A little guidance required

[Ayrtonsenna]

Evening Ladies....so then, I'm thinking about getting back into dirt bikes.

Tobe honest its been awhile, around 10years since I was ripping through a fire break outa control screaming like a little girl...and loving every second of it.
But I had the odd...error of judgment...three ops on my left Knee later...and my girlfriend saying those a mortal works "I'm pregnant"...and it was game over....sold the lot.

But its time to have some fun again.....everyone seems to be talking four strokes??? so I'm getting alittle confused....back in the day...the old guys rode 4s...in saying that I'm in my late 30s and apparently thats now considered old?

My previous bikes were: IT490....YZ250.....KX250...WR250...two strokes were great easy to work on- rebuilds etc, bit a little tricky to manage in wet slippery hills.

The bike will not be used on the road....trail rides, enduros...no MX...I'm out for a laugh...but want tobe competitive..LOl

Budget 3-4K

Cheers

Ants

[Jay GTI]

Your budget will get you a half-decent 250 4T MX bike, that would get you back into it without the high risk of "further errors of judgement" a 450 4T MX bike would bring. Having said that, sounds like you enjoy scaring yourself, so maybe a 450...

The rebuild costs of 4Ts and simplicity of 2Ts is an arguement that goes on on here every couple of months, but my mate has a 2008 250 SXF that has 200hrs on it, at 180hrs he pulled it apart to do a rebuild, just because he thought he should, and it only needed new rings. Even the valve clearances were still in tolerance.

Also, I went from a 250 2T (RM250) to the 350 4T. I'm way faster (and safer) on the 350.

[Ayrtonsenna]

Hi Jay
Thanks for your comments….went and a chat to Chris Bellamy from Superior motorcycles here in christchurch today….nice guy, with some great advice. He told me theres a KTM test ride day coming up, at the end of september, where you have the opportunity to ride up to 13 different bikes…very low key… no pushy sales….just an chance to ride the full range. He also said, the 300 2T type of bike are very popular for trail bike riding, with plenty of torque, yet nimble enough to work the forests.....interesting.

Ants

[Jay GTI]

Hi Jay
Thanks for your comments….went and a chat to Chris Bellamy from Superior motorcycles here in christchurch today….nice guy, with some great advice. He told me theres a KTM test ride day coming up, at the end of september, where you have the opportunity to ride up to 13 different bikes…very low key… no pushy sales….just an chance to ride the full range. He also said, the 300 2T type of bike are very popular for trail bike riding, with plenty of torque, yet nimble enough to work the forests.....interesting.

Ants

A 300EXC is a popular bike for trail riding, for the reasons you have listed. A ride buddy has one... he's still recovering from the destroyed ribs, shoulder and punctured lung when it got away from him. They are great bikes, but you have to respect them, they can get very angry, very quickly.

The ride day will be awesome though, perfect way to figure out what bike will work for you.

[Ayrtonsenna]

Ouch....so your telling me your 350 4T is easer to ride than the 250 2t..?.especially the way the power is delivered anyway.

I still wake up in cold sweets remembering times spent on the IT 490...

[Jay GTI]

Ouch....so your telling me your 350 4T is easer to ride than the 250 2t..?.especially the way the power is delivered anyway.

I still wake up in cold sweets remembering times spent on the IT 490...

Yep, it's so much easier to ride the 350 4T than the 250 2T that I am considerably faster as a result. I bought the RM250 to get back into riding and it's one of the dumbest decisions I could have made. It was way too powerful for me, with a hair trigger throttle and a power delivery that meant if I even looked at the bike wrong, it would shoot off towards a tree at warp factor 9. It put me in hospital twice...

I got used to it in the end, I owned it for 2 years and the first 18 months I was scared of it (can completely understand the IT490 cold sweats!), but the last 6 months I could handle the power and delivery and enjoyed it. It was still a tiring bike to ride though, harder work than it needed to be and I still couldn't keep up with my mate on his 4T KXF250.

The 350 is so friendly by comparision. Has the same sort of power, but it comes in smoothly and the bike is only ever as fast as I want it to be. The RM I would get tired and start hanging off the throttle too much and not having 100% throttle control was a real liability on it. I don't get as tired on the SXF, so I don't have the throttle control issues in the same way, but even an accidental big handful isn't a "oh shit I'm going to die!" moment anymore.

4Ts also put the power down better, you can start to wind them out mid-corner unlike a 2T that generally requires you to be through the corner and pointing in a straight line before accelerating, but you can of course adjust your riding to suit.

It's all personal preference, but I'd never buy a 2T again, why make riding harder than it needs to be?

[gwynfryn]

A rm250 is a motocross bike. A motocross bike is built to go fast around a moto x track . A moto x bike is not suited to picking over roots, climbing up a nasty rocky hill or a clay goat track. Sixth gear and a 10l tank oh forget it.
Sure plenty of guys use them but only after a sups revalve , and often smoothing the hit with a flywheel weight, richer jetting etc.

