Which 250F best suits a Short dude

Speeder757
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Speeder757
Kind of a dumb question as any bike can be customized. My sister is looking to buy her son a new 250F. He is 5'5 and about 160 pounds or so.
Which bike with minimum mods (shaved seat etc) do you think fits a shorter rider best? I was originally thinking Honda, but then it crossed my mind that maybe the KTM or Husky with electric start would work the best? Also it has been said that the Kawi is the thinnest, most factory adjustment, and at least on paper (spec) has the lowest seat height.
What do you say?
Thanks!
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HenryA
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HenryA 1/3/2017 11:36pm
1/3/2017 11:36pm
I would also aim for either the KTM or the Husky thanks to the electric start, there is no denying that electric start helps big time if you're short.
But remember that there are lots of mods you can apply to every bike to shave seat height, suspension, linkage, seat.
tempura
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tempura 1/4/2017 12:15am
1/4/2017 12:15am
Probably Honda as an overall package suits smaller riders the best.
Speeder757
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Speeder757 1/4/2017 12:22am
1/4/2017 12:22am
rongi#401 wrote:
[img]https://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/201409/honda-crf50f-13_600x0w.jpg[/img]
Lol..... Funny but maybe just a weeee bit too small

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kiwifan
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kiwifan 1/4/2017 12:50am
1/4/2017 12:50am
I would go Kawasaki, the 250's are easy to kick over so EC to me isn't a deal breaker for your sisters son. The Honda cockpit also suits smaller riders, especially the 2016/2017 model....and you might get a good deal on those. I wouldn't advise on lowering suspension, linkages etc to get the height you want from the taller bikes.

Also her budget and local dealer support should factor in your decision on her behalf.
Trickassmarks 1/4/2017 12:53am
1/4/2017 12:53am
Im on a 5'10 and on a 15 yz250f with McGrath bars. I rode a buddies 16 250sxf with Carmichael bend bars and it felt really tiny in comparison to my yamaha.
tempura
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tempura 1/4/2017 1:10am
1/4/2017 1:10am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2017 1:11am
Trickassmarks wrote:
Im on a 5'10 and on a 15 yz250f with McGrath bars. I rode a buddies 16 250sxf with Carmichael bend bars and it felt really...
Im on a 5'10 and on a 15 yz250f with McGrath bars. I rode a buddies 16 250sxf with Carmichael bend bars and it felt really tiny in comparison to my yamaha.
Yamaha's are fat, wide and tall. Maybe not so much the 250f, though..
TMV
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TMV 1/4/2017 2:23am
1/4/2017 2:23am
tempura wrote:
Yamaha's are fat, wide and tall. Maybe not so much the 250f, though..
Pretty useful piece of advice. "They are... Maybe... I don't know..." Laughing
Turbojez
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Turbojez 1/4/2017 2:46am
1/4/2017 2:46am
TMV wrote:
Pretty useful piece of advice. "They are... Maybe... I don't know..." Laughing
Nothing like a solid info! Laughing
crf250pilot
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crf250pilot 1/4/2017 3:22am
1/4/2017 3:22am
Short guy here too. Bought a 2013 crf250r when they were new just because the KTM's were about 2" taller at the time. I lowered the bike 1" thru FC suspension and cut the seat down a bit too. I had problems dragging pegs in ruts and also tore off a couple skid plates because the bike was too low. I ended up trading if off for a KTM150sx. I'd go with the KTM now since they lowered the bike from when I was shopping and the E-Start seals the deal. My Honda never started good when hot, Go for KTM or Husky for sure. Oh and the Honda was slow as F@ck even after doing a pipe and big bore kit.
NVA57
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NVA57 1/4/2017 4:02am
1/4/2017 4:02am
Suzuki. Easier to handle and for some reason I see a lot of short guys ripping on Suzukis.
tempura
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tempura 1/4/2017 4:15am
1/4/2017 4:15am
tempura wrote:
Yamaha's are fat, wide and tall. Maybe not so much the 250f, though..
TMV wrote:
Pretty useful piece of advice. "They are... Maybe... I don't know..." Laughing
Trying to be polite and not say the yamaha's are pigs
Trickassmarks 1/4/2017 4:20am
1/4/2017 4:20am
tempura wrote:
Yamaha's are fat, wide and tall. Maybe not so much the 250f, though..
TMV wrote:
Pretty useful piece of advice. "They are... Maybe... I don't know..." Laughing
tempura wrote:
Trying to be polite and not say the yamaha's are pigs
Apparently pigs can fly.what bike has been the most successful 250f in recent years?
slipdog
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slipdog 1/4/2017 4:33am
1/4/2017 4:33am
I'm 5'6 and have ridden pretty much all the bikes, they're all pretty good. Except for the Yamaha, that's a big fucking pig.


