Hey.
Got my motorcycle license summer last year and although riding on tarmac is fun I quickly realized that I want to go off-road also. At the end of the summer season I once rented a enduro bike (think it was some newer ktm EXC-F 250) and went to local motocross and enduro track. Although me being completely beginner I had so much fun! So decided i want to get dig deeper into mx and enduro world and I need a bike that is ment for it.
So for the whole winter season here I have been obsessing and watching youtube videos and reading different guides about bikes, riding techniques etc.
Here is the question. What bikes should I consider for the beginner that would first like to start with easier enduro and when I get better, more comfortable with the bike start to practice some MX also (jumping etc).
First criteria thou is it needs to be somewhat street legal (break lights) as I need to pass some traffic before I get to MX/enduro tracks and not 100% sure about the laws here in Estonia
Also Im 35 years old, 193cm (6.3feet), and 90kg (~200 pounds)
Based on my own research and budget (9k eur) added 2 motorcycles in my list.
1) yamaha wr250f
2) beta 350 rr 350
Yamaha seems to be a bike that could do both enduro and mx but Im not sure if it can pull my heavy behind on bottom end ans slower enduro.
Beta again seems really good for enduro but not sure if i can go to mx track with it.
Youtube videos also praise ktm exc 250 but its out of mu budget and also its a 2 stroke. As my current bike is ducati scrambler (desert sled) then no engine breaking prob adds another layer to the list I need to learn.
A lot of incoherent talk but would appreciate some guidance from more experienced riders.
Best,
Martin
CR 500
Don't shy away from two strokes due to engine braking. It will take very little time to adjust. Like many I actually really like the light, free feeling of two strokes, although I'm on a 350 four stroke right now, so not biased at all... When I actually get to ride, that is.
I'm not at all clued up on enduro / road legal bikes, but any Yamaha or Austrian bike, two or four stroke, should do you proud and you likely won't regret whatever you choose.
The one thing I would say, is at least go and sit on what you're leaning towards. Yeah you can change bars/pegs/etc to suit for the most part, but some have said certain recent Yamahas are a little cramped and likewise some people still say they aren't keen on the KTM / Husqvarna / GasGas layout (I don't really understand that myself, but we're all different).
Thank you for your answer,
planning to start visiting dealers soon, to sit on my chosen bikes but as Im somewhat tall (193cm) and almost no prior experience then all bikes prob feel weird
125 or 150 two stroke. I would say 125 if you don't need it to be street legal. Learning to keep the bike in the power is an important skill. It also won't get away from you as easy and will teach you to be aggressive.
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The Beta 350 RR should suit you well. It's a tall and powerful bike. The 390 RR should also be good for you. Wouldn't buy into two-strokes. They have nasty vibrations in the handlebars, which will get old very quickly, especially in city traffic. You will get the difference immediately once you test-ride both back-to-back. You can do MX on the Beta no problem. WR250 would be too mellow for your weight.
Wr250f with the competition ECU and throttle stop removed. Let ‘er eat.
My last two stroke (tc250) vibrated less than most four strokes I've ridden.
The modern counter balanced KTM etc two strokes are absolutely fine.
Again I'm not saying buy a two stroke, but don't rule them out on account of much less engine braking or alleged vibration.
Ktm counter balanced two strokes have very little vibration. I have heard 2t betas are not nearly as smooth.
I can’t recommend a 350-390 cc four stroke for a new rider. It is too much power. He will either fear it and ride hesitant (aka slow) or not fear it and wind up in the hospital. They are also heavy which will slow down his learning. It is much easier to learn cornering techniques on a 125/150.
Beta X Trainer
He's 6'3" 200lbs and needs something to ride on the road so I wouldn't think a 125cc two stroke is the call for that. Beta 350-390 would be fine based on his height and weight. He can start with trail riding and work his way into more aggressive enduro/mx riding.
KTM 350 xc-f. It has a 6 speed trans and is pretty good all around bike.
Is the GasGas affordable in Estonia as it is here? If so, I’m thinking their EC350F might be a good option.
Nice post. I could not say it better. Thanks for helping a newbee.
My take, these days any brand are cool, it comes down to personal feel so the best is to try a few bikes you are interested in (little budget, 500, dont crash
). In your budget any bike is really good and my advice is to keep a little to revalve your suspensions (including springs, maybe, or to buy a tall seat, tall bar, etc). On 2 stroke you will learn faster, but you may enjoy more the 4 stroke from the get go. Try to keep a little budget for riding school (500), and please ride fully protected and with quality (extra 1k), because it is not about if but when, it happens even to the best every week-ends.
