[lukachuki]

Hey All,

I'm just curious what other forums you guys and gals frequent. List them in order of most visited to least visited.

As you can see I'm interested in dirtbikes!

1. contractortalk.com
2. gasgasrider.com
3. smackovermotorsports.com/bb/forumdisplay.php?f=9
3.25 digg.com
3.5 reddit.com
3.75 lifehacker.com
4. thumpertalk.com
5. tractorbynet.com

[Mike Finley]

There are other forums besides Contractortalk.com?

I really only come here about 99% of the time.

I really can't afford to spend any time anywhere else, I figured I'm probably $100,000 poorer because of all the time I have spent here, but I'm probably also about $100,000 richer due to all the info I have gotten off of here. So it's a wash.

[lukachuki]

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

There are other forums besides Contractortalk.com?

I really only come here about 99% of the time.

I really can't afford to spend any time anywhere else, I figured I'm probably $100,000 poorer because of all the time I have spent here, but I'm probably also about $100,000 richer due to all the info I have gotten off of here. So it's a wash.

I hear you and I hope this question isn't in bad taste. I too read contractortalk way more than I read the others and I have learned lots and been inspired to keep trudging along trying to get this business thing figured out. I also like to read your posts Mike, you seem like a guy who is on top of about everything.

[skyhook]

jockey journal

jalopyjournal

HAMB (hokey ass message board)

xL forum

[send_it_all]

another hamber on here?...cool...havent been on there since I found this site

[POOLMANinCT]

I've looked at other forums & they all suck, totally "unmderated"

actually, I've only seen one other fourum (yes the one that sucked) a smallbiz forum, total mess..... couldn't read it for 5 min...

HEY NATHAN, how about
smallbusinesstalk.com?


ray

[Dave Mac]

Originally Posted by lukachuki

Hey All,

I'm just curious what other forums you guys and gals frequent. List them in order of most visited to least visited.

As you can see I'm interested in dirtbikes!

1. contractortalk.com
2. gasgasrider.com
3. smackovermotorsports.com/bb/forumdisplay.php?f=9
3.25 digg.com
3.5 reddit.com
3.75 lifehacker.com
4. thumpertalk.com
5. tractorbynet.com

are you a harescrambler??? i see you listed a couple of sights i go to thumpertalk, and gasgas, well i go mostly to ktmtalk

[lukachuki]

Originally Posted by Dave Mac

are you a harescrambler??? i see you listed a couple of sights i go to thumpertalk, and gasgas, well i go mostly to ktmtalk

No i don't race although it would be fun. I mostly trailride in W. Virginia and Tn and dream of riding out West in southern Utah or northern AZ were I'm from. SC is a terrible state for riding as there is no were to go.

I have a Gas Gas XC0250 and a XR650R thats for sale so I can buy a de300 gg. I'm going to take the 250 and stash it in AZ for the 1 time a year I can get out there.

What kind of KTM do you have?

[Dave Mac]

ktm 200, you said sc didnt you?? you know they have some great riding areas, CAW just opened up, with over a 100 miles of trails already laid, thier is whittomere, yea thats about it lol your right. I race in the nc haire scramble association, and we to rie some cool areas. im not really fast, just enjoy the whole thing. have you herd of brushy mountain??? best place on the east cost to ride.

whear in sc are you, im in charlotte

dave mac

[lukachuki]

Originally Posted by Dave Mac

ktm 200, you said sc didnt you?? you know they have some great riding areas, CAW just opened up, with over a 100 miles of trails already laid, thier is whittomere, yea thats about it lol your right. I race in the nc haire scramble association, and we to rie some cool areas. im not really fast, just enjoy the whole thing. have you herd of brushy mountain??? best place on the east cost to ride.

whear in sc are you, im in charlotte

dave mac

Aiken SC right across the river from Augusta GA....were is brushy mountain?

[Mike Finley]

Okay, this might be a good place to ask. I'm looking at getting a dirt bike this year. The wife is getting a TTR 125 or similar and I'm not sure what to get.

