[Tom DH]

Went to pick this up last night. I have weighted a long time for one of these, as they are not imported into the UK so they are a rare beast on these shores and I was lucky to fine one. Even luckier that the person I got it from imports parts from BBR so it is full tricked up as well.

They are just good fun bikes and you don’t have to worries about anything going wrong with them. its just like riding a down hill bike with a engine

 

[Tom DH]

The nice gold bits

 

[mack]

why is the fork so junky?

 

[Jeremy R]

Originally posted by mack
why is the fork so junky?

That "junky" fork probaly works better than any MTB fork you have ever ridden.

Sweet bike, have fun with it.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Originally posted by mack
why is the fork so junky?

It is a "play bike" not a race bred machine. It retails for around $2,900 in the USA where race ready machines are up near and over the $6,000 mark here.

It does have some nice BBR stuff on it.

The fork is a 35mm SHOWA 9.1" travel fork. Junky by race bike stds....heavy by mtb standards. Adaquate for most situations while riding.

Rhino

 

[Instigator]

That thing is freakin sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tom DH]

Yeah it just a fun bike. It has BBR spring in the forks and on the rear shox as the stock ones are quite soft. I went out on it today and I was so surprised how well it tracked the ground at speed. They might look a bit old school but they bloody work well.

 

[LordOpie]

i think the fork just needs some decals/stickers... then it won't be junky

ohh, just rub your blood on the fork each time you crash... that'd be badass.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Originally posted by Tom DH
Yeah it just a fun bike. It has BBR spring in the forks and on the rear shox as the stock ones are quite soft. I went out on it today and I was so surprised how well it tracked the ground at speed. They might look a bit old school but they bloody work well.

It is amazing how well a 220ish pound bike tracks the ground...

I group riding/racing dirt bikes. They are a blast. Though it is probably strange to you that the bike is heavier than the rider now...

I am sure the stiffer springs makes a big difference. SO when can we expect action shots?

 

[Tom DH]

Originally posted by RhinofromWA
It is amazing how well a 220ish pound bike tracks the ground...

I group riding/racing dirt bikes. They are a blast. Though it is probably strange to you that the bike is heavier than the rider now...

I am sure the stiffer springs makes a big difference. SO when can we expect action shots?

Yeah it’s a nice change from mountain bikes and you do forget about the weight when you are ridding it.

As for action shots I am looking ford to getting it up in the air and should hopefully be out on it on Sunday so I will try and remember the camera.

What bike do you ride then?

 

[mack]

im gunna have around 2gs at the end of the summer and want to buy a dirt bike, if my parents let me, im looking for somthing small cus im 5 8 and weigh around 140. Are the fiftys fast and are they fun? i dont think theyll let me buy a big bike.

 

[Tom DH]

Originally posted by mack
im gunna have around 2gs at the end of the summer and want to buy a dirt bike, if my parents let me, im looking for somthing small cus im 5 8 and weigh around 140. Are the fiftys fast and are they fun? i dont think theyll let me buy a big bike.

I had a fiddy before this and they are really good fun to pay about on. But if you are looking for something a bit bigger but something you can still have a play on then have a look at the Yamaha TTR 125 they are a bit smaller an less power that the Honda CRF150 but they will still put a smile on your face

 

[RhinofromWA]

Originally posted by Tom DH
Yeah it’s a nice change from mountain bikes and you do forget about the weight when you are ridding it.

As for action shots I am looking ford to getting it up in the air and should hopefully be out on it on Sunday so I will try and remember the camera.

What bike do you ride then?

I started riding at 5yo and went from bike to bike

197? Motovilla 50cc auto everything
197? Suzuki 50cc still auto everything
197?-8? not sure Yamaha YZ 50 clutch and gears and everything
1983 Suzuki RM80
1986 Honda CR80
1987 Yamaha YZ125
1989 Yamaha YZ250WR (Wide Ratio gear box White with Blue seat)
I rode that bike until I went away to college (in 1993) and took up mountian biking.

I have borrowed and played on others bikes recently:
2000 or 01 KDX200 mostly this guy.
1998ish Suzuki DRS350 (dual sport) used this guy a bit
2002 RM250 handfull of times.

I have ridden others but owned the bikes listed on top and put mucho mile on them or borrowed the others more recently

 

[RhinofromWA]

Originally posted by mack
im gunna have around 2gs at the end of the summer and want to buy a dirt bike, if my parents let me, im looking for somthing small cus im 5 8 and weigh around 140. Are the fiftys fast and are they fun? i dont think theyll let me buy a big bike.

I still say if you want to experience dirt bikes you need to have a bike suited for you. At 5'8" you are safely in full size 125cc arena as far as stature and weight goes.

Sure you can think to yourself this bike (TTR-125 etc) feels like a Dh bike....but you are missing out on so much more.

KDX200 is about $4000 new much less used. and they are much more bike than any mid sized play level bike. the KDX is a trail bike but it is quite a ways ahead of the play bikes in the suspension teck arena.

The KDX weighs as much as the CRF150 but has full size features.

I feal it is the most bang for buck if you really want a bike to ride down the trails. I was 12yo when I got my first full size bike (YZ125) It was just a little big but I quickly grew into it. Lots better than banging your knees on a 80cc bike.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Here is a proper sized human on a std 50cc bike. You will hate life unless you modify it and dump more money than a KDX200...and still only have a mini bike. Actually at 5'8" you are waaaay to big realistically for a 50cc.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Pic of me at a 50mile desert race when I was like 13yo on the YZ125........yeah I am the big red helmet at the bottom right hand corner.... 1st over all Jason Dahners finishing up behind me. He did 100 miles in the time it took me to do 50miles. Though I did start 10-15 minutes behind him and have to fight the dust and a couple hundred of the beginner adults (1st wave) that started before the 14yo and under class, old guys, and ladies (2nd wave)

He was f-a-s-t!

Rhino

 

[DLo]

My 91 KDX weighs a ton... to me that is. I can pick up my friend's YZ125 by the back (front still on ground) and swing her around. I can't do that with my KDX.

It's a good beginner bike though. Like you said, not race ready, but the power is THERE. I grabbed mine for $850.

If you have any friends that ride, I'd advise going out with them first before dumping money into a bike. I started on a KX80, XR100 and then moved on to buy the bike. You can't really kill yourself on the smaller ones, they can get moving, but not where you accidentally open the throttle wide and end up buckin yourself somewhere - yes, I did that I'm also around your size, 5'6 or so, 140-150 pounds. The power band on a KDX is pretty moderate too. Not like a race bike where once you hit it, you're off!

Oh, and if you're thinking about trail riding? Don't get the fiddy. They're fun as hell to mess around on, but you'll be kicking yourself in the head on the trail wishing you had a better sized bike.