Haha how??
moto for downhill
- Thread starter zdubyadubya
- Start date
same reason on adventure rider, the playboy mansion post
Wow....that's pretty weak.
You should see what flies on SocalTundras, another one I subscribe to.
You should see what flies on SocalTundras, another one I subscribe to.
I am on local dualsport sites now, and xr forums. dont care for the big ones anymore, too many retards like here. lol
Oh RM is the creme of the crop, or at least it considers itself to be with alternatives like MTBR and PinkBike.
That's why I'm here....you know, to level **** out some.
That's why I'm here....you know, to level **** out some.
hey, that's less expensive than a DH bike to maintain.
Buy the stealth sprokets. Your KTM dealer should have them for around $80. If not, let me know and I can get you hooked up with my dealer who will ship you parts. He is cheaper than mail order most of the time. He also gives better advice. Anyway, this is what a stealth sprocket looks like:
Buy an RK O-ring or X-ring chain. I get a season on one.
Try ODI grips. Lock on just like a bike.
Do they have them to lock on the throttle tube?hey, that's less expensive than a DH bike to maintain.
Buy the stealth sprokets. Your KTM dealer should have them for around $80. If not, let me know and I can get you hooked up with my dealer who will ship you parts. He is cheaper than mail order most of the time. He also gives better advice. Anyway, this is what a stealth sprocket looks like:
They last forever since the wear surface is tool steel.
Buy an RK O-ring or X-ring chain. I get a season on one.
Try ODI grips. Lock on just like a bike.
yes, sort of. it replaces the throttle tube including the cam. About $20 and they don't spin and you don't have to mess with grip glue or wire tieing.
I was in the same situation as the OP last spring and I got lots of good advice on here and on thumpertalk.
I ended up buying a somewhat beat up non-running 95 yz125 2st for $500 and doing a bunch of work on it during my unemployment. Put in a top end, stator, new main seal, new filter, rejetted, added a flywheel weight, fresh tires, geared down for trails etc.
It has been an absolute blast, and for the trails I ride, I think it was the right decision. It is definitely not an *easy* bike to ride. If you want to putter around and effortlessly chug up the trail, do not buy a two stroke, particularly not a 2t mx bike. If you want to cross train for dh, it is absolutely perfect. You have no option but to ride hard. If you are not aggressive, you are not moving.
It will take you a bit to figure the clutch out, but once you do get comfortable, the high rpm hit will put a grin on your face every time you come on the pipe. Just plain fun, and you'll build skills really fast.
I just got my motorcycle license yesterday (did the MSF course) and I was easily the fastest guy there with just a summer of riding under my belt. Now I'm probably going to sell the 125 and pick up something bigger that I can get plated (not worth $500 in lights on this bike) but I really like the two stroke. I suspect a kdx220 or a 200-300 ktm is in my future. I see you're local so if you want to take the yz for a test drive let me know. It's out at my parent's cabin in bluemont va and I'm up there most weekends.
I ended up buying a somewhat beat up non-running 95 yz125 2st for $500 and doing a bunch of work on it during my unemployment. Put in a top end, stator, new main seal, new filter, rejetted, added a flywheel weight, fresh tires, geared down for trails etc.
It has been an absolute blast, and for the trails I ride, I think it was the right decision. It is definitely not an *easy* bike to ride. If you want to putter around and effortlessly chug up the trail, do not buy a two stroke, particularly not a 2t mx bike. If you want to cross train for dh, it is absolutely perfect. You have no option but to ride hard. If you are not aggressive, you are not moving.
It will take you a bit to figure the clutch out, but once you do get comfortable, the high rpm hit will put a grin on your face every time you come on the pipe. Just plain fun, and you'll build skills really fast.
