- Location
- The Land Northward (Bountiful), Utah
When my wife and I were dating, we went out to 5 mile pass on a double date.
I let her ride my "dirtbike" and I only showed her how to shift from 1st into 2nd gear and back.
She rode around like the other girls that were with us and I expected her to ride around for a few minutes and go, "oh that's fun" and come back.
She was gone, completely out of sight for like 15 or 20 minutes....
I'm starting to get worried, this girl has never ridden a dirtbike in her life, I'm talking to my buddy and thinking, "great we are going to have to go find her, she must have wrecked somewhere."
Nope, she comes blasting back into camp revving out the bike and she asks, "how do I shift into 3rd!?"
Later that day she dumps the bike in a ditch and tears up her jeans and before I can run out there to help her pick it up, she's got it up and is trying to kick start it again bloody knee and all.
At that moment I thought, "Yup she's a keeper."
So anyways she's had a pitbike for a while, a Lifan 50cc that we swapped a 150cc Lifan motor into. Bigger forks... etc... The Tacoma-nator.
and the other day she says, "I think I'm ready for a bigger bike."
Cha-Ching. I heard, "buy me a bigger bike."
With a very small budget, and some important requirements, I started shopping:
1.) Price: I am a realist and I know she won't ride as often a me. (I'm not going to spend more than my bike on something that won't see as much seat time).
2.) Power: Good low end, Not too hard hitting, smooth torque, hard to stall.
3.) Slightly smaller size and shorter seat height than a full size MX (she's taller than Steve but I know it will make her more comfortable).
4.) Electric start: Heck I wish I had it... It's really nice when learning to not have to kick it on a big hill.
a.) redundancy, kick start also. It's important to me to have this if the battery dies (I've looked at a few ttr's and crf230f's that did not have this).
5.) Reliable.
6.) Light. (we'll as light as you can with electric start and lights).
7.) Possibly street legal. (having it street legal will motivate her to get her Motorcycle license and hopefully be more confident on trail if she rides it to around the neighborhood to friends's houses, etc...).
8.) Price.
I've been shopping for a while, had a few dorks try to sell me garbage, one guy even got the cash from me before I realized the thing had a non-functioning rear brake.
I looked at a lot of Japanese bikes like the TTR 150's (not enough power)
and TTR 250s and CRF230f's (too expensive).
I even looked at the Yamaha TT-200 (weird big tires).
and a lot of Chinese bikes (I've owned a few). And even a few projects.
I was seriously considering purchasing a YZ150 but Jeeper talked me out of it, citing the fact that he felt like he had to wring its neck to keep it in the powerband and many beginners just aren't going to be riding it that way.
Finally I stumbled upon this little gem
It started first kick, had plenty of low end (I could wheelie it easily), I could let out the clutch with nearly no throttle and it wouldn't stall, and I ran it up to 65 MPH
It has some easily repaired things and I was able to get a great price... I was sold!
It's an '09 Wildfire WF250.
Watercooled, 4T.
As best as I can tell these are manufactured by Apollo (designed by the Japanese and assembled in China) and have lots of Japanese parts (like a Mikuni carb)
I'm not sure the motor cross-over yet but it is likely a Honda clone.
80/100-21" front tire. 4.10-18" rear.
It's 56" WB as opposed to my 62" WB YZ400f
36" seat height, but I'm knocking down the rear coil adjuster (should net me another 1") and there is a lot of room to cut the seat if she wants it lower.
Electric and kickstart.
Street Legal! Acerbis DHH kit on it.
Looks to have aftermarket 7/8" bars and bar risers.
Aftermarket exhaust. Big rear disc (compared to drums on the crf230 and TTR230)
Rated at 17.8 HP with the stock exhaust and restrictive intake.
Brand new tires front and rear with the nubbies still on them.
Now I haven't surprised her yet because I'd like to get the pitbike sold first and get everything perfect first. (It needs a few things).
