Dirt Bike FAQ

I like, in order:

KTM has the best suspension, lightest weight, most options and the most power. It is the most expensive and parts can be hard to get. The suspension is great but fussy to adjust.

The Yamaha is great for both racing and trail riding. YZF is better for racing and the WR for trails.

The Suzuki and Kawasaki are about the same and are good for both and they have very tough motors.

The Honda has great suspension and is easy to ride fast but the motors wont last the longest.

BTW, Cycle News sucks and I wouldn't put much trust in what they say. They mostly do street bikes anyway.

I love seeing some of the answers people come up with.
You did not say 250F so there are no valves to adjust, If you forgot to say F then there are valves that require adjusting, but since its a Yam it would have to have a tremendous amount of time on it to see valves out of adjustment.

Two strokes require top end replacement at regular time intervals, not 4 years unless you only ride it twice a year. If you do not ride it hard you should replace the top end as outlined in the manual, You can stretch it out a bit longer.

Lube and adjust the chain every ride it may not need the adjustment but it will need the lube, Clean the air filter after every ride, and use filter oil.

Since fork seals were mentioned 90% of the time a fork seal leaks it has a small piece of grit stuck in it .you can easily clean the seal by using a piece of film and sliding it up in to the seal, do not do this if its not leaking. Seal savers help if you fold them back and clean them out also. Always put your bike on a stand with the weight off the suspension, never leave it sinched down.

Check Tires, Loose bolts, depending on your ability clutches may at some point need replacing. Tires need changing, your terrain has a big part in that. Spark plug etc.
Good Luck hope this helped

Just keep it washed, look it over, and maintain it and it will last for a very long time.

A relatively inexpensive solid trail bike would be a Kawasaki KDX 200 or 220. they are one of the less expensive dirt bikes new and can usually find good deals on clean used ones around the $1000-1500 range.

they are set up for enduro, torquey yet with decent suspension & brakes. I have personally owned about 10 since 1980 and never had any serious problems. Parts are readily available, easy to work on, very reliable and long lasting.

likewise, at your height, it might be a little bit tall for you initially, but you can add lowering links to the rear suspension and slide the fork tubes up in the triple clamps to drop the seat height up to about 2.25 inches without loosing much, if any, suspension travel.

my son raced the area enduro circuit for about 5 years placing in the majority of the events on both a 200 & later on a 220.

Hey man, i know how you fell. i had the same problem and i couldnt decide what bike to get. i wuld DEFINITALEY get a yamaha yz-85. that is the best bike in the 85 classs. they are the fastest, they have the best suspension , and i race mine in motocross for 5 years and it lasted forever it is a great bike and i highly reccommend it. the ktms ar fast but the suspension isnt as good and they are a little expensive

I would say go for a crf150R. the "r" is made for racing which means that it has pretty good suspension for jumping already. You may have problems down the road for going offroad with a motocross bike though. if you want something more tame get the crf150F, but put the bbr shock and spring on it because they are around 30% stiffer than the stock springs & shock. Hope this helped.

You should go to a bike dealership and try sitting on some of them. people are recommending 80's and 100's but i think they may be too small for you, not enough power. you should look into getting a 125, hondas are great bikes, ktm also makes a great bike. also keep in mind that you can lower the suspensions on some of them to fit your height, just ask the salesperson about it and they should be able to help you with it. is this the first time you will be dirtbiking?? you will LOVE IT!! i just started riding in dirt recently and it is so much fun! way better than riding on the road. good luck, be safe and have fun!

