sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
haha, now that ttr225 is up to $700. I guess he got too many calls @ $400.
Time for another dirt bike - which one to get for a short rider?
- Thread starter sixstringsteve
- Start date
rholbrook
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Kaysville, Ut
Lets go, I'll run to Black Foot with you.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
haha, thanks Russ. I don't have many vacation days left, so it'd be a late-night run. I suppose I could swing it one of these nights.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I still have it. It's not going anywhere. I LOVE the trials bike. It just makes some trails too easy and they become boring. It's tough to challenge those bikes. kinda like taking shane's buggy on the pony express trail. But I'm hooked on riding trials, so I'm going to hang onto it. It's a lot of fun. if I had another 2 or 3 people to ride trials with, it'd be even more fun.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
The wheels started turning in my head last night...
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I'm thinking about welding some threaded inserts into the frame so I can build a removable subframe with a seat, tank, and storage area. Then I could pull it off for trials competitions, but keep it on for trail riding. Who knows, it may still make the trails too easy. I'll probably velcro a little seat on there for a ride or two and see what it's like before I go crazy and cut holes in the frame.
SportSawyer
Member
- Location
- Northern Utah
For trail riding or trials events on public lands; State, BLM, FS, ... you'll also need to get a spark arrestor.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I thought my gas gas had a spark arrestor. I'll have to look into it.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I rode another kx100 today and I fell in love with it. It probably has about 10 hours use on it. It's a 2000. It's been geared way down, so it'll chug along in 1st at a walking pace. I'll make an offer tonight and see what he says tomorrow. It's got 19/16 wheels, and the cockpit is a little cramped, but I think it's the best solution out there for me.
rholbrook
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Kaysville, Ut
I just picked up a little XR100 for my son. He is excited and we are going to go riding Friday and Saturday. I also got hooked up with Caleb on a bunch of various parts for the bikes and as always, great service and pricing. Thanks Caleb.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I'm out of town this weekend, but have fun! ONe of these days I'll get to ride with you Russ, and your son will ride 10x better than me.
rholbrook
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Kaysville, Ut
Steve
I rode your next bike. A CRF150R Expert with a Rekluse. The bike is absolutely amazing with that clutch. One of mine and Cheston's riding buddies bought one for his son for Christmas and just put the Rekluse in it. My son rode Corbin's wife's and struggled with it in on the trails because they aren't a good trail bike out of the box but with the Rekluse in it, it suddenly becomes an amazing bike. If I weighed 170lbs or less and had a real short inseam, that bike would be under me. I have started the search for one for my son.
My boy's CRF150F weighs in at 225lbs dry and the 150R Expert is around 175lbs I believe. That is a huge difference.
I rode your next bike. A CRF150R Expert with a Rekluse. The bike is absolutely amazing with that clutch. One of mine and Cheston's riding buddies bought one for his son for Christmas and just put the Rekluse in it. My son rode Corbin's wife's and struggled with it in on the trails because they aren't a good trail bike out of the box but with the Rekluse in it, it suddenly becomes an amazing bike. If I weighed 170lbs or less and had a real short inseam, that bike would be under me. I have started the search for one for my son.
My boy's CRF150F weighs in at 225lbs dry and the 150R Expert is around 175lbs I believe. That is a huge difference.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I've ridden the CRF150F. PLENTY of power, a real zippy bike. It's just a little too short on the wheelbase for me. If I could stretch one 4-5", it'd be ideal.
I really liked my KX100, it was just a little short on the wheelbase, and 18" wheels would have been ideal. I loved my trials bike too, I see one of those in my future again.
I really liked my KX100, it was just a little short on the wheelbase, and 18" wheels would have been ideal. I loved my trials bike too, I see one of those in my future again.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I'm thinking a pitster pro xtr230 could be a fun bike. The bummer is, the SC (small wheels) has a wheelbase of 51" (too short) and a seat height of 35" (just right).
The LC (Large wheels) has a wheelbase of 55.5 (PERFECT!) and a seat height of 37" (too tall). I'm going to see if there are any parts that swap between the two so I can build a bike with a wheelbase of 55.5" and have a seat height of 35".
I wish KTM would release the freeride 350 in the US, that's my dream bike.
The LC (Large wheels) has a wheelbase of 55.5 (PERFECT!) and a seat height of 37" (too tall). I'm going to see if there are any parts that swap between the two so I can build a bike with a wheelbase of 55.5" and have a seat height of 35".
