A couple ???

[Top]

I have a few question that I hope you can help me with. I did decide on a WR450 for myself. Now for the wife and son. I took my wife to the Honda shop to sit on different bikes. The one she really liked was the CRF 150. She said the 230 scared her. Now I don't want to talk her into something she won't ride. My wife is 5'7" and 140 lbs (Some where in that range) I then went and looked at the Yamaha TTR 125 LE The Yamaha is a little cheaper and has that little button. Well it's BLUE too ? Is there a big difference between these bikes? She will be riding it on logging roads, and single trails in the mountains. Will this bike be a good bike for her to play around with? It seems like a 150cc or a 125cc is pretty darn small but then again I haven't rode in 10 years! She is open minded between the two bikes. She will not go to a bigger bike yet! I have a feeling if I bought her a CRF230 or something to that effect she wouldn't ride. So my question is: Will either of these bikes be a good trail bike? Will they be able to ride at a good pace, or are they slow? ( I know either one of them aren't a power house ) I was told that the CRF 150 probably has the same amount of power as the older XR 200's? Does that sound right to you?

Now for my Son. He is 10 years old and has never rode. I need to buy him a bike with a automatic clutch. KLH 110? DRZ 110? TTR 90? Or does it really matter? Will any of these little bikes be able to go down the trail and keep up? Or would I be in 1st gear the whole time? I'm just wanting to know what the adverage cruising speed might be on one of these little bikes.

I just got back from all the dealers this weekend and I went to the moto cross track too. I watched a lot of people play on the track. That was a fun afternoon. Now I'm full of questions.......... again ?

Thanks to all of you for all the info you have!!!! ?

[kpicha]

I don't have a lot of experience with riding yet so take this with a grain of salt.

I'm 35 and 5'4" and had never ridden before until last weekend. I'm an avid mtn biker, so I wasn't too concerned with learning how to handle a bike. That said, good suspension was important to me.

At first, I thought the TTR-125LE was THE bike for me but after reading so much about it and sitting on it a few times, I felt that the suspension wouldn't work for me.

Then I was sure that the CRF230 would be the bike. BUT, I just couldn't get past the weight. I keep thinking there HAS to be another option; something not so heavy but can be trail ridden. In comes the KX100.

Its a peppy little bike and having only good ride (vs up and down the street), I would say that if you're wife is more aggressive, that would be a great bike. If she's not aggressive and just looking to putt around, the TTR-125LE would be the perfect bike for starting out on and riding the way you described.

As for your son, the ride that I went on included a 10 yr old boy with a KLX110 and the dad loves that bike for his son. He has no problems with it and the son rides it well. His son went down at about 25 mph in a muddy rut, got back up, cleaned off the bike and started it up on the first try. He kept up with the rest of us in the open and in the tight woods. ?

I'm sure you'll find a ton of great info here on the bikes you're thinking about. Have fun! ?

[Roland69]

My G/F rides my TTR 125L on the trail when I ride my 95 KX 250 and I don't have to wait she can keep up pretty dam good. I'M 5"10 and 175 pounds and I ride my 02 TTR125L all the time. I hardly ride the KX 250 any more the TTR is so much fun. I cann't believe how well it pulls me around. I can make wheelie in 3rd gear. I think you will be impressed with the TTR.

[mxchic]

I haven't ridden TTR125L or CRF150. If it were me I would go witht the 150. I don't know how much more power the 150 has, but every little bit is going to help. As for you son, the KLX/DRZ110 is a killer bike. I would love to have one as a play bike. My only hesitation would be the autoclutch. Your son is 10 years old. If he learns a clutch now, he will never forget. Kids pick that stuff up so fast. I saw a girl, about 10 or 11 yrs old learning on an XR the other day. It took about a 30 minutes to get pretty good at taking off and stopping. If he gets into riding he will need a bigger bike in a few years, and learning the clutch then is not going to be any easier. That is just my opinion, but he will have fun regardless.

[fastkevin]

The CRF 150 weighs a little more than a full sized 250F (listed at around 217lbs) The 230 weighs around 240. That's more than a 450. The KLX/DRZ 125's weigh around 175. I don't know how much the TTR with the starter weighs..

I would think the lighter weight would be less tiring and intimidating for her. As far as the 110 for the kid.. sounds good to me. I put an 11 year old girl on one for her first bike, and she's doing fine

[Chevy_Cowboy]

I think I agree with you that the 230 would probably be a better starter bike than the 150... but the bottom line is if she don't get to pick it, she wont ride it (ya know how stubborn women can be ? ) Realisticly I think she'll be ready for a upgrade to a bigger bike within a few months.

For your son, I'd say a TTR 125 or even the CRF150 would be good for him, I don't know much about the KLX110 but it looks like a nice bike too.

heres a brainstorm... Mabey get your son a used starter bike to learn on with the expectation that your wife will be upgrading to a bigger bike soon... when she upgrades from her 125 or 150 to a 230... give your son her old bike ?

[Top]

Cowboy, That is kinda what I'm thinking. If I get my wife the TTR 125 LE and maybe my Son a KLX 110, as soon as my wife out grows the TTR I could give it to my son. I also have a 16 year old boy that could ride the TTR too. He really isn't into the dirt bike thing though.... You know, 16 with a car that is going to be lowered and with a fart pipe, etc. ? I just need to make my wife happy because she will be my riding partner! ?

