sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Sorry for yet another "which bike for me" thread. I've learned a lot about my preferences for dirt bikes, and my experience is helping me learn what I like.
It's almost springtime and it's time to get another bike so I can play around up AF canyon some more. This time around I definitely need something that I can touch the ground on (at least the balls of my feet). I prefer tight, technical trails and I like the idea of a nimble bike that I can flick around and touch the ground if needed. I think a 125/250 would be great except for the seat height. I know all about lowering links, cutting the seat, and even modifying the subframe for a lower seat, but even then they're still too tall for me (by 4" or so). When i ride AF canyon and I'm doing tight switchbakcs and picking my bike up every 5 min, it wears me out too much. Even my light (200lb) hybrid 125/kdx200 was too tall for me and I felt like it handled me more than I handled it. I loved the weight and power, but it was too tall.
Here are my criteria:
- I must be able to touch the ground
- low maintenance
- reliable
- Decent size fuel tank
- Under $1500 used
This has been my experience so far:
Xt225 - great bike. Nice low seat height, very fun, great on the road, 75 mpg, not a ton of performance on the trails, but it got the job done
TTR125L - The most fun I've ever had on a bike. It's a little too small for me, but it was very fun and flickable. I love the seat height, the wheelbase is just a little too short. When I ride AF Canyon on this bike I am 100% confident on all the trails. I don't feel out of my league or that I'm about to die because my bike is too big or has too much power for me
TW200 - hung a bit too low to the ground, heavy, wide tires made it feel more like a tractor than a tossable bike
KDX200 - seat height was too tall. Great usable power. Crappy front fork
CR125 - way too tall, but very fun and nimble
CRF150 - wheelbase was WAY too short, but the seat height was ok
WR250 (2t) - way more power than I need, and the seat height was way too tall for me
KTM 250xc - still too tall, but the power was pretty tame
XR200 - fine bike, good size, but I've never ridden one offroad. I may just go this route
I really like the feel of the two-strokes. I'm no power junkie. I could get by with the power of a TTR125, but a ttr 230 is just about perfect power-wise. I'm not into riding sand dunes or going 80 MPH in the desert. I prefer riding technical singletrack that has tight rocky climbs (AF Canyon style), and I'd like to get into riding some fun trails like Slickrock, Amasaback, etc.
I fell in love with the handling of my CR125 hybrid. I really like how I could do little jumps (2-5 feet) and it felt nimble in the air, and it responded very well to my input. If that bike were 4 inches lower, it would have been perfect for me.
Here's what I'm thinking:
KX100 - I know a kx100 is a kids bike, but I'm about the size of a fat kid - 5'6" on a good day, 28" inseam, and 160 lbs. I wonder how it compares in size to the CRF150, cuz that bike was way too small for me)
Scorpa T-ride (but way too $$$ and impossible to find used). This seems like the perfect bike though.
TTR230 (good trail bike, sluggish suspension, nice low ride height)
XR200 - this might be a decent compromise for an all-around trail machine
Honda Reflex
Beta Rev 4 w/Long-range kit and seat
I'd be interested in the following bikes if I could get them low enough:
KTM 200/250/300 exc
CR250
'90's WR250 (2t)/RMX250
What do you guys think? I'm really leaning towards a KX100, but I'd like to try one out first. Anyone out there have one I could throw a leg over?
It's almost springtime and it's time to get another bike so I can play around up AF canyon some more. This time around I definitely need something that I can touch the ground on (at least the balls of my feet). I prefer tight, technical trails and I like the idea of a nimble bike that I can flick around and touch the ground if needed. I think a 125/250 would be great except for the seat height. I know all about lowering links, cutting the seat, and even modifying the subframe for a lower seat, but even then they're still too tall for me (by 4" or so). When i ride AF canyon and I'm doing tight switchbakcs and picking my bike up every 5 min, it wears me out too much. Even my light (200lb) hybrid 125/kdx200 was too tall for me and I felt like it handled me more than I handled it. I loved the weight and power, but it was too tall.
Here are my criteria:
- I must be able to touch the ground
- low maintenance
- reliable
- Decent size fuel tank
- Under $1500 used
This has been my experience so far:
Xt225 - great bike. Nice low seat height, very fun, great on the road, 75 mpg, not a ton of performance on the trails, but it got the job done
TTR125L - The most fun I've ever had on a bike. It's a little too small for me, but it was very fun and flickable. I love the seat height, the wheelbase is just a little too short. When I ride AF Canyon on this bike I am 100% confident on all the trails. I don't feel out of my league or that I'm about to die because my bike is too big or has too much power for me
TW200 - hung a bit too low to the ground, heavy, wide tires made it feel more like a tractor than a tossable bike
KDX200 - seat height was too tall. Great usable power. Crappy front fork
CR125 - way too tall, but very fun and nimble
CRF150 - wheelbase was WAY too short, but the seat height was ok
WR250 (2t) - way more power than I need, and the seat height was way too tall for me
KTM 250xc - still too tall, but the power was pretty tame
XR200 - fine bike, good size, but I've never ridden one offroad. I may just go this route
I really like the feel of the two-strokes. I'm no power junkie. I could get by with the power of a TTR125, but a ttr 230 is just about perfect power-wise. I'm not into riding sand dunes or going 80 MPH in the desert. I prefer riding technical singletrack that has tight rocky climbs (AF Canyon style), and I'd like to get into riding some fun trails like Slickrock, Amasaback, etc.
I fell in love with the handling of my CR125 hybrid. I really like how I could do little jumps (2-5 feet) and it felt nimble in the air, and it responded very well to my input. If that bike were 4 inches lower, it would have been perfect for me.
Here's what I'm thinking:
KX100 - I know a kx100 is a kids bike, but I'm about the size of a fat kid - 5'6" on a good day, 28" inseam, and 160 lbs. I wonder how it compares in size to the CRF150, cuz that bike was way too small for me)
Scorpa T-ride (but way too $$$ and impossible to find used). This seems like the perfect bike though.
TTR230 (good trail bike, sluggish suspension, nice low ride height)
XR200 - this might be a decent compromise for an all-around trail machine
Honda Reflex
Beta Rev 4 w/Long-range kit and seat
I'd be interested in the following bikes if I could get them low enough:
KTM 200/250/300 exc
CR250
'90's WR250 (2t)/RMX250
What do you guys think? I'm really leaning towards a KX100, but I'd like to try one out first. Anyone out there have one I could throw a leg over?
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