Not sure how it works in the US, but in Canada a 2010 bike can't be bought until Jan., Feb, 2010. Not like cars where they show up late summer early fall.

Used is the way to go or previous model year ie. an '08 in '09 etc., you can always find a left over one somewhere.

As far as the carbs vs FI as John says it's bull I never had issues on my previous bike Suzuki DRZ400 and my new bike KTM450 EXCr

Suzuki

---

...If you don't go off at least once a season you are not trying hard enough...



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2009 10:55PM by GB.

Forgot to attach the pics, my old Suzui first & new KTM

---

...If you don't go off at least once a season you are not trying hard enough...

Grant, I guarantee you you will be faster on trails with an old KDX200 than with any "modern" fragile fourstroke junk. (except maybe on wide open roads...and what fun is that??)

KDXs thread the needle like no other. They are stone simple, but have the suspension, brakes, engine, and LIGHTNESS to flick thru the woods like a mountain bike.

Modern 4 strokes are amazing compared to the old XRs, but are still HEAVIER, use the same single quart of gear shavings laden sludge with clutch droppings to lubricate the engine (!), and have fragile valve/timing systems.

They've been forced to progress so that the People's Rep. of Kalifornia can have capable bikes without those evil 2 stroke emissions, but you can't beat that KDX for trail riding fun.

Besides, if you wanna be like those goofs that tried to ruin motocross, you don't want the crankcase oil sloshing upside-down during a backflip and stalling the engine, f'ing up the gyroscopics and making you another dufus FMX casualty, do you? Those guys all use 2 strokes!

Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go adjust the stinkin' valves again on my KTM. Grrr.

---

Lurch
Eric Burmeister
The west coast...of Michigan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2009 10:27AM by Lurch.

Smooooochies Lurchie!!

I really hadn't thought about the "thick as graphite grease, but fortified with former gears and clutch linings" poo posing as oil. (Cause I never had to deal with it anytime after 1967<<-----Yeah 1967!!)

Gawd just imagine a motor firing EVERY TIME IT GOES TO THE TOP!!!!

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Re: oil:

The automotive world hasn't entertained the idea since the original Mini, but it's still standard in the motorcycle world, a world of dog engagement shavings and wet clutches being slipped to death.

My KTM has 4 oil filters. 2 paper filters and 2 screens. For one quart of oil.

It's a hilariously fun motorcycle, but I got it cuz I wanted one bike. This is my supermoto bike, street bike, trail bike, and motocross bike. It does everything I do with a wheel swap and a caliper relocation on the front.

I bought it used for cheap, and I love it, but if I just wanted a trail or mx bike with low maintenance cost/hours, it'd be a 250cc 2 stroke. Even a street legal one.

Mark Ely, the Rallymoto champ has different bikes for each thing. An old XR640 for fire roads, an old CR250 for trails/mx, an old CR500 that ONLY has a paddle on it for Silver Lake sand dunes, and his Aprilia for supermoto/rallymoto (tho he can smoke the field in the latter with his old XR). I, on the other hand, sold my street bike and have my YZ250 up for sale, and I'm trying to do it all on my KTM. We'll see if the engine is up to it.

I went trail riding with Mark Buskirk and Colin McCleery a couple weeks ago. Yup. Colin got hisself a dirt bike, too.

---

Lurch
Eric Burmeister
The west coast...of Michigan

Re: carbs/FI

I seem to recall all kinds of 2 strokes at Pikes Peak on carbs. 350 twin Banshees running from 6000 to 14,000 ft. in just a few minutes.

One of the Banshee guys had a quad chassis dyno right in his enclosed trailer and was doing pulls with different jets at the staging area in the morning, but he obviously ran to the top on one set of jets.

Grant, you're in with the hillclimbing folks. Go ask some of the 2 strokers about altitude and carbs/2str. I can't say much about that here in flat Michigan.

---

Lurch
Eric Burmeister
The west coast...of Michigan

The Aprilia Supermoto bike makes me ruin a pair of shorts everytime. They're just all around cool bikes, but I don't think I'll ever be willing to spend that much money on anything.

---

Grant Hughes

Mark has rebuilt the engine after every few rallymoto events. It is an amazing piece of engineering, but not a tank.

Definitely built with Colin Champman's philosopy...not Guy Light's.

---

Lurch
Eric Burmeister
The west coast...of Michigan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2009 02:59PM by Lurch.

I'm bringing this topic back 'cause I always wanted a mx and never had the space to store it or work on it. But now with the new house I can! (only need to convince the wife I can ride a bike without killing myself every time)

But I'm not sure what to get. I don't want to spend much since it will be my first one. Don't want anything too fast (so I don't kill myself) and don't want anything too fragile since I know I'll probably loose it a few time learning it! (so nothing too heavy)

I found somthing interesting, a Suzuki TC 90. It's old (1974), not too powerfull, seems quite robust if it still runs after 35 years and right in my price range at 400$ CAD!

