Question about my son moving up from a CR85

Jakes Dad
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Jakes Dad 6/12/2013 3:10pm
6/12/2013 3:10pm
Utrider wrote:
I have a KTM 200 and can tell you it is very easy to tune, it can be made very tractable or rev out. Having said...
I have a KTM 200 and can tell you it is very easy to tune, it can be made very tractable or rev out. Having said that.....I do think he would be better off with the 150 sx or xc, I'm assuming you want him to learn how to ride well, and not just count on tugging on the throttle to get him around. I think this is the biggest advantage of the smaller bore bikes they require you to learn to ride well or suffer the consequences of not carrying momentum and cornering properly.

Just my 2 cents.
Very good advice!
socaldan
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socaldan 6/12/2013 3:39pm
6/12/2013 3:39pm
Mototrader, thanks for the links, I will check them out.

Utrider, great advice. Yes, I want him to learn how to ride well and not just get around with throttle, even more terrific advice.

Thanks everybody!
smeg
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smeg 6/12/2013 3:46pm
6/12/2013 3:46pm
smeg wrote:
Dude.... your kid is [b]13 years old[/b]..... He weighs 100 pounds and you are considering putting him on a 250f......... ummmmmm [b]NO[/b]!!! Stick him on a...
Dude.... your kid is 13 years old..... He weighs 100 pounds and you are considering putting him on a 250f......... ummmmmm NO!!! Stick him on a used 125 for a couple years... Please...............

And I dont think is too big for a big wheel 80 or KX100.
socaldan wrote:
NO WAY! I've been looking at 2-strokes due to the weight difference. My son just doesn't have the muscle for a 4-strokes weight. That was in...
NO WAY!

I've been looking at 2-strokes due to the weight difference. My son just doesn't have the muscle for a 4-strokes weight.

That was in my original post, hence why I'm asking for 2-stroke advice.
Yea..... I got caught up in some folks suggesting the 250f route and completely forgot the content of your original post.

My apologies.
onthepipe
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onthepipe 6/12/2013 11:33pm
6/12/2013 11:33pm
I would vote for the KTM125/150 models.

I've ridden the KTM125's alot before the 250F era (even ditched my brandnew 05 KXF250 in favor of a KTM125 at the time). These engines are just awesome, and have even gotten better and lighter now.

I think the recent models YZ125 are the lightest bikes out there? Power is nowhere near KTMs though.

