Dirt bike/motocross

[sinto]

As I've never had one of these, can anyone give me some pointers before I waste money.

My son, who's 13 and about 5'5" and is constantly dropping the hint to get one for him.

Been to local shop but no way am I getting brand new but it was mainly for looking.

Been told a 50cc would be good enough, but also been told to go for a 125cc

So yes, I'm a bit confused already

Cheers in advance.

[mickvp]

I have had a few goes on a 50cc, and even taking into consideration I'm a right fat foccer, they wouldn't pull you out of bed.

I ended up with a Suzuki DR400, mainly because I got it for cheap, but that was way overkill.

One of my mates had a damaged 125 road bike that he had stripped and put knobblies on which worked ok though, some of the decent scramblers can hold their money well (the main ones at least: Suzuki DRZ, Honda CR, Yamaha YZ etc)

[griff86]

I raced motocross for a few seasons and do enduro riding now.

How about a big wheel 85cc? Are you thinking 2 or 4 stroke?

[sinto]

I raced motocross for a few seasons and do enduro riding now.

How about a big wheel 85cc? Are you thinking 2 or 4 stroke?

Don't know really tbh
Depends what's available for the right price.

There's a couple of tracks up here but most are closed during winter, so when season starts I'll take my boy up and see what does what best

[tex]

Depends on what he wants to do, if he wants to go to a track and do it properly  then he will need protective kit helmet etc, my son rides a kx 85 big wheel which is powerful enough , he is 13 and been going for over a year to our lcoal track. If he just wants to go to the local waste land  you want a cheap 50,80 pit bike or similar,  remember if they get caught riding on fields the police just take the bike and crush it.

[sinto]

Depends on what he wants to do, if he wants to go to a track and do it properly  then he will need protective kit helmet etc, my son rides a kx 85 big wheel which is powerful enough , he is 13 and been going for over a year to our lcoal track. If he just wants to go to the local waste land  you want a cheap 50,80 pit bike or similar,  remember if they get caught riding on fields the police just take the bike and crush it.

I'm with you on that tex,
It'll be track time at clubs etc and I'll have the bike with me (I'm seperated) so he won't be tempted to just take it out to the local field etc
And as with when he goes on the back of my bike, it'll be the right kit or no riding

[tex]

Totally  agree,  what I did was join the local track and hired one of there bikes for a few months, gives them an idea what's it's about, and experience.  Then got the kx85 big wheel. I was surprised how physicality demarding it is. He does press ups to help upper body strength.  After a hour on the track he comes of soaking in sweet.

[sadlonelygit]

an 85 is the way to go. small wheel whilst he is a tiddler then full size later on.............plus you can ride it ( just to check the jetting )
hold their money well but need piston and rings every 20hrs so consumables will be high.
plus after 3 meetings on it when he's dead last every time he'll think foc this for a larf and it'll never be touched again.

[Frosties]

Totally  agree,  what I did was join the local track and hired one of there bikes for a few months, gives them an idea what's it's about, and experience.  Then got the kx85 big wheel. I was surprised how physicality demarding it is. He does press ups to help upper body strength.  After a hour on the track he comes of soaking in sweet.

I'd add sit ups and squats to the press ups - try and build his core up 'cos it's knackering.

[Red Ceri]

As per the others get him on a Big Wheel 85 to start, more than enough to scare him but easy enough to handle plus easy to maintain,


At his size 5.5 he may look a little small on it but in a year or two you'll be swapping it for a 2 stroke 125 or 4-stroke 250. The 2-strokes are holding their price secondhand as most companies dropped them from their ranges but are lighter and easier (cheaper) to maintain than 4-strokes


My boy worked his way through from a PW80 at 7 and finally got a RMZ250 at 16, never raced just gone to practice tracks and had fun blasting around.
 
As I'd never done any off roading myself I went to the KTM off road Experience last month and had a go on a MXtrack, best fun I've had for a long time and now looking at selling my boys RMZ and going shares in nearly new 250 KTM to do some more myself. Although I wont be going as fast as him, don't bounce as well as I used to either.






