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Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
And My YZ125 I race is actually sprung for a 120lb rider (has lighter than stick springs, I weigh abour 175 curretnly) and that bike works fine.
Your time and money would be way better spent getting a solid bike and then hiring a riding coach and get as fit as possible as your time schedule allows.
And if you are not racing then just go have fun and enjoy the riding fror what it is.
The Shop
Don’t waste your time throwing money into a clapper unless you like wrenching more than riding.
Ive been keeping my eye out for newer 350s and for 7k I could get a nice low hour one no problem.
I would also not likely put much into a $7,000 bike. If I paid that much I would expect it to be in very close to race trim already, with only minor mods needed to suit my preferences. (And/or a bone stock new bike that needs nothing, per the comments above.)
If we're talking about spending the whole $9500 that you get from combining the two sums, that's a new motorcycle all day long for me.
But thats full race engine, A-kit suspension, titanium, carbon fiber and every little odd and end you can get. And the way prices are getting you would struggle to keep it under that price if you bought new.
At the end of the day don't matter if I bought it new off the show room floor or off Craigslist Only thing left of it is the frame, subframe, engine, and a few small bits.
So it depends on how far you plan on going as to where the tipping point is for new vs used. Also the benifit of buying used is you can put that $7000 into it over time as you have the money available instead of dropping it all at once or being commited to a payment
I also have a 97 Yz125 (It's fully restored with suspension set up for 175lb rider) Im about to start riding to see if i can build better form/skill, so when I get on my 450 my arm pump wont get so bad. It's after like 3-4 laps depending on how rough a track is.
Would some lessons benefit me enough to where I would be able to ride more? I want to stay on the track and keep spinning laps but my arms wont let me...
Also figured I would say I workout pretty regularly so my arms and stuff I would not consider "weak."
Some days I ride I feel like my arm pump problem is getting better, but then the next weekend it's back to square one....
1) Relax when riding/racing. Not always the easiest but a light grip and breathing and gripping with legs helps.
2) be in good cardiovascular shape so you get good blood flow. and your "work" harder.
3) ride as much as possible as there is no substitute for riding (although mountain bikes is as close as it gets to simulate mx).
Do as much as feasible of those three things and it will help.
Best of luck.
If your physical conditioning is decent, the next thing to look at on a 450 is suspension setup, specifically the forks. If you can lay down motos on your 125 and not the 450, that definitely points toward a suspension setup issue on the 450. I believe that modern 4Ts are set up relatively stiff for beginner riders, especially on typical slow / easy East coast tracks.
Pit Row
I feel like $3500-4000 is a much more viable price point for finding a usable modern race bike. Make sure to do the math on what each particular model will need, read reviews to see how they perform and what mods they need, and go from there.
FWIW, I just bought a 2017.5 KTM 450 SXF FE. It has some hours on it, so I put in a new top end, rebuilt the forks, and of course other odds and ends. But the punchline is that I have an almost-current bike for less than half of what that bike cost new. It's much easier for me to convince my wife for me to buy a cheaper bike and then put money into it over time than it is to make a case for a $7K bike.
How about instead of making this about you, he's asking for input on how to spend his money on his next bike purchase. This could be Ricky Carmichael for all you know and you are sitting here telling him to hire a riding coach and get in shape. How did you possibly digress this much just based on a simple question he asked???
suspension set up, wheels and a nice pipe
I wish when i was 15-20, I under stood that.
I was just like wowww wtf haha. I looked up spring rate for 2018 rmz450 and the stock spring rate seems to be good for my weight. Or does it come down to more than just spring rate?
Also I would say that’s a thing too. As soon as I get out there I wanna ride as hard as I can and end up wearing my self out very quickly
OP- Imo, start with a newer bike and save yourself some headaches. Contrary to what some may tell you, including Kevin, get your suspension set up for you. Not everyone can adjust to an Ill handling bike, it can be dangerous to try to manhandle a bike that is too far off on the settings...
Post a reply to: $7000 into a $2500 bike or $2500 into a $7000 bike?