Soooo, thinking of getting into off-road riding too

[jlcnuke]

Been thinking about getting into some off-road trail riding etc (not really looking for huge jumps etc). Ride reports etc over at advrider have me about drooling sometimes it looks like such a blast, not to mention no dealing with cars and trucks trying to kill me.

So I know MSF has a beginner dirt bike school and since I'm such a big pusher of the MSF course for street riding I figure I'll probably take it first. That said, any tips/advice etc for a beginner dirt rider on what to do, look for, good beginner dirt bikes/gear etc? For reference 33 yr old male around 5'9" 170lbs.

Oh, and probably going to get my niece/nephews bikes within the next year (6 and 10 and the youngest is too young to ride). They love the 4 wheeler my brother got them and have a blast but he can't afford bikes for them so I said I'd pick up the bikes if he springs for the class and gear.

[chance]

You looking for a dirt only bike or a street legal dirt bike?

i think a DRZ would be great if you want a streetable dirt bike. nice tameable power.

if you are a responsible guy like you seem to be, you could handle a 450 trail bike (look for things like headlights, electric starters, ect) they might be a bit tall for you though.

for what its worth, i learned all my offroading on an ex GNCC racing 250 two stroke bike. Where abouts do you live? Im sure some of us could show you some local spots

[Back Marker]

dirt riding is hard on the body. be sure to stay fit and hydrated.

-a|ex

[chance]

dirt riding is hard on the body. be sure to stay fit and hydrated.

-a|ex

the dirtbiking will make you fit haha, but do keep hydrated.

Last week i was at Durhamtown, and was finally getting comfortable on the MX tracks. I guess i hadnt had enough water, and my legs completely froze up mid air over a pretty big table top! scared to poo outta me. I landed it, fortunately, but it was scary none the less. Took me about 15 minutes to get them moving again.

[shnyhed]

you could also try mountaun biking too.... no cars or speeding tickets ")

[chance]

you could also try mountaun biking too.... no cars or speeding tickets ")

meh, my buddy got a speeding ticket on a mountain bike.
On Kennesaw mountain, no joke

[KTM Rider]

Been thinking about getting into some off-road trail riding etc (not really looking for huge jumps etc). Ride reports etc over at advrider have me about drooling sometimes it looks like such a blast, not to mention no dealing with cars and trucks trying to kill me.

So I know MSF has a beginner dirt bike school and since I'm such a big pusher of the MSF course for street riding I figure I'll probably take it first. That said, any tips/advice etc for a beginner dirt rider on what to do, look for, good beginner dirt bikes/gear etc? For reference 33 yr old male around 5'9" 170lbs.

Oh, and probably going to get my niece/nephews bikes within the next year (6 and 10 and the youngest is too young to ride). They love the 4 wheeler my brother got them and have a blast but he can't afford bikes for them so I said I'd pick up the bikes if he springs for the class and gear.

If you want a DS your choices are pretty much limited to either getting a Japanese bike that will be neutered and not a real dirt bike or spending some $ and buying a European bike that is truly a REAL dirt bike with lights to be DOT legal.

If of course you want a straight dirt bike then you can probably get a good deal on something for around $2k. If you arent scared by the power and you shouldnt be and you want a straight dirt bike (or get lucky and find a plated KTM or something) you should buy a 2 stroke IMO. They are cheaper. They are lighter. They are easier/cheaper to maintain. They sound cool:lol:

Check out georgiaoffroad.com and thumpertalk.com for pure dirt sites. Obviously you have found advrider.com which is mostly DS.

If you already know how to ride a motorcycle, the beginner dirt course may be a help but I would say it would be better IMO to get in touch with Paul Wright at KTMworld.com and ask him about his courses. He has one sponsored by Yamaha that I think you would learn a lot more from.

If you need someone to ride with and show you some pointers I have been riding dirt nonstop for 25 years. Not saying I am the best but I do ok.

Good luck and dont skimp on the gear. You will fall more but with proper gear you should be fine. Drink a lot of water.

[MrBlah]

if your gonna trail ride and no riding on the road, I would stick to an enduro bike, crf250x, wr250f, ktm 200xcw, ktm 250xcw, ktm 250xcwf, or a husqvarna 250/310

I would not spend money on one of the crappy beginner bikes, ie crf230

[KTM Rider]

if your gonna trail ride and no riding on the road, I would stick to an enduro bike, crf250x, wr250f, ktm 200xcw, ktm 250xcw, ktm 250xcwf, or a husqvarna 250/310

I would not spend money on one of the crappy beginner bikes, ie crf230

this is 100% good advice:up:

[Sanchez]

Been thinking about getting into some off-road trail riding etc (not really looking for huge jumps etc).
...
For reference 33 yr old male around 5'9" 170lbs.

