What bike for a big beginner?

[180baseball]

I'm a pretty big kid, I'm 16 years old, but I'm 6 foot tall and 230 pounds without riding gear. I've never ridden a dirt bike or a street bike for that matter, but I'm a very experienced mountain bike rider. I've been riding mountain bikes since I was 3 and I would consider myself good.

i want a 2 stroke because I'm afraid of all the maintenance and costs associated with a 4 stroke. I was hoping to start off on a 125, but I thought I might a little too heavy. Would a 250 be too much for me? I'd prefer not to start off too much but I'm afraid a 125 couldn't haul all my weight around.

 

thanks,

 

John

[carlcrist]

Since your a beginner I would start with 125 or a 150 the 250s have so much power it's insane

[180baseball]

Ok, I was hoping to get a 125 two stroke but I was just afraid it couldn't carry me around. After gear and all I might be close to 250 so I'd be afraid it couldn't haul me around in the woods. I'm not looking to do racing with it, only trail riding. Some of the trails have steep climbs.

[Leardriver]

Four strokes are more common for a reason. User friendly power delivery for a beginner is one of them. A 450 four stroke is exactly what you need.

Throttle control is one of  the keys to dirt bike riding. It doesn't matter what size the bike is. You can ride a 450 one gear high and lug it around way better than a 250.

[180baseball]

I know four strokes are more common and might be better for me, but I can't spend $3000 on a bike. $1500 or so would be my max, so I think a 2 stroke would be easier to find in that price range.

 

Would a 250 2 stroke be ok for me as a beginner? I don't really want to spend a ton of money to get a four stroke.

I know four strokes are more common and might be better for me, but I can't spend $3000 on a bike. $1500 or so would be my max, so I think a 2 stroke would be easier to find in that price range.

 

Would a 250 2 stroke be ok for me as a beginner? I don't really want to spend a ton of money to get a four stroke

[lhc450]

As a beginner rider I'd also assume you are a beginner mechanic?
Reason I ask is a $1500 bike is going to be an older bike that has been rode hard and most likely put away wet.
Yes, a two stroke is cheaper to maintain but they are much more touchy to jetting and altitude changes and can blow up if not tuned for proper conditions.
Four strokes are less fussy but when they pop, bust out the [emoji383][emoji383].
If riding is something you see as a passion, I'd spend the money on a nice newer four stroke 450, maybe even one that is plated so you can explore dual sport.

[Oakdalebud123]

Trials bike

[HappyAndy]

Not all 4ts are expensive to maintain. XR 250s are cheap, plentiful and inexpensive to maintain. CRF 230f is a fair choice too, not as simple as the XR, but no where near as complex as 250f MX racers. The old Suzuki DR 250/350 are similar, but not quite plentiful. Yamaha ttr 230 is also low maintenance.

On the 2t side, KDX 200/220 is a great beginner's ride. Also plentiful and easy to maintain. KTM also had a very popular 200 2t in production until just a few years ago.

As a fellow big guy, I don't think that you'd like a 125 2t. 

[180baseball]

I talked to someone I know about dirt bikes and he said for me a 250 4 stroke or 2 stroke would be good. This person is very knowledgeable and has ridden tons of different bikes, so I value his opinion. What do you think? I'm afraid to spend so much money on a 4 stroke only to have to spend a lot more money just to rebuild the engine.

[HappyAndy]

@180baseball see if you can find an XR 250, seriously. Go over to the Honda sub-forum and read up on them. They have more than enough power for a big guy, and are probably the cheapest to maintain of any 250 four stroke. They don't require frequent rebuilds, and when they do need it, it's a fraction of the cost of the current MX 4ts. 

Edited April 20, 2017 by HappyAndy
Content

[CDNSXV]

ALL cars are 4-strokes.  Ask yourself why that is?  Because 4-strokes last a long time, way longer than any 2-stroke.  This myth of expensive maintenance on a 4-stroke is a load of garbage.  At worst you need to check the valve clearance every once in a while but that isn't rocket science so you can learn to do it yourself.

You should seriously look at a 230.  They are fairly low tech and will last nearly forever with hardly any maintenance.  

WRT 2-strokes, I have lost count how many times i have had friends stuck on the side of the trail changing out a fouled plug.  Forget to bring a spare or even the wrench and you are stuck, not going anywhere.  Doesn't sound like much fun way back in the bush.

[180baseball]

I don't doubt 4 strokes are easier to ride, they are probably much longer lasting engines, but their potential repair costs are also real. If I was buying a new bike, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a 4 stroke. I hate to buy a 10-12 year old bike only to have it need rebuilding. That's why I might try to look at a XR250 like the one poster mentioned, because being a 16 year old kid, there's no way I could spend that much money on repairs on a YZ250F or something similar.

I understand what you're saying about less maintainance a long life for 4 strokes, but if a 4 stroke lasts 10 years and I get a used one that's 9 years old, I'd hate to have to repair it.

I think I am going to look for a 4 stroke XR250 or a cheaper repair bike, but I might steer clear of YZ, RM, or CR 250F's. Four stroke is definitely my number one choice right now but I need to learn more before making a decision.

[ProAlpine]

You didn't say what kind of riding you're interested in doing...

I got my first bike when I was 8. It was an RM80, 2t. I rode 80s until I was 14, then made the jump to 250 2 strokes. My first street bike was a GSXR750. You can learn on a 2 stroke, just know that thing will put you on your a$$ quicker than you can blink and so they deserve a ton of respect. Ease into it, learn the bike, powerband, how to use the clutch AND don't skimp on riding gear! You will crash. The only time I've ended up in the hospital from motorcycles was when I got lazy and didn't wear all my gear.

I say go for it! Have patience and have fun!

[180baseball]

Yeah, I forgot to say what kind of riding I want to do. Mainly trail riding, no track riding, and maybe the occasional logging roads.

[ProAlpine]

As HappyAndy said, an XR250, even one punched to 280 or an xr400 would also be a good option!  

Check out what Firestone has been doing on his... Impressive and great looking bikes!

[JHensel]

if you can find it I would look for a 250 four stroke that hasn't been ridden a ton.  Someone who bought it and thought they would ride it and it sat in a garage.  WR250 or comparable bike would be great for you.  A 230 might feel too small.