Get My First 4t?

EvanR127
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EvanR127
Edited Date/Time 1/26/2012 3:25am
I am thinking about trying out the darkside.......But I will keep my 07 rm250 as a play bike.

Coming off a 250 2 stroke should I go 250f or 450f? I am a novice racer and really haven't ridden any four stroke on a track. The only 4t's that I spent much time on a track are my brother's 06 yzf250 and 07kx250f.

The yzf was too easy to ride, felt slow but had great suspension.

The kxf felt terrible handling wise but a little more grunt motor wise.

I'm a suzuki guy so if I was going to get a 250f it would be the rmz, but if I was going to get the 450f it might be the honda because of the weight. But I hear the honda needs a rear link bad right away. Just the rmz450 is such a pig!!!!!!

My whole family are mechanics. I am very mechanically incline so the 250f maintenance doesn't scary me.

Help me decide, I plan on riding my brother's bikes more to see if I need more power than a 250f....
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crashnburn11 10/24/2011 10:09pm
10/24/2011 10:09pm
I would get a 450, they seem to be a little more bulletproof to me because they run more in the lowend, especially for a local C'ish rider like you and me.
2whlfun
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2whlfun 10/24/2011 10:11pm
10/24/2011 10:11pm
How much do you weigh with gear? Do you ride hard terrain, sand or need to jump right out of corners regularly?
redalert144
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redalert144 10/24/2011 10:12pm
10/24/2011 10:12pm
Just keep the bike you have, you won't be any faster going 4 stroke and you'll save a boat load of money. Put some money that you were going to spend into your suspension (RG3) and it'll pay off more in speed.
redalert144
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redalert144 10/24/2011 10:13pm
10/24/2011 10:13pm
crashnburn11 wrote:
I would get a 450, they seem to be a little more bulletproof to me because they run more in the lowend, especially for a local...
I would get a 450, they seem to be a little more bulletproof to me because they run more in the lowend, especially for a local C'ish rider like you and me.
450's take the fun out of MX

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EvanR127
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EvanR127 10/24/2011 10:23pm
10/24/2011 10:23pm Edited Date/Time 10/24/2011 10:23pm
I'm 6' 160 lbs naked

Ride socal tracks

There is mainly two reason I am thinking about four strokes

- I want to race more and I will admit that I am probably not skilled enough to race a two stroke well. IE its very rare for me to do two laps back to back without making a mistake in one way or the other, like turns.

-Don't have the best fitness and my fingers cramp up bad which makes racing not as fun.
2whlfun
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2whlfun 10/24/2011 10:27pm
10/24/2011 10:27pm
A 450 will work you if you're not fit. I always felt that 2 strokes were twitchy and the 4 stroke has more weight on the front and tracks better. I crash much less than I used to.

Sounds like a 250F might be best but spend as much time on both if you can before making a final decision.
crashnburn11 10/24/2011 10:28pm
10/24/2011 10:28pm
4 stroke won't help you with your fitness, and it makes me cramp up faster.
jd418
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jd418 10/24/2011 10:35pm
10/24/2011 10:35pm
4T huh? What's the "T" stand for?
Track and Trail 10/24/2011 10:39pm
10/24/2011 10:39pm
jd418 wrote:
4T huh? What's the "T" stand for?
It isn't a "T", it's a "T". T is the international symbol for four-stroke machinery, as designed by the WTO.
crashnburn11 10/24/2011 10:50pm
10/24/2011 10:50pm
it stands for Takt, which I believe is german for cycle
ipushmybike 10/24/2011 11:20pm
10/24/2011 11:20pm
Well first out i would recommend u stay with the 2t Smile
2nd get a 250f if since your coming off a 250 2 stroke unless u wanna be getting worked and beat up on a 450f
most c riders that jump on 450s right off the bat get pushed around by the 450 and end up crashing lke crazy
EvanR127
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EvanR127 10/24/2011 11:40pm
10/24/2011 11:40pm Edited Date/Time 10/24/2011 11:41pm
Thanks guys! I will ride my brothers' 250f's more and see. Maybe I will come to my senses, save the money with just getting my rm revalved and buy a gym pass. lol
penor
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penor 10/24/2011 11:42pm
10/24/2011 11:42pm
Takt= stroke
mxtryon231
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mxtryon231 10/25/2011 12:02am
10/25/2011 12:02am
I went from my YZ125 to a 450 back in 2003 and have been on 450's ever since. I ride my friends 250 2 stroke a lot and feel like I have a big advantage on the 450 compared to the 250 2 stroke, but then again I am not the type of rider to like to be wide open like the 250 2 stroke and 250f's require. I think it all has to do with your style of riding and what you really like to do.. Do you ride Pala very often? You should come out and do a round at the series in november.. Its fun!
TDeath21
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TDeath21 10/25/2011 12:18am
10/25/2011 12:18am
EvanR127 wrote:
I'm 6' 160 lbs naked Ride socal tracks There is mainly two reason I am thinking about four strokes - I want to race more and...
I'm 6' 160 lbs naked

