First post and I could use your advice picking a bike.

[Frontside720]

Thanks to YamaB I have been introduced to this forum.

I'm looking at buying a bike but I need your help.

I have pretty much no experience when it comes to dirt riding. However, I have been riding street for years and currently ride an R1.

I have started shopping and I know that I definately want a 4 stroke I'm just not sure what kind or size is right for me.

I am debating the

Yamaha YZ250F, YZ450F, WR250F, WR450F

or

Honda CRF250R, CRF450R, CRF250X, XR400R

I know there are a lot of bikes here but I am really at a loss.

I'm looking for one that used no older than 2001.

What will I want to do with it? For starters trail and perhaps track. I wont be crankn' out tricks right away but I definately don't want anything that restricts me to the bush.

 

[Okiewan]

All of those bikes are great, with some mods for woods riding (except the CRF-X and the WR's and XR, but you'll still end-up adding stuff). You really can't go wrong? Your weight? Height?

The simple equation? It's easier to trail ride a MX'er than MX a trail bike.
(let the flamming begin!) Example; the XR & WR's would be completely out of place on a MX track. Yes, it can be done, there are KDX'ers all over trying to make MX'ers out of their woods bikes, but MX fenders and no-light does not an MX bike make. A typical 125 Class MX'er will spank a KDX 200 or 220 on a track, no matter what they tell ya.

 

[Shig]

Tell us how big you are, how aggressive you are on your R1, and what the terrain is like where you will ride your new dirt bike. Are you at high elevations? Are the trails tight or wide open? Which dealership (Honda or Yamaha) is closest to you and most reputable. Do your friends ride mostly track or trail?

 

[Chris_S]

I'd rec. either a YZ250F or CRF250R (my choice), both are great bikes.

 

[CaptainObvious]

I agree with Okie 100% regarding a Woods bike in MX and vice-versa.

I recently rode a WR260F and a YZ250F back to back. I liked the YZ more. By far, the YZ is the easiest bike I've ever ridden...and that's about 100 bikes.

 

[Frontside720]

Thanks for the posts.

*Please note* (The WR, CRFX & XR are no longer in the hunt)

To answer a couple of questions...

1) I am 6' and 180lbs.

2) I ride my R1 agressive

3) As far as the terrain in my area? I'm really not sure

4) What do my friends ride? nothing. I'll be the first to go dirt. I might be riding with a guy that has a cr 250

5) What dealership is close? They are both very close

Thanks for you help

 

[Shig]

Now we're getting somewhere. I read a post by another liter-bike rider who bought a CRF 250X as his first dirt bike. He was totally disappointed by the bike's lack of power. If you want the earth to move when you crack the throttle, then of the choices you've listed, a 450 is the only way to go. You are big enough to handle a 450, and right on the cusp of being a little heavy for a 250F. There are plenty of heavy guys who will say a 250F has plenty of power, but that hasn't been my experience riding a 250F. It's basically like the difference between an R6 and an R1. They both handle pretty well and are fast enough to get you into trouble in a hurry, but one's got major grunt. Since you can manhandle a bike that will do nearly 70MPH in first gear, I wouldn't worry about you on a 450. Your screen name alone tells me you are headed in this direction anyway. CRF or YZF, they are both great bikes. Plus, the 450s seem to be far more reliable than the 250Fs.

One of my mellower riding buddies, lets call him "Backside 180" :) , bought an 02 YZ 426 as his first dirt bike. He is smaller than you (5'9" 165lbs) and has far less riding experience. He's had no problems on both tracks and trails, and has no regrets whatsoever.

Totally agree with Okiewan too. Enduro racers often buy MX bikes to convert to woods racers, especially the faster riders. I have never heard of anyone buying a woods bike with the sole intention of converting it to a motocrosser.

 

[Frontside720]

Great post Shig! hahaha

Well, that settles it! I am getting a 450. I'm not going to buy until late September or early October but when I do... it will just be the best deal I find. (there's no question that I would like to get the honda though)

Is there anything in perticular that I should look out for when buying it? I know when I look I'm going to try to get one that is closest to stock and brand new.

 

[will-NOOB]

before u buy you mxer sort all the defects into four sepperate fields
1 a defect that will not affect the bike or cost
2 a defect that will not affect the bike but will cost to repair
3 a defect that will affect the bike and will cost
4 a defect that is un repairable

because u are uying a big four stroke u want to look out for chassis damage those bikes are heavy and powerfull and they dont glide over things as easy as say a 125 abviously just as important a chassis damage is the engine take the clutch basket off see what condition the oil is in ask them what oil they use and how much they change it check the radiator has proper coolant in and not just water they can be expensive to replace check for rust or dents in the forks a leaking seel is not to bad but if they have been hit by stones then u might be in for new forks check the tyres if they are worn alot more in the middle than the outside this might mean that its been used on road and that is not good for the engine on a mxer and last thing overall appearance missing stickers and scrstched plastics shouldnt be the most of your worrys but they will cost a little extra to replace if u want to

 

[Shig]

Just buy the newest and freshest bike you can afford. Many sellers are reluctant to let you wrench on a bike before you buy it, but if you spot something suspicious and the seller won't let you investigate, walk.

If they will let you remove the seat, you can see if the filter and airbox are clean. Look for crash damage to the subframe that could have been hidden by new plastic.

Look for rounded off bolts on the engine cases or mismatched bolts on the bike for signs of previous problems.

If a 4-stroke is particularly hard to start, say it takes 10 kicks or more, then its possible that the valves are out of adjustment.

Put the bike on a stand and spin the wheels. They should be straight and not look like stop signs.

Look for dings in the frame rails under the motor. This will give you an idea of how hard it was ridden.

Test ride the bike and make sure it shifts smoothly through all the gears. Take your hands off the bike and coast. If it pulls to one side, then there may be frame for fork damage.

Sometimes a bike with alot of hours can look like new with new plastic and graphics. Check brake pads, play in the clutch lever, and play in the footpegs or shifter for indications of a bike's actual wear. When you have the bike up on a stand, check for play in the rear linkage by moving the rear wheel up and down. There shouldn't be much play. If the wheel moves more than a half an inch up and down, the bike has alot of hours on it.

One last thing I do is get the sellers name. Then, I'll go to the websites for the local racing sanctions and see if they were a racer. If an A or B rider put 10 or more races on a bike, its probably pretty beat. If a vet novice did one or two races on it, bingo!

 

[Frontside720]

Wow!

I printed off your post. I'm going to use it as a guide line for when I go shopping.

Thanks for the great tips!!

 

[Shig]

Hey 720,
It's always a pleasure to help someone like yourself get into the sport. One last thing. If you come accross any 02 CRF 450s in your search, try to find one that has been upgraded with 20mm offset triple clamps and a reinforcement plate on the airbox. Sluggish steering and a leaky airbox were the biggest problems with the 02 in stock form. The clamps did wonders for my 02. As far as I know, all the other CRFs and YZFs are good to go in stock form.

 

[truespode]

A better fix for the 02 steering is to buy a storm link for the linkage. It cures the issue.

Ivan