I just got my motorcycle license yesterday (did the MSF course) and I was easily the fastest guy there with just a summer of riding under my belt. Now I'm probably going to sell the 125 and pick up something bigger that I can get plated (not worth $500 in lights on this bike) but I really like the two stroke. I suspect a kdx220 or a 200-300 ktm is in my future. I see you're local so if you want to take the yz for a test drive let me know. It's out at my parent's cabin in bluemont va and I'm up there most weekends.
A couple of people have mentioned the KDX 220. It was my second off road bike (Had an xr 600 before and a KX450 f now) and it is a great trail bike. Other than changing the oil and one blown fork seal nothing but standard maintenance for 5 years. Easy to ride without much of a power band. Great bikes and I sold mine for $1,200 a few months ago.
As for skills motorcycles and/or bikes can't teach skills but there are some great moto schools out there that will get you riding right. Moto is actually quite different (skill wise) than dh but it does help with getting use to going fast, looking through corners and drifting.
As for skills motorcycles and/or bikes can't teach skills but there are some great moto schools out there that will get you riding right. Moto is actually quite different (skill wise) than dh but it does help with getting use to going fast, looking through corners and drifting.
thanks for the relevant contribution, why didnt I think of quads helping my downhill abilities. man I suck at life.
It's true that for most of your run of the mill items (filters, bearings, tires, plastic) KTM's are no different form their japanese counterparts. Suspension and motor work gets a lot more expensive, and some little things like that hydro clutch are pricey. For example, my boss just got his suspension custom tuned, running something like 900 dollars. The comprable work for showa or kayaba would have been a little more than half. I don't hate ktm's, in fact I would love the 300xc for a trail bike. For the beginner I think he is better off with something more common.
Someone mentioned that the two stroke is better training for dh. He has a point, 4 strokes let you cheat a lot, riding slow and using the engine to brake. 2 strokes definitely ride more like a bike and you have to be more aggressive right off the bat. My argument would be that if your goal is to improve your dh, it helps to make it through your training alive. Moto has helped my downhill a lot, but it also almost killed me and I'm on ridemonkey right now because I just had my acl and meniscus repaired. So just know coming in to respect that thing and don't rush your progression.
Quads are the rollerblades of the motosports world, get one if your dad already knows youre gay.
Someone mentioned that the two stroke is better training for dh. He has a point, 4 strokes let you cheat a lot, riding slow and using the engine to brake. 2 strokes definitely ride more like a bike and you have to be more aggressive right off the bat. My argument would be that if your goal is to improve your dh, it helps to make it through your training alive. Moto has helped my downhill a lot, but it also almost killed me and I'm on ridemonkey right now because I just had my acl and meniscus repaired. So just know coming in to respect that thing and don't rush your progression.
Quads are the rollerblades of the motosports world, get one if your dad already knows youre gay.
That is the best thing I have heard all day. Gold.
Quads are the rollerblades of the motosports world, get one if your dad already knows youre gay.
Wow you must own alot of them
Wow you must own alot of them
not too bright are ya. about as dumb as football bat.
This is funny 
drop a guy named stinkyboy a private message, he will love it, lolThis is funny
Who'
s that
s that
just do it, it will be hilarious
he is offline
doesnt matter, he will be on soon, this is gonna be awesome, you are going to laugh so friggin hard
XR's might not be the greatest bike out there in terms of weight or power but they are good for a beginner to learn the basics, tough to kill, easy to ride, and have a good aftermarket. ive ridden one with an 11:1 280 kit, FCR carb and it ripped, they are very moddable. not the lightest out there but a very well balanced machine imho. also theres something to be said for having a bombproof bike. i like aircooleds myself. no radiators to bash or boil over, one less mechanical system to break, less weight, more simplicity.
Also the OP stated that he was riding in tight woods. a lot of power will just get you in trouble there especially with a new rider. I wouldnt get a XR250 for myself unless it was fully built but they are definitely great for a beginner. i would of said xr400 but they might be a bit much for the beginner.
Don't muck around on poxy 4 strokes.