The newer 2 stroke endure bikes are nothing like the moto x bikes. With adjustable power valves and even different ignition maps they can be set up how you want. Lug it around or tune it for a big hit the choice is yours. Dont be put off any of the 300 enduro bikes.

You can save a lot of frustration by buying the bike that suits your needs. Want to go fast up and down the beach then get a 450 want to putt around the back yard get a trials bike.

I would be cautious when buying a newer 4 stroke as they are not like the xr's and dr's of old that were fairly under stressed . In your price bracket you could be buying someone else's problem . Sure some get a great run but there are plenty of bikes out there that don't get much love.

Good luck

ps back in the day when i had a it175 a guy gave me a ride on his it465 and i rode it around barely above idle , the sound it made at each engine detonation scared the hell out of me.

[Tony.OK]

$3-4k?
WR250f wouldn't be a bad option, not nearly as slow as you'd think coming from older bikes. Its as powerful as my old XR400, bit less torque but so easy to ride with better suspension and a lecky start
I picked up mine for $3.5, 06 with 4500kms, barely any wear on it. They seem to be the most reliable mechanically of the smaller 4t's from what I've read.
Have put a 269 kit in mine and geared it down and its near perfect for me now, enough power to have fun and doesn't wear me out or give me any frights when I'm knackered like the 450's can.

[Jay GTI]

A rm250 is a motocross bike. A motocross bike is built to go fast around a moto x track . A moto x bike is not suited to picking over roots, climbing up a nasty rocky hill or a clay goat track. Sixth gear and a 10l tank oh forget it.
Sure plenty of guys use them but only after a sups revalve , and often smoothing the hit with a flywheel weight, richer jetting etc.

The 350 SXF is a motocross bike. It is also built to go fast around a moto x track. It is also a very capable trail bike, which is what I use it for. In fact the RM was pretty capable once I got used to the power (learned to short-shift and rotate my hand further around the throttle grip to stop the "oh shit" moments).

I agree the modern 2T enduro bikes are a long way from a snotty 2T mx bike (the RM was old tech even for 2005 when it was made), but the 300 is still a bike to respect. My mate's 300 just doesn't like being run in the softer modes either, so his is left in full angry setting. Anyway I don't want to start another 2T vs 4T or argue enduro vs mx, we all have our preferences and I was just passing on my own experience.

The best advice, which we both definitely agree on, is Ayrton needs to find the right bike for him.

[gwynfryn]

Your right JayGTI i don't want to chase tails with a 2 vs 4 debate just trying to provide some balance.

I know that the sxf is a moto x bike and of course it can be punted hard on the trails but have you tried the 350exc or the other cross country model ?

[Ayrtonsenna]

mmmmmm…..Appreciate this guys…thanks for the advice…a little out of my budget but...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=624954594

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=621046559

[Blagger]

Of those two TardMe listings the first one alarmed me the most - nothing to do with the bike but
Crap feedback
Sod-all trades in history
Calls it an "honest Bike"

Run, run away from that trader

The best information you will get is from the seat of your pants when you try that KTM range

Jay and Gwynfryn both make good points but yeah, test ride everything yourself to be sure - I had a go on my mates RM250 and it just felt like it wanted to blow up or throw me around too much, had a go on a CRF 450 and it was pretty smooth but had kick when needed.
I'm happy with a big ol thumper cos I'm in love with torque but if I was buying again I'd seriously look at something enduro style about 300cc two stroke but hey that's my taste.

Electric start is good for when ya get old

If I can make any recommendation when it comes to buying a bike it is to walk away if it doesn't feel perfect for ya - there's a fucktonne of bikes out there and you've only got one wallet

[takitimu]

The 250 4/ ktm non sxf were pretty gutless pre 2011 or so, to be honest I'd go for a yzf250 if I was you, the motors are bulletproof if a touch tricky to start in the early years.
On balance I think a 250 4/ MX bike makes more sense, way lighter, you'll have a blast and if you keep a bit back you'll be able to redo all the bearings, get suspension refreshed etc.

[barty5]

Id agree with JatGTI i had a yzf450 rode that for bout 4 years was an awsome bike bullet proof but in the end i was way quicker on a 250 4t youll fine that by the end of the day on a 450 your arms will feel around 2 ft longer than they started. they are a lots of work to hold on to.
Hoping when we leave the USA in couple a years i can bring something new back home to NZ and will be looking at the 250 4T or mybe a 350 just have to see at the time but wont be going back to a 450 anytime soon.

[eelracing]

Evening Ladies....

My previous bikes were: IT490....YZ250.....KX250...WR250...two strokes were great easy to work on- rebuilds etc, bit a little tricky to manage in wet slippery hills.

Now that the ladies have spleened their inner choreographers a bit of reality can be added.
Do not buy a four stroke if you can help it,you will be bored to tears and joining a mens support group or worse...taking up golf (same thing really)in no time.

Every thing you say of two strokes is still relevant today and with the savings you can afford plenty of new rubber for those slippery hills.