Dirt Bike?

[AliciaAlways]

I was looking through and I am sure this thread has been done, but I could not find it. I am looking to start riding a dirt bike, preferable a ktm. I do work at a KTM Dealership, but I am looking for advice on which could be best for me as a woman. Salesman can only tell me so much that I do not understand. I just started working here, so I am definitely curious about what more experienced riders suggest! Thanks guys =]

 

[john s]

hi welcome to s&m will it be your first bike do you want 2 or 4 stroke what type of riding will you be doing

 

[hamwallet]

I just started riding this year and I felt a good bike to start with was a 4 stroke 250. It's fast enough to keep me satisfied for a long time and it's easy to start and putt around in. Maintenance is super easy and I really love my bike. 08' yz250fx

I know some people who swear by KTM, they are pretty sweet bikes and sound cool and look cool. I haven't rode any other so I can't really comment on which bikes are great. I've only had the yamaha and she is AWESOME!

 

[AliciaAlways]

I definitely am not just going to go with KTM cause of my job, although it would be the cheapest and easiest option, I wanna just ride it, in my acerage, in the mud and dirt, ahaha! I don't really understand what the benefits to a 2 stroke are and a 4 stroke are I hear alot about it at work, but do not quiet grab the concept, have been reading up on it on here!

 

[-LadyDirt-]

Hi Alicia, i'm a 2nd year dirt biker and have had few bikes under the belt, I have now just bought a KTM SX 105, after upgrading from an 85. It depends on your riding style for sure what type to go with, also your height and weight. There are plenty of advantages to both 2 and 4 strokes, I have had both and I will stick to the 2 strokes for now as I find them to be a lot more challenging. The important thing I find being a girl is that you want a bike you are comfortable on, something you can handle..if your ont he trails and you fall or wipe you need to be able to pick it up, lift the back end to maneouver, etc. I ride with quite a few girls and most of us are only 1st, 2nd and 3rd season riders and we all ride 2 strokes, me personally, I would recommend you check out the KTM 105 SX, or a Kawasaki KX 100 - they're perfect size for girls, lots of jam, and they aren't heavy like the 4 strokes. My 4 stroke was bordering around 200 lbs, my KTM is 150...and i'm 5'1" 112 lbs.. anyways, thats my opinion...coming from another female rider... anyways good luck feel free to pm me if you have any other questions!

 

[-LadyDirt-]

Oh and by the way, once you find a bike..let me know, my mom lives in Chestermere and I come down to go riding in the area once in a while... i'd be more than willing to help you get started on your new toy or come and ride with you

 

[hamwallet]

Cool! Mclean rocks!

 

[AliciaAlways]

Oh and by the way, once you find a bike..let me know, my mom lives in Chestermere and I come down to go riding in the area once in a while... i'd be more than willing to help you get started on your new toy or come and ride with you

That is awesome, I am gonna PM you now. I definitely think that everything you said in the other post does help a lot, I appreciate it. Talk to you soon

 

[Modman]

Ride a bunch before you buy one. Get something you are confident on, then step up from there. Everything else above ^^^^ is good advice. Listen to fellow riders and above all else....................HAVE FUN!!!!

no drinking and riding, and pack out what you pack in are the other 2 rules.

 

[sarkmych]

Sounds like you've got it figured out for the most part. Remember that you need headlight, taillight, license plate, registration and insurance to ride crown land. And of course atgatt. Personally I would go for a 4 stroke 250, maybe the 250XC?? with electric start. Easy to maintain and bulletproof. Legendary motor with awesome low end torque.

 

[polariswade]

LadyDirt, how does the maintenance cost of your 2 stroke ktm differ with a honda/yamy/cowie? I only ask because the difference between my 450 and my buddies 520 ktm is way different. his ktm oil filter is twice the money as my honda, and a spark plug that costs $65. and i do understand the fact these are big 4 strokes, but do the 2 strokes differ the same? i really like the ktm, but i guess i'm cheap, lol, especially since we are servicing every second weekend. Alicia might want to factor this in?