KTM560 FTW
( a 2 smoka )
KTM560 FTW
( a 2 smoka )
i sent a message
I said hello
I said hello
perfect
WTF is going on here
Thanks so much for all the info. I dont know how the thread got hijacked by a convo between gff and the other kid but I really appreciate all of the feedback. I will sort through it and if there are any questions I have that cant be answered by wikipedia (had to look up the "plating" thing), I will let you guys know.
I am really liking the idea of a 2-stroke because that is the direction I was thinking before I posted. I really would like a moto that will be the closest in similarity to downhilling and definitely am looking to go light. I would also like upkeep to be as low as possible.
I had the opportunity to ride my friends bike again yesterday. To DHdad, it was a Yamaha 250. The more I ride, the more I am thinking that I will like track riding more than trail riding, but we will see.
Once again, thanks for all the info.
I am really liking the idea of a 2-stroke because that is the direction I was thinking before I posted. I really would like a moto that will be the closest in similarity to downhilling and definitely am looking to go light. I would also like upkeep to be as low as possible.
I had the opportunity to ride my friends bike again yesterday. To DHdad, it was a Yamaha 250. The more I ride, the more I am thinking that I will like track riding more than trail riding, but we will see.
Once again, thanks for all the info.
Good call on track riding 
Now that I think of it, 2 strokes are great for learning because they will NOT kill you when you jump! Learning to jump on a 4 stroke made me want a leatt (a big crash in my race run in Sol Vista on one of the big jumps finally made me get one, lol). But ya...the 2 stroke is a great bike that takes a minimal amount of maint. and is cheap to operate.
As for track vs trails vs desert. They're all fun since it's all riding. I just prefer tracks because I know what to expect in front of me. It's also gotten me more comfortable with jumping and high speed. If it were not for big jumps on a moto, I would not have the balls to do half the things on a DH bike!
Here's some pics. to get you stoked
Out by Ridgecrest, CA doing some trail riding.
Zaca Station MX
Zaca Station
You guessed it...Zaca!
Now that I think of it, 2 strokes are great for learning because they will NOT kill you when you jump! Learning to jump on a 4 stroke made me want a leatt (a big crash in my race run in Sol Vista on one of the big jumps finally made me get one, lol). But ya...the 2 stroke is a great bike that takes a minimal amount of maint. and is cheap to operate.
As for track vs trails vs desert. They're all fun since it's all riding. I just prefer tracks because I know what to expect in front of me. It's also gotten me more comfortable with jumping and high speed. If it were not for big jumps on a moto, I would not have the balls to do half the things on a DH bike!
Here's some pics. to get you stoked
Out by Ridgecrest, CA doing some trail riding.
Zaca Station MX
Zaca Station
You guessed it...Zaca!
My PMs were offloaded to a secondary site and then the server went down. Please send PMs to GFF and he can forward them to me.
I look forward to talking with you!
hmmmmm.... your kung-fu is strong.......but I will have the last laugh, you just wait,My PMs were offloaded to a secondary site and then the server went down. Please send PMs to GFF and he can forward them to me.
I look forward to talking with you!
I swear I will forward every pm I get if he does, lol
Rather than starting a new thread I want to ask a question in here. I'm also looking for a dirt bike pretty much to help with DH and general offroad fun. The question I have is 250 vs. 450. I've heard the 250's are a lot more manageable in tighter woods. But I've noticed after riding my literbike jumping on a 600 feels pretty lame. Should I just shoot straight for a 450? Or will a 250 keep me happy for some time?
How much do you weigh and how good are you? I spent a year on the 250 before going 450, would have done more if my kawi hadn't crapped out. A friend said it well, on the 250 you beat it until it gives you what you want, on the 450 you shake hands and make a deal. Both are great fun in different ways, the 250 because you can let it hang out and put it on the throttle stop, the 450 because you never cease to be astounded at the monstrous power between your legs. That said, if it's your first bike and you aren't in the Clydesdale class, I would go 250 because it's safer on the inevitable whiskey throttle and because it will force you to carry corner speed to get some gaps, assuming your local track builder knows had to make a good track.
