What bike to buy?

[Agent 007]

I am trying to get into some desert/dunes type riding. I live in Las Vegas, so I don't have many choices of riding types here. I used to ride trials a long time ago when I lived on the east coast, but that's not an option out here. What do you guys think I should buy? I am really leaning towards the KTM 200XC or KTM 200SX. I figured that might be the perfect amount of power for me, but I wanted to hear other opinions first.

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
about 5'9" 130lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
not too aggressive to start with, but i may get more aggressive as i learn my bike better
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ?????
desert/dunes/trails/mountain ridges/maybe a bit of mx too... riding with a friend mostly
4) Do you have any riding experience?
i grew up riding trials with rocks, woods, etc....
5) Do you think you will race ?
not anytime soon, possibly sometime in the future
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
my buddy that i will be riding with does his own work, so i can learn most of it myself
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)?
i would love to own a KTM, most likely a 2 stroke
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
all types
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
really don't want to spend more than $3,000 if possible
10) Do you live in California?
no, Las Vegas
11) Your age?
i am 26

Thanks for your advice and opinions......

 

[zig06]

An SX and a XC is very different, plus if your in the desert your going to need a wide ratio trans.

So consider a 250 XC-W, and if you can afford it, get one with the electric start. You may never want another bike after that.

 

[Agent 007]

I greatly appreciate your response. I am looking at the 200 models because I think a 250 will be too much power for me right now. Plus the 200's are lighter in weight and they are almost as powerful as the 250's, which is my ultimate priority.

Maybe the 200xc-w would be better for me then. I didn't think the wide ratio would be a better bike for me, but maybe it would be.

Any other suggestions?

 

[flyingfuzzball]

yea i have an xc-w and its a blast to ride. not sure how it would handle in the dunes because there arent dunes in PA but from what i have heard you want a bigger engine in the dunes. if you are riding trails though the 200 is great. its not as heavy as a 250 though i dont know if i would notice it if i rode a 250 more but a little lighter is always nice.