I've owned a couple of cafe racers when I was younger but never a dirt bike.

4 stroke or 2 stroke. 250 to start?

We will take them out to Moab Utah once a year and ride some local trails a handful of times a year.

[Dave Mac]

Mike im a huge fan of the two stroke myself, reason being, they are cheaper from the get go, Buying price, they are easier and cheaper to work on, a top end for parts is about 100 bucks, a four stroke is about 400, and usually to technicle to do yourself. Two strokes are lighter and easier to ride in the woods, now with all that said, people are buying four strokes like crazy.

Woods racing, is realy made up of two strokes, track racing mx is made up of four strokes.

Mike depending on your size, i would recomend anywhear from a 200 to a 300 two sroke.

up to 200 lbs i would recomend a 200

200 to 250lbs i would recomend a 250

over 25o lbs or just want crazzy sick nasty all around power that will hurt you i would recomen a 300.

dave mac

depending if your buying used or new makes a difference on the brand i would choose as well. Ktm hold their value very good when going to sell them and are cheaper then the gas gas from the get go, gas gas are awesome bikes sell very high new, and dont hold their value, around here. so a used one can usually be had at a very good price. these are my two favorite brands for riding in the woods.

Kawisaki kdx 200 is another very good trail bike that can be had extremly cheap, and is a very reliable great woods bike.

[lukachuki]

Well this is a question that each of us have asked ourselves many many times. I've found that there isn't a perfect bike for everything you want to do. When I lived south of moab I thought that the XR650R was a great bike, but mostly because I also wanted to dual sport a bike to ride to Cortez CO everyday for work. It was perfect for the wide open desert and riding fireroads/ trails in the southern rockies. It was a 4 stroke and pretty much bulletproof. After moving out here to the East Coast I quickly realized that for the tight woods riding of skinny trails and zillions of trees to dodge it just wasn't the right bike.

I have since purchase a GG 250 2 stroke which is so much fun to ride out here.

Here are some questions to ask which make a big difference on which bike you want to choose.
1. Do you want to tag them for getting around on fireroads etc in the mountains.
2. Is electric start important?
3. Are you a DIY mechanic type who enjoys doing basic upkeep in the garage or a guy who would take everything to the dealer?
4. New or used i.e. price point
5. Level of experience. Has your wife ever ridden a motorcycle before?
6. What exactly do you want to get out of your motorcycle experience? Personally i love riding dirtbikes but I enjoy were they can take me even more, that sense of adventure of going to a new and extremely interesting place. Moab is absolutely perfect for that type of riding as are the mountains. A motorcycle makes both the journey and destination interesting especially since you can get to places that atvs and 4x4 can't do to how 4 wheels slow you down. Here in SC the only thing to do is ride in circles so everyone gets their giggles from mastering the nuances of riding a dirtbike well and fast. Now I say all of this just to emphasize that different bikes fit each of these categories well. In general 4 strokes are smoother and quieter and provide less of rush of adreneline and 2 strokes have are more or a raw motorcycle experience with a powerband, vibration, and that ring ding ding of the engine.
7. How tall are you and your wife? A bike that is to tall is frustrating.

I've got to go to work but if you can answer a few of those questions I will give you my humble opinions later today!

Dave Mac had some good advice as well.

[Mike Finley]

1. Do you want to tag them for getting around on fireroads etc in the mountains.

That's something I don't even know about. I assumed off the pavemetn was off the pavement and you didn't need tags to ride on jeep trails or fire roads. Maybe jeep trails in the mountains and fire roads are different?

2. Is electric start important?

No.

3. Are you a DIY mechanic type who enjoys doing basic upkeep in the garage or a guy who would take everything to the dealer?

I'm more of the neglect it to the point it needs attention, then bring it to the dealer.

4. New or used i.e. price point

Used.

5. Level of experience. Has your wife ever ridden a motorcycle before?

No, but she will pick it up quick, she's the athletic/adventurous type.

