In the market (soon) for a new dirtbike

[hobiee 28]

2 stroke vs. 4 stroke. you might as well asked what religion is the best, or who makes the best truck.

My advice, as a father, is to go with whatever he says, especially if he is paying for it. Even if you are paying for it, I'd go with what he says because when it breaks, you're gonna hear about it if you didn't take his advice. Plus it's way more fun to just get out and enjoy the bike you get then sit at home without a bike wondering which is better. Just my .02

Ultimately this is the best advice on the whole post i agree 100%

[Jaynen 0]

What I was hoping to find but had not stumbled onto (not that I have the money actually I did find one a while back) was a green sticker or plated YZ-250 2 stroke. With a Q stealth exhaust and Gnarly pipe and a slight flywheel weight you can do trails, track, and desert pretty easy all on one bike. I even found one that was plated on craigslist at one time.

But like everyone else has said, if Dad is buying and paying for the bike to be maintained then get whatever he wants you to have

[650hucker 0]

I'll be buying the bike. We both hate 2strokes though. Loud and annoying, pre-mixxing the fuel sucks, and 2 strokes break down and require much more upkeep than 4 strokes. You get done riding a 4 stroke, park it, and then hop on it the next week, start it and leave. No hassle no nonsense. Did I mention 2-strokes sound like a little girl screaming? haha. I'll let him read the thread and post though...

[lemieuxmc@yahoo.com 0]

I said it before and I'll say it again...

I looked at a 98 XR400 (plated) in Hemet a few weeks ago for $2000, pipe and jet kit, dialed in suspension. If you need more bike than that you are either a really serious racer or you have a major ego problem. Most people are obsessed with the latest big deal, techno wiz, real racer, gotta have it, new thing. If you could find a plated or green stickered KDX 220, or KTM 200 2 stroke, that would be a sweet bike for OHV legal areas. Unfortunately, if you don't have a license plate, the access to legal riding areas is pretty limited and (IMO) is going to pretty much vanish.

And another thing... BikeSlut, an intermediate rider MY ASS!

[650hucker 0]

I just wanted a lighter bike than my 650. I know a 250 has more power than I could ever run out of.

[tntmo 887]

You get done riding a 4 stroke, park it, and then hop on it the next week, start it and leave. No hassle no nonsense.

Hmmm, I seem to recall having engine oil to change, valves to check, air filters to clean, etc. I must be doing something wrong. Or maybe something right?

Lots of good bikes out there these days, figure out what color you like and go with it. Plenty of good advice on this thread too, most of us here won't steer you wrong.

[dirt dame 559]

We both hate 2strokes though. Loud and annoying, pre-mixxing the fuel sucks, and 2 strokes break down and require much more upkeep than 4 strokes. You get done riding a 4 stroke, park it, and then hop on it the next week, start it and leave. No hassle no nonsense. Did I mention 2-strokes sound like a little girl screaming?

One can only wonder what color the sky is on YOUR planet......You make yourself seem like somebody who has never actually even seen or heard a modern two stroke. I guess we will have to chalk it up to your youth and lack of experience. Frankly at this point, I am surprised that you haven't used the term "cooties" mixed in with your unfounded descriptions of the machines.

And I might also suggest that you have your hearing checked out by a professional medical person next time you're on planet earth. You seem to have an awful lot of problems with the way your ears and brain process sounds, especially for somebody

so young. How tragic.

Seriously, you should ease up on all this premature hating, until you actually do some real research on two strokes.

[650hucker 0]

I have done research on two strokes. They're loud. They break. Pre-mixxing fuel. Maybe the new ones are different, but you still have to premix fuel...

I'll let my dad read and post. I don't have a HUGE problem with 2strokes, I just dislike them. The ONLY reason I want one is because they are about a grand cheaper on craigslist. (wonder why they're so cheap?)

[trailtracker 0]

I don't have a HUGE problem with 2strokes, I just dislike them. The ONLY reason I want one is because they are about a grand cheaper on craigslist. (wonder why they're so cheap?)

They're inexpensive, because so many people are misinformed about their value and utility in the dirt these days.

[bikeslut 1]

I think they are underpriced because:

They DO need top end re-builds on a schedule... some people don't want to get their hands dirty. But it helps you on the trail, if you work on your bike in the garage

Two strokes people tend to be a little more performance oriented than the DS world... they want the latest/greatest. They'll go from a 2005 YZ to a 2009 YZ, or in extreme cases, swap model years every year

red sticker bikes are also a concern... red sticker is just lame. You can ride on a track, but not on a trail? PLEASE!!!