 

[Skippernick]

Spoke to a work mate today and he said as above.

[sinto]

All sounds like it's an 85 then.
Had a look on Gumtree and the like and all I can see is between £600 to £2000 depending on age/condition. Will need to look into it more to give me an understanding of it all.

My mate today said his neighbour has one in his garage he's not used in years and will ask him about it for me, I don't know what it is, what size it is or anything so might get a bargain but then again it could be all wrong

[tex]

I paid £1750, for a 2011 with some nice extras top end rebuild new bearings and suspension overhaul, got from the track they had stored and maintained it for a member. I can ask if they have any others for sale

[sinto]

I paid £1750, for a 2011 with some nice extras top end rebuild new bearings and suspension overhaul, got from the track they had stored and maintained it for a member. I can ask if they have any others for sale

Cheers tex, but your a bit too far away for me

[tex]

  just checked where you are. Might be a tad far

[sinto]

just checked where you are. Might be a tad far

[sinto]

Well I've found out about the bike

It's a xsport 110

Bad points
Won't start, won't run
No fuel.
No air filter.


Good points
Looks clean
Tyres are good
Parts are cheap to buy
Good 'project' for my boy
Hopefully it'll be cheap to buy


So what's your thoughts guys?

[locksmith]

Cheapo chinese pit bike thingie by the looks, you get what you pay for but I'd avoid like the plague

My lad started woith an old DT125 across the fields (ahem)
He then went to a KX100 on local tracks, that thing scared the bejesus out of me
As he's grown up into a man he had a succession of MX bikes, currently races a CR450, fuk knows how he does that, got massively bigger balls than me!

Thing is these mx bikes are highly tuned,need constant maintenance and can haemorrhage cash, its easy to blow and engine and thats big bucks, just ask him so it might not be cheap hobby, but when its in your blood..........................

[red98]

as locksmith looks chinese to me too.......be a good project for you and your son,dosn`t look as if its had much use and probs an easy repair ,great for your son to learn basic mechanics,once up and running sell it to fund a jap bike  ....so whats it worth,a non runner this time of year,i would start at £50...cheeky i know,but you can always go up,not down 

[sinto]

I understand it being a cheap Chinese thingy It's easy to set your site's on something at the top of the range but I'm in agreement with red, I think it would be a great learning curve for my son at not a lot of money.

History wise....I know it's ran in the past as my mate said he had it going up and down the road and the exhaust is loud, but he reckons it's been lying for a few years as his son is a bit older now. So might not need much with any luck.

Funny you mention  £50 as that's what my mate has said his neighbour would probably  be looking for it, but we'll have to wait and see as he works abroad and we're waiting on reply from him.

[red98]

Sounds like a good deal to me.....with that little bit of history getting it going will be easy, carb clean, plug clean and fresh fuel , cheap filter on ebay brum, brum   ........if for some reason it dosn't start you'll get your money back in the spring no problem 

[sinto]

Sounds like a good deal to me.....with that little bit of history getting it going will be easy, carb clean, plug clean and fresh fuel , cheap filter on ebay brum, brum   ........if for some reason it dosn't start you'll get your money back in the spring no problem 

Hoping to strip it down, I mean supervise my boy doing it
It'll be good for him as he's wanting to do mechanics when he's older

[red98]

At 13 thats a great way to start, thats a lot of learning for £50.......easy to make a profit if sold on once running, that will be another lesson learnt 

[sinto]

At 13 thats a great way to start, thats a lot of learning for £50.......easy to make a profit if sold on once running, that will be another lesson learnt 

I think it's a better Xmas present than most stuff
It'll get him off the couch and away from the TV and be the envy of his mates I'm sure

Think the idea will be.....
Strip it down, get it running, use it for a season to get him into it sort of idea and then either sell or exchange up if he's still into it.
Yes £50 to start, plus parts, plus gear etc, but it'd cost a lot more if I just got a bike already running and he won't gain the experience of stripping the engine and getting it working, which in my opinion is the most important part in this

[red98]

 .......only down side.....bastid to wrap up and how are you going to get it in his stocking