 

[-LadyDirt-]

LadyDirt, how does the maintenance cost of your 2 stroke ktm differ with a honda/yamy/cowie? I only ask because the difference between my 450 and my buddies 520 ktm is way different. his ktm oil filter is twice the money as my honda, and a spark plug that costs $65. and i do understand the fact these are big 4 strokes, but do the 2 strokes differ the same? i really like the ktm, but i guess i'm cheap, lol, especially since we are servicing every second weekend. Alicia might want to factor this in?

well lol there is no comparison really the KTM is much more expensive to maintain. The brake and clutch levers on my YZ were only about $15-20 each. The KTM brake/clutch levers are close to about $45 each (mind you hydraulic clutch)..and yeah the oil is a bit more $$$ too. I recently rebuilt the entire top & bottom end in my KTM and parts were approx $1000 without the cylinder head, which I decided to salvage and hone it out a bit. Taking my KTM into a dealership for service? Forget about it, if you cant work on t his bike yourself or know someone who can do it for you dont buy one lol. My mechanic works at a bike dealership as a bike mechanic he does our bikes as side jobs and I save huge money that way..I was told that KTM mechanics have to go to special schooling in Ontario because the bikes are just built a lot different than Jap bikes, therefore there are less of them and they charge more and you wait a long time..my mechanic hates working on KTM's, but he spends a lot of time researching them..haha, other then that..i LOVE my KTM, and the saying is true... "once you go KTM you never go back".. I dunno what it is with the bike but I just love the way it rides and the power is amazing (probably helps that my mechanic has been racing dirtbikes for 25 years + and adds his own little personal touches to it once in a while...:d) He also tunes it for me regularily. But other then that..its a solid bike, mines gettin a little old and I think that for now I will continue to ride the 105's..perfect bike for me.

 

[-LadyDirt-]

There's always lots to consider when purchasing a bike, but the fact that Alicia is/was working at Cycle Works and gets a discount and prob discount on maintenance.. she has two great options, the KX 100 & the SX 105. Everyone is different though, to each their own, I prefer 2 strokes (out of the smaller bikes)..but not all girls can ride the same size 4 strokes men can ride.. we just can't handle them beasts right off the bat so personally I think girls should start out on a bike that is lightweight, to me, this is important, when your learning to ride you have to be able to maneouver and handle the bike. BUT, for a girl much bigger than me Ya sure I think a 250 four stroke would be a great option, I wish I could ride a bigger bike but its almost impossible for me to handle a bike that weighs over 200lbs. Although I do like to jump on my friends 250's and 450's once in a while just to take them for a rip and I gotta say I love them 450's!!!! The ride is amazing..but I dont imagine there is any comparison between a 450 4 stroke and a 150, 250 4 stroke.. so I'll just stick to my 2 strokes

 

[Slamnek]

Damn i love a girl that talks the talk and obviously can walk the walk!:d

 

[Shibby!]

Maybe I looked over some important points while breezing over the posts, but what are the answers to these questions:

1) Is this your first bike? Do you ride mountain bikes? Street bikes? Dual sports?
2) How tall are you, and how strong do you think you are?
3) Type of riding? MX, trail, dual sport, mixture of both or all three? Beating around an open field gets boring real quick.
4) Are you capable of kick starting a bike? Might consider the happy button (electric start)

First you need a bike that fits you. Don't even consider power and engine till you know you can touch the ground easily enough. MX you can get away with more, but out on the trails you NEED to touch the ground. You'll fall so many times because you can't put a foot down. Trail riding involves many aspects of MX, while intoducing off track conditions. It becomes a balancing act while riding over obstacles. IMO, this is where the fun really starts. A test of balance, finesse, and skill.

Then, also nearly as important as getting the proper bike is riding the bike properly. You're tendancies will be to ride incorrectly. What feels most "safe" at the time. Don't do it. Get off the seat, bend your legs and elbows, get the bike set up for standing, and stand ALL the time. At first it'll feel wierd but preventing you from learning bad habbits will further your riding ability MUCH faster. When I ride I only sit to rest my legs when the trail is smooth and flat. With enough training I sometimes go a full day without ever really sitting.

Lastly, have fun.

If anybody new to the area or new to riding wants to go out to any of the areas around Calgary I know the areas we ride very well and have no problems guiding others. I ride with all skill levels from racers to people just starting out. I just like getting out of the city.

