I'm getting into dirt biking

[Crabby]

I second the vote for a KDX, they didnt seem to change a lot from about 99 upwards to the naked eye, Ive had 2 and probably the most usable bikes Ive ever owned, nice tame power but still get along well. Also DONT get a pitbike, you need full size wheels otherwise you will be falling off lots when the wheels drop into holes!

[BoristheBiter]

learners bike, has to be a XR250.
Cheap now, no maintenance (well vary little), go forever, handles the falls, in your budget range.

But either way listen to what Jay GTI said about a coaching session.
I rode for 10 years, had a few hours with Birchy and found I had been riding wrong (body position) the entire time. well worth a leason to get the basics right.

Have fun that's what it is all about

[Lawrence]

I'll keep that in mind when buying a bike. The Forza 140 Big Foot has 17/14 inch wheels, will this cope ok at Woodhill?

You should be fine on that, as there are plenty of young kids ripping around on bikes that size. You have many options on which bike to get, along with the mixed but all good advice here on this forum.

In the end so long as your having fun on the bike that is the main thing, because that's what its all about, fun.

I ride an old tech air cooled XR250. Some would called it a 'farm bike' , 'tractor' or worse. But I have fun on it, and no less fun than others on their mega dollar MX bikes.

Good luck with your hunt for a bike and have fun!

[barty5]

KDX is top heavy and for what it is it is just heavy and old.

[Leyton]

KDX is top heavy and for what it is it is just heavy and old.

Acaully thats a good point. The KDX is a little top heavy, however easy to control.

I had one between the ages of 14 and 18 and loved it!

They are only as old as the new piston, or bottom end rebuild. There are still some crackers out there!

I got my KDX a 1989 back in 1996, and was rooted when I got it. So just look around if you want a good one

[Mungatoke Mad]

learners bike, has to be a XR250.
Cheap now, no maintenance (well vary little), go forever, handles the falls, in your budget range.

+ 1 4 the XR 250 bullet proof go forever parts are plentiful & cheap as chips & being a 250 you wont grow out of it as Quick as you would on the smaller bikes

[meteor]

You're 165 cm tall so an XR250 or a KDX might be a bit tall. There are still some good and cheap XR200s out there that would be a good starter. I think a 2 stroke will teach you how to ride a bit better but your limited to an 85 which you'd be to big for or a 125 which might be a bit of a handful for a learner [possibly]. As said above have a ride on your mates... or you could book in for a coaching with Tony at the Sandpit and hire his bike, a KDX from memory and ride on bush and sand trails, or there is also Thundercross park where they hire DRZ125 and 250s and ride on open farmland and still do coaching. Enjoy.

[Dumruat]

I am the same height as you , i was born with ducks disease.( my A^$% is too close to the ground)

The ability to hire bikes at the sandpit is a huge advantage nowadays as is the all important training.

If i were you i'd grab your mates... save your coin and take their bikes out to sandpit. Practice a bit and take advantage of the great hire bikes / training available on your doorstep.( thundercross is good except a bit further away for you)

after a couple of days you may have spent a bit on bike fees but you have had the opportunity to try couple of different bike sizes and make a more informed purchase based on bikes you have ridden as well as some training.

I started on a ty50 trials bike at about 7

My bike order for next 15 odd years went KX80's , xr200() IT175 IT200 Yz 125 DT200 wr200 . or something very similar

When i was your age i bought a DT175 new as a form of transport as well. (the dt would be about perfect if just learning . air cooled low seat height except old design on the plus side you can road register them ,very similar to the dr125 etc. )

I have had 250's but always end up back on 125's or 200's for some reason.

The point is a good 200 / 230 or melow 125 is pretty much ideal for your height build.

Send me a message if heading out to thundercross sometime. I am happy to let you jump on my ktm , you'd be able to touch the ground ( just) and its so easy to ride .and with a twist of powervalve settings it can be mellower than a kdx200.

Hopefully you grow an inch or two more , otherwise you will master touching ground with tiptoes and/or putting one foot on the ground and doing the splits sort of thing with the bike under your other knee draped over the seat when stationary.

grow........

from a middle aged midget....

[Zedder]

The Waitemata Motorcycle Club does rides at Woodhill and Riverhead Forests often. Check them out for advice, training, cheap forest riding fees etc if you want to go the club way.

[Borknagar]

Hey guys thanks for all the help.
This weekend I'm going to go and have a ride on my friends bikes and then next weekend I'm going to go and get a lesson at Woodhill apparently you can hire a bike for the day which I will do. I'm not sure what bike you hire at Woodhill but I will ask and will base my decision on what type of bike to get off my experience of each bike I have ridden.

Two of my friends are coming out to Woodhill with me, one has the Forza 140 Big Foot and the other has a 125cc bike, I'm not sure what make it is but I'm sure its either a Kawasaki or a Suzuki. So I will see how each one performs at Woodhill.

Will report back soonish

[GPS MAN]

Good Luck and Welcome to the Insanity

[Borknagar]

Hi everyone - just thought I would update everyone on what I've been doing.
So today I went to Woodhill/Sandspit for the first time!
I got a lesson from Tony who was awesome, the best instructor I have ever had for any sport. He was super friendly, patient and just plain helpful. I rented a Honda CRF230.
My lesson went really well, still trying to get the hang of the clutch but I can ride pretty well for a first time - I managed to keep up with my mates woohoo!
I went for a ride with my friends afterwards one was on a ttr125 (I think) and the other was on a RM85 two stroke bike. I kept up with them ok no real problems.
Now the CRF230 which I was riding was really nice but I found it difficult to get into neutral (the bike is electric start and must be in neutral to start) which made starting a bit difficult especially when I accidently stalled and I got stuck trying to get into neutral to start the bike. The other thing I found was that the bike was really heavy so picking it up and pushing it wasn't the easiest my arms are sore just typing this and I ain't a fatty! Other than that the bike was amazing super smooth and fast also.

So now I'm hooked and I want to ride again. I need a bike preferably a kick start and one that isn't to heavy. Any suggestions? Oh and it needs to be under $4000

Thanks guys!

[Flicks]

CRF 230 are a nice bike, more expensive then your xr and similar bikes. But all bike will be the same to get into neutral you will just get used to knowing how to get it into neutral.( Rocking the bike sometimes helps and try putting it into second and giving it a light tap down). If you can afford a crf 230 then get one.
Dont get a forza as noone wants them so the resale value is crap and hard to sell/get parts for.

You wont get much lighter then a crf230 unless you get a 2 stroke.

[Transalper]

My 04 CRF230 doesn't need to be in Neutral to be started, just need to pull the clutch in and press the button.

[tigertim20]

as for it feeling a bit heavy, and having tired arms - give it a bit more practice, your arms are probably tired from arm pump since you're new to bikes.

get a 2 stroke 125 if you want a lighter bike but still want enough ponies to have lots of fun