sold my 2008 250r

[bnj999]

I just sold my 2008 ninja 250r. Will miss that bike for sure. Thinking about getting into dirt biking next

[cuong-nutz]

Welcome back! Any particular bike you have your eyes set on?

[bnj999]

I like KTM 250. been looking at 250 xc or 250 xc-f for a while..

http://www.ktm.com/us/enduro/250-xc-...l#.VAN1UfldUb1

[subxero]

Originally Posted by bnj999

I like KTM 250. been looking at 250 xc or 250 xc-f for a while..

http://www.ktm.com/us/enduro/250-xc-...l#.VAN1UfldUb1

If you are new to dirt riding and do not have a preference the 250 4stroke is an amazing machine It is easy to ride, confidence inspiring and is no slouch, it will out perform you for years to come possibly your whole life and it is not a beast to lug around like the 450's, There 350 4strokes might be a happy median IDK? but the 250 is all you would need and would be my choice if i liked 4 strokes

If you have a 2 stroke preference, the 300 xc is phenomenal, it will do anything and do it well.

if you are crazy and get all giddy over 2strokes and live for the hit then the 250sx is straight beast. MX oriented but a little suspension adjustment is it would handle trails/woods whatever just fine, the bigger question would be, Can you handle it?

the 150 and 200 2 strokes i'm sure are phenomenal bikes as well, i would consider a 200 or 150 2 stroke if i didn't live in such a hilly rocky, muddy area.

Lots of great dirt bikes out there, if you have the cash and want the cutting edge, KTM is where it is at. But you can't go wrong with any of the big four Japanese bikes, they have been doing it forever, they are a little cheaper and parts tend to be cheaper as well.

don't forget to give husaberg and husqvarna a look as well.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by bnj999

I like KTM 250. been looking at 250 xc or 250 xc-f for a while..

http://www.ktm.com/us/enduro/250-xc-...l#.VAN1UfldUb1

Very nice, but I wouldn't recommend that as your first dirt bike.

250cc on the dirt and 250cc on the street aren't the same. On the dirt a 250 is on the large side, and the power of a current 250cc 4-stoke dirt engine is significant.

Just like on the street (or even more) bigger isn't better. If you don't have any dirt experience you will learn quicker and have more fun with something that is more manageable.

[bnj999]

thanks for the advice. Really appreciated it!

I thought 250 is small enough? to be smaller than 250, there are 200 and 150, but weight-wise they aren't too much lighter than a 250..

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by bnj999

thanks for the advice. Really appreciated it!

I thought 250 is small enough? to be smaller than 250, there are 200 and 150, but weight-wise they aren't too much lighter than a 250..

250cc dirt bikes are a handful, especially current high performance ones like you linked. Most of them are pretty maintenance-intensive and costly to keep running.

It also depends on what type of dirt riding you will be doing. If you are in the woods and on tight trails you don't need a ton of power and suspension. If you are out on wide fire roads or open areas you might want more power.

A less high-strung dirt bike like a midsize TTR or CRF in the 150cc to 230 cc range is a much better bike to learn on. They aren't full-on competition-focused bikes like most of the KTMs, but have enough power to have fun with. Plus they are a LOT less expensive.

[subxero]

I wouldn't recommend the 250 xc (2stroke) unless like i said before, you have ridden them and like them. The 250 xc-f (4stroke) on the other hand. You have been riding street so you know the controls that is half the battle, a 250 4stroke dirt bike is definitely more powerful than the ninja and lighter to boot but it isn't like a death machine especially the XC-F version which is set up more like an enduro bike and not an MX bike. With the xc-f you will get a wider ratio gear box, smaller rear tire, less aggressive throttle and power band hit, electric start, just to name a few. The newer models even have a switch on the CDI (or whatever) to adjust the ignition timing for more moderate power curve to more performance (snappier)

250 xc-f would be an awesome bike for any adult with the basics of riding motorcycles down.

You are in the Pacific NW, this bike would probably be perfect for out that way.

You may want to also consider the 250 xcf-w, it will come with head light and brake light, it would be easy to get it street legal if you ever wanted, it will be even more less aggressive than the xc-f but not by much, still an amazing machine. Like i said you could buy this one bike and be happy with it for the rest of your life, no reason to "upgrade"

Dirtbikes are easy going, just keep up with general maintenance you are good to go, the engine on the xc-f and xcf-w will be solid, just keep up on the valves.

It might be a little intimidating the first few times you crack the throttle but just like anything it takes a little to get use to it and you will be off road so you will learn, you can always ride a gear up and stay out of the power if you are scared of it and if you crash who cares? If you don't crash a dirt bike every now and then you aren't riding it right

250 xcf and 250 xcf-w are solid not overly crazy bikes that you can start off comfortably on and also grow into.

Edit: just looked at the KTM line up and the 250 xc-f and 250 xcf-w are pretty much the tamest enduro bikes they have in the line up.