I wish KTM would release the freeride 350 in the US, that's my dream bike.
Curious Steve, what do you use to judge a perfect wheelbase? It's just that wheelbase has never crossed my mind on deciding factors for buying a bike. I'm getting a new bike this spring for trail riding. Still leaning towards the Honda 230F but I havnt really done much research on my options yet.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
If you ride full-size bikes, you don't have to worry about wheelbase too much since they're all within 2" of each other. It's the little bikes that make a big difference.
Having owned about 10 different dirt bikes, I've learned what works well for me and what doesn't. Here's what I've found from my research and experience:
Full-size bikes have a wheelbase around 57". That makes it really nice for climbing, whoops, and faster speeds. It's a little bit more work in the technical stuff, but I don't mind. I'd rather have a long wheelbase than a short wheelbase.
kid-size bikes (kx100, cr80, CR150F, KTM 105, etc) have tiny wheelbases around 49". 8" is a huge difference between wheelbases. The 49" wheelbases are cool in the super tight, technical stuff, but they're so short that they wheelie out, and they feel sketchy at speed. Plus the bars are so close that you feel like you're going to flip over the front wheel when you brake.
The "trail" bikes like a 230F or TTR230 have a wheelbase around 55", which is just fine for me. My only issue with the trail bikes is their weight and their low-performance suspension and brakes.
Having owned about 10 different dirt bikes, I've learned what works well for me and what doesn't. Here's what I've found from my research and experience:
Full-size bikes have a wheelbase around 57". That makes it really nice for climbing, whoops, and faster speeds. It's a little bit more work in the technical stuff, but I don't mind. I'd rather have a long wheelbase than a short wheelbase.
kid-size bikes (kx100, cr80, CR150F, KTM 105, etc) have tiny wheelbases around 49". 8" is a huge difference between wheelbases. The 49" wheelbases are cool in the super tight, technical stuff, but they're so short that they wheelie out, and they feel sketchy at speed. Plus the bars are so close that you feel like you're going to flip over the front wheel when you brake.
The "trail" bikes like a 230F or TTR230 have a wheelbase around 55", which is just fine for me. My only issue with the trail bikes is their weight and their low-performance suspension and brakes.
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sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
And just to put the carmichael thing to rest (since I hear it any time I complain about being short).
1) Carmichael is 5'5". Even shorter than me. He may even have a shorter inseam than me.
2) His bike is HEAVILY modified to fit his body: shaved seat, custom lowered subframe, 20" front wheel. Anything you can do to shorten it (and keep suspension stock) has been done to his bike.
3) He is 1000x the rider I will ever be. Yes, he can ride the big bikes, but he's got millions of hours on a dirtbike. I can't even begin to compare to his skill. I'm sure I could ride a full-size bike after 5 years if I put 40 hours in a week.
4) He rides motocross, which doesn't involve hillclimbs, off-camber, wet roots, rocks, and twisty turns. I'm sure I could still ride a full size bike on the MX track, but in the woods, at moab, and around here, I die on a big bike. I'd love to see Carmichael ride a YZF450 up AF Canyon or at Moab. I have no doubt he could do it, but it's quite a different story from a MX track or out at the sand dunes.
/rant
1) Carmichael is 5'5". Even shorter than me. He may even have a shorter inseam than me.
2) His bike is HEAVILY modified to fit his body: shaved seat, custom lowered subframe, 20" front wheel. Anything you can do to shorten it (and keep suspension stock) has been done to his bike.
3) He is 1000x the rider I will ever be. Yes, he can ride the big bikes, but he's got millions of hours on a dirtbike. I can't even begin to compare to his skill. I'm sure I could ride a full-size bike after 5 years if I put 40 hours in a week.
4) He rides motocross, which doesn't involve hillclimbs, off-camber, wet roots, rocks, and twisty turns. I'm sure I could still ride a full size bike on the MX track, but in the woods, at moab, and around here, I die on a big bike. I'd love to see Carmichael ride a YZF450 up AF Canyon or at Moab. I have no doubt he could do it, but it's quite a different story from a MX track or out at the sand dunes.
/rant
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I also think I could make a lowered CR250 work for me with a flywheel weight and the right gearing. An '85 xr350 would be sweet too.