Posts
613
Joined
11/27/2009
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
US
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 5:29am
ok my friends 5'6 and weighs 150lbs he is looking to get a bike for mostly trail riding he has a 100f and its just to small for him and hes looking for something with more power and better suspension whats your reccomendations
I think his best option is a 250F.
The Shop
92 250 cr my first big bike loved it at the time
94 250 cr loved it even more
99 125 cr felt slow but was fast for me if you took laptimes
02 250 ktm fourstroke as heavy as a 530 and as slow as 105 minibike
03 250 sx ktm the bike retired mcgrath and nearly retired me. me and my buddies used to call it the widowmaker.
04 rm 125 absolutely loved this bike nothing handled better than this bike ever. then became a 144 cc bike made it even better.
09 rmz 250 f my favorite bike overall handles better than anything else i have owned but the rm 125 and is way more forgiving engine wise.
your buddy is short and ktm 200's tall. if he is ok with it go for it. otherwise an 09 rmz is the hot ticket for short riders the ergos are tailor made for us and the suspension is plusher tah the other jap bikes.
He is asking about trail bikes. MX bikes suck at trail riding. First gear is too tall, 5th too short, and the power distribution is wrong for slippery roots and rocks. It can work (I started with a YZ250) but it is a lot more work.
The KTM 300 is easier to ride than the 200. The power delivery is more even and you have the low end grunt that the 200 lacks.
I would choose the 200 over the 300 any day of the week remember the guy is only 150 # of course riders nearing 200 # will need the 300.
and about the 250f not being good on trails and enduros just watch the ISDE which is basicly a trail ride with a few special tests mixed in between and tell me how many 250f bikes you see.
trail bikes in my opinion are underpowered overweight and under sprung for my riding with the exception of the ktms
You can get a really good deal on Yamaha's wr250 or Honda's CRF 250X and both can be made street legal easy.
If its only trail riding the 200 KTM cannot be beat. My son started on one when he was 5'6 and 107 lbs coming off a CR 85. He had no problems adapting. with the mild igniton map and mild setting on the powervalve the bike is very easy to ride.
Like I said, you can make them work. There are quite a few riders around here who ride MX bikes on trails. But when guys who are a lot better riders than I am struggle in tight sections, abusing their clutches and boiling their bikes over, while I just cruise up on my 300 it is obvious that a MX bike isn't the best tool for tight technical tracks.
Yes it can. Snow: 1, 200: 0 :-)
I just bought a new 400 XCW...(getting old you understand...
Pit Row
ktm 200 2 stroke it can be lowered by many methods i lowered my previous 2 ktms.
Any 250 4 stroke enduro like the wr 250 f honda crf x the ktm 4 stroke or even a husky four stroke. the downside of the four stroke enduros is that it could be too heavy. the upside in stock trim they will be quiet, if the ride is long you dont need to carry gas. could be easier to get plated, they will have e start , so why dont you try to have him test some different kind of bikes and see what suits him most.
Everything from a used 125 MX bike to a brand new KTM300 could apply, but there's a pretty big range to consider. More info please.
My 300 XC was 8400 bucks out the door the day it was delivered to the shop. First one purchased in Ohio, so of course I paid the ultimate premium.. but when you can, who cares... yeah ... robbery..... but well worth the cash. I would suspect you can find plenty of them used now... maybe even the 150 (torquey little bastard).
Start searching for Demo's at a KTM dealer... most KTM dealers can find you cheap Demo bikes that come with full warranties.
Good price for a great bike... Ebay motors link!
Great deal on a 200 XC.... could be your huckleberry
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