i know 2 and 4 strokes both have their advantages/disadvantages but which would you reccomend getting for a first bike? i have had a cbr1000 so im not new to riding, just new to dirt. any extra advice you guys would be willing to give would be much apprecciated. TIA
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If you want to save yourself some time, go to one of the big dirt bike forums and do a search. You'll find dozens upon dozens of threads beating this topic to death. I suggest starting at www.thumpertalk.com.
I loved (and still do) 2 stroke dirt bikes, but for my riding preference (woods, hill climbs, cross country stuff), I prefer the bottom end power of a 4 stroke. I hop on a two stroke when the opportunity arises, but I no longer own a smoker.
I went to Taylor Park in Colorado in August with my brother-in-law and nephew. They were on Yahama 2 strokes - a YZ250 and a YZ80 (90 pound nephew) - I was on my '10 YZ450F. We headed straight for American Flag Mountain so I could show my nephew one of the most unforgettable views you can imagine. The only way up is a long, long, long and steep, rocky, loose hill climb. I nailed the hill in 2nd on my 450 and never slowed down. My nephew was next - his bike couldn't make it more than 200' up the hill. The altitude killed his YZ80. He tried it 3 times before admitting defeat.
While we're sitting at the bottom of the hill eating some lunch, a family rides up. The dad (on a big 4 stroke) and the youngest son (on a 60cc 4 stroke) head up the hill. That little 4 stroke motored up the hill with no problems. Granted, the kid was probably 30 pounds lighter than my nephew, but it still proved to us that 4 strokes are better suited for that kind of riding.
My BIL and nephew both sold their bikes and are planning to buy 4 strokes in the not-too-distant future.
So, long story short - what kind of riding are you gonna do?Last edited by TX_92_Notch; 11-28-2010, 06:02 PM.
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A 125 smoker or 250f thumper would work well for what you are looking for...depends on your weight. I have both a 450f and a 250f and I am 210lbs...but I ride track only. The 250f is fun to ride but its hard to be competitive on it due to my size.
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I think a newer 250F is a great bike for beginner to intermediate skill level riders. It easy to ride in stock form, has plenty of smooth power, and doesn't weigh a ton. Another cool thing about them is you can modify them little by little as your riding gets better. At the time you've got it totally modded out and you're pinning it and still think you need more power it's time to step up to a 450. I started out on a YZ250F and loved it.
I ride a KTM 250 smoker and love it in the tight woods. Around here it's hard to beat a finely tuned smoker set up for woods riding. For areas with a lot of hill climbing or deep sand riding I would go with a thumper for sure.
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Originally posted by davbrucas View PostA 125 smoker or 250f thumper would work well for what you are looking for...depends on your weight. I have both a 450f and a 250f and I am 210lbs...but I ride track only. The 250f is fun to ride but its hard to be competitive on it due to my size.07 f250-family truckster
08 Denali -baby hauler
52 f1-rust bucket
05 Jeep tj. Buggy
livin the double-wide dream
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Any good 250f will be easy to start out on. Of course a 250 2stroke is not a terrible choice either.http://dfwdirtriders.com/ New Website for the off road peeps
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Get a 450F...especially riding a 1000cc street bike. I have only been riding dirt for about 4 months and bought a '10 CRF450R and don't regret it a bit. I have ridden a few 250F's and after riding my 450 I could feel a noticeable difference in throttle repsonse, overall speed, and quickness through the gears. I don't do any real racing, mostly trail riding and some track riding for fun, but I never have any problems adapting. I am nowhere near the experienced rider to use all of the power a 450 entails, but as I get better it will be there to use. They are only about 800$ to 1000$ more than a 250F anyway. Oh, and Fuel Injection FTW!
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Originally posted by HUNCH View PostGet a 450F...especially riding a 1000cc street bike. Oh, and Fuel Injection FTW!
At 175 you'll be pushing 200 with gear, you'll be fine on a 250 unless you decide to ride with a group on 450s. With the price difference though it's whole lot cheaper to buy a 450 now than to take a hit on a 250 when you dump it to go bigger.
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For those of you mentioning his 1000, it doesn't matter what he's used to riding on the street (1000cc), it matters what he actually needs for the dirt.
I've been riding 900cc + sport bikes for 12 years, but it doens't mean I should ride a 450 in the dirt (even though I do). I ride a friend of mine's 250F quite often and I thoroughly enjoy it (and I'm 225 pounds).
If I were strictly riding dirt, there's a chance I'd be on a 250F. I do the motard gig once in a blue moon, so I stick with the 450. And, to be honest, I like the effortless nature of riding a 450 in more aggressive woods riding. If you can hang on, it'll climb it!
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Originally posted by HUNCH View PostGet a 450F...especially riding a 1000cc street bike. I have only been riding dirt for about 4 months and bought a '10 CRF450R and don't regret it a bit. I have ridden a few 250F's and after riding my 450 I could feel a noticeable difference in throttle repsonse, overall speed, and quickness through the gears. I don't do any real racing, mostly trail riding and some track riding for fun, but I never have any problems adapting. I am nowhere near the experienced rider to use all of the power a 450 entails, but as I get better it will be there to use. They are only about 800$ to 1000$ more than a 250F anyway. Oh, and Fuel Injection FTW!
And yes, fuel inection FTMWF!
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