On Ebay you at least have a binding contract so that they can't just rip you off as badly if you buy a lemon. They also have the bstr prices since it is bidding.
Craigslist is another but keep in mind they are usually asking much more than it is normally worth and they can also "forget to mention" things with out having any consequences.
Just stick with ebay
Thanks;
Solo machines have engines ranging in displacement size from 50cc to 650cc. In the early years of motocross, the 500cc class was considered the premier division. However, as technology progressed, the open class bikes became more powerful and fewer riders were able to ride them at their limits. The 250cc bikes also became faster with newer technology and were more manageable thus, they eventually superseded the 500cc bikes and became the premier class.
The most common distinction between motocross machines is whether they have two-stroke or four-stroke engines. Originally all bikes were four-stroke (in the Pre-65 era), but as the two-stroke engine improved they became more popular with their domination of the sport in the 1970's, 80's and 90's. The two-stroke engine produced more power than a four-stroke engine of the same capacity (cc), however oil must be introduced into the crankcase space for con-rod bearing lubrication, either with a pump or by mixing it with the petrol; this oil is burnt, giving the characteristic smell of a two-stroke engine. Four-stroke continued to be raced in specialist classes throughout this period, partially in the 500cc class. During the early 1980's another wave of technological advancement saw the typically two-stroke air cooled, twin shock rear suspension machines replaced by machines that were water cooled and fitted with monoshock rear suspension. This created even more powerful machines within the existing displacement categories (125,250 and 500cc).
The late 1990's saw an environmental crackdown on two-stroke engines particularly in the large American market. This spurred the development of environmentally friendlier four-stroke engines. While producing less power for the same displacement, four-strokes typically burn the fuel in a cleaner fashion. A major drawback of this is that four-strokes produce a deeper sound compared to two-stroke, which has led to a sharp rise in sound complaints across the world. To make the four-stroke competitive the world sanctioning body amended the displacement categories so that a 125cc two-stroke would compete against a 250cc four-stroke, and a 250cc two-stroke would compete against a 450cc four-stroke. By this point, the 500cc class had been dying out due to their immense power permitting fewer riders with enough talent to ride them at their limits. Yamaha introduced the first "modern" four-stroke with the YZ400F, which was soon succeeded by the YZ426F and then by the "standard" 450cc machine. Other manufacturers soon followed suit, downplaying their 250cc two-stroke bikes. As development progressed the power output of these bikes superseded their two-stroke equivalents, further sealing their fate. The four-stroke revolution continued with a wave of 250cc four-stroke machines to compete against the 125cc two-strokes. Once again manufacturers have been quick to promote these machines against their 125cc two-stroke equivalents. In the summer of 2006 Honda launched the CRF150R to compete in the 85cc class. This required sanctioning bodies to make further rule changes, which are very contentious with fans of two strokes.
For 2008 the MX2 class in amateur racing allowed 144cc two-stroke bikes to race against the 250 four-stroke bikes. This was to encourage more riders into the sport as two-stroke bikes are much more cost effective than four-stroke bikes. In AMA amateur racing two-stroke up to 153cc are allowed to race. But some countries like the UK only allow factory made or bored out 125's up to 144cc.
In professional racing 144cc machines are allowed but they have to be produced as 125's and then bored out to 144cc. This is to deter professionals riding from two-stroke bikes.
Youth racing included the MX2 class through to Autos, Adults ride MX2 through MX1 to MX3.
Motocross machines have extensive suspension to enable riders to tackle large jumps and ride at speed over the rough terrain. The advent of improved suspension transformed motocross from its scrambling origins with natural track to the current form today, with multiple jumps that would have previously been impossible.
To bring the weight down to an acceptable level (usually 200 to 250 lbs for full-size machines), items such as speedometers, lights, kickstands, electric starters, etc. are omitted. Lightweight materials such as aluminum and magnesium are commonly used as original equipment from the factory or sold in the after-market.
Because of the physical nature of motocross, riders spend much of their time standing to absorb shock with their knees. The long, flat seat is designed to allow riders to shift their weight quickly to provide more traction in corners, rather than for comfort.
Unusually for racing machines, motocross bikes can be purchased in a ready-to-race or nearly ready-to-race condition at moderate prices from major motorcycle manufacturers. Many riders, however, modify their machines further, both for outright performance and to have the bike's behavior more in tune with their own preferences or just for enjoyment
The National Sport Health Institute in Englewood, California tested several professional motocross racers in the early 1980s as part of a comparative study of the cardio-vascular fitness of athletes from various disciplines. Athletes from track, American football and soccer were tested, among others. The cardiac stress and strength test results compiled there revealed that the motocross subjects had higher fitness levels than any other discipline tested. Motocross racers now get their heart rate up to around 180 to 190 beats per minute and hold it there for about 35 minutes. Another thing to consider is that they do this twice per day (Original article appeared in DirtBike magazine in 1980). A subsequent study by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre's Sports Performance Complex in 2002 reconfirmed the result with more recent motocross racers. The intense physical demand of motocross derives from the fact that the racer of the bike must keep complete control of a 200+ pound bike, while also maintaining their top speed throughout the race
Freestyle motocross (Freestyle Motocross), a relatively new sport, does not involve racing and instead concentrates on performing acrobatic stunts while jumping motocross bikes. The winner is chosen by a group of judges. The riders are scored on style, level of trick difficulty, best use of the course, and frequently crowd reactions as well.