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HenryA
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HenryA 6/13/2013 1:57am
6/13/2013 1:57am Edited Date/Time 6/13/2013 2:00am
How about a Husky? The WR125 sounds like a good fit for your son.
And since they come with a spare 144 top end kit, the only thing you will need to do when your son is ready for more power is to change the top end. That is, of course, if you buy a new one. But it shouldn't be that hard to find a used one with the 144 kit still included in the deal.
nytsmaC
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nytsmaC 6/13/2013 2:50am
6/13/2013 2:50am
You can get a 13 Husky WR125 forabout $3500 right now which comes with a144 kit. Put the 144 kit on and send the stock 125 top end out to turn it into a 165. Like Yamahas the Husky is on the tall side but handles superbly for desert riding as well as moto. I don't know if a RM would not be a little too twitchy for desert riding.
socaldan
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socaldan 6/13/2013 2:52pm
6/13/2013 2:52pm
HenryA and nytsmaC, I did notice that. B&B Cycles is a Husky dealer and I went there yesterday and noticed the HUGE rebates on them. I think I will take my son over there tomorrow morning to sit on one and see what he thinks about the seat height/feel of the bike.
Matt290v
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Matt290v 8/27/2013 1:02am
8/27/2013 1:02am
If I may tell my little story...
Im 13 years old, hovering from 85-95 pounds dry, and currently racing 85s and superminis. Im 5'1" and am not really on the muscular side. I am a top contender in the 85s and supermini classes in motocross and hare scrambles (trail) racing. My dad bought a 2012 Husqvarna CR125 in like december of 2012 and after his first national hare scrambles race on it, he needed a new top end because he was too big for the bike. He went and got a 2013 Beta 300 RR and is currently riding that. I asked him what we were going to do with the 125, and he said that we would probably sell it but he would hate to do that since its a super fun bike. So i asked if we could lower it (I'm pretty sure they are the tallest bikes on the market) so i could ride it and he said yes. We put a Kubalink linkage on the bike to make it closer to the ground and not sit as high, and put the suspension to as soft as we could get it. I went out for my first ride on it, got on a little hill so i could start it easier, and took off. Later in the day, after i got a feel for the bike, a 15 year old on a 2008 KTM 250 SX-F came onto the track and i wanted to test my newfound skills on the bike, so i waited, then took off after him when he went by. We were racing for a few laps, then i caught him and got by. I gapped him a little, then got tired and pulled off. he followed after me and looked very surprised that i could barely have one foot flat on the ground. He didn't say it but he looked embarrassed after I told him I was 13 and this was my first ride on the bike. he said he did pretty good in most of the motocross races over here in Cali so I was proud. Anyway, long story short, I think your weight and size does matter, but not as much as commitment and skill. The 125 would be a good choice for your kid, maybe even a 144 or if you are crazy like me, get a Husky 125 and send the cylinder to Montana to get a 165 kit put on it. It RIPS like that, believe me. I love two strokes and the transition from an 85 to a 125 is so easy because you are use to the way two strokes ride. If you get a 144 kit put in, power will not be an issue comparing to a 250f. Really even the 125's can rip against 250's but it always helps to have a little more power. Alright those were my two cents, hope you enjoyed and made up your mind Smile . -Matt Tucker
Roscoe33
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Roscoe33 8/27/2013 6:07am
8/27/2013 6:07am Edited Date/Time 8/27/2013 4:05pm
For MX a 125/150 2-stroke grows confididence and corner speed for racing, for desert a 200 XC.

I have seen too many kids lose speed and get hurt getting on a 250F after juming up from a 85.
onetimepost
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onetimepost 8/27/2013 6:31am
8/27/2013 6:31am
Matt290v wrote:
If I may tell my little story... Im 13 years old, hovering from 85-95 pounds dry, and currently racing 85s and superminis. Im 5'1" and am...
If I may tell my little story...
Im 13 years old, hovering from 85-95 pounds dry, and currently racing 85s and superminis. Im 5'1" and am not really on the muscular side. I am a top contender in the 85s and supermini classes in motocross and hare scrambles (trail) racing. My dad bought a 2012 Husqvarna CR125 in like december of 2012 and after his first national hare scrambles race on it, he needed a new top end because he was too big for the bike. He went and got a 2013 Beta 300 RR and is currently riding that. I asked him what we were going to do with the 125, and he said that we would probably sell it but he would hate to do that since its a super fun bike. So i asked if we could lower it (I'm pretty sure they are the tallest bikes on the market) so i could ride it and he said yes. We put a Kubalink linkage on the bike to make it closer to the ground and not sit as high, and put the suspension to as soft as we could get it. I went out for my first ride on it, got on a little hill so i could start it easier, and took off. Later in the day, after i got a feel for the bike, a 15 year old on a 2008 KTM 250 SX-F came onto the track and i wanted to test my newfound skills on the bike, so i waited, then took off after him when he went by. We were racing for a few laps, then i caught him and got by. I gapped him a little, then got tired and pulled off. he followed after me and looked very surprised that i could barely have one foot flat on the ground. He didn't say it but he looked embarrassed after I told him I was 13 and this was my first ride on the bike. he said he did pretty good in most of the motocross races over here in Cali so I was proud. Anyway, long story short, I think your weight and size does matter, but not as much as commitment and skill. The 125 would be a good choice for your kid, maybe even a 144 or if you are crazy like me, get a Husky 125 and send the cylinder to Montana to get a 165 kit put on it. It RIPS like that, believe me. I love two strokes and the transition from an 85 to a 125 is so easy because you are use to the way two strokes ride. If you get a 144 kit put in, power will not be an issue comparing to a 250f. Really even the 125's can rip against 250's but it always helps to have a little more power. Alright those were my two cents, hope you enjoyed and made up your mind Smile . -Matt Tucker
Wow, I really enjoyed your first post … not the story, but how a 13 year old kid riding dirt bikes is so well-spoken, and misspelling free … so rare these days (even for the grown-ups).
To all the kids out there: ride your dirt bike, have fun, stay in school!
ga_pike
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ga_pike 8/27/2013 8:29am
8/27/2013 8:29am
Put him on a 125 if you feel he must move up bike size. I moved to a 125 before I turned 15 and really wish I had stayed on the 80 for that final year. I felt like I was too big when honestly I wasn't. I wouldn't go with a 144 kit or a 150 because as a novice rider, he doesn't need it. There is more than enough power in the 125 for him to learn to ride all out. Also, if you start him racing towards LL, he will need a bike that is permitted in whatever classes you choose to run him in (school boy, C, etc.).