I've always felt most comfortable on a Honda.
tempura
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tempura 1/4/2017 5:08am
1/4/2017 5:08am
slipdog wrote:
I'm 5'6 and have ridden pretty much all the bikes, they're all pretty good. Except for the Yamaha, that's a big fucking pig. I've always felt...
I'm 5'6 and have ridden pretty much all the bikes, they're all pretty good. Except for the Yamaha, that's a big fucking pig.


I've always felt most comfortable on a Honda.
Agree
ratonmacias
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ratonmacias 1/4/2017 6:49am
1/4/2017 6:49am
Im 5'5" had an rmz 250 fit me great. Tried the Honda and loved it i always feel the ktms are too tall. Smacks my butt on braking bumps and whoops.

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BobPA
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BobPA 1/4/2017 6:53am
1/4/2017 6:53am
Trickassmarks wrote:
Apparently pigs can fly.what bike has been the most successful 250f in recent years?
What RIDRRS have been most successful

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ML512
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ML512 1/4/2017 7:21am
1/4/2017 7:21am
Out of the box, the KX has a fairly short peg-to-seat ratio, the Honda is overall compact, and the RM-Z is pretty close to the CRF as well.

The YZ-F is very tall in the subframe/seat area, then the KTM and Husky are just a bit tall period.
Mx Wildcat
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Mx Wildcat 1/4/2017 7:46am
1/4/2017 7:46am
I'm 5'5'' about 170lbs and the KX250f is comfortable for me. I rode a Honda and it's even smaller than the KX. The KTM/Husky are tall feeling even though they have electric start. Suzuki is about the same as the KX. The Yamaha is tall and wide at the front. It would take some adjusting to get comfortable on the YZ even though I'm a Yami guy. I have a yz250 2-stroke and I have to trim the seat a little, run 110mm of sag, and lengthen the bolt holes for the subframe to make it drop down more to make it more comfortable. My son has a 2015 KX250f, which I ride often, and I literally didn't touch anything on it and was immediately comfortable.
mxwrench66
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mxwrench66 1/4/2017 7:59am
1/4/2017 7:59am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2017 8:06am
Speeder757 wrote:
Kind of a dumb question as any bike can be customized. My sister is looking to buy her son a new 250F. He is 5'5 and...
Kind of a dumb question as any bike can be customized. My sister is looking to buy her son a new 250F. He is 5'5 and about 160 pounds or so.
Which bike with minimum mods (shaved seat etc) do you think fits a shorter rider best? I was originally thinking Honda, but then it crossed my mind that maybe the KTM or Husky with electric start would work the best? Also it has been said that the Kawi is the thinnest, most factory adjustment, and at least on paper (spec) has the lowest seat height.
What do you say?
Thanks!
I have a 2016 rmz for sale for 5k. It comes with a lower subframe and cut seat as well as some nice engine mods.

potatoflake
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potatoflake 1/4/2017 8:33am
1/4/2017 8:33am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2017 8:35am
I'm 6 foot and my Kx250f has always felt small yet comfortable idk if that helps also the front end is very light and pulls my 210 lb ass just fine
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 1/4/2017 10:04am
1/4/2017 10:04am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2017 10:05am
CRF250X...get a clean used one made later than 2008....e-start, easy to make fit shorter riders, easy to ride, turns better than most people would believe.

These are the best handling CRFs to date for small folks. They're suspended better than most MX bikes for someone your son's size. I used one to pre-run the course for the CRF450RX media-launch and immediately went over to the Vet-Track (MX) & put in 20 laps of PURE FUN!

As your boy gets faster, you can make simple adjustments and mods to make it faster/more powerful/more Moto.

Btw, they're CHEAP and there's soooooo much aftermarket product available for'em that it's almost unbelievable.

This is the same bike, underneath it all, as a 2006-2010 CRF250R...but...
Quieter
Easier
Better for starting out.
RaceTORO
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RaceTORO 1/4/2017 12:01pm
1/4/2017 12:01pm
I've been riding KTMs for years (first big bike was an 03 125), and throughout their life span, they were always tall to me (at 5'4"), until the 2016 models. Went from the 16 KtM to a 16 Husky, and they feel shorter, and comfortable in the saddle, than other bikes I've tested. Plus the button makes life so much easier.

