UPDATE: opinions on dirt bikes...

[bert]

i have recently acquired an itch that must be scratched...

it's been a long time since i rode bikes...from my best
recollection, probably 22 years or so...you can suppress
your addictions for quite sometime as you grow older,
get married, buy a house, start a career...but when your
9 year old son becomes obsessed with all things motocross
and is begging for a bike, those long suppressed desires
rear their ugly heads and once again you are 'hooked'...

i've pretty much determined that my son will end up with
a Yamaha TTR90 or PW80...different designations, but
basically the same bike depending on the model year...a
good place to start with a 3 speed and no clutch...

not one to sit around and watch, i am currently in the market
for a bike myself as well...wisdom tells me to buy a nice 4 stroke
trail bike, something with low maintenance that won't require a
new top end every year...something like the larger Yamaha TTR225...

but the testosterone tells me to buy something with BALLS--a 2 stroke
screamer like a YZ125 or CR125...

anybody out there riding that can offer some opinions to an old
man hanging desperately onto his youth?

bert

[BahnE30]

todays 4 strokes are just as powerful as the 2's but no wheres near the fun.
the 2 strokes also last longer than they used too
so i say if you wanna ripe around 2 stroke
if you don't want to scare yourself 4

[bert]

i'm all about scaring myself...just aim it, twist throttle, and hang on!

bert

[Ryan Stewart]

nothing can really come close to the power to weight as a 2-stroke. Those little singles make a lot of torque too. I had a 250 but that was me as a kid, I am sure a 125 would be plenty.

I miss mine but there just isnt any place within 30 minutes I can ride without ending up in handcuffs. :(

[Chris E30 Cab]

Get your 9yr a bike with a clutch.....I got one when I was 8 and learned how to use it in 30 min's. Just teach him how. Any 80-90cc offroad bike will be fine....even a 2 stroke if your boy rides bicycles alot and can be taught how to behave on a motorbike....but of course the 2 stroke won't have a headlight.

For yourself, if you're just going to trailride then just any offroad model will be fine. If your a tall or heavier set guy than get at least a 250, 300 or 400cc. Also, if you trailride alot, none are maintenance free....but I'd stick to the Japanese brands (Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki). As mentioned before, the 4 stroke bikes have come a long way, and you get the bonus of having a headlight (in case you get caught in the woods when the sun goes down ;) The 4 strokes won't have that awesome powerband like the 2's but for trailriding the 2 strokes powerband can work against you, especially when climbing steep hills. Also, the 4 stroke bikes now come with huge suspensions like the 2 strokes.....back when I was younger this was not the case.

One thing to consider is an electric starter for yourself.....I recommend it....you might remember kickin your old bike alot of times, and that hasn't changed.

Enjoy!! but spend plenty of time getting your boy to respect the motorbike....it's not hard to get hurt really bad on one.

[MattE30]

My friend has 4 dirt bikes, and I have ridden the two smallest...

All are from the early 80s, not exactly sure of the years.

The first is a Yamaha 125cc Enduro. It's for both street and dirt, so as most dual anythings go, it is equally crappy on all surfaces :? This is the bike I learned on...how to ride, turn, jump, and drop The bike is quick, but not easily controlled, and doesn't want to toss you with hard twists of the throttle.

The next is a Honda CB 250. Nice bike. Fast, handles great, and everything works runs and dampens great considering its age. A 250 is probably the most the normal person should go for. Anything more is probably too much for someone who has not motocrossed too much. I never rode this one, because by the time I had gotten enough experiance, he tore down his track because his new house was being built in its place :evil:

The prize of the fleet is the KTM 350. This thing is a friggin' beast. My friend's dad has been on bikes his entire life and used to amature race in motorcross events, and even he is a little scared of it. Any bike that pulls wheelies into third gear while cranking the throttle has balls :twisted: For obvious reasons, I did not ride it.