But then I remembered this post and John talking about the KDX 200 and searched for one... damn! I found one for 400$ too that need new piston and ring (I guess it will need to be overbored too).

Now I don't know what to do. I'm not sure the KDX would be a good starter bike, might be way too fast for me, but that would make a sweet projet to rebuild the engine.

So, should I go with the TC or the KDX? Or maybe I should keep looking and save some more money for a better one?

---

Francois

Francois Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm bringing this topic back 'cause I always
> wanted a mx and never had the space to store it or
> work on it. But now with the new house I can!
> (only need to convince the wife I can ride a bike
> without killing myself every time)
>
> But I'm not sure what to get. I don't want to
> spend much since it will be my first one. Don't
> want anything too fast (so I don't kill myself)
> and don't want anything too fragile since I know
> I'll probably loose it a few time learning it!
> (so nothing too heavy)
>
> I found somthing interesting, a Suzuki TC 90.
> It's old (1974), not too powerfull, seems quite
> robust if it still runs after 35 years and right
> in my price range at 400$ CAD!
>
> But then I remembered this post and John talking
> about the KDX 200 and searched for one... damn! I
> found one for 400$ too that need new piston and
> ring (I guess it will need to be overbored too).
>
>
> Now I don't know what to do. I'm not sure the KDX
> would be a good starter bike, might be way too
> fast for me, but that would make a sweet projet to
> rebuild the engine.
>
> So, should I go with the TC or the KDX? Or maybe
> I should keep looking and save some more money for
> a better one?
>
> Francois

KDX - hands down the winner, better all the way around and you are not going to out grow it quickly, if ever.

---

As always IMHO

SEAN TENNIS KF7JJR
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
SAAB 99, SAAB 850
SAAB V4, SAAB 99T

Funny...I've been thinking about this, too.

Any suggestions for a beginner bike that would be ok for a novice:

- on a 35mi (each direction) commute on country roads and 4-lane suburban state highway with traffic lights, and

- on the occasional recreational trail ride, maybe someday some enduros?

I ain't scared of no tire/wheel/sprocket swapping.
I am scared of rats.

SEANT Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Francois Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm bringing this topic back 'cause I always
> > wanted a mx and never had the space to store
> it or
> > work on it. But now with the new house I
> can!
> > (only need to convince the wife I can ride a
> bike
> > without killing myself every time)
> >
> > But I'm not sure what to get. I don't want
> to
> > spend much since it will be my first one.
> Don't
> > want anything too fast (so I don't kill
> myself)
> > and don't want anything too fragile since I
> know
> > I'll probably loose it a few time learning
> it!
> > (so nothing too heavy)
> >
> > I found somthing interesting, a Suzuki TC 90.
>
> > It's old (1974), not too powerfull, seems
> quite
> > robust if it still runs after 35 years and
> right
> > in my price range at 400$ CAD!
> >
> > But then I remembered this post and John
> talking
> > about the KDX 200 and searched for one...
> damn! I
> > found one for 400$ too that need new piston
> and
> > ring (I guess it will need to be overbored
> too).
> >
> >
> > Now I don't know what to do. I'm not sure
> the KDX
> > would be a good starter bike, might be way
> too
> > fast for me, but that would make a sweet
> projet to
> > rebuild the engine.
> >
> > So, should I go with the TC or the KDX? Or
> maybe
> > I should keep looking and save some more
> money for
> > a better one?
> >
> > Francois
>
> KDX - hands down the winner, better all the way
> around and you are not going to out grow it
> quickly, if ever.


The KDX200 is in no way "too fast". It can be started in 2nd or even third at 3 mph, has toque out the ass, is dead easy and just like a GOOD rally car, it has LOTS of growth potential as you learn to use the motor.

Get the KDX.

It's maybe 1 hour to rebuild the top end. They use funny explosive matrix coating and don't use re-bores, just new piston/rings.
>
>
>
> As always IMHO
>
> SEAN TENNIS
> SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
> SAAB 99, SAAB 850

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

seanmc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Funny...I've been thinking about this, too.
>
> Any suggestions for a beginner bike that would be
> ok for a novice:
>
> - on a 35mi (each direction) commute on country
> roads and 4-lane suburban state highway with
> traffic lights, and
>
> - on the occasional recreational trail ride, maybe
> someday some enduros?
>
> I ain't scared of no tire/wheel/sprocket swapping.
>
> I am scared of rats.

KLX250 or KDX if you can get a license plate.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

We just bought a Suzuki DR400 for Brent. Pretty nice bikes. Too frickin tall for me tho. So I was looking at Kawi KLR250 or Yammi XT225 (Serow). I ended up with the 225. It rides like my old DT175 did, or as I think it did . Plenty of power for street commuting, pretty nimble and tossable for gravel stuff. Maybe I can be slow sweep at Mt Hood...