KTM's and KX's versus other popular pit bikes

[Matt R]

I have been thinking about getting a pit bike to play around on. As a 6ft tall 180 lb adult, I think the popular 50cc pit bikes like Xtreme, Honda, SDG, etc.. "appear" to be uncomfortable to ride even with tall bars and seats. I've never ridden them but based purely on looks I can't imagine them being comfortable. Anyways, I've been thinking that something slightly larger like the KX100 or KTM 85 or 105 might be better. Any of you ridden the KX's or KTM's and can offer advantages/disadvantages over the other pit bikes? Why do most people choose the smaller 50cc bikes compared to the bigger 85/105cc bikes as a starting point?

 

[Jasle]

Well you can actually race the smaller bikes. Lots of racing around here for racing pit bikes. The 65's are a bit pipy to ride for a big guy. They want to loop quite easy. the 4 stroke power band is more "old guy" friendly so they suit me. I actually like the pimped out klx 110's. I can ride my little guys 85 but the pit bike we have is pretty fun. The 125's pump out somewhere in the 9hp range if jetted so they move right along. I don't think they are all that uncomfy. You can find some of the chinese knock offs that don't have enough rake and are unstable at high speed. The pit bikes are hard to pound the whoops with though.

 

[Matt R]

Thanks for the response Jasle. It sounds like the smaller 4 strokes make better adult pit bikes that the 2 strokes due to power band characteristics. I'm curious if the small wheels on the 50's make the bikes seem twitchy. With our adult weight causing the CG to be higher, I would think the small wheels would tend to flop around with less inertia. That's one of the reasons why I was leaning towards the bigger wheeled mini's. Maybe the KLX110 would be a good compromise... 4 stroke power with bigger wheels.

 

[Jasle]

some of the bikes are twitch. there are some of the xr copies that have no rake and some have excessive rake. I feel more comfy going fast on the klx especially with some suspension under it. You can convert the DC65 front end to fit and KTM 65 inverted forks too. There are not as many race classes around here for the klx but for general fun I think its better. They have a 143 kit for it!!!! The 125 kit on the xr/crf does pretty good. I've seen some of the copies coming with 14" front and 12" rear now down at Checker and some of the "wholesale" outlets around town.

 

[indianamx641]

The KTM 85 and KX 100 are full on race bikes, not pit bikes. If you want something quiet go with a four stroke. If you are looking for the size too, the crf 230 is a good choice. The Yamaha TTR line is good too. Both would be more reliable than the race bikes would be. Just a thought :blah:

 

[motometal]

It really depends what you wish to do with the bike. If you actually want to ride it hard, do a bit of jumping or bumpy trails, then in my opinion the "pit" bikes are out of the question. You won't find too many KX100 owners with buyer's remorse. The cost of the mods to make the bike work for you is minimal. Around here, several dealers have holdovers (brand new) for about $2500-2600. Add some tall bars, heavy springs and lower gearing, and for under $3000 you can have a brand new, fully decked out toy. Don't be discouraged regarding the "race bike" thing. Even though we are heavier, we aren't going to put the wear on a little bike just playriding now and then, like a kid racing every weekend and practicing all week. If you buy it in good shape, the most it should need is a top end freshening up every year or two, which is under $100.

I had two KXs, but went with the RM85L this last time around. Regarding the KTMs, the 105 was a one or two year fluke, stay away. And, i've heard of sketchy engine reliability on the 85 but i'm sure results may vary.

The bikes with the smaller wheels are great fun, although they can be harder to control at times. The TTR and CRF 230 are excellent beginner and/or play bikes, although engine and suspension performace has it's limits.

What is your experience/skill level?

 

[Matt R]

I'm not a serious pitbike/playbike racer who wants to invest big $$ modifying a little 50 into something bigger. So, the bigger mini's seem like a better place to start with. The KLX110/DRZ110 do have a lot of mods available. However, it seems like you need to invest several grand in new forks, swingarm, and shocks to make it adult-worthy suspension. The KX100 appears to be a better suspended bike and only would take stiffer springs. The higher handlebars and tall seat would be obvious add-ons for any playbike, so I'm not worried about that. Overall, I want to make an under $2k investment. I plan to buy used and modify as little a possible. My main plans for the bike are taking it to local trail riding areas to play on the trails and jump some whoops. Nothing extreme like flying over tabletop jumps.

 

[motometal]

how tall are you?

 

[Okiepikapp]

A while ago I rode around on an XR70, I'm 5'10" 200lb and it got me around pretty well. It was on a deer lease, trails open fields ect. and it was pretty nice. It pulled me around well and went at a good clip. It was all stock and felt pretty good to me. I don't have alot of experience with them, but I really liked it! Hope this was helpfull.


Scott

 

[Matt R]

how tall are you?

I'm 6 ft tall and about 190 lbs with gear on.