People CARE what others think... my buddy got a new bike, I want one too

I would not be surprised to see direct injected, with oil tanks (no pre-mixing) two strokes green sticker, or even street legal within 5 years (or sooner)

[cmayer31 3]

This is why there are so many different bikes out there....there is something for everyone. I know you have some kind of hate towards 2-strokes, so even in your research you're going to look for the bad and find it. I can do the same with any bike..especially on bike specific forums because everyone posts the bad and need help fixing threads.

When I was younger we ran our 2-strokes all over the rural property and never had an issue. It wasn't until "thumpers" became popular that all the land owners started calling the sheriff and complaining about noise. 2-stroke noise doesn't carry nearly as far as 4-stroke noise. Most of the local tracks also experienced sound issues when 4-strokes took over. I don't know why you think 2-strokes are are so much louder, but they really aren't.

As for oil? Get a mix-rite cup and it takes maybe 30 seconds more to fill a fuel jug and shake it after you pour. Sure you can't go to a gas station and fill the bike directly, but if you're looking at non-plated bikes you can't do that anyhow. I never once had an issue getting gas compared to green sticker 4-stroke friends.

Breaking? Sure everything breaks if not taken care of properly. The only thing that spooks people from 2-strokes is replacing rings or the entire top end. It's not hard and way easier than doing the same thing on a 4-stroke. Still have to do the same maintenance as on a 4-stroke.

The fact that you dislike 2-strokes...will there's the issue. It really doesn't sound like you have a clue other than you despise 2-strokes for whatever reason. So it's pretty clear that you won't get one and that's fine...like I said different bikes for different people. The reason I bothered to type all this crap is because you're spewing off info about 2-strokes that just isn't correct in order to justify your dislike.

I'll move on now.

[dirt dame 559]

I think they are underpriced because:

They DO need top end re-builds on a schedule... some people don't want to get their hands dirty. But it helps you on the trail, if you work on your bike in the garage

Two strokes people tend to be a little more performance oriented than the DS world... they want the latest/greatest. They'll go from a 2005 YZ to a 2009 YZ, or in extreme cases, swap model years every year

red sticker bikes are also a concern... red sticker is just lame. You can ride on a track, but not on a trail? PLEASE!!!

People CARE what others think... my buddy got a new bike, I want one too

I would not be surprised to see direct injected, with oil tanks (no pre-mixing) two strokes green sticker, or even street legal within 5 years (or sooner)

Four stroke track bikes are also red sticker.

Not that I give a flying fig about this sport other than to watch it when it's convenient, but all the top freestyle riders seem to use nothing but two strokes for their goofy and death defying di-do cutting.

Outboard motors are a prime example of how far two stroke technology has come. They now run faster, cleaner, longer and with better gas mileage than their four stroke counterparts. If marine technology can do it, motorcycle technology should be able to do it even better.

[TrophyHunter 15]

I would not be surprised to see direct injected, with oil tanks (no pre-mixing) two strokes green sticker, or even street legal within 5 years (or sooner)

Plenty of examples of this in the past. Maybe they'll make a comeback.

[bikeslut 1]

I would not be surprised to see direct injected, with oil tanks (no pre-mixing) two strokes green sticker, or even street legal within 5 years (or sooner)

Plenty of examples of this in the past. Maybe they'll make a comeback.

well, true, but the examples in the past were before the enviro-nazis started getting involved... the bikes didn't change, the laws DID... so they got legislated out of street use, and almost out of existence...

Also Wil... use the right castor oil, and they smell good to ride behind... mmmmmm... some of the oils even add fruit scents... Follow TOO close, and you want to barf, but back a few bike lengths, and it is like riding through a field.

You can "muffle" or NOT, any bike... it's up to the owner to decide if they want to sound AWESOME or if they want to keep trails open. Cuz that what it may boil down to. Harley's are FOUR strokes, and guarantee there's nothing louder than an straight piped Harley; unless it has wings... SOME jets are louder. The difference is, they can't close roads... all the "respectable" people in cars use the roads too... respectable people don't enjoy nature, so it's easy to vote trail closures into law... somebody nearby complains about the noise enough that some legislator gets on it... and areass close, while they search for a more suitable riding area... farther away from people. And of course, the new area never opens up, and we are all crammed in to smaller and smaller areas, while green sticker funds get "borrowed"... damn... Hi Jack... I'll start over

Next time out, I'll bring my 250F... light, agile, decent power when it's revving, and jumps well... you MAY like that fine...

[socalhodaka 104]

The reason I bothered to type all this crap is because you're spewing off info about 2-strokes that just isn't correct in order to justify your dislike.

I agree right here with cmayer.

I don't care what bike you get, but all the good folks here try to give wisdom base on their experience. Take it and learn, but don't try to rip on what I have learned in the 37 years of riding, and owning well over 70 different bikes.

This was taken from Dirt Rider Magazine.