Are there any classes a 14 or 15 year old kid can race a 144 kit or a 150 in?
Denn700
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Denn700 8/27/2013 9:15am
8/27/2013 9:15am
I would get the 125 and then make it a 150 later. The Husky sounds like the best bargain. The main reason I would get the 125 is so he can race the schoolboy class as well as other classes when he starts off.
Wandell
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Wandell 8/27/2013 10:01am
8/27/2013 10:01am
I'm now in a similar situation. My son and I don't race, we just ride moto for fun. He's 12 1/2 years old, but a big boy. About 5'4" and 160 lbs. He's complaining that his KX85 feels tiny. He says his knees hit the bars and it just feels like a pitbike. I'm considering buying him a 125. He's ridden my CRF150rb "pitbike" (19/17 inch wheels) and says it's ok, but he wants a two stroke. He says he just likes the two stroke better.
Bytor
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Bytor 8/27/2013 11:03am
8/27/2013 11:03am Edited Date/Time 8/27/2013 1:13pm
I have seen many kids go from the 85 to the 250f and do just fine. The one thing that I will say is get a 125. You will learn more about how to go fast on a dirtbike if you learn to ride a 125 fast, You will ride anything fast.
Grizz
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Grizz 8/27/2013 11:09am
8/27/2013 11:09am
Brent wrote:
I read this post and I wonder what Suzuki Honda and Kawi were thinking, it is a huge jump for a kid coming off an 85...
I read this post and I wonder what Suzuki Honda and Kawi were thinking, it is a huge jump for a kid coming off an 85 to a 250f, too big.

Kudos to KTM and Yamaha for having common sense and keeping the two stroke.
I went straight from an 85 to a 250F (not a supermini either, a legit small wheel stock 85) and it wasn't that big of a jump at all. 250F's are slow if you ride them slow lol
Grizz
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Grizz 8/27/2013 11:11am
8/27/2013 11:11am
But to OP, I suggest getting a 125. Any will do. If you're going to race, then don't get the KTM 150. I always wished I had a 125 simply because they are so much fun. But we couldn't afford to buy a 125 at the time because the re sell on them was terrible at the time.
Matt Fisher 8/27/2013 11:43am
8/27/2013 11:43am
Wandell wrote:
I'm now in a similar situation. My son and I don't race, we just ride moto for fun. He's 12 1/2 years old, but a big...
I'm now in a similar situation. My son and I don't race, we just ride moto for fun. He's 12 1/2 years old, but a big boy. About 5'4" and 160 lbs. He's complaining that his KX85 feels tiny. He says his knees hit the bars and it just feels like a pitbike. I'm considering buying him a 125. He's ridden my CRF150rb "pitbike" (19/17 inch wheels) and says it's ok, but he wants a two stroke. He says he just likes the two stroke better.
The kx85 has to be unhappy with a 160 pound rider slamming it around off jumps. While he's short, he's the target weight for a 125, not a mini- you won't even need aftermarket springs .