One stunt performed is the backflip, which was disputedly completed on a 250cc motorcycle by Greg Chrin using a specially designed dirt ramp. Soon after this, Mike Metzger completed this stunt using a standard freestyle ramp and dirt landing.[2] More recently Mike Metzger actually did a Backflip over the Caesar's Palace Fountains.[3] Some consider the body varial 360 as the most difficult stunt being performed at this time. This stunt, also called the Carolla, was first performed by Chuck Carothers at the 2004 X Games. Prior to this, the backflip 360, or off-axis backflip, was widely considered the most challenging stunt. Another rider taking freestyle to a new level is Travis Pastrana. At the 2006 X Games, Pastrana performed the world's first double backflip (in competition).[4] It earned him the 2006 Freestyle Gold Medal. The double backflip is currently considered the most difficult freestyle trick.
The latest craze is adult racing on miniature (50cc-125cc) motorcycles called minibikes or Pit-Bikes. The Pit-Bike concept was originally so that full size motocross riders could easily navigate the Pits, the area designated for parking, and setting up prior to an event. The craze grew from there. People began "hopping up" the bikes and racing them against each other. These inexpensive minibikes designed for small children are often transformed for adult use by adding taller handle bars, improving the suspension, exhaust, plastics. Other "hop ups" include larger, bored 75cc-192cc engines and reinforced frames. No standard definition of what constitutes a pit-bike by any major governing body exits, but the normal requirement is a 10"-14" front wheel, and a 10"-12" rear. None of the big 5 manufactures (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and KTM ) currently offer "race ready" pit-bikes, however some other companies are beginning to sell bikes designed solely for this purpose. These include Pitster Pro, OGM, Xtreme, the SDG, and Sikk MX. The minibike craze is predominately in Southern California, but has risen significantly in popularity in other areas of the US and the world. Pit-bike racing has taken a turn towards mini-moto (Supermoto) also, usually racing on go-kart and tight, small vehicle tracks. Riders usually wear a combination of motocross and street riding gear/leathers.
Supermoto got its start in the late 1970s as a fun side project for many road racers. Its first exposure to a wide audience came on the American television program ABC's Wide World of Sports in 1979. UK racing journalist Gavin Trippe envisioned a racing event that would prove who the best motorcycle racer was and from 1980 to 1985, he organized a yearly event called "The Superbikers," which pitted the top road racers and motocross racers against one another on specially modified bikes raced on special tracks on the television show.
Look on websites like www.denniskirk.com in the closeout section. I once found boots for 27 dollars. Normally they will cost you about 150 dollars. A chest protector will normally cost about 80-120 dollars.
This is only a fraction of the cost it would take to repair broken ankles. Or the funeral cost from having a stick go through your chest. These sorts of accidents happen very quickly!
Even with full gear, you can still get hurt, but the chances are FAR lower.
Last week, I was racing, and wearing full gear: chest protector, helmet, goggles, good motocross boots, gloves, racing pants, and jersey. I ended up with a very bad concussion, and broken collarbone. If I had been wearing one more piece of equipment (a "neck roll") I wouldn't have broken my collar bone.
If there are races around your area. Take a walk through the pit section. Many times, racers will be selling their used gear for very cheap prices!
Has anyone explained WHY you were told that about your new Chinese bike?
You can look around and see only Rare mention of "Loctiting Everything" on the Jap Dirtbikes.
It's Not because the Chinese Vibrate more than the Japs.
Loctite does NOT keep Bolts/Nuts Tight.
It merely keeps them from falling off when they come loose,,,and any parts they're holding coming adrift.
Fastener Tension is what keeps things tight.
Pretty Much the same as a "Spring Tension" Effect.
When you Torque a Fastener to correct specs,,,
the shank STRETCHES and holds the tension in a spring-like effect.
Too Loose,,,and ya dont have enough tension to hold the load.
Too TIGHT and you've exceeded the Yield Strength of the Fastener,,,,you've "sprung the spring",,,Over Stretched it.
Old Saying,,"Over Torqued Bolt is a Half Broken Bolt"
There's all sorts of GRADES of fasteners.
Higher Grades have both Higher Yield Strength AND typically a "high modulus of elasticity"—they are SPRINGIER.
