Time for another dirt bike - which one to get for a short rider?

I think an RM250 or a CR250 would be a good bet.

I need to sell my scooter and my mountain bike before I can afford a bike, but if the right deal pops up I may be able to snag it.
 
Even with a fww 125's take some good throttle and clutch work to get through technical/steep sections. Not saying it can't be done but...

RM's in general have very good handling and suspension. I've replaced enough stators on the pre-01's to turn me off of an otherwise very good bike.

I also had a 98 KTM300 MXC. Very heavy (as in 4T heavy). It had incredible forks (WP Extremes), almost as much power as a 250, the XC 5 speed trans was a very close ratio and handled like a brick poop house--worthless in mud. I hated that bike. I think a lot of tuning and suspension work would have done wonders but I still feel KTM has come a very long way in my mind. The later 300's are some of the best bikes ever made.
 
I guess I shouldn't be so quick to judge the 125's. The bad memories I have of them were mostly due to operator error and no being set up properly (stock/moto-bred). With some aftermarket support I think you could probably make it work just keep in mind they have to be revved to make the best of the power.
 
I had to rev my kx100 quite a bit to find the power on it. I wonder if the KIPS valve made a difference at all. I see how much the enduro riders dab their feet in the technical stuff and I'm wondering if I'd ever be able to do that, even if I became a great rider.
 
Winter was approaching, I wanted the $ for another toy, and it was a bit too tall for me. And the thing that sucks about a hybrid is that the pieces don't quite line up to stock. Everything was modified to fit in there. But looking back, I should have kept that bike.
 
gravesdiggerxj said:
double cab all over again.^
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Not quite. I sold the first double-cab because it got in a wreck and they never fixed it all the way. It always had a shimmy and I didn't feel comfortable taking it on 200_ mile trips, especially after I almost rolled it due to a broken lower BJ.

But sometimes you don't know what you have 'till it's gone. :D
 
sixstringsteve said:
Caleb, what year is your 300? i know you did a lot of research on those. Are there any years to stay away from on the 300?
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Mines a 2008 xc. The years to have from what I found in my research is 2008 and newer and the newer you get the better. KTM has been tweaking small things each year making the year after just a little bit better. One thing to note is the XC switched to linked rear suspension in 2011 I believe while the XCW didn't, it still has the PDS suspension. A lot of good riders prefer the linked suspension, I'm no where near good enough to feel a difference. For me I prefer the PDS because maintenance is 100X's easier and I no longer get hung up on logs, etc that my link would catch on with my 450X.

My 300 is my most absolute favorite bike I've owned or even rode. It's a blast on the trails, maintenance is cake, and the power is excellent.
 
My brother had a 2006 KTM 250 XCF and sold it and bought a 2011 250 XCF.

The 2006 would smoke the 2011 in a flat race. Lots more power. However the 2011 was a lot smoother powerband and a lot more manageable power. And the 2011 suspension was night and day better than the 2006.

both however were "too tall" of a seat height for me to comfortably control the bike
 
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Steve, I think this is the next step... :greg:

http://www.motopeds.com/

sbmotoped1.jpg


[video=youtube_share;k9aAQSKs9u8]http://youtu.be/k9aAQSKs9u8[/video]


They are kit bikes that you assemble, if you shop carefully you can get the price to around $2500.

They look cool, but honestly it may be lacking once it's all said & done. Pretty interesting though, I think it would be fun to have for awhile.
 
I love the 24" rear wheel. That could be some serious fun if you put some proper foot pegs on it. I couldn't care less about the pedaling function (unless they incorporated that to replace the kickstart). I see a lot of potential in a 100 lb 50cc dirt bike with MTB parts.
 
sixstringsteve said:
man, that's sweet! I promise never to ride it in sandals if I get one. :D
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Yeah, that was amazingly stupid... and he's putting his feet out in the turns!! :wtf:


sixstringsteve said:
I love the 24" rear wheel. That could be some serious fun if you put some proper foot pegs on it. I couldn't care less about the pedaling function (unless they incorporated that to replace the kickstart). I see a lot of potential in a 100 lb 50cc dirt bike with MTB parts.
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I would imagine something like this would have some downfalls and not be quite like a 'real' motorcycle, but I also think the final product is pretty light and plenty capable. Could you imagine riding this up on the Ridge Trail up AF Canyon? It would be a blast!

I agree about the pedals, at this point it's probably not too fun to pedal on anything uphill.... get rid of them and put pegs on.


jeeper said:
I was totally sold on the idea, until I realized he never pedals it in his videos.. So just buy a motorcycle.
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Yeah, I guess the difference here is that this is no 'motorcycle', since it uses a 50cc engine you don't need a MC license on the street. Not sure about registration & plates. There are some interesting reasons behind the build. Something like this could be a pretty damn cool commuter if you lived downtown somewhere, they get 80-100 MPG and you could park it at a bike rack. I'd much rather ride this, than a stupid scooter... :p

I'd think it's decently light compared to other motorcycles, they claim 115 lbs ready to ride, depending on components used. I would love to see one in person and spend some time on one, to see how it all works together.
 
Agreed. I also love the idea of a scorpa t ride . Impossible To find and stupid expensive, but I want.one anyway. It seems like.the.perfect 5moh bike.
 
There are more videos on the website. In some of them they peddle Screw the peddling. I want one to ride especially if you can get a large enough motor in one. That would be a great single track bike on those trails that only allow bicycles
 
He is wearing Keen sandals so they do have a toe box;)

I really like motorcycles and I really like mtn bikes. I'm not sure how I feel about this motain bikle.

I have been closely watching the development of electric mx bikes. They are basically a scaled up mtn bike. That is my ideal trail bike. Zipping up AF single track almost silently. Unfortunately the bikes are still too expensive and have really limited range.

https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-mx/


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