Oh yeah, he has an Honda CT70 (the famous trail rider). Those who dirt bike probably know these "beasts." I have rode this, and it is actually a lot of fun considering it is slow and you won't get hurt if you fall.

Since you're all grown up, and not a kid, you could probably afford to get a brand new or newer dirt bike. But, even though the bikes I described are from the 80s, hopefully you can get an idea on what engine size would be appropriate.

[bert]

definitely not interested in a new bike for either my son or
myself...

in his case, he's gonna end up laying it down--so i might
as well buy something already scratched up a bit and save
a few bucks and the heartache of messing up a new bike...

in my case, the values on these things drop like a brick...
motocross bikes take a harder depreciation hit than new
BMWs--and i've been there and done that...

i can buy a 2 year old CR or YZ for 1/2 the brand new purchase
price...used is the way to go with these things...

bert

[bmwannabe]

buy a 4 stoke, plenty of all purpose power, better reliability than a 2 stroke, and you dont have to rebuild it like a 2 stroke all the time. my friend races 4 strokes, and has never had to rebuild an engine.

[Digitalwave]

Buy your son a 2-stroke 80cc, with a clutch. After a day of riding it he will be fine, trust me. A 9 year old is more than capable of riding that, and he will learn it FAST. He is going to want to jump and all that jazz too, and 2 strokes seem better setup for it, rather than a trail-4 stroker.

For you, I'd recommend a 2-stroke 250cc. My dad had a CR250 and I had a CR125 when I was 13-14 and I felt the 125 to not be enough power. If you are a bigger guy, the 250 power is nice to have.

[bmwannabe]

dont get a little kid an 80cc 2 stroke. if hes ridden before, maybe, but if not, he will get fucking railed. dead serious.

[RedBaron86325]

Tough call on a bike for yourself. If I were to 2stroke, I'd probably stay in the 125-175 catagory. Little 2strokes are easy jumping and wheelie machines.

If you're not as ballzy as the kiddies nowadays, get a big 4stroke with an electric start. Nothing worse than wearing yourself out trying to kick an older KX420 or YZ490 out in the middle of nowhere. 4strokes have far less maint and typically last much longer.

Either way, I'm sure you'll have fun. I definitely agree with forcing your son to learn how to use a clutch. Teach him the 'right way' the first time then you won't have any bad habits to correct later on. I can almost guarrantee that he'll learn how to use that clutch on the very first day; because it ain't no fun kickin and stallin.

[brodee]

I'm getting ready to buy a bike after being away from it for almost 10 years. I'm looking at a CR250 or YZ250 used. I used to race CR125's but I was about 40lbs lighter back then :)

I agree with you that used it the way to go, the technology doesn't change as much year to year as it did through the 80's. Even a 5 year old bike is great these days, especially if you just want to play.

As for your son, I agree with the others, get him a bike with a clutch, he'll pick it up quick and it will save you from having to buy one 6 months from now when he doesn't like riding the clutchless bike anymore.

I started WAY early riding. Here's a pic of me at 2 years old on my MOM's race bike.

[cahomey]

buy my bike

1996 cr125 $2200

[nickmp0wer]

the other day i pulled up to and stopped at a 3 way intercetion and this guy on a dirt bike flew by me pulling a wheelie, it was soooo cool

[M-technik-3]

Now I don't claim to know all but guys, I think that this year that 2 stroke bikes will be sold in US due to emission rules. Check with dealers. AMA has made the transition to 4 stroke Thumpers.

I used to run YZ175 which was a 2 stroke. A child should learn on a 4 stroke period. A inexperaniced rider will not be ready for 2 stoke power band. Just to let you know I rode 2 stroke cafe bikes while I was stationed in Japan. I had TZR's in 250 and 500cc's, I brought my TZR500r back to the US as a race bike only and sold to a gent in California, he races them on the track.

The same goes with personal watercraft as jetski's are transistioning to 4 stroke power to. As are lawn mowers, when was the last time you saw a Jacob's and can't remember the green mower's. anyone? Yeah I get bored and remember to much crap...