[mxchic]

I did a little poking around on TT and found some Dyno numbers. CRF150 stock: 12 HP & 8.8 ft/lbs torque compared to the TTR125 stock: 7.90 HP & 6.48 ft/lbs torque.

[Mikado_Joel]

Lots of choices out there for new bikes...I got my wife a TTR225 and my 10yr old daughter a TTR125 a couple years back. I feel both were good choices. There was a slight learning curve teaching both of them to use a clutch ( first time as a pilot on a bike) but I think you might as well teach the whole thing at once. If you get a bike without a clutch for your kid you will have to teach him/her to use a clutch when you upgrade to a bigger bike. I ride red myself, a CRF250X. There is no way any of the smaller trail bikes are going to keep up. You will have to practice a lot of patience and throttle control until they are up to riding similar bikes. Just my opinions, but I guess that's what you were asking for. Good luck with your decision. Happy Trails.....Joel F. ?

[Norwegian]

Get them both CR500R's!

Or not.

Try to convince her to get the 230F. She will be sick of the 150F within a few days. The first bike I rode was a 97 RM125 (4-5 hours of seat time) and then we got the CRF250R. I had no problems adjusting. Your wife should be fine on the 230F, the thing to learn is that YOU control the throttle and how fast it will go. The 150 sounds good for your son, he should enjoy it. You can upgrade to a 85 cc when he's old/big enough.

[mxchic]

Get them both CR500R's!

Or not.

Try to convince her to get the 230F. She will be sick of the 150F within a few days. The first bike I rode was a 97 RM125 (4-5 hours of seat time) and then we got the CRF250R. I had no problems adjusting. Your wife should be fine on the 230F, the thing to learn is that YOU control the throttle and how fast it will go. The 150 sounds good for your son, he should enjoy it. You can upgrade to a 85 cc when he's old/big enough.

I agree that your wife will outgrow the CRF150, but don't try and push her to get something she doesn't want. It is all about having fun. Some people prefer to learn on something they are comforable with. I agree the 230 will not be too much power, but the bigger bikes can be intimidating. Just give her the facts and she can make a decision from there. ?

[Top]

Thanks for all the replies. My wife went back to the Honda shop for me today. She had the sales man pull out the 230 and the 150 so they wern't next to other bikes. She likes the feel of the 150 much better. Bottom line is she wants a smaller bike. I will do what it takes to get her into the sport. Thanks again for all your help. This place is great! ?

[westladog]

I'd say go with the TTR125L. Don't go for the one with the button. The regular 125L is easy to start already. Just add a stiffer spring later.

The CRF150 has better suspension but kinda heavy. The 125L is only 173 lbs...I think.

The TTR125 is very reliable! I used to own one.

[Tomahawk]

Cant comment on the wifes bike just dont know much about either one of them.

Now the klx, drz 110, Just my opinion. I bought my 8 year old one last Christmas and he loved it. Rides with me all the time and I have to admit I ride it to sometimes ? all that being said, Here is the problem I have. All was fine till one of his cousins came to ride with us on his XR 100

My son wanted to try it. Within an hour he was taking off and stopping like he had beed doing it for years. Now guess what

he wants a motorcycle with a clutch. If your son is 10 I believe that you might be better served to beg, borrow, or steal someones small xr 80 or 100 and try your son on it for about an hour to see if he may be able to grasp it. If you buy the klx for a 10 year old you may be in the same boat I am this Christmas. New bike or manual clutch kit.

Now what bike to get the boy. ?

No Honey I think he will do just fine on that crf250x. ?

[learning2fly]

I'd say go with the TTR125L. Don't go for the one with the button. The regular 125L is easy to start already. Just add a stiffer spring later.

The CRF150 has better suspension but kinda heavy. The 125L is only 173 lbs...I think.

The TTR125 is very reliable! I used to own one.

I think the no e-start comment is a good point. Get her a small bike with a kick start now, and she'll thank you later. I remember last year I struggled to start a 2-smoker 125, now my YZ250F is a breeze, and I even don't have a problem kick kicking my friend's CRF450... its a skill thats good to have, like any other, and once she's used to it she'll appreciate the weight savings when she moves up to a bigger bike! ?

[Top]

Just a little up-date. My wife wants to go to the Yamaha dealer this Saturday to look at the TTR 125's. She told me she doesn't care about the "button" She rode a 200x three wheeler when I was into four wheelers. She can start the bike with out a problem. She likes the CRF 150, but there is a bit of weight difference. Not only weight but cost too. For a 04' CRF 150 with all the rebates and sale price it will be right at $2,700 and a 05' TTR 125 L is $2,499 and the TTR 125 LE is $2,699 I have not started to deal with a 04' model yet. I will keep you all up-dated as we go along.

Now for my son. I'll be honest with you. He doesn't act his age. He is 10 but acts like he is 7. As a parent it's hard to connect with a child like this. Don't get me wrong I love him to death! I'm wanting to get him into dirt bikes so he has something to look forward to. He has two older sisters (14) and a older brother (16) so he has always been babied. This is another reason I'm looking at the 110. I want it to be simple for him. I think if he got scared or over whelmed (sp) he might not like it. I guess I'm willing to take the chance of buying a little 110 and him only riding it for a season and then stepping up to a bigger bike. I know it's maybe not the smartest way to spend my money, but I think it's the best thing for my son.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all your replies. I think this is a GREAT place to learn. Thanks again! ?