Nope that's the price.. it's a chinese bike and they're extremely cheap…. my 200cc cost me just a bit less then 1k delivered, whereas, if i were to say of bought a yamaha, you could easily add another 6k onto that price.

the problem with them is not with the bikes, it's just finding a parts dealer…. if you can find a dealer that sells the parts, you've got no problems (i would help you, but there are like 3,000 diffrent types of chinese bikes… you gotta find a dealer that sells parts for your model, or hope like hell the part you ordered fits right.)

oh yeah, they also come partly disassembled (well most of 'em do anyways) with mine i had to put on the front wheel/fender, the handlebars, put the battery in and hook up the rear suspension… then just put gas in it, played with the idling screw to get it running right and off i went…

if you get the bike, when you get home and get it together if it won't start, or dies immediately don't fret… you need to adjust your idling screw…

careful on the new tires… they love to slip, especially on the street…. you're not on a crotch rocket so don't expect it to handle like one…. cuz if you try and pull off a tight turn right out of the box i garuntee your front wheel is going the opposite dirrection of your back wheel while you go flying off lol… i should know… it happened to me. no one warned ME about new tires.

stick to straight lines as much as possible til your tires get worn in a bit…. also take it easy on the new motor…. i know it's gonna be hard but don't go flooring it, popping wheelies or jumping it til ti's broken in a bit…

TOP SPEED:::: 40-55mph (desrestricted)

Model:
PY90

Engine Type :
4-Strokes, Air Cooled - 4 Speeds Semi-Automatic

Cylinder Arrangement:
Single Cylinder

Transmission System:
Chain Drive

Bore x Stroke (mm):
47 x 50

Piston Displacement:
(cc) 86 (90)

Compression Ratio:
9.2:1

Maximum Power:
(kw/r/min) 3.8(90)

Maximum Torque:
(N.m./rpm) 5.5(90)

Starter System:
Kick Starter

Lubrication:
Auto

Transmission:
4-Speed, Semi Automatic

Overall Size L x W x H:
1540 - 640 - 880

Wheel Base :
1055

Ground Clearance:
(mm) 185

Rider Capacity:
1 Person

Dry Weight:
(kg) 61

Tyre, Front:
2.50-14-4PR

Tyre, Rear:
3.00-12-4PR

Ignition:
C.D.I.

Fuel Tank Capacity:
(L) 4.9

Engine Oil Capacity:
(L) 0.85

Gas Consumption:
(L) 354g/kw.h

Front Suspension:
Telescopic Fork

Rear Suspension:
Monoshock Swing Arm

Max. Load Capacity:
(kg) 65

Seat height:
670mm

Height and weight are important factors here!!! and likewise, what type of dirt riding you are planning (play riding or trying to be competitive racer)…

but for a 5'4" on up tall beginner rider, a CRF or TTR230 is a very good starting point. these are torquey medium size 4 stroke engines, with a mixture of features yet a relatively medium price tag … these are not what I consider race bikes, due to only mid grade brakes, suspension, power and upgrades to soup them up, but make great trail bikes and are very beginner friendly.

I bought a CRF 230 for my daughter (21 y/o, 5'6" 130 lbs) that fits her great, has controlable power yet enough to get her out of trouble, sufficent suspension & brakes for anything she wants to try (for now). I use her bike to run fence lines and check cattle … I am 6'3" 270lbs, still fun for me or her …

the Suzuki DRZ line is also a good choice, as is the Honda XR, Kawasaki KLX, Yamaha WR and KTM EXC, but there is quite a price jump on these, but likewise, there is a substantial jump in higher end things like brakes, suspension, engine power, and aftermarket soup up parts available…

if you are wanting to get more into racing (MX, SX, ArenaCross or the more open offroad like harescrambles, cross country, desert, etc.), then I would suggest moving more into the lines of the high end 4 stroke race bikes like CRF250, KXF, RMZ, YZF, XC bikes, but again, the price will jump quite drastically on up as will the performance of the machines…

I personally, opt for the KTM brand (not cheap either buying or maintaining) for my race bikes due to their strong power, high performance features and lightweight design for the larger size engine to hall my mass…

hope that helps, but a little more info as stated would help us answer your question better.

good luck and have fun!!! make sure to buy proper protective gear before even starting the bike…

You can get it from the manufacturer or if it is a well known brand of race bike you can Try Pro Circuit or Total Control, but they won't have springs for a Chinese pit bike or anything like that.

http://www.procircuit.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=91
http://www.totalcontrolsuspension.com/