To dubya, if you are going to be primarily track riding I would really lean towards the four stoke. Almost no one on the track is on 2 stroke anymore, and the reason is its just simply not as good. Don't get me wrong, it can be a blast, I've had a lot of fun on the 125 at the track, but it's definitely harder to get techy features. You really have to be in right gear and do everything perfectly. I would have to disagree on the 2 stroke being safer, as one tendency you will likely run into is jumping nose high when trying to get jumps that require you to accelerate up the lip. On the four stroke you can just let off the throttle and it will arrest your loop-out, on the two stroke you better find that brake pedal or you're in trouble. It's all about what you're used to though, two strokers get themselves into trouble on four strokes when they roll off the throttle on the lip and get sent into the nose dive.
To dubya, if you are going to be primarily track riding I would really lean towards the four stoke. Almost no one on the track is on 2 stroke anymore, and the reason is its just simply not as good. Don't get me wrong, it can be a blast, I've had a lot of fun on the 125 at the track, but it's definitely harder to get techy features. You really have to be in right gear and do everything perfectly. I would have to disagree on the 2 stroke being safer, as one tendency you will likely run into is jumping nose high when trying to get jumps that require you to accelerate up the lip. On the four stroke you can just let off the throttle and it will arrest your loop-out, on the two stroke you better find that brake pedal or you're in trouble. It's all about what you're used to though, two strokers get themselves into trouble on four strokes when they roll off the throttle on the lip and get sent into the nose dive.
I think you highlighted his point about the 2-stroke being "safer". The 4-stroke will lessen the learning curve and can get you into trouble on bigger features as you progress too quickly. Things dodn't come as easy on 2-strokes, so people tend to progress slower but come out better riders in the end.
That's true, the power hit and lack of engine braking just scare me though. Not so much anymore but first ride on a 2 stroke was pretty harrowing. The 2 stroke is definitely more demanding of the rider in terms of execution, so you have a good point on the learning curve. Luckily, most tracks have their jumps built so you can case the bejeezes out of them all day long and get away with it, it's the turns that usually take you out with frequency.
I'll contribute, all from a race at watkins, co, first of the season this year. Didn't get to do anymore, sent myself to the hospital a week later and then was occupied with dh racing by the time I was back in one piece.
i know its been said before, but i would go for the 250f, it will do work both in the woods and on the track, if at some point that feels too weak try the 250 2 stroke or the 450f, thinking about my own past and watching my friends, i think the best bet is a 250f as a starter, it is fun and pretty easy to make progress on! motos are sick you will love whatever you get! so cool to have fun riding up stuff for once, haha
Don't you guys get pinged for riding unregistered bikes on trails? They are pretty strict on it here. The police have WR450Fs and know how to ride them. When you discover you can't outride the cops and have to pull over, they can confiscate your bike.
Most enduro races here require a registered bike, with lights etc. Mine in race trim (indicators and mirrors off):
Most enduro races here require a registered bike, with lights etc. Mine in race trim (indicators and mirrors off):
Most places all you need to ride trail is to go buy a sticker at your local moto shop, and then the only requirement for your bike is that you have a spark arrestor. There are places in California that you can't ride a two stroke in the woods. In CO, you can plate a bike to ride on the road as long as it has head and tail lights and a horn. They can be pretty skimpy too, like a rear led, a nightrider, and a rubber ducky squeaky horn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I have a 4 stroke but wish I had bought a two stroke. Cheaper and less maint. I will say that the reason Honda, Kawi, Yam., Suz went 4 stroke also has to do with home mechanics doing motor builds on 2 strokes for $200.
The 4 stroke is 3-5X that much cash and most people dont want to spend the time. And if a 4 stroke needs 2X the CC size to compete then well the are SLOWER! Ok but easier to ride.
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