what you want to ride, then you'll have a better idea. i have a 426, started out as a WR, i've done all the YZ mods to the engine. it'll run woods or track. will it run MX as well as an '03 450? gotta tell ya, the difference there is the rider, not the bike. my point is, unless you are all for trail riding, 'd stay away from the trail bikes, if you ever want to get into competitive riding, they'll leave you lacking. yamaha and honda both have the hot new 4 strokes. you can ride a yz, or cr in the woods too. 2 strokes are good, 4 strokes are good. read some more of the boards here and figure on what kind of riding you want to do most of. that will help lots.
Quote:
2 strokes are more for racing. they are lighter, usually more maintanence. four strokes are not as responsive if u give it a ton of gas. four strokes are alot heavier.
com'on i know that you don't live in a box, you've even got internet access. get with the times dude.


Posted by: mdkuder---------------------

It really depends on what your planning on doing the most. KTM has a MXC line that bridges the gap between woods and MX, of course you run into the 2 or 4 stroke issue with this line of bikes. I would suggest going out to you local trails or mx track and talking with some of the riders and maybe test riding some of their bikes, definetely a current 2 and 4 stroke. Personally I like both the 2 has a nitros like hit that needs to be shifted more and the 4 has a roll on seemingly non-stop power with fewer shifts.


Posted by: woodsy---------------------

IMHO - best advice is connect with friends who have dirtbikes and cop a ride! Get a good sampling of "modern" bikes before you buy - you might be surprized at how little difference in weight and power the new 4 and 2 strokes are! Power delivery is something you should pay close attention to - some people get addicted to the "hit" of the 2 smoke and some can't deal with it - fiqure out which you are and buy what fits! Dont get me wrong, there are other differences but it is pretty hard to determine an "exact" fit for you ONLINE (kinda like buying a pair of shoes - gotta try them on FIRST!)
Dont be afraid to look at KTM as well as the Jap bikes. There are a TON of really fantastic options!
Buy and ride!
Woodsy



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