So I'm thinking of getting a dirtbike...

In My Humble Opinion
1

I used to ride small dirtbikes at summer camp between the ages of 10-13. Nothing big, just 80cc Yamahas. I grew a profound love for the vehicle and spent my entire adolescence trying to convince my parents to get me one of my own. They never did, but I never outgrew the desire to ride one again. So sometime in the next few years, when I’ve got some money saved up, I’d like to buy a dirtbike. However, I have a few questions for those of you who own one.

  • What is the largest-size engine that can be ridden without a license off-road? I’m a medium-build person, by no means carrying a huge amount of strength. What’s a recommended size?

  • Where can I go to find the least expensive bike? Stuff like turn signals and mirrors are unnecessary for me…I’d just like a bare-bones bike. What’s the best brand? Suzuki, Yamaha, or something else?

  • How difficult is the maintenance? Is it something I could learn and do myself?

  • Where can I find information on riding groups? I’d like to ride off-road with some people, but I’ve never actually heard of a dirtbike club that wasn’t a full-on motorcycle club.

I think that covers my questions for now. If I’ve missed anything, please let me know. Thanks.

Adam

2

Eight views in about eight hours. Sigh…

3

Ugh. Agent Foxtrot-Mississippienne Effect in force. :smack:

Adam

4

I don’t know much about off-road bikes as I’ve never ridden one, but I think that the largest size is around a 250, though I would say that you’d be better off on a 125 as it’ll cost less and will not be as powerful.

Try the bike shop first, I see stuff for sale there all the time, though you might have to look in a few shops. You will not get mirrors and things like that on an off-road bike so no worries there. I really don’t know much about who makes the best bikes, though I’ve always heard good things about KTM and Honda.

I’m sure it’s not too hard, I do the majority of maintenance on my bikes and that includes valve adjustments so you could probably learn too.

Again the local bike shop would be the place to start, though I’ve never actually looked into one before so it kind of goes below my radar.

5

I just noticed Mississippienne’s location, are you both in the Baltimore area? If so there’s a good shop in Frederick, MD called JT Motorsports that I go to. I know they do a lot of stuff out of there and the owner has a dirt track in is yard.

6

State laws will vary on licensing. Some states require a tag or sticker, some don’t. Usually the sticker is required to legally operate the vehicle on state-owned land and in designated OHV areas. AFAIK, you don’t need an operators license for an OHV (off-highway vehicle) like a dirt bike. Certain equipment may also be required, such as a US Forestry Service-approved spark arrestor.

You might want to re-think the off-road-only approach. After all, you have to be able to get to the riding venue, and trailering or trucking a non-street-legal bike can get old after a while. There are a lot of very competent dual-purpose bikes available, anywhere from 250cc to 650cc. Smaller bikes can be good choices, but usually anything under 250cc isn’t allowed on major highways.

Personally, unless I had an excess of cash, I’d stick with the Big 4: Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, or Yamaha. Take a look at the Honda XL/XR series, the Kawasaki KX/KDX series, or Suzuki’s DR line (the DR 450 comes in several flavors and gets rave reviews). Yamaha makes a nice series of smaller “playbikes”, the TTR series, aimed at the more casual off-road rider. Their WR and YZ series are more serious equipment.

In the smaller displacement categories, you’ll find a choice of 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke. You won’t find many newer 2-strokes above 250cc.

Maintenance is pretty easy if you’re relatively handy with a wrench. Check Cycle Trader for used bikes in your area. I’d avoid full-blown race bikes, even if they’ve never been actually raced. Start with something that has good, tractable power over a relatively broad RPM spectrum. A 250-450cc 4-stroke, dual-purpose bike a couple of years old should fit the bill…although, if you’re of short stature, a smaller bike might be more suitable. Modern dirtbikes can be pretty tall.

Spend the money you save by buying used on good riding gear.

Join the AMA. Their monthly newsletter will list local clubs and events. Local groups will vary from highly organized clubs to loose affiliations of riders. You might also consider an off-road riding course; you’ll learn a lot and meet some potential riding buddies of similar skill levels.

Have fun. Get dirty.

7

I started riding when I was five, on a 4 h.p. minibike. My first motorcycle (of my own – I learned actual motorcycles on dad’s old '64 Yamaha 80) was a Yamaha LT2 Enduro (100cc).

Back then, dirt bikes were pretty much like street bikes. The Enduros were built lighter and were street legal, so they had the same ‘stance’. Modern dirt bikes sit well off the ground. They’re definitely higher than the ones I rode. Since my motorcyles were street legal they had license plates – even if I was too young to ride on the street. The minibike and the 80 were not street legal, so they had off-road stickers.

AFAIK, you don’t need a license to ride off-road. Your state may – and probably does – require off-road registration for use on public OHV areas, but you don’t need a license. (I think – but am not sure – that you don’t need to license the bike if you use it only on private property.)

As for size, the 100cc was a little too big for me when I got it when I was 12. By 16 it was too small and I got a 250 Enduro. I was wishing for something bigger within a couple of years. One thing about the size now is the EPA factor. Back in the '70s you could get a 400cc 2-stroke. Today there is a limit as to how big a 2-stroke engine can be. I’m not sure of the size, but it may be 200cc (WAG). Two-cycle engines are good because they provide a lot of power for their size and they’re lighter than 4-strokes. But they pollute more, are noisier (YIN-yin-yinyinyinyinyinyin!), burn more fuel, and require either pre-mix or the filling of a separate oil tank. Four-cycle engines are heavier and produce less power for their size, but they do pollute less and get better fuel economy.

What size should you get? Hard to say. My 100 Enduro was too big for me when I got it, but I grew into it quickly. But then I was a kid. If you get a bike that’s too big for you as an adult, you may not grow into it. (I ran into a guy at the gun range who saw a guy whose first gun was a .44 Magnum. The guy flinched every time. Should’ve started on something smaller.) If this were the '70s I’d suggest a 250cc 2-stroke. You’d outgrow it, only it would still be fun. Not sure how that translates to 4-strokes – and as I said, the structure of the bike is different nowadays.

Look in your local paper for used bikes. In SoCal we had The Recycler, which was great for finding cheap stuff. You can also try eBay, but as a new rider you should only consider bikes you can see and ride. You can also check your local dealership, which may have used bikes. Probably better chances at a small shop.