If you're looking for a dual sport, an XT225 would fit you well. The KLX250 and DRZ400 are more capable bikes, but you'll have to be comfortable tip toeing. Of those two, I chose the KLX250 because it's 25 lbs lighter (important when you drop your bike down a hill :)), and it has a 6 speed transmission with a wider ratio gap between 1 and 6 than the DRZ has between 1 and 5.

If you want a dirt bike, I'd recommend a CRF-230. It's a surprisingly capable bike with a nice little motor, and it's well sized for you.

Don't get a two stroke for your first dirt bike. A four stroke is much easier to ride at the low speeds you'll start out at, and the power band won't surprise you. Something in the neighborhood of a 250 four stroke is perfect. It has all the power and torque you need with a very forgiving throttle.

[Sanchez]

I would not spend money on one of the crappy beginner bikes, ie crf230

I borrowed a friend's CRF-230 when I was first starting out, and I liked it. It was just too small for me at 6'2" and 200 lbs.

[MrBlah]

the 230 is an overweight tank with crap suspension and brakes, the 230 weighs as much as a 450, it's something like 260 pounds with fuel, I'm not sure if the suspension is even adjustable, and it's got a drum brake on the back. I would much rather see a beginner on a XR250 or kdx200 or any modern enduro

the only good thing about the 230 is they can be bought used cheap, rode for a year, and sold without loosing much at all, but so can an xr250 or kdx200

[KTM Rider]

an xt225 is a piece of crap for an adult male unless you are scared by the power of a scooter.

if you buy a japanese purpose built dual sport get at least a klx250s or wr250 yamaha but truthfully any japanese purpose dual sport is going to suck in a pure offroad environment whereas a husky, ktm or husaberg will excel at both of course one is cheap and the other not.

[TLR67]

Kx 500 for the win!!!

[ramm]

I'm glad this thread came up, it's funny because I also drool over the adv pictures. Good advice here, I'm hoping sometime this winter or maybe next spring I'll be picking something up. Not looking for anything on the streets, just a bike to hit some trails and stuff on.

[chance]

look for gasgas too. they make very very good trail bikes, and can be found pretty cheap. I got my '02 ec250 for 1750 3 years ago. Mind you, it has a full fmf pipe, boyseen reed cage and valves, Ohlins suspension front and rear, and an extra set of wheels and random parts.

[ROCKER]

KLX250, Is giving me a lot of fun lately.

[KTM Rider]

Kx 500 for the win!!!

give him the name of a good estate planner too:up:

[TLR67]

With an Extended Swing Arm!!! And a Chain!! On a Paddle Tire!!

[MrBlah]

I owned/rode/raced a kx500 many years ago, the current 450's are almost the exact same in terms of power, the 450's feel like they weigh more though

[ROCKER]

If you don't mind hauling your bike to the trails and parks, get a dirt bike. It will handle the jumps and bumps better. You'll love highland park too.
But if you just want to jump on it and go, get a dualsport. When I leave the house on the DS, I have no idea what I may see that day.
I may go through a river or up a trail and find a waterfall, ya never know.
I like exploring.
If you don't get a huge DS, places like highland park will still be fun.

[KTM Rider]

I owned/rode/raced a kx500 many years ago, the current 450's are almost the exact same in terms of power, the 450's feel like they weigh more though

I currently own a KTM 450SXF and a CR500. They might make the same power on a dyno but the CR500 is much harder to ride well or for a long time. Riding a 450 is easy compared to the 500. I have no fear on my 450. I "respect" the CR:lol: All that said, the CR is A LOT of fun to ride:up:

[KTM Rider]

If you don't mind hauling your bike to the trails and parks, get a dirt bike. It will handle the jumps and bumps better. You'll love highland park too.
But if you just want to jump on it and go, get a dualsport. When I leave the house on the DS, I have no idea what I may see that day.
I may go through a river or up a trail and find a waterfall, ya never know.
I like exploring.
If you don't get a huge DS, places like highland park will still be fun.

While all of that is true I will add that if you buy a KTM EXC or something similar from Husaberg or BMW or Husqvarna you can have the best of both worlds. A true 100% dirt only bike that is 100% street legal from the factory. The only drawbacks are the price and mtc depending on how much you ride.

[keevo54]

I would look for maybe a KDX220 or something in that ball park; it will ride like a cadillac and its cheap and easy to mantain. If you like a more firm ride a 250f would fit you well. if you can ride a motorcycle no real need for the course. Just get a couple buddies and go riding with them. There nothing to it.

Gear will set you back a bit for pants, jersey, gloves, googles, boots, and helmet. Id also recommend a chest protector- its a good way to shield roost and rogue limbs and branch u may encounter.

[MrBlah]

I currently own a KTM 450SXF and a CR500. They might make the same power on a dyno but the CR500 is much harder to ride well or for a long time. Riding a 450 is easy compared to the 500. I have no fear on my 450. I "respect" the CR:lol: All that said, the CR is A LOT of fun to ride:up:

I did not like the CR500 it was harder to ride, and hit harder, the kx was a tractor from idle to it's peak rpm, pretty easy to ride