Ride socal tracks

There is mainly two reason I am thinking about four strokes

- I want to race more and I will admit that I am probably not skilled enough to race a two stroke well. IE its very rare for me to do two laps back to back without making a mistake in one way or the other, like turns.

-Don't have the best fitness and my fingers cramp up bad which makes racing not as fun.
A few things to keep in mind here...

Switching from a 2t to a 4t in order to compensate for your lack of speed is the main reason so many people are getting seriously injured. Don't do anything that will get you seriously injured. Unless you are going to make millions riding, don't risk it.

The obvious one is maintenance costs... they are outrageous on a 4t. If you are a 2t die hard, like myself, the LAST thing you should do is buy a 4t. That obviously supports their sales, which is not what you want to do. Until people stop buying them all the time instead of a 2t, the 4t will continue to dominate like it does now.

The last thing is what do YOU like to ride? Ride what you like the best, in relation to your budget you have available. At the novice level (or really any level except professional), that should be the main thing. Ride what you have the most fun on. Nothing else should factor as much into your decision as that does.
bd
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bd 10/25/2011 12:34am
10/25/2011 12:34am
If I were to get a four stroke.... a Honda CRF 450
chump6784
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chump6784 10/25/2011 3:40am
10/25/2011 3:40am
What mods have you done to ur bike? I have an 07 rm 250 but I'm 200 lbs an I must admit it can be a handful. mine is bog stock but I rode my mates yz 250 the other day, it has a pc pipe and muffler an v3 reed block an it is a lot easier to ride. the power is a lot broader an it can be ridden like a 4 stroke much more than mine.

I rode my brothers 2011 kxf the other day and while I could cut consistent laps it was boring. I know what you mean about the 4t being easier to get out of corners but when you get it right on the 2t you will be faster

spend the money on suspension and a port job to broaden the power an a pipe an muffler combo to suit an you will have a bike that is easier to ride an still have the benefits if a 2 stroke
miedosoracing1 10/25/2011 4:32am
10/25/2011 4:32am
Get a really heavy flywheel weight, and ride it again. It will feel much more like the 250F that it does now.

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hellion
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hellion 10/25/2011 4:37am
10/25/2011 4:37am
I am one of the biggest two stroke advocates on here, but even I get restless and want a change once in a while. I've bought quite a few four strokes in the last ten years, but none of them have stayed around long. They are fun at first, but get boring really quickly. If you need one for racing to be competitive than that's what you should get. But, make sure you buy one that will be easy to sell because chances are you too will be bored soon.
JOHN CHOATE
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JOHN CHOATE 10/25/2011 4:44am
10/25/2011 4:44am
If you're a squid on a two stroke, then you will be a squid on a four stroke. Get the bike YOU like most and remember shop support and parts access.
burn1986
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burn1986 10/25/2011 5:27am
10/25/2011 5:27am Edited Date/Time 10/25/2011 5:29am
How often do you ride your 07 RM250? This bike has plenty of power on tap for anything. Mied is right, a flywheel weight will smooth out the power amazingly, and you will swear you were on a 4-stroke. I know KTMs have an ugly front fender, but I would shop around and ride one before settling on a 4-stroke. If you have to have one though, I would get a 450 that's a year old but brand new - pennies on the dollar.
Shawn142
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Shawn142 10/25/2011 5:39am
10/25/2011 5:39am
I'll never understand the "4-strokes are boring" argument. If it's really boring to ride you're probably going too damn slow. Riding a motorcycle on dirt is exciting no matter what it is. You don't need to make it harder on yourself with a 2-stroke for it to be "fun". The explosion and feel of a 450 is a whole different experience. If people prefer a 2-stroke for the weight advantage or whatever that's perfectly legit, but some of the logic I see on here makes me think people just wanna jump on a bandwagon.