If he's aggressive, I would keep a very close eye on the frame of the 85, particularly if it's still on the stock valving and springs.
sparker245
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sparker245 8/27/2013 2:07pm
8/27/2013 2:07pm
Couldn't help but reply to this post. Most will think I'm crazy for even suggesting a YZ250 two smoker. And if you would have asked me five months ago I'd have said that a 250 two stroke would be the worst bike for a relatively small teenager. But check this out, I've been helping out a local 15 yr. old kid who's only about five feet tall and might weigh 110lbs. At the end of March I took him to Comp. Edge to try and qualify for either Mammoth or Lorettas (can't remember which) on his CR85s. He had two of them of they were old clapped out bikes. Didn't finish any moto. Decided to sell the 85s and get him a two '03 YZ125s (that's all we could afford). Unfortunately they kept breaking. So around the first of July he had no bikes to race. I have a stock '13 YZ250 and the kid asked to race it. I told him that he was way too small, and the YZ was a "man's machine". Against my better judgment I let him race it. Fast forward a four months.....this kid rips on the bike. He was ok on the minis, but nothing special. On the 250 smoker he has hole shot and won almost every single race he's entered.....21 wins in 24 motos (250C and 450C). But, this kid is exceptionally smooth and doesn't over ride the bike. I understand that he's two years older than your son, but much shorter and the same weight. Ha ha, I cant believe that I'm suggesting that a 13 yrs. old at least try a 250 smoker, but depending on his riding style and maturity level it might not be completely out of the question. Good luck on your quest.

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Bytor
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Bytor 8/27/2013 2:22pm
8/27/2013 2:22pm Edited Date/Time 8/27/2013 2:23pm
sparker245 wrote:
Couldn't help but reply to this post. Most will think I'm crazy for even suggesting a YZ250 two smoker. And if you would have asked me...
Couldn't help but reply to this post. Most will think I'm crazy for even suggesting a YZ250 two smoker. And if you would have asked me five months ago I'd have said that a 250 two stroke would be the worst bike for a relatively small teenager. But check this out, I've been helping out a local 15 yr. old kid who's only about five feet tall and might weigh 110lbs. At the end of March I took him to Comp. Edge to try and qualify for either Mammoth or Lorettas (can't remember which) on his CR85s. He had two of them of they were old clapped out bikes. Didn't finish any moto. Decided to sell the 85s and get him a two '03 YZ125s (that's all we could afford). Unfortunately they kept breaking. So around the first of July he had no bikes to race. I have a stock '13 YZ250 and the kid asked to race it. I told him that he was way too small, and the YZ was a "man's machine". Against my better judgment I let him race it. Fast forward a four months.....this kid rips on the bike. He was ok on the minis, but nothing special. On the 250 smoker he has hole shot and won almost every single race he's entered.....21 wins in 24 motos (250C and 450C). But, this kid is exceptionally smooth and doesn't over ride the bike. I understand that he's two years older than your son, but much shorter and the same weight. Ha ha, I cant believe that I'm suggesting that a 13 yrs. old at least try a 250 smoker, but depending on his riding style and maturity level it might not be completely out of the question. Good luck on your quest.
I rode my first CR250 at 13 (1978) My friends dad said if you can start it you can ride it. It only goes as fast as you twist the grip.
mx5471
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mx5471 8/27/2013 3:02pm
8/27/2013 3:02pm Edited Date/Time 8/27/2013 3:07pm
I agree with Matt Fisher regarding Wandell's post. Check that frame under bright lights. The young man is too big for a mini. He needs a full sized bike. My son is about 5' 5'' now as an adult, but at 5'3'', he had no trouble riding anything, even though he couldn't put both feet down flat. They figure it out. That KX85 could be dangerous for the boy. You never know if or when the frame will break. But you don't want it happening while he's riding it.

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