It really depends on what they are used to as well - coming from a mini or a different big bike can be a huge factor.
Speeder757
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Speeder757 1/4/2017 3:47pm
1/4/2017 3:47pm
Thanks for all the replies so far. Appreciate it. Sounds like most are recommending the Honda with a few saying KX. We checked around and it looks like she can get a 17 KX for roughly the same price as a 17 CRF. (I haven't rode a 250F in awhile) Would that be a better way to go as it's the newest platform? Is the KX slimmer than the CRF or roughly the same? No matter which bike the seat will need to be shaved down as much as possible. Looking at the KTM/HUSKY it doesn't appear you will be able to shave too much off those seats? Is that accurate? Not much padding as it is or so it appears. However the electric start maybe makes the height a little less important. The RMZ looks like you can shave an inch and a half off of it and still be ok? Just seems like it would take a lot of work to get the suspension dialed on that bike? All of the dealers are close by so that's not much of an issue. I am trying to help my sister out as they are going to borrow my truck until the Kendon trailer they ordered comes in. However I am far from a what's new dirt bike expert myself. I mostly ride my Adventure bike.
Keep the opinions coming.
Thanks Again.
kiwifan
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kiwifan 1/4/2017 4:07pm
1/4/2017 4:07pm
Speeder757 wrote:
Thanks for all the replies so far. Appreciate it. Sounds like most are recommending the Honda with a few saying KX. We checked around and it...
Thanks for all the replies so far. Appreciate it. Sounds like most are recommending the Honda with a few saying KX. We checked around and it looks like she can get a 17 KX for roughly the same price as a 17 CRF. (I haven't rode a 250F in awhile) Would that be a better way to go as it's the newest platform? Is the KX slimmer than the CRF or roughly the same? No matter which bike the seat will need to be shaved down as much as possible. Looking at the KTM/HUSKY it doesn't appear you will be able to shave too much off those seats? Is that accurate? Not much padding as it is or so it appears. However the electric start maybe makes the height a little less important. The RMZ looks like you can shave an inch and a half off of it and still be ok? Just seems like it would take a lot of work to get the suspension dialed on that bike? All of the dealers are close by so that's not much of an issue. I am trying to help my sister out as they are going to borrow my truck until the Kendon trailer they ordered comes in. However I am far from a what's new dirt bike expert myself. I mostly ride my Adventure bike.
Keep the opinions coming.
Thanks Again.
either bike will do you well, go for the who looks like is the best dealer
MX827
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MX827 1/4/2017 4:43pm
1/4/2017 4:43pm
Speeder757 wrote:
Kind of a dumb question as any bike can be customized. My sister is looking to buy her son a new 250F. He is 5'5 and...
Kind of a dumb question as any bike can be customized. My sister is looking to buy her son a new 250F. He is 5'5 and about 160 pounds or so.
Which bike with minimum mods (shaved seat etc) do you think fits a shorter rider best? I was originally thinking Honda, but then it crossed my mind that maybe the KTM or Husky with electric start would work the best? Also it has been said that the Kawi is the thinnest, most factory adjustment, and at least on paper (spec) has the lowest seat height.
What do you say?
Thanks!
If your nephew is 5'5 and 160 lbs, I wouldn't consider him a small rider and should be able to adapt to any of the brands you mentioned.

I'm 5'2, 110 lbs and I ride a 2014 CRF250 with no height modifications (e.g. shaved seat, lowered suspension, etc.) and I touch the ground with one foot while sitting on the bike (tip toe). I do not consider my height an impediment to my riding ability (I'll note I ride motocross), my weight however, I think is a hindrance in my ability to fully exploit my riding potential. A few of the most decorated and talented motocross athletes in competition today are under 5'5 (e.g. Martin brothers, Alex Martin is 5'3).

I have ridden a CRF250 since 2007 (owned 2007, 2010, 2014) because every year, Honda has delivered a bike that has felt nimble, light, and more compact than the competitors. However, for 2017 Honda has competition with KTM, Husky and Kawi revising their chassis.

If your nephew is riding motocross/off-road and seeking a motorcycle with a slim, agile chassis, I'd recommend a Honda CRF250 or 17 250 SXF, the KTM is lightest motocross bike presently available (216 lbs dry weight) which is 11 lbs lighter than the CRF250 (231 lbs curb weight, I subtracted 4 lbs for fuel). Furthermore, as you mentioned, the electric start is a convenient feature. In terms of height, he shouldn't have an issue touching the ground on any of the said brands.

Good luck!

Jarrod458
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Jarrod458 1/4/2017 8:43pm
1/4/2017 8:43pm
Kaw is a great bike! Ride a few brands before you buy if you have the opportunity.

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