32 year layoff. Should I even bother?

[BATTERY88]

7 hours ago, hibobb said:

It's not about you.... Look at the first post. The guy is 49 years old, 6'3" 240 lbs. A DRZ400 might be real nice for this guy. He is not 19 years old doing Hare Scrambles. I agree a DRZ400 is heavy, maybe 320 honest pounds, but how is it used. Riding to the trails? Riding to town to get lunch and a beer? His trails/woods may be two tracks with an occasional tough spot. Speaking as an old guy, a tame/mild bulletproof cheap four stroke (XR400R in my case) is an excellent choice. And yes, the two-stroke younger guys blow by me. 

Sorry hibob i misunderstood that post!  Didn’t mean to be a jerk.  

[NVDESERTPETE]

You need this! A KX500AF!

[Motoriderx]

1 hour ago, NVDESERTPETE said:

You need this! A KX500AF!

exactly, when in doubt get a 500cc 2banger.  Can't go wrong ?

[Motoriderx]

Don't want to rile anyone up here, but OP seems a bit confused as to what kind of bike he really wants/needs ?.  Seems to me he'll make the perfect KTM customer.  KTM will tell you exactly what you need.  All you have to do is get yourself into the showroom.  Keep an open mind, an open heart, and an open wallet and you'll be good to go ? 

[BATTERY88]

1 hour ago, NVDESERTPETE said:

You need this! A KX500AF!

Jesus.  I’m 49 and haven’t owned a bike since I was 18 or so.  You trying to get me killed? Lol

[BATTERY88]

7 minutes ago, timmy.g said:

Don't want to rile anyone up here, but OP seems a bit confused as to what kind of bike he really wants/needs ?.  Seems to me he'll make the perfect KTM customer.  KTM will tell you exactly what you need.  All you have to do is get yourself into the showroom.  Keep an open mind, an open heart, and an open wallet and you'll be good to go ? 

Ding ding ding..  ?

[EmpireofDerp]

Ding ding ding..  [emoji12]

Are you in Washington or Oregon, it makes a huge difference.

[BATTERY88]

32 minutes ago, JefeRotacion said:

On 7/25/2019 at 10:41 PM, BATTERY88 said:

Ding ding ding..  

Are you in Washington or Oregon, it makes a huge difference.

I’m in Washington.  Very very close to Oregon but I live in WA.  

 

I kinda quit posting on this thread.  Seems a few have little patients for a guy who isn’t sure what he wants to buy.  After over 30 years off it’s hard to figure out what’s out there.  I figure it will take me a bit of time.  I still can’t figure out the value of modern 4 strokes.  For a budget minded guy they don’t make sense to me.  

 

 

[Drop-Bear]

On 7/8/2019 at 5:34 AM, BATTERY88 said:

I’m sure this type of post is pretty typical here.

Im 49 and have not owned a dirt bike since I was 17.   I rode daily from age 10 to around age 16 when I discovered girls and cars.  I rode trails, pipelines, gravel and dirt roads in the Pacific Northwest.   Sloppy muddy hilly, steep stuff.  My last two bikes were a 82 CR 125 and a 84 CR250.  I raced motocross a bit but honestly kinda sucked.  Usually finished mid to rear of pack.  Like 14th to 19th out of around 30.  When only 23 finish 19th kinda sucks! 

 

Im 6 ft 3 and around 240.   I could stand to loose a few.  

 

I want to spend under 5k

not sure where I will ride.  I doubt I will ever be on a motocross track again. Woods, trails etc.  I’m not into riding on the street.  That’s where my worst crashes were!  Wet roads with dirt tires. 

 

Racing?  I’m 49 and a novice again.  Doubtful 

 

I’m clueless as to what bike to buy.  The options are overwhelming.  I have never owned a 4 stroke besides my old XR80 when I was 10.  So part of me thinks I’m a 2 stroke guy.