6. What exactly do you want to get out of your motorcycle experience? Personally i love riding dirtbikes but I enjoy were they can take me even more, that sense of adventure of going to a new and extremely interesting place. Moab is absolutely perfect for that type of riding as are the mountains. A motorcycle makes both the journey and destination interesting especially since you can get to places that atvs and 4x4 can't do to how 4 wheels slow you down. Here in SC the only thing to do is ride in circles so everyone gets their giggles from mastering the nuances of riding a dirtbike well and fast. Now I say all of this just to emphasize that different bikes fit each of these categories well. In general 4 strokes are smoother and quieter and provide less of rush of adreneline and 2 strokes have are more or a raw motorcycle experience with a powerband, vibration, and that ring ding ding of the engine.

I enjoy were they can take me even more, that sense of adventure of going to a new and extremely interesting place.

7. How tall are you and your wife? A bike that is to tall is frustrating.

Me 5-10, 180
Her 5-7, 120

[mdshunk]

uio;ehrnxcvkl;,.

[Chris G]

Since this thread has wandered off to the point of unretrievable, I'll just add my thoughts on bikes.
I agree with the above, two strokes are an adrenaline rush. If you buy one, you will be using the word "powerband" more times in one day than you have your entire life so far.
ie:"It just hit the powerband, and wham!!!"

Hill climbing is all a real blast with a two stroke. Just keep the rev's up around 10,000 rpm, and the bike will climb anything. Keep in mind you may not always be attached to said bike. Rush! Rush! Rush!

Two strokes are loud, like chainsaws. There's a lot of public pressure to switch to four strokes. They're quieter and burn a little cleaner. Although they sound like a fart, and won't give you the kick that a two stroke will.

I miss dirt riding a lot. Anybody have a kdx 200 for sale?

Here's an advice column for anyone interested in dirt bikes. Rick Seimen is the man on used dirt bikes.

http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbik....jsp?id=371720

[POOLMANinCT]

apperntly I used to read dirtbike forums, but I'm going to stop. bc they are dumb....

[woodmagman]

This thread went south and never recovered.........There are not a lot of good forums. This is as good as it gets!

Now regarding Bikes 600 XL brings back good memories and at least once seperated my wish bone. The compression on that bike was crazy. I stalled it out going done off a train track embankment and went ass over tea kettle shoulder first into the ground. Could not lift my arms over my head for a month. I was boarding a basement at the time.....Painnnnnnfull.
Big bike big pain..

[Mike Finley]

on that subject - shoulder pads, knee pads and all that motocross gear - a must have or just for posers?

[mickeyco]

My 2 cents on which motorcycle, look for a used CR500 or YZ 465 2 stroke, it's a good beginners bike, then sign over your life insurance to me.

Nothing beats the power-band of a 2 stroke dirt bike but the new 4 strokes are right up there. You need to get 400-450 4 stroke to equal the power of a 250 2 stroke, in MX racing the 450 4 strokes race in the 250 2 stroke class and do very well (win a lot of races). I'd get the four stoke, they're more expensive to rebuild as stated earlier, but don't need to rebuilt anywhere near as much as a two stroke. The problem with the older 4 strokes was the bikes weighed to much and had crappy suspension, that's not a problem any more, the new 4 strokes weigh about 15 lbs. more as opposed to the old 100 lb. plus difference, and they have awesome suspension and you can buy a 4 stroke that can be licensed to use on the street for local fun. The 4 strokes are nice and quiet as already mentioned and unless you're going racing the 2 stroke, although tons of fun, isn't really necessary. The biggest reason to get the 4 stroke is unless you get an oil-injected two stroke you have to pre-mix the fuel with oil and that's a pain in the butt, messy and if you mess up the ratio the bike runs like crap, a 4 stroke can be filled up at any gas station and ready to go.

Originally Posted by Mike Finley

on that subject - shoulder pads, knee pads and all that motocross gear - a must have or just for posers?

Probably not a bad idea, everyone I know, including myself, that rode dirt bikes have screwed up their knees. I where just a helmet (and that was until I hit my thirties), but I'm an idiot that's been in the hospital many times for accidents on dirt bikes.