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

sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Uh oh...

IMG_20130319_204503_785.jpg
 
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sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
yup, it's a 2000 KX125 with a blown top end (and bottom end), which is great because I'll be putting a kdx200 motor in it soon (once I can afford the second bike for this project). I could be wrong, but it feels shorter/smaller than the cr125. I loved the CR125 but it was a little tall, and the perimeter frame made it really tough to get to the spark plug and stuff. This should require less fabbing, and should be more open.
 
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sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
all this chatter on RME about dirt bikes definitely helped me realize how much I need a bike...

I knew I couldn't ever last long without a dirt bike.
 
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sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Here are some details I found about Ricky Carmichael's bike:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111017131826AAGtgJo

I'm 5'5" and ride a YZ 250 2-stroke. All I did was cut some seat foam out and buy a smaller tire. I switched to a 110/80-19 rear tire and slid the fork tubes up 5mm to compensate for the drop in the rear. Then I bought a Kuba link, but tossed it after riding with it one time. The Kuba link made the bike feel like a chopper and you can definitely tell that the rear end had reduced travel. I then went and elongated the holes on the gas tank mounting brackets and trimmed the padding as well as install a radiator lowering kit that DRD made. I ended up cutting the subframe and removing about 1/4" from the lower tubes. Overall I dropped my 2006 YZ 250 almost 3 inches without messing the suspension up.


What they did to Ricky Carmichaels RMZ was cut the seat foam down, cut the lower rails on the subframe to drop the rear end then re-welded it. It had a 20" front wheel different rear shock linkage and the fork tubes were slid up about 10mm.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogalle…


Here are some pictures of my bike

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a…

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a…

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-a…

Lowering the gas tank made it harder to change a spark plug but the change in handling made it more than worth it.
 
glockman

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
After reading all of Steve's talk about being able to touch the ground on a bike I have taken for granted my height. Today I rode my TTR250 for a bit and while stopped at a light I noticed that I can only touch with both feet on my tip toes. I have never really thought about it but I can't touch flat foot on my 450 either. I think you guys might be putting too much though into that aspect. lean it to the left a little and you can touch flat footed. So when are we all going riding. This weather is getting me really pumped up.
 
Caleb

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
glockman said:
After reading all of Steve's talk about being able to touch the ground on a bike I have taken for granted my height. Today I rode my TTR250 for a bit and while stopped at a light I noticed that I can only touch with both feet on my tip toes. I have never really thought about it but I can't touch flat foot on my 450 either. I think you guys might be putting too much though into that aspect. lean it to the left a little and you can touch flat footed. So when are we all going riding. This weather is getting me really pumped up.
Click to expand...


I agree. I haven't been able to touch flat footed on any bike of mine that was sprung and setup properly for me. I've never done something that I could have done better, saved a crash, etc if I had been able to flat foot it.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
glockman said:
After reading all of Steve's talk about being able to touch the ground on a bike I have taken for granted my height. Today I rode my TTR250 for a bit and while stopped at a light I noticed that I can only touch with both feet on my tip toes. I have never really thought about it but I can't touch flat foot on my 450 either. I think you guys might be putting too much though into that aspect. lean it to the left a little and you can touch flat footed. So when are we all going riding. This weather is getting me really pumped up.
Click to expand...

I would kill to be able to touch a single toe when straight up. To flat-foot, I have to put my calf on the seat. When I could tip-toe or at least get the ball of my foot down on the KX 100, it made a big difference and I saved myself from a lot of tip-overs. That's where I spend most of my energy. Having to kick-start halfway up a rocky hill, where I can't touch the ground is where it gets me the most.

In other words, it won't prevent me from crashing, but it would prevent me from tipping over a lot when I come to a standstill in the trail. I'm sure as I become a better rider it won't be as big of an issue.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
I gotta say, I'm loving my KX/KDX hybrid. It's still a bit tall, but I'm getting used to it. That being said, I haven't had it up AF Canyon yet, but on the flatter stuff, the seat height isn't really an issue.
 
S

STAG

Well-Known Member
Silly question.

For desert trail riding (Moab, San Rafael Swell, 5 mile pass etc)

Would you prefer the reliability/simplicity of an air-cooled like a crf150/230 F or the liquid cooled of a crf150r
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Well-Known Member
Location
UT
Personally, I always prefer simplicity. I'm a big fan of air cooled bikes.

A CRF150R is a much faster, more powerful bike than a CRF150, but either should be great in Moab.

Regarding 5 MP, I think you'd miss your old 450 there.
 
S

STAG

Well-Known Member
sixstringsteve said:
Personally, I always prefer simplicity. I'm a big fan of air cooled bikes.

A CRF150R is a much faster, more powerful bike than a CRF150, but either should be great in Moab.

Regarding 5 MP, I think you'd miss your old 450 there.
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Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have included the 150F as an option as I'm only deciding between the 230F and a 150R, I'm getting close on purchasing. I have ridden the 230F and loved it, but my brother is trying to tell me I'd like the 150R a little better.

And yeah I had ridden my 450 out at 5MP, it was fun but I wasn't able to use my bike to its full abilities because of my stature. Not saying I couldn't have with enough practice, but it was hard to have the confidence in the practicing of hard riding of a bike that was too tall for me.
 
Caleb

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
Chocflip201 said:
Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have included the 150F as an option as I'm only deciding between the 230F and a 150R, I'm getting close on purchasing. I have ridden the 230F and loved it, but my brother is trying to tell me I'd like the 150R a little better.

And yeah I had ridden my 450 out at 5MP, it was fun but I wasn't able to use my bike to its full abilities because of my stature. Not saying I couldn't have with enough practice, but it was hard to have the confidence in the practicing of hard riding of a bike that was too tall for me.
Click to expand...

I'll always take liquid cooled over air cooled. The liquid doesn't add much complexity but helps the bike run much cooler making it so you can make more power. I wouldn't ever let air vs. liquid sway my decision.
 
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