Buying My First Dirt Bike

Why so you fits day that a 2 stroke is harder to make street legal? I can't imagine it being any easier than mine was. Having said that, you know where I stand....
 
I love 2 strokes, I'm a huge fan, but I think a nice mellow 4stroke would be perfect for Davy. An xr400 seems like the ideal bulletproof trail bike for a guy as tall as Davy.
 
pELYgroso said:
Why so you fits day that a 2 stroke is harder to make street legal? I can't imagine it being any easier than mine was. Having said that, you know where I stand....
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Yeah, the process to make them street legal would be the exact same. The downside to a 2T on the road is you can't just stop for fuel. Also, they are quite buzzy on the road.
 
Caleb said:
Guess I need to try harder then :rofl:

really, a 2T is a great trail bike, I'll never dispute that. However, for street duty and putting around on trails, it's the wrong bike.
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Yep, you are slacking big time! ;) Putting around on the trail, yes a 2t is not ideal, but they can do it. I have a 13oz fww and it really makes a big difference IMHO. A rekluse would make them even better.

pELYgroso said:
Why so you fits day that a 2 stroke is harder to make street legal? I can't imagine it being any easier than mine was. Having said that, you know where I stand....
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Not harder, just not the ideal bike for street use, by a long shot.

Caleb said:
Yeah, the process to make them street legal would be the exact same. The downside to a 2T on the road is you can't just stop for fuel. Also, they are quite buzzy on the road.
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Yep. You would have to keep oil on hand for the right size tank on the bike. Not a huge deal as most carry backpacks while riding street, at least I did/do. They buzz a lot for sure. They are simply not build for road use.
 
Hey Davy, you are welcome to come try my TTR 250. You could also ride my YZ 450 to get a feel for the power difference, hell try my sons' YZ 250F while your here. I really like the TTR for a single track bike, it is mellow enough to not get you into trouble while you're learning. You can pick them up for around $1500 and street legal them for another $200. Also, if you end up buying a Yamaha, I would be happy to help you with maint. I know blue bikes pretty well and have tools to do pretty much any YZ/WR450 maint. You know where I live:)
 
glockman said:
Hey Davy, you are welcome to come try my TTR 250. You could also ride my YZ 450 to get a feel for the power difference, hell try my sons' YZ 250F while your here. I really like the TTR for a single track bike, it is mellow enough to not get you into trouble while you're learning. You can pick them up for around $1500 and street legal them for another $200. Also, if you end up buying a Yamaha, I would be happy to help you with maint. I know blue bikes pretty well and have tools to do pretty much any YZ/WR450 maint. You know where I live:)
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^This will happen.
 
I recommend the DRZ-400E or 400S. The 400S is street legal out of the box, both are electric start and pretty light for a street legal 4 stroke bike. They also have a 200W stator for plenty of lighting options. There was a guy selling one of each in Logan on KSL a couple days ago for $2200-$2500. Very much within your price range for a very versatile bike.

The 400cc motor makes plenty of power for experienced riders, but it's very smooth coming on and doesn't give any surprises for new guys either. They really aren't far behind the 450's power wise, but are just a little more mellow. Mine can run about 95 MPH fully revved out on the highway. I'm 6'1" with a 32" inseam and I can stand flat-foot while on mine.

Good luck with the decision! There are more modern bikes out there for sure, but be ready to spend at least a grand more.

Jared
 
drz's are great bikes, but they're not light at all (317 lbs). I suppose they're lighter than a big BMW 900, but you'd definitely feel the weight on the trail. No offence, the DRZ's are tanks and super reliable. They can still be ridden well on the trails, but they're definitely not a "light" trail bike.
 
My vote is by far an 05-07 KTM 400-450cc EXC if you can spend the extra cash.

Here's some thoughts:

-400cc or more.

-I would not go the XR400 route because reliability is its only edge on the competition and even that is debatable. The WR, DRZ and RFS KTM's (which can have electric start in some cases) are very reliable.

-DRZ400S is a tank the DRZ400 is not so much. I've spent a lot of time on both and wouldn't trade them for much else on those 50+ mile sections of pavement. The kickstart model is a great trail bike. The E-start (S) model is okay on the trail but you will feel the weight and stock gearing on the singletrack.

-WR is a great user friendly trail bike with outstanding reliability. It is not fun to ride long distances of pavement on but I can happen. Save some cash and get the WR426 if you don't mind kick starting.

-Consider a Rekluse auto clutch.

Hope this helps :D
 
Mine is the kick-start model, with a listed dry weight of 248 lbs. Two gallons of gas, two quarts of oil, and two quarts of coolant add 24 lbs to that figure. Throw in the weight of a battery and starter motor, plus a few pounds of blinkers and wiring for the DRZ E and S models. They aren't the lightest out there, but are VERY competitive weight wise with a WR450 or similar. They are really only heavy compared to MX race bikes, or stripped down 2-strokes. Also the valve clearance service interval is a generous 10,000 miles, coupled with other service items more typical of road bikes, and I get about 35 miles per gallon OFF ROAD.

If all you need is a lightweight trail bike, get a 250cc+ 2-stroke MX bike and gear it down or add an auto clutch. If you want something you can ride to the trail and then on it, or even longer stretches of highway between trails, pick something like a DRZ. Just understand that any feature you add (street legal, etc) adds weight!

Jared
 
I agree DeadEye my friends kickstart DRZ feels a lot like my WR weight and power wise. I wouldn't be surprised if they were less than 5lbs apart from each other--great bikes. My other friend has the e-start S model and its definitely more than a starter and blinkers--there is a 50+lb chunk of lead hidden somewhere under the seat along with a very de-tuned motor compared to the kickstart version.
 
My drz400e is an excellent bike and i would take it any day of the week over a xr400. Stay away from the heavier less powerful S model. If your willing to spend $3500 plus a wr450 is an excellent choice but I would take the DRZ over an older 426 or 400 if for no other reason than electric start.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
 
deviant said:
My drz400e is an excellent bike and i would take it any day of the week over a xr400. Stay away from the heavier less powerful S model. If your willing to spend $3500 plus a wr450 is an excellent choice but I would take the DRZ over an older 426 or 400 if for no other reason than electric start.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
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How can you tell the difference between the s and e models?
 
Jared's DRZ had a very low seat height compared to mine yesterday. I would guess 4" lower I could very easily flat foot it with both feet.

Seemed like he was pretty decent on power... or maybe he just likes wheelies ;)

Jared, next time I have more time I'll have to trade you a bit. It seemed like a good "Do All Bike."

You should weigh your bike also (my guess is 280-284lbs with a full to the top tank)
dirtbike mag weighed the 2000 drz400 kick at 260 dry. The common consensus is the "E" model is only 13-17lbs more while the "S" is way more.

I found this to be interesting on weights for a bunch of bikes.

http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/31404-drz-kickstart-model-wet-weight-racing-set-up-questions/

And this is an awesome article.

http://www.dirtbikemagazine.com/ME2...91&tier=4&id=C69EBD598C7E47AF895BF04C6CEC80F7

it compares a bunch of 2000 dual sports.
 
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