 

please no fame.  Having a mid life crisis here and motorcycles are cheaper than young women!  “Yes they are” I promise.

 

 

You can't go too wrong with a YZ 250X. Won't be that much different to ride than your 84 CR 250 was. Parts will be a lot cheaper than a KTM etc, and young women.

Quite a few of my mates have  them. Haven't heard a complaint yet.  Quite the opposite actually.

Racing? Never say never.

 

200ccs are awesome. My favourite cc. But. If you go a 200. Checkout the 2020 Beta 200. They're awesome. Slightly over 5K though lol

Edited August 2, 2019 by Drop-Bear

[BATTERY88]

On 7/25/2019 at 10:32 PM, timmy.g said:

Don't want to rile anyone up here, but OP seems a bit confused as to what kind of bike he really wants/needs ?.  Seems to me he'll make the perfect KTM customer.  KTM will tell you exactly what you need.  All you have to do is get yourself into the showroom.  Keep an open mind, an open heart, and an open wallet and you'll be good to go ? 

Ding ding ding..  ?

[BATTERY88]

So far I’ve been looking at used KDX 200s under 3k.  Found one in excellent condition for $2500 03 model, bone stock.

 

But what I really want is a YZ250x or KTM 250xc.  Prices new around me are $7000 for a 2019 yz250 and $8000 for a 2019 KTM 259xc.  Both are far above my 5k budget but I’m finding it difficult as a new buyer/rider to know what I’m really getting in the used market.

 

it looks like for $1000 more I would get electric start, hydraulic clutch and a larger tank.  What am I missing about reliability?  That’s more important than gadgets and luxury to me.  “I’m boring” lol.

 

im recovering from a surgery so I’m in no hurry.  To be honest it looks like next spring until I will be ready to ride.

 

part of my midlife motorcycle crisis is that I just had my hip replaced.  Hard to admit.  I’m 49.

[Grinder74]

I'm 45 and bought a bike last fall. 25 years since I rode trails. I rode a YZ490 back then, so I bought one of those big 2 smokes again. All you could ever ask for and more. Chuggalugg down a trail and soil you britches in an open field.

[olddude13]

Yes, get out and ride! Started riding 3 years ago (rode street and road raced never any dirt ) 53 yrs old started on a Wr 250f . Now on 2020 husky TE300i

[Knightly]

You should easily be able to find a YZ 250 or KTM 250 under $5000. The beauty of the YZ 250 is that they haven’t changed much since 2006.

As far as reliability, stick to the cleanest two stroke you can find. Most all the two strokes are reliable.

While there is nothing wrong with a KDX, the technology is getting old at this point. For the same money you can get a YZ or KTM and get a lot more bike.

[EmpireofDerp]

I’m in Washington.  Very very close to Oregon but I live in WA.  
 
I kinda quit posting on this thread.  Seems a few have little patients for a guy who isn’t sure what he wants to buy.  After over 30 years off it’s hard to figure out what’s out there.  I figure it will take me a bit of time.  I still can’t figure out the value of modern 4 strokes.  For a budget minded guy they don’t make sense to me.  
 
 

So you can plate almost anything on WA side. In Oregon you have very few options. I'll have to chop back and look what you're tryna do. Bikes have become incredibly specialized so if you're not sure of your mission it's hard to make an accurate recommendation. They've also become incredibly expensive, and going cheap comes with many consequences to performance and or maintenance headaches on an already clapped out piece of shit. Ive done both, resurrected a pos and bought a new 4 stroke. Both hurt. Dirt biking is not a wallet friendly enterprise unless you're an excellent mechanic, even then it'll drain your bank account, just a lot slower.

[EmpireofDerp]

Looks like you never figured out what you want to do. Buy a ttr230 or crf230 and go poke around and have fun until you identify what type of riding you're interested in. Also, I haul ass year around on knobs on wet pavement, tire compound technology has come a very long ways, you can run knobs on freezing cold wet pavement at sportbike lean angles. Silica and carbon black allow fast warm up and wet grip equal to road racing slicks from the 80s.

