total begginer

im a begginer and dont know anything about dirt bike parts/terms. if any of you know a good web sight that shows all the stuff i need to know please reply.

hey, please help me out. theres no way for me to learn any thing about dirt bikes cuz I live in a small town. im dying here. please reply

well i dont know any places that will tell you about dirtbikes
but if you start with a good question we can answere them

what is it you want to know?

well first off, i dont know what to get. I know Ill get a used one, but im not sure what brands are good or bad. im about 5'2" weighing 100lbs. Ill be riding mainly dirt trails and a few hills so Im not sure if i sould get a 2 stroke or a 4. I also dont know any dirt bike terms or lingo. for example, what do you mean when you say quad?

quad = 4 wheeler
do you know the difference between two stroke and 4 stroke?
when you say dirt trails, is it hard packed rutted dirt or is it soft clay and sand?
and as far as companies being better than the other one, its gonna be alot of personal prefference. so once we get some more info about the type of riding your going to do then we can start to give you our opinion about the types of bikes we want you to get.
with your size and weight dont, i repeat, dont go anywhere near anything that resembles a 250 or bigger. stay with the smaller bikes. when i say that im not insulting your strength im just trying to keep you alive

that helps, thanks. ya, i know the dif. between a 2 and a 4. the dirt is both hard packed and soft. mostly hard though. so a 125 cc is probly about right? thanks for replying.

that helps, thanks. ya, i know the dif. between a 2 and a 4. the dirt is both hard packed and soft. mostly hard though. so a 125 cc is probly about right? thanks for replying.

a 125 2 stroke is a great all around bike, they are light and powerful and easy to get used to but, if youve never ridden before you might want to look into a 200 4 stroke also, but whatever you get your gonna want to get something used.

that brings me to the next question, have you ever ridden anything and do you have anyone you will be going riding with? if you havnt ridden anything before, then you will want to try out a friends bike or a few friends bikes. and its a good idea not only for a beginner but for everyone to ride with someone else in case something goes wrong. so if you dont know anyone that rides, then go out and meet some people.

for a beginner of your stature a Honda CR80 isn't even a bad bike. my friend had one with a little work done to it (jetted carb, new cam, K&N filter) and nothing can hit jumps like an 80. he swears his CR80 was faster than his KX 125.

also, cnd is right, don't ride alone. i've gotten stuck in mud, had a popped tire, snapped chain, broken steering rod(i ride a 4 wheeler) all sorts of stuff, and if i were alone at the time i'd have been screwed. the good thing is that if you ride in an area that other riders use too, they're usually cool people and willing to help you out.

so fill us in on the blanks. did you get anything?

hey, sorry bout that. stupid ip wouldnt let me on the site. but anyway, no ive never ridden a dirt bike but i have ridden a three wheeler, four wheeler, and mini dirt bike. There are some kids around here who ride so ill probably be ridding with them. So would you have a list of bikes that sound right for me? A 4 stroke 125cc sounds good, eh? I just dont know the brands or anything. Probly abike in the 80's. I also need to learn how to do maintanence and stuff. Do they sell manuals for that?

alot of manuals are online. if your looking for an 80's bike, i wouldnt get a 4 stroke because they were incredbily slow and underpowered. you would out grow the bike in a matter of minutes. i would suggest an early 90's honda xr 200-230. maybee even a mid 90's xr 250. they are great bikes, had decent power. and they are still fun enough for anyone to ride.
also they are pretty cheap to buy and the maintinance is pretty easy.

things to look for.
check the clutch, make sure it works and has good feel to it.
the shock and forks, sit on the bike see how bad it sags when you sit on it, movie ti around make sure thier is some resistance on the suspension.

new air filter.
change the oil.

check to see if the brake pads are good and the rotors arent ripped up.

check the sprokets and chain to see if they will last another ride(make sure the teeth are all there and they are straight)

ask how long ago they checked the valves, cam and changed the top end. it should have been done no longer than a year ago if the bike has been ridden at all. most people will tell you how many hours the engine has on it.

look at the handlebars radiator and plastics to see how many times the bike has been dumped and if your gonna have to replace anything right away.

check the pegs, shifter, brake, and exhaust to see if it is crushed or they are broken.

i prob missed something................
o ya ride the bike. in the driveway up the street go through the gears and see how it handles.....

anyone could add something for you. if you find something let us know what it is what you like about it and what you dont like about it. we will help you out

Thanks so much. Ill post when i find a bike. Oh, how much do you think a honda xr 200 would cost?

depends on the condition of the bike. ive seen them for 400 bucks and ive seen them for 4k... check around. the wat ads is a great place to go check first.

k thanks. oh, what are the sprockets and top end? sorry for sounding like a dweeb but the only way to learn is to ask, right?

sprokets are the parts that the chain connects to.

they have little teeth all around them. make sure the teeth are straight. if they are curved then they will need to be replaced.

top end is like it sounds. the top end of the motor. because the dirtbike is a high performance machine. the piston and rings are subject to alot of abuse and only last "x" amount of time. most people replace them at certain intervals so when your asking questions about the bike you want to buy make sure that it has been changed recently

keep in mind that a 2 stroke delivers about the same power as a 4 stroke TWICE it's size.... so while an XR 80 wont pull you around all that well... a CR 80 will get your carcass flying...

If you want cheap, the market is in the 2-strokers... they usualy sell for consdierably less than there 4-stroke counterparts (which are twice the displacement)... i.e.- for analagies sake lets say an '03 YZ125 might be selling for $2500, and an '03 YZF250 in similar shape might be going for $3500 or more....

of course you should take the deals where you find them, and you may run into someone selling a 4 stroker for less than it's equivilent in 2 stroke.... it's just less likely....

I would recomend an '90's 80cc 2-stroke MX'er (any brand).... you will outgrow it in a season or two, but then you will know what you want next and you can sell yours to get a new ride and be in a ride that fits you.... (more important than you might think)

k, i found a bike that might work. its $700. a 1986 kawasaki kdx 200. i know thats probly way too big but i was thinking that back in the 80s two strokes wernt as powerful as now. the kid said it has a semi-new carbeurator, spokes, and its only been ridden 4-5 times annualy. if you know any thing that will help, please reply.

i can tell you from experience a four stroke is better to learn on. the downside is engine maintenance is much more complicated than on a 2 stroke. i learned to ride on a 80cc 4stroke, then moved up to a 250 4stroke and now ride a 250 2stoke and it has more power than i can reasonably use on the trail. my advice is the 200 4stroke for learning. you'll be able to control it and you'll still be having fun on it next year.

if you find a good deal on an older 2 stroke and the bike seems to be in good condition, keep in mind that for about $150 you can buy the top end kit from and have basically a brand new engine. assuming the transmission and clutch are in good working order, the only thing that robs your power are worn rings, piston, and/or cylinder. usually its just the rings, but the kit comes with piston and gaskets too. whatever you buy, invest the $50 for a shop manual. its worth every penny

shop manuals are great tools