I offer this assistance because I'd love to explore new areas and having guides taking you on the best trails is worth every minute! I'd like to try more areas north, south and in B.C.

 

[Modman]

Maybe I looked over some important points while breezing over the posts, but what are the answers to these questions:

1) Is this your first bike? Do you ride mountain bikes? Street bikes? Dual sports?
2) How tall are you, and how strong do you think you are?
3) Type of riding? MX, trail, dual sport, mixture of both or all three? Beating around an open field gets boring real quick.
4) Are you capable of kick starting a bike? Might consider the happy button (electric start)

First you need a bike that fits you. Don't even consider power and engine till you know you can touch the ground easily enough. MX you can get away with more, but out on the trails you NEED to touch the ground. You'll fall so many times because you can't put a foot down. Trail riding involves many aspects of MX, while intoducing off track conditions. It becomes a balancing act while riding over obstacles. IMO, this is where the fun really starts. A test of balance, finesse, and skill.

Then, also nearly as important as getting the proper bike is riding the bike properly. You're tendancies will be to ride incorrectly. What feels most "safe" at the time. Don't do it. Get off the seat, bend your legs and elbows, get the bike set up for standing, and stand ALL the time. At first it'll feel wierd but preventing you from learning bad habbits will further your riding ability MUCH faster. When I ride I only sit to rest my legs when the trail is smooth and flat. With enough training I sometimes go a full day without ever really sitting.

Lastly, have fun.

If anybody new to the area or new to riding wants to go out to any of the areas around Calgary I know the areas we ride very well and have no problems guiding others. I ride with all skill levels from racers to people just starting out. I just like getting out of the city.

I offer this assistance because I'd love to explore new areas and having guides taking you on the best trails is worth every minute! I'd like to try more areas north, south and in B.C.

Shibby, I'd be interested in riding with you sometime (i'm just starting out on my new bike and haven't ridden it a whole lot). You know, learn a few tricks and all that stuff....

Would be nice to go to some small hills around cowtown and do some climbing etc.

Let me know.

:d

 

[-LadyDirt-]

I'd really like a tour guide for McLean, last time I went we couldnt' find any decent trails, mind you it was April and extremely muddy, but I do ride often in biking season and my momma lives in Cowtown so I'd like to find places to ride down there. Also want to check out Blackfoot MX

 

[gforce]

[media]http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs237.snc3/22468_1376857584086_1311256387_1089328_7480628_s.jpg[/media]
ever ride one of these things??ld

 

[hamwallet]

I have a handheld gps unit and luckly someone had already mapped out the trails for mclean so it comes in real handy. The first time I was out in Mclean I was riding all day because I couldn't find the parking lot again. You really have to go off the beaten path for some good bike trails. The quads already kicked up a lot of the soil so when those holes fill with water they can get pretty deep and then it's either make it or break it, if you know what i mean. April/May the weather at mclean is weird and the puddles are enormous.

 

[Shibby!]

Modman and Lady. Whenever you want to go out let me know. I have buddies just starting to ride that could join also. For the more advanced rider I can take you on some pretty wicked trails out there. Most stuff is known by more experienced riders, but lots of riders not wanting to venture off the beaten path don't come across some of the best trails out there!

We can feel it out throughout the day and can adjust trails as we ride.

All I ask is you come prepared with a bike in good condition and proper gear. Breakdowns 50 km's from a truck aren't fun.

Those GPS maps that are out there are good, but if people don't know how to read or follow them it doesn't help much. On top of that a simple trail can lead into ugly stuff forcing you to re-route.

Mclean is often very muddy in the spring. It's best to let it dry out as much as possible before going, but that being said I know the areas that don't retain as much moisture and when everything else is soaked these trails remain damp so they are great. Also these trails don't allow ATV's on them so they don't have 5' deep mud holes. No excessive wear on the trail, and no dust! I try to ride as conservatively as possible. I don't ride mud or trails that cause excessive abuse to the environment so we can all continue to enjoy them! Going that next step further I ride with a trials tire to limit errosion. Instead of spinning they grip, and when they do spin they don't trench.

Just PM me when you guys are wanting to go out. I go, or want to go nearly every weekend. I'm a M-F office guy though. Just let me know what you guys like to ride, or have rode in the past so we can figure out the proper staging area and people to ride with.