LOW Grade Bolts are Soft,Weak,Spongy,and with Low Yield strength.
When you Torque them to "Correct Specs",,,they Stretch too.
But when You LOAD them,,,that exceeds their elasticity.
The Result is that the fastener PERMANENTLY Stretches.
A Bolt becomes actually LONGER.
A "Longer Bolt" gives exact same effect as a LOOSE BOLT which is not tightened down all the way.
Dynamic Loading/Movement,etc will eventually LENGTHEN,,,Not "loosen",,the fastener to the point where it Becomes Loose.
Then Vibrations will cause nuts to back off,fall off,,screws & bolts to vibrate out of their hole and so on.
Loctite can be BAD NEWS on Low Grade hardware.
Exagerated example:
Say you have a Bolt that has a 1" Clamped Length when installed and torqued.
And it Stretches in service to 1 1/8".(Gross exageration)
But OBVIOUSLY it's then Wobbling Loose,,right?
It's no longer even bottomed out on the parts,,not even "touching".
So what does that Normally Require?
RE-Tightening,obviously.
(In Reality,,it NEEDS a Better Grade Bolt)
So You have a Low Grade Bolt,,,loosened from Over Stretching,,,,
and a SEMI-SEIZED Thread from Loctite.
The LOCTITE itself introduces a False Torque during Re-Torque operation.
It RAISES the Break-Out Torque just to MOVE it.
That gets Added to the Total Torque.
So you either :
a)See 15ft Lbs on your Torque Wrench,,,while Clamping Force is only equivalent of 10FT lbs.
Because 5ft lbs goes Just to TURN the Fastener
or
b)You Torque the Threads and Shank of the fastener sytem without applying ANY clamping force
or
c)You try to REMOVE the fastener which has been Over stretched beyond it's yield strength,,,and the Torque demand of the Loctite allows you the Break the Fastener becomes it comes loose.
Now,,,did you see me say ANYWHERE that "Locktite is BAD??"
Or,,,"DO NOT USE Locktite"??
No,,it's a fine product and does an incredibly dependable job in it's intended & appropriate applications.
People bet their Lives on it,,,and the safety/security of Zillion Dollar Equipment.
But you have to Focus on the Key Words>>"Intended & Appropriate Applications"
There's LOTS more to the matter than knowing what each Color of Loctite Does.
The explanation of THAT simple aspect is written right on the product's instructions.
………………………………………………………………….
The Best,,,and generally the ONLY advantage that Loctite can offer any unit assembled with Low Grade Hardware is to prevent a part from falling off.
It will Retain a Loose Bolt or Nut.
That SOUNDS like,,,"Well thats what it's supposed to do"
And that's correct.
But ,,THEN What?
What Loctite DOES NOT DO is prevent parts from coming loose due to Fastener Stretch/Yield.
Nothing about Loctite improves the metallurgy of the fasteners involved.
It ONLY increases Torque Requirement to prevent vibrations from spinning a nut off,etc.
Consider what happens NEXT,,,when you get tired of your exhaust flopping around,,,Handlebars slipping,,,footpegs wobbling around,,etc.
And all your "safely Loctited" nuts/bolts are Still Present on the Now Loose hardware.
Tighten them Up?
Good Luck.
It was "half Broken" when originally installed,,
Yielded it's clamp length till it got LOOSE,,,
Now You wanna Torque it AGAIN,,,,but with the addition of the Loctite Breakout Torque Requirement?
I'll say it again,,,NOTHING Wrong with Using Locktite.
At least it "FEELS GOOD" that you've done SOMETHING.
But whoever told you to use Loctite SPEFICALLY BECAUSE
You're bike is CHINESE does NOT Understand the phenomenon of those machines having Nuts & Bolts which continually come loose and fall off.
The "Falling Off" aint the Problem.
That's only the RESULT of the Problem,,which is FAILED Fasteners.
Preventing the things from Falling Off is Not a Bad Thing,,
But it ONLY is addressing a SYMPTOM of a more serious and potentially dangerous problem.
Loctite use has the distinct potential to cause Further Probs when you try to Tighten stuff.
And most likely will help the fasteners reach Failure sooner.
Only REAL FIX is to REPLACE the Fasteners with Hi Grade Hardware.
Nuts,Bolts,AND flat washers & lockwashers as well.
Spongy ,Soft-surfaced washers don't help matters.
I realize that Replacement is Both tedious And an expense.
But it's a Genuine Fix,,,not just Feel-Better-About-It Patch.
A Rational Approach would be to initially replace Critical App/Safety Related hardware,,,such as Brake Mounting stuff,,Handlebar Clamp bolts,etc.
WAY more of a nuisance to use than Loctite,,,but a Much Better alternative is to use a couple wraps of Teflon Tape.
It forms a Pseudo-"Nyloc Nut" by introducing enough Thread Interference to impede vibration spin-off.