Oh, btw, to the op, stfu noob ! Had to say it
Have fun !
350 dual sport with suspension set up for you
Wr250f is a great bike. It will have plenty of power for you, esp down low.
If you liked the KTM you rode, why not one of those? It's street legal and very versatile. My buddy had one and it was great in the bush and ok for mild mx with the suspension clickers stiffened. Id think it to be better than a WR Yamaha,
The idea of not dealing with a truck/trailer/hitch, and just riding a high performance dual sport to a local public track within 10 miles from where one lives, and having the suspension stiff enough for medium sized jumps.... That sounds really nice actually.
Sadly KTM-s here are like 2k euros more compared to Beta equivalent bikes which means I have to postpone my purchase at least for another 2 months. Other option to get KTM would be to buy used one but there are only mx (sx) bikes on the market but no enduro (street legal) ones.
Just checked prices again and beta has really good deal under 8k for its 200 2 stroke. Wonder if the power is too much for the beginner? And according to reviews the rr model suspension is ment for (hard) enduro which means that it will bottom out when I want to start leaning jumps ?
Pit Row
Yes the closest mx+enduro track is 12km (7.4 miles) away from my house.
But can you name some dual sport bikes that match the criteria?
I can't speak on the Beta variant but KTM's 200 was almost the perfect engine, imo as a low skilled dude just looking for fun. Not sure how it would translate to the road, so be realistic about the level of road use you'll do.
I'm clueless on Betas so won't pretend to know what I'm talking about there, but brand wise there are some very nice Betas which guys on here own, and they've said reliability and parts are no issue and I know people here in the UK who race enduro and hare and hare scrambles on them who love them.
I don’t think a 200 will be too much power. Those have a relatively flat power curve which means they are not going to get away from you if you whiskey throttle. They have a lot of torque for their size so you can lug them on trails/road. It might be the best compromise for what you want to do.
That’s great news, you should put a good amount of time on the bike being that close.
Idk what you can legally ride on the road in your area, but here in California anything street legal (which is a MUST if riding on street) usually means a lot less power compared to a similar cc xc/mx bike. This obviously can make a larger cc street legal dual sport bike a little easier to ride than a similar MX bike.
If you are in a similar boat in terms of street legality of bikes, than I would recommend a dual sport KTM or Husqvarna 350 if you can get one of those. They make 41hp instead of the 52hp of the MX 350. That puts the dual sport 350 in the same power realm as a 250F MXer, which are great starter bikes for people your size. You can grow into an Austrian 350 dual sport too, and you probably won’t ever grow out of it, although you may enjoy bigger bikes later.
A few years ago at my local track a guy did the same thing you are talking about on his 2018 FE350 with set up suspension and uncorked (street illegal) engine while I was on a 2018 FC350. He was faster than me since he was a better rider, and ever since then I’ve wanted to get a dual sport 350 and set it up the same. Like what you are talking about, but you could leave yours stock for a while.
At your size a Beta 200 two stroke would be great too if you can legally ride that on the road.
WR250 would definitely work.
Beta 200 for the win!
Between the map switch and the adjustable powervalve, the 200 has very tunable power. With the map switch in the slick mode and the power valve turned in, the 200 is super easy to ride. As you get used to the power you can switch the map to the aggressive mode and start adjusting the powervalve to make the power come on faster and more aggressively.
It is also one of the lightest and best handling full-size bikes on the market.
can the suspension be tuned for my weight when i want to start learning jumps ? Also heard it has low bar height. Wonder how this bike suits for tall rider.
Asking those questions cos found somewhat decent option from used marker: https://www.auto24.ee/soidukid/3832562
I like engine braking, especially riding in steep terrain!
I would have said get a KTM/GasGas/Husqvarna 250 or 300 two stroke but based on in your posts it seems they are pretty expensive. Any Beta 2 stroke >199cc or, 4 stroke >249cc will serve you well. I would say given your height don't be scared to go something higher cc as it wil generally have more linear power rather than a pure top end hit.
Nothing will be perfect, everything comes with compromise, hard to buy a bad bike nowadays so just get something and adjust your limits and riding to suit.
I'm excited for the amazing times you are going to have on the trails!
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