[Motoriderx]

On 8/1/2019 at 8:03 PM, BATTERY88 said:

So far I’ve been looking at used KDX 200s under 3k.  Found one in excellent condition for $2500 03 model, bone stock.

 

But what I really want is a YZ250x or KTM 250xc.  Prices new around me are $7000 for a 2019 yz250 and $8000 for a 2019 KTM 259xc.  Both are far above my 5k budget but I’m finding it difficult as a new buyer/rider to know what I’m really getting in the used market.

 

it looks like for $1000 more I would get electric start, hydraulic clutch and a larger tank.  What am I missing about reliability?  That’s more important than gadgets and luxury to me.  “I’m boring” lol.

 

im recovering from a surgery so I’m in no hurry.  To be honest it looks like next spring until I will be ready to ride.

 

part of my midlife motorcycle crisis is that I just had my hip replaced.  Hard to admit.  I’m 49.

 

1 hour ago, JefeRotacion said:

Looks like you never figured out what you want to do. Buy a ttr230 or crf230 and go poke around and have fun until you identify what type of riding you're interested in. Also, I haul ass year around on knobs on wet pavement, tire compound technology has come a very long ways, you can run knobs on freezing cold wet pavement at sportbike lean angles. Silica and carbon black allow fast warm up and wet grip equal to road racing slicks from the 80s.

it's good idea.  Just grab a mellow putt putt bike to cruise around on for awhile.  A yz125 might be fun but I'm not sure u wanna be kickstarting after your surgery.  Ofc there's always the KTM route $$$$$$$$$$$$ ?

[Motoriderx]

plus a YZ250x & KTM 250xc are both mx race bikes.  Didn't u say earlier u didn't want a race bike?

[BATTERY88]

17 minutes ago, timmy.g said:

plus a YZ250x & KTM 250xc are both mx race bikes.  Didn't u say earlier u didn't want a race bike?

I thought the yz 250x was the cross country version and the ktm 250 xc was also for trails.  From my research the yz250 ia race bike as is the ktm250sx

 

im looking at the x version of the Yamaha 2 stroke and the xc version of the ktm.

 

i think I have things narrowed down to 3 options.  The Yamaha yz250x the ktm 250 xc or an older version of both.  Still keeping in mind my cheaper option of a older KDX 200. I do want to plate them in wa but just to be legal between trails.  I have about zero interest in riding on the street.  Seems boring to me.  A jack of all trades bike I assume rarely does anything well.  So off-road trail bike is what I want.

now I just got to heal up and keep looking for a decent deal.  

 

i have a question about the Yamaha yz250-x vs the ktm 250xc. What makes the ktm two stroke more expensive to repair?  Parts more expensive or so they break more often?  

Remember I’m new so I don’t have any brand loyal bias.  Please respond as if you. We’re brand blind.

 

i get it.  I shoot handgun competitions.  Everybody picks a brand and bashes the others.  But for some reason I beat most of them with my $500 old school..  “won’t say” lol.  Starts with a G. Lol.  Why?  I shoot a lot.  That’s it. 

[Motoriderx]

there's some tiny differences with the "cross country" versions but they are pretty much just mx race bikes.  Very aggressive, very powerful.  Not putt putt bikes at all.  KTM parts are more expensive because of that "european sophistication" ?  No, idk, KTM is still a very foreign animal to me.  I am really curious as to where the ktm's are made at this time.  I know it's an austria-based company, but seems they are quickly moving their production over to china.  The engines might be sourced from ktm chinese plants even if the bike says "made in austria" or somethin.  I found a topic discussing ktm's reliability.  It's about 6 years ongoing with almost 600 pages.  Maybe you'll find the answer somewhere in there like a buried treasure(you'll have to dig for it ?)  Here ya go