Teflon Tape also has the xtra benefit which Loctite Doesn't of prevent Thread Galling,,,,and Torque Binding between the threads.
Especially on Low Quality Tapped Blind Holes where you DONT wanna break a bolt off in the hole.
When Threads engage each other and begin to take a load,,,
The FRICTION between the 2 sets of Threads begin to "bite into each other".
On Soft,Mis Formed,or otherwise Low Quality Fasteners,,,any Further Torque simply Twists the fasteners shank.
That Creates a False Torque because Thread Bind Stops the advance of correct Stretch.
The Nut quits jacking up the bolt Tighter and Stretching it to correct tension,,,,Because the Threads Freeze.
So any further Torque just TWIST the Shank,,,NOT the Thread.
A Few Heat Cycles or Load Cycles Relaxes the Thread Friction>>>result is a Loose Bolt.
Teflon Tape as a thread Locking Agent prevents Thread Binding to a high degree,,,and ensures far more accurate actual Torque.
It's a Tedious Nuisance to use it,,,,even with a BUNCH of practice.
And hardware never gets "handy" and finger-spinnable when disassembling.
Anyway…..
Nothing "Wrong" with Loctite.
But it DOES warrant a Bit more thought & consideration of the task at hand.
One should be fully aware of what they're dealing with,,what they're trying to accomplish,,,and what the outcome of any effort will be.
As well as being aware of alternatives & their Pros & Cons.
The Observation of Chinese Machines "needing Loctite" is NOT as obvious as it seems.
The Problem is Low Grade Fasteners.
Which need occasional tightening.
In light of that condition & its requirement,,,Loctite and it's properties may not be the ideal choice.
Doing Something is not necessarily Always better than doing nothing.
Sometimes there can be ,,"Worse than doing nothing".
Like adding torque demands to already weak fasteners,,,especially when they're expected to need frequent tightening.
…………………………………………
****Been there,, Done that,,,exact same situation.
Anybody who worked on JAP bikes in early '60's recalls the Japanese Standard Torque Specs.
"Tighten it till it gets loose again,,then back off half a turn"
6mm bolts got broken off without even realizing they were getting tight,,,especially if they were old.
8mm bolts could be broken off at will.
Or,,the threads pulled outa the nut.
American 1/4"(6mm equiv) Grade 5 from Cars,Harleys,or Brit Bikes took a Lot of effort to strip or break.
Ya could stretch them till they were Distinctly narrow in the middle.
A Grade 8 was extremely difficult to break.
A Grade 8 3/8" SAE bolt(8mm equiv) would Damage TOOLS before it would break.
Finally the Japs upgraded their hardware.
The Chinese will too eventually.
I have a hunch they're at LEAST as serious about developing their Bike Industry as the Japs were in 1960.
The parallel of each country's introduction to American mkt is remarkable.
The Japs had just about every aspect of their machines Nailed.
Except material quality was marginal in many aspects.
The Chinese,,in my opinion,,are very much the same right now.
Good designs,lots of features,great prices,styling,everything.
But they're using cheesey quality materials in areas that blight the whole bike's overall value and appeal.
In 60's,,,it took a LONG time for People to FINALLY say,,"The Japs Build GOOD bikes".
I think the Chinese CAN turn that corner Real Quick with some minimum & low cost Upgrades.
We'll likely just wake up one day and see "World Class" Chinese Bikes with quality equal to anyone's.
If they dont shoot theirself in the foot first,,from crap like skimping $20 per bike on nuts & bolts.
That's Critical,,but it's also the kind of nuisance which makes potential Dealers reluctant to wanna fooll with them.
And for the Chinese to ultimately get solid established,,they GOTTA build better Dealer /Parts/Service network than they have so far.
Anyway,,enough babbling outa me.
Good Luck with it
13 years old
The 230F is very sturdy. I ran it into a few trees and it even ran off an embankment and flipped over backwards (i bailed beforehand) and it's still in one piece… minus a few scratches! It has a lot of top-end speed, so it's lacking in quickness… meaning its a fast bike when you get it up to 5th-6th gear, but it takes a while to build up that speed. This makes for a very unitimidating engine thats perfect for a beginner and great for just putting around the backyard or through the woods. Believe me, it's still a fun bike to learn on!
The seat height is just right. The only problem may be weight, it is a bit on the heavy side due to the indestructible steel frame. You may want to opt for the 150F if you don't have much upperbody strength, especially if you'll be out w/o anyone to help you get the bike back up if you do fall.
Either way, Honda is a great brand and keeps a good resale value if you change your mind about riding. Whatever brand you end up with, you will definitely want to get a 4-stroke off-road bike (not a motocross racer)
Better than the inane answer offering to rip your head off, eh?
Great prices, free shipping over 100.00
no tax outside oregon.
also ebay if you want used