Both the 200 and 150 are 2strokes and you do not want one of those, the 150 2stroke would blow the doors off that 250 4stroke

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by subxero

I wouldn't recommend the 250 xc (2stroke) unless like i said before, you have ridden them and like them. The 250 xc-f (4stroke) on the other hand. You have been riding street so you know the controls that is half the battle, a 250 4stroke dirt bike is definitely more powerful than the ninja and lighter to boot but it isn't like a death machine especially the XC-F version which is set up more like an enduro bike and not an MX bike. With the xc-f you will get a wider ratio gear box, smaller rear tire, less aggressive throttle and power band hit, electric start, just to name a few. The newer models even have a switch on the CDI (or whatever) to adjust the ignition timing for more moderate power curve to more performance (snappier)

250 xc-f would be an awesome bike for any adult with the basics of riding motorcycles down.

You are in the Pacific NW, this bike would probably be perfect for out that way.

(SNIP)

That's pretty much why I'm saying it's not a good starter bike on the dirt.

[subxero]

depends, if he is of average adult man size there are not many other options. I would not put him on a dirt bike with less than 30 hp

It is still a 250 4stroke, and again, it isn't the sx-f their motocross version. It is their woods version and it isn't a 2 stroke, you can ride these bikes how ever you want, run 'em hard, or lug them in high gears for an easy ride.

I can't think of another/better bike i would recommend to an adult rider, the ktm 250 xcf and xcf-w are it. For a complete noob, no learn the basics on something small but he has ridden street, he has at least a little bit of throttle control and knows how to work a clutch and brake. That is enough for one of these.

They are super easy to ride, hydraulic clutch, i would put my wife on one of these if she felt comfortable on such a high bike

[Hero Danny]

Sorry you sold your ninja, I hope you get a dirt bike you enjoy!

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by subxero

depends, if he is of average adult man size there are not many other options. I would not put him on a dirt bike with less than 30 hp

(SNIP)

Why is that? You can't learn to ride a dirt bike with less than 30 HP?

I've ridden dirt bikes since I was 12 (I'm 50) and have taught numerous people to ride both on the dirt and on the street.

There's nothing magic about 30 HP. It depends on what you want to do, but starting small is always a better choice.

Back in the day, Kenny Roberts hosted training sessions at his ranch with the top 500 GP riders of the time - Rainey, Lawson, etc. Did they ride trick 250s? Nope, they rode XR100s.

Just because you can ride on the street does't automatically mean you can ride on the dirt with any amount of proficiency. Dealing with the reduced traction takes time to learn.

The KTMs are great bikes, but there's no way I would say they are great starter bikes in the same way a Ninja 250 is on the street.

That's just my opinion. Take it or leave it.

[bnj999]

Thank you all for taking the time to give me these advice. I will keep them in mind when shopping for my first dirt bike. Thanks!

[Floki]

I own a 2008 CRF230F and I would say it's a nice bike. The suspension is super soft and I weigh 150lb. I would bottom out hitting jumps and small doubles. It's defintely a mellow machine and you can have lots of fun cruising and blasting it. If you have the coin though I would tell you to skip the 230 and go to the KTM. Sure, you'll be learning on it and it is a nice bike but dirtbikes are meant to go down.

[subxero]

^ this along with other things.

Any 4stroke below the 250 mark from the main manufacturers is most likely going to be air cooled and have a complete garbage suspension both front and rear, probably a drum brake in the rear and be down on power big time.

Like I said before, are they fun to ride...hell yeah, would I want one as my primary bike... absolutely not. If you want to jump these bikes, you will be bottoming out, blowing seals left and right, the brakes are sub par, the wheels (rims) are junk, bike won't have enough power to bring the front end up with out use of clutch.

Dirt bikes I would recommend to someone who has some motorcycle experience looking to get into dirt riding.

ktm 250 xcf
ktm 250 xcf-w
crf250x
wr250f
Husqvarna Fe 250
Husaberg Fe 250

^ they are all 4strokes and all trail bikes NOT MX, they are a little more tame than the MX versions and yet still great all around machines that you will not grow out of any time soon.

You get liquid cooled engine, way better suspension <--(practically most important part of a dirt bike), better brakes, frame, bars, wheels basically everything is better. But that is also why they cost nearly twice as much.



So questions to the OP, what exactly do you want to do with a dirt bike? and how tall are you?

[bnj999]

I plan to learn how to ride trails in the pacific northwest. I have been mountain biking for a few years in this area. Where I live is close to an dedicated OHV (off highway vehicle) area, where lots of people take their dirt bikes, ATV, or Jeeps to.

I am 6'2", 170 lbs. besides ninja 250r, I have owned Honda VFR, Ninja 636, Ducati S4 in the past. I learned to ride asphalt at some local tracks when I lived in the bay area. It was fun! I have never ridden a motorcycle in dirt before, though..

[subxero]

6'2", you will have no problem with seat height on any of the 250's listed.

You can always hunt around and perhaps one of your buddies or someone knows someone who has this bike or that bike and you can take one for a test spin to see what you think. Either way the bikes I listed above are all very similar and will perform great, But as I said before, if money is not a problem, I would go ktm, I do like the way the Husqvarna and husabergs look though, they are practically ktm replica's anyway and can be a little cheaper.