But I'm hoping to get it all sorted by Friday.
I let her ride my "dirtbike" and I only showed her how to shift from 1st into 2nd gear and back.
She rode around like the other girls that were with us and I expected her to ride around for a few minutes and go, "oh that's fun" and come back.
She was gone, completely out of sight for like 15 or 20 minutes....
I'm starting to get worried, this girl has never ridden a dirtbike in her life, I'm talking to my buddy and thinking, "great we are going to have to go find her, she must have wrecked somewhere."
Nope, she comes blasting back into camp revving out the bike and she asks, "how do I shift into 3rd!?"
Later that day she dumps the bike in a ditch and tears up her jeans and before I can run out there to help her pick it up, she's got it up and is trying to kick start it again bloody knee and all.
At that moment I thought, "Yup she's a keeper."
So anyways she's had a pitbike for a while, a Lifan 50cc that we swapped a 150cc Lifan motor into. Bigger forks... etc... The Tacoma-nator.
and the other day she says, "I think I'm ready for a bigger bike."
Cha-Ching. I heard, "buy me a bigger bike."
With a very small budget, and some important requirements, I started shopping:
1.) Price: I am a realist and I know she won't ride as often a me. (I'm not going to spend more than my bike on something that won't see as much seat time).
2.) Power: Good low end, Not too hard hitting, smooth torque, hard to stall.
3.) Slightly smaller size and shorter seat height than a full size MX (she's taller than Steve but I know it will make her more comfortable).
4.) Electric start: Heck I wish I had it... It's really nice when learning to not have to kick it on a big hill.
a.) redundancy, kick start also. It's important to me to have this if the battery dies (I've looked at a few ttr's and crf230f's that did not have this).
5.) Reliable.
6.) Light. (we'll as light as you can with electric start and lights).
7.) Possibly street legal. (having it street legal will motivate her to get her Motorcycle license and hopefully be more confident on trail if she rides it to around the neighborhood to friends's houses, etc...).
8.) Price.
I've been shopping for a while, had a few dorks try to sell me garbage, one guy even got the cash from me before I realized the thing had a non-functioning rear brake.
I looked at a lot of Japanese bikes like the TTR 150's (not enough power)
and TTR 250s and CRF230f's (too expensive).
I even looked at the Yamaha TT-200 (weird big tires).
and a lot of Chinese bikes (I've owned a few). And even a few projects.
I was seriously considering purchasing a YZ150 but Jeeper talked me out of it, citing the fact that he felt like he had to wring its neck to keep it in the powerband and many beginners just aren't going to be riding it that way.
Finally I stumbled upon this little gem
It started first kick, had plenty of low end (I could wheelie it easily), I could let out the clutch with nearly no throttle and it wouldn't stall, and I ran it up to 65 MPH
It has some easily repaired things and I was able to get a great price... I was sold!
It's an '09 Wildfire WF250.
Watercooled, 4T.
As best as I can tell these are manufactured by Apollo (designed by the Japanese and assembled in China) and have lots of Japanese parts (like a Mikuni carb)
I'm not sure the motor cross-over yet but it is likely a Honda clone.
80/100-21" front tire. 4.10-18" rear.
It's 56" WB as opposed to my 62" WB YZ400f
36" seat height, but I'm knocking down the rear coil adjuster (should net me another 1") and there is a lot of room to cut the seat if she wants it lower.
Electric and kickstart.
Street Legal! Acerbis DHH kit on it.
Looks to have aftermarket 7/8" bars and bar risers.
Aftermarket exhaust. Big rear disc (compared to drums on the crf230 and TTR230)
Rated at 17.8 HP with the stock exhaust and restrictive intake.
Brand new tires front and rear with the nubbies still on them.
Now I haven't surprised her yet because I'd like to get the pitbike sold first and get everything perfect first. (It needs a few things).
But I'm hoping to get it all sorted by Friday.
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