Best motocross bike to get?

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Felix

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Hey,

Will be looking for a motocross bike in May.

Not a clue on what bike to go with, 2t or 4t. Just want something off road and to maybe do some MX tracks as a lot of my friends do these.
Budget @ that time will be....?4000-?5000 depending on jobs.

Kinda like the KTM's but unsure if good or not and if anyone has any experience with these bikes
 
If it?s your first Mx bike you can?t go far wrong with a 4t 250. I?ve had ktm, yam, kawasaki and Honda. Go for the newest you can, preferably from a good dealer and don?t skimp on the service schedule. Enduro bikes have a heavier flywheel so are kinder to ride when you are taking your first steps, you can go on the lanes aswell if they?re road registered. I would give 2 strokes a miss initially.
 
+1 on all of the above. A 250 4T would be my recommendation too.
I always had good experiences with KTM when I did MX [emoji41]
 
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I bought a husky 450 as a first as it was very well maintained and good deal as from a buddy.

I should have got a 250 4t. To start. Or 125 2t

The 450 is heavier and smallest wrist twitch and its a surge if power. You nearly need a base pace beforw you go for a 450

Ktm or husky are good.

Decide if you want to go for enduro or mx. There vastly different. A mx bike is shit for enduro
 
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Could you do an off-road day organised by someone who uses the bikes you're looking at? I was surprised how powerful the 250s felt when I had 3 miles of mud to (literally) plough through!
 
Cheers for the replies guys. Why not got for a 450? Would be purely hobbyist as always fancied one.

The KX 450 looks really nice and relatively cheap
 
MotoX

I have a 2020 Honda CRF250R (4T). I certainly wouldn?t recommend a 4T 450cc if you are inexperienced. The power is instantaneous which in my opinion makes them really hard work. I also opted for a 4T as opposed to a 2T as the maintenance bill is lower. Buy the newest you can afford and preferably one with an electric starter. You will inevitably throw it at the scenery and it just makes it easier to get going again once you?ve picked yourself and the bike up. As for brand you can?t really go wