Dirt Bike for 13 Year Old?

[nicksgammato]

Hey guys, I'm Nick, I'm 13 years old and im 5'5" and 126 lbs. I still have a ways to grow. I'm an inexperienced rider and looking for a bike to ride around tracks. Any suggestions?

[KcDavis]

KX 100

[nicksgammato]

KX 100

ok I'll look into it. Right now I want a crf150rb and there's one selling in my area that I might pick up . What's your opinion on that?

[KcDavis]

I'd go with the KX.

[FactoryJake]

From what I have heard, 4 stroke MX bikes can be pretty costly when it comes to repairs and they require a lot of maintenance if you want a long lasting machine. If you're going to be riding the track, I would definitely buy a 2 stroke just because they're fairly easy and cheap to rebuild/repair.  Like KcDavis said, the KX100 is probably a good bike for you considering your size. Bigger then a 85 and smaller then a 125. I think it would be good for you for a year or so before you get bored of it and want something that has a little more power.

[Ian8or]

Being your height that CRF150rb is gonna be cutting it close for a beginner, that is an expert bike thats what the rb stands for, its also a race bike (meaning if you live in a neighbor hood and are just putting down the road this for sure is the wrong bike for you cause this bikes wants to be run hard like really hard thats when you get the most performance out of it) so be ready for some serious maintenance on it. If I were you I would try out a DRZ-125L or a CRF150f or KLX125L and on the DRZ and KLX the L means big wheel version and that means exactly what it sounds like- it is a DRZ125 or KLX125 with bigger rims on it. Now if you can find a good deal on a crf150f go for it cause they are more readily available when it comes to parts the, KLX and DRZ (from personal experience) are an absolute pain the find parts for but still are very reliable tough bikes. So unless you're are going straight into racing the Crf150rb is not a good choice especially for a beginner. 

 

So if you are looking for a 2 stroke then go with a kx100 or maybe a cr80-85 (still once again from personal experience if you don't run them hard you're fouling plugs and doing top end rebuilds twice as fast) 

 

Also I am 13 im 5'3 and I can tell you that you probably wont want to get the CRF150rb or a 2 stroke for a beginner.

Go with one of the 4strokes I listed above you will be a little big for them but they are good bikes to learn on and you can almost always make your money back on them.

[KcDavis]

You won't be doing top end rebuilds twice as fast if you don't run them hard. Fouling plugs can also be avoided with proper jetting. Although, these small bores make all their useful power when on the pipe, it won't break if you don't run it hard.

[jay bird1138]

What kind of riding?

[FactoryJake]

Being your height that CRF150rb is gonna be cutting it close for a beginner, that is an expert bike thats what the rb stands for, its also a race bike (meaning if you live in a neighbor hood and are just putting down the road this for sure is the wrong bike for you cause this bikes wants to be run hard like really hard thats when you get the most performance out of it) so be ready for some serious maintenance on it. If I were you I would try out a DRZ-125L or a CRF150f or KLX125L and on the DRZ and KLX the L means big wheel version and that means exactly what it sounds like- it is a DRZ125 or KLX125 with bigger rims on it. Now if you can find a good deal on a crf150f go for it cause they are more readily available when it comes to parts the, KLX and DRZ (from personal experience) are an absolute pain the find parts for but still are very reliable tough bikes. So unless you're are going straight into racing the Crf150rb is not a good choice especially for a beginner. 

 

So if you are looking for a 2 stroke then go with a kx100 or maybe a cr80-85 (still once again from personal experience if you don't run them hard you're fouling plugs and doing top end rebuilds twice as fast) 

 

Also I am 13 im 5'3 and I can tell you that you probably wont want to get the CRF150rb or a 2 stroke for a beginner.

Go with one of the 4strokes I listed above you will be a little big for them but they are good bikes to learn on and you can almost always make your money back on them.

I can definitely agree with starting out on a DRZ-125L. I started out on a 2003 DRZ-125L and it was a great starter bike for me and taught me how to ride. They're great long lasting bikes and require little maintenance. I had mine for a year without doing a single thing to it (I've changed my ways as currently buying a new bike) and it never let me down. And also, if you're inexperienced rider I would suggest that you get the hang of the bike first, before you start riding on the track.   

Edited March 5, 2015 by FreeRide250f

[Katzat]

Nick, my son just turned 14 and he's been riding a YZ85 since he was 11. That was his first bike. It was aggressive for a beginner, but he learned quickly and safely.

You're at a tough place for getting a first bike. If I were your dad, I'd recommend the KX100 or the CRF150RB, but you'll probably only fit it well for 2 years if you're lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective).

You mentioned in your original post that you're interested in track riding. These are both proper track bikes. The other 4-strokes mentioned by Ian8or are trail bikes. They are very poorly suited for track riding. I suspect you'll get bored on one of them very quickly.

Regarding maintenance, dirt biking is a gear, time, money, and maintenance intensive sport no matter how you cut it. Assuming you buy a used bike, it will likely need some stuff done to it pretty quickly. My experience with 2-strokes like the KX mentioned is that they'll need rings every 40+ hours of normal riding properly maintained. Maybe more often if you're racing and training aggressively. Maybe less for a beginner. For us, this translates to a top-end rebuild every winter. Bear in mind that I live in Illinois, so we're not riding from December through March or April normally, so that gives us 3 months to get that done. It takes me about 3 hours to do with my son, and costs about $100. That's about the quickest and least expensive maintenance we do.

The CRF150R is a more complicated top-end rebuild. More time and money. For me, that's a full day job. But properly maintained, that top end should last longer. For these hot 4-strokes, I just check the valve clearances at each 30-40 hour interval. If that's good and the bike is running well, I don't go any further.

Regarding riding in the neighborhood, etc., you probably shouldn't do that. Its annoying to neighbors and wrecks tires. For me, tires are a bigger concern that the dreaded Top-End. They're expensive and more work.

Does your dad ride? Will he be joining you in this sport? How are you planning to get this new bike to the track? The hauling gear is also a bigger deal than the top end.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Katzat