With that said I see no reason to replace a 250 with a 250F. There's no advantage at all. You still have to shift, you still have to ring its neck, there's no real weight difference. You're trading tick for tack really. If you just wanna spend money put some more into the 2-stroke. In my opinion the only thing I'd replace a 250 2-stroke with is a 450.
seth505
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seth505 10/25/2011 5:58am
10/25/2011 5:58am Edited Date/Time 10/25/2011 5:59am
crashnburn11 wrote:
I would get a 450, they seem to be a little more bulletproof to me because they run more in the lowend, especially for a local...
I would get a 450, they seem to be a little more bulletproof to me because they run more in the lowend, especially for a local C'ish rider like you and me.
redalert144 wrote:
450's take the fun out of MX
I almost can't stand racing against 450s Evil

^good post by shawn142 as well
lumpy790
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lumpy790 10/25/2011 8:17am
10/25/2011 8:17am
450 and dont look back
smoker
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smoker 10/25/2011 8:49am
10/25/2011 8:49am
Shawn142 wrote:
I'll never understand the "4-strokes are boring" argument. If it's really boring to ride you're probably going too damn slow. Riding a motorcycle on dirt is...
I'll never understand the "4-strokes are boring" argument. If it's really boring to ride you're probably going too damn slow. Riding a motorcycle on dirt is exciting no matter what it is. You don't need to make it harder on yourself with a 2-stroke for it to be "fun". The explosion and feel of a 450 is a whole different experience. If people prefer a 2-stroke for the weight advantage or whatever that's perfectly legit, but some of the logic I see on here makes me think people just wanna jump on a bandwagon.

With that said I see no reason to replace a 250 with a 250F. There's no advantage at all. You still have to shift, you still have to ring its neck, there's no real weight difference. You're trading tick for tack really. If you just wanna spend money put some more into the 2-stroke. In my opinion the only thing I'd replace a 250 2-stroke with is a 450.
good post, I dont get it either. I have a cr250 that I've rode for 2 years, just picked up an 11 crf450. MX is more fun right now than it has been the last 2 years cause it's easier for me to do everything on a track. I'm not doing anything dangerous that I shouldn't be doing, but it's easier for ME to have fun on the track on the 450.

my 250 is fast, but it vibrates like hell and is like riding a Tasmanian devil. The 450 is like a fast tractor.
mxracer816
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mxracer816 10/25/2011 9:29am
10/25/2011 9:29am
If my bike felt like a tractor, that would be one bad ass tractor! I have a 00 Rm250 and an 07 Crf450, both faster than me and i enjoy riding both. I do believe I am more competitive in our local series on the 450, but do enjoy getting out there and ripping a race or two on the old Rm. By the way 450 roost is worse than a shotgun blast to the chest, so I enjoy the consistent starts that the 450 provides me with!
miedosoracing1 10/25/2011 9:49am
10/25/2011 9:49am Edited Date/Time 10/25/2011 10:35am
I just wish everyone would quit comparing a 450 to a 250... Most amateurs now get to race 250cc vs 250cc, so please, can we give this guy a fair comparison. Shawn142 said it right. If you go with a 250, get a flywheel weight, stay with the 2 stroke. If you go with the open class bike, you only have 1 choice.

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