Yamaha is continuing to sell the YZ125 into 2010 and hopefully far beyond. If you haven't ridden a 125 for a while, you might be surprised at how powerful this bike is. If you've never ridden one, you're missing out. And if you're still in your growing years, don't be too enamored with the 250Fs you see the pros riding. That's a whole different world where people get paid to ride. I feel this 125 is the greatest bike for this world.

The pros have people take care of there bikes. I will still argue about the cost of maintenance between the two, and the amount of maintenance between the two.

All done, enjoy what ever you get, take care of it and respect the folks here trying to help you gain knowledge because no matter what bike you end up getting, at some point you are going to ask for some kind of help fixing it here on the board.

[dirt dame 559]

Yamaha is continuing to sell the YZ125 into 2010 and hopefully far beyond. If you haven't ridden a 125 for a while, you might be surprised at how powerful this bike is. If you've never ridden one, you're missing out. And if you're still in your growing years, don't be too enamored with the 250Fs you see the pros riding. That's a whole different world where people get paid to ride. I feel this 125 is the greatest bike for this world.

Another really popular bike is the 125 WR Husqvarna. Over on Cafe Husky, there's a mess of them owned by large, full grown men that enjoy the heck out of riding them in the woods up in the Pacific Northwest and back east. Most of these guys added the little tiddler to, or switched over from mid or large sized four stroke bikes. They make them sound like so much fun, that even I would like to get a 125WR, and I don't even really care for 125s all that much. Meanwhile, the 250 and 300WRs are also getting popular in states that are not outlawing or restricting them on public land. Much more riding of two stroke Huskys and KTMs in other parts of the USA.

[Beezzz 6]

I work on my 4 stroke race bike more than my 2 stroke race bikes. I consider my 2 stroke race bikes trouble free "for a race bike." If I blow a race motor, the two stroke is much cheaper to rebuild than the 4 stroke race motor. My only problem is the red stickers on each.

[freeride619 0]

Will-You saw my ktm 300 2 stroke at Mcain Valley. It kept up with your 650 no problem. The only people who break them a bunch just do not know how to ride 2 strokes

[Crawdaddy 96]

Next time out, I'll bring my 250F... light, agile, decent power when it's revving, and jumps well... you MAY like that fine...

That's the bike for you......and you can pick up a 250F cheap......

[650hucker 0]

Howdy , this is Wil's dad, I am an Old Harley ridin fool, (Honda certified though) Unless he is racing, I see NO reason to own a 2 stroke, I prefer the dependablility of 4 stroke thumpers! If it isn't at least 30 years old, I want nothing to do with a 2 stroke...so he is **** if he wants to ever buy a 2 stroke! I just don;t see the use for it, unless he is going really hardcore...(which I have no doubt will happen! , In other words, dad's opinion, don;t mean ----....BUT , it is my opinion....

[bikeslut 1]

Welcome Wils dad...uh...we try to be PG13...mind editing your post?

[650hucker 0]

I took care of it. Old rednecks right

[bikeslut 1]

Damage is done...I'm scarred forever

I appreciate a man that has an opinion...

[650hucker 0]

Yeah, you and your pornographic memory there bikeslut...

Totally offtopic, but remember the other day you said you've never seen anyone you felt rode brazenly fast? Perhaps you meant within our group, but have you heard of a rider on youtube called ghostrider? That guy is PSYCHO to say the least. 315 KMPH Wheelie through traffic on a hyabusa turbo with 500hp...

[SCHWINN 0]

I slipped away from 2 strokes years ago. I grew up drag racing at glamis in the 100 yd dash and at the hills. I even had a RD 400 3 wheeler up to 1983.

Now im 47 with kids and they are riding honda CRf 450 Rs with stainless steel valves and springs. I still love hill racing at the dunes and my KTM 525 won alot and beat my boys and then I got the KTM 690 and love it but it only does ok in glamis.

I went and bought a CR 500 2 stroke and leaned out the mixture for hill racing and took it to gordons well for Xmas thru New Years. I rode it and parked it. My 17 yo jumps on it and sticks it wide open in 3rd gear and collapses the rings, it came in running but sounded funny. I walked over to it and pushed the kick starter down and nothin there.

I had the whole topend off in a hour and drove to yuma to Pacific Motor Sports. New rings, Top end gasket kit and a hone job on the cylinder. $93.00...with the parts overnighted. Had it up and running next day and ran a 32:1 ratio and never looked back, beets my kids up the hill by 10 ft and I weigh 260 lbs and it dunes great and is light.

The point is if 1 of my 4 strokes breaks out there its going to stay broke a while.

I have found that owning a 500 stroke to me only has 1 place to ride, Wide open desert. Its hard to ride on tight tracks and has no engine breaking on downshifting. I get on my CRF 450 on track days and its so much easier to ride.