I know a little about motorbikes and always had one as a kid....
I am pretty sure what I need is a 4 stroke as I will be riding around bush tracks mostly... I have been to a few bike shops and they are pushing me towards the Honda XR250 or 400, as they are low maintenance... Unlike the Yamahas, he says most Yamahas need much more maintenace like the tuning of valves etc. He said that Suzuki, KTM etc are much the same...
What are your thoughts..?
New to motorbikes.... Need to know what bike to buy!
-
Bike Phreak
- Veteran
- Posts: 66
- Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:27 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: San Diego, CA
Have you looked at Kawasaki? (I must admit I am a little biased) My Kaw has fun flawlessly with litte to no maitence. She has survived some major beatings 
. Take a look. I can not speak intelligently about any other makes however. Hope this helps! Oh and stick with like a 250 if it's your first bike!
. Take a look. I can not speak intelligently about any other makes however. Hope this helps! Oh and stick with like a 250 if it's your first bike!'05 Kaw Ninja 250 R
Black/Green
Next bike? Hmmmm
Kaw 600 RR? Custom paint of the Grim Reaper.
Black/Green
Next bike? Hmmmm
Kaw 600 RR? Custom paint of the Grim Reaper.
Well, the maintenance issue is easy enough to resolve. Just ask to see the maintenance schedules in the owner's manuals. See how many miles (kilometers?), or perhaps hours for a dirt bike, that are required between maintenance operations. The more the merrier.
Many things are simple, like spark plugs and oil changes, but the valve lash adjustments are probably the most mechanically sophisticated of all the maintenance operations and should probably be given the most wieght. Some valves, however, don't need to be adjusted. That, of course, is great.
Yamaha, I believe, posts schedules for current bikes on thier website. Others may also.
You might also want to ask the dealers what they charge for that adjustment. It'll give you an idea of how difficult it is.
Other than that, I don't know much about dirt bikes. Good luck though.
Many things are simple, like spark plugs and oil changes, but the valve lash adjustments are probably the most mechanically sophisticated of all the maintenance operations and should probably be given the most wieght. Some valves, however, don't need to be adjusted. That, of course, is great.
Yamaha, I believe, posts schedules for current bikes on thier website. Others may also.
You might also want to ask the dealers what they charge for that adjustment. It'll give you an idea of how difficult it is.
Other than that, I don't know much about dirt bikes. Good luck though.
-
Ninja Geoff
- Site Supporter - Gold
- Posts: 2980
- Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2005 10:55 pm
- Real Name: Geoff
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 7
- My Motorcycle: 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R
- Location: Leyden, MA
Go with XR250. It'll be easier to ride due to it's small size. Also, the 6 speed will help keep you in a good power band when you need to be.
My XR200 is a 1999 and has some serious get up when you really get one it (okay, seems fast at least, trees go by quick when you're in the woods).
My XR200 is a 1999 and has some serious get up when you really get one it (okay, seems fast at least, trees go by quick when you're in the woods).
[img]http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/3563/41350009.jpg[/img]