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6/9/2017
Location
Temecula, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
4/26/2020 8:14am
My wife really wants a bike and we’ve put some money aside for it; however, we’re having a hard time deciding.
She’s ridden a total of 3 times. She did motorcycle training on a CRF 230F. She’s very petite and wants a 250R (yeah right). I want to get her a KLX 110L so she can master the clutch, etc.
What have you guys bought for your partners? Should I get a CRF 150R or 150F? Thinking mostly desert riding for and ocasional Fox Raceway. I’m thinking that a trail bike will be more fun.
She’s ridden a total of 3 times. She did motorcycle training on a CRF 230F. She’s very petite and wants a 250R (yeah right). I want to get her a KLX 110L so she can master the clutch, etc.
What have you guys bought for your partners? Should I get a CRF 150R or 150F? Thinking mostly desert riding for and ocasional Fox Raceway. I’m thinking that a trail bike will be more fun.
We settled on the 230 because any thing smaller really is sized for a child and is just not right for an adult ergo wise. Trying to shift with boots on or stand up on the smaller bikes its just all wrong. The 230 is heavy as hell tho which is for sure a drawback! But once shes proficient on the 230 a 125 is likely in her future.
Shes also like 5'5" 120.
If she sticks with it, you may have to buy her a MX bike when her skill and experience advances. If she doesn't stick with it, you have the start of an awesome pitbike!
CRF150F, 110L or 125F
That 230 is a heavy bike.
The Shop
Paw Paw
If she is a short ass (which it sounds like) she needs something she can fit on, and feel safe, else she wont want to ride.
But IMO it needs to be a 4 stroke, nice and docile .
My wife is 5'5 and learned to ride on a 560 ATK that she couldn't reach the floor on, but she got the idea of pulling up to a stop and having us catch her.. it was a flat field and she just rode round for an hour or so but she did it, just to say she had.. offered to get her a small bike but she didn't want to .
We happened to run across a KLX140G down the rode that a guy bought and never rode. Shaved ~30 pounds off over the 230 and then put on bar risers and lowered pegs. She liked it (and the turdness of it) but the ergonomics for an adult just never felt right to her. (Shes "5' 5-5/8"" tall)
----Side note to this, we did find on the G because of the full size wheels/tires, she wasn't allowed to ride certain classes in our enduro/harescramble races that would have better suited her skill level and kept her from having to race the same time as all of the big bikes/faster riders. Just something to keep in mind depending on what you end up wanting to do on the bike.
2.5 months back, we picked her up a Beta 125 RR-S, claimed weight is around 220lbs, to me it feels a little heavier, but gives you that turd motor that she likes on a full size bike. Only "complaint" is the brakes are a little weak, it's a budget bike with some of the parts but by far the best option we've found at the moment.
At some point, i would like to get her on a full size & power bike, but she likes her turds and feels comfortable on them so until she's ready she'll likely stay on the Beta.
I did pick my dad up a CRF250F as a spare bike, outside of being porky, the engine reminded me of my old XR250 and a bit stronger than the 230. Much improved over the 230 and not too badly priced. I got his for $4400 OTD at the local dealer.
Pit Row
https://betausa.com/street-legal/2020-125-rr-s-drive/
Hammer
Most women couldn't have done that because it would have been out of their comfort zone.
--KT--
Good luck & have fun 😎
When i researched the KX100 and turning it into a trail bike my may main concern was how much low end you could actually get out of it. My very little experience on one left me thinking a fly wheel weight alone wasn't going to get it to where she would be happy. Some posts made it sound extremely promising with a FWW and a couple other mods where i was ready to go buy one but then i'd find another thread where it said the opposite so i never got a good enough feeling to give that a try. May also not rule out the KTM 105 as well.
That kind of let me looking into the 150R more closely, and we went to a dealer planning on buying one, but ultimately the ergonomics killed off this option for her as well.
OP's spouse being a few inches smaller than mine, could work out well in this class of bikes.
If she's just learning, my recommendation is get a used trail bike, use it for a year (or however long for her to get comfortable and ready to move up) and sell it. Those things after a certain point seem to just hold their value as long as they are maintained. The CRF230F we lost $100 on after a year of ownership and the KLX140G, we "lost" $200 on after 2 years of ownership. Last thing you want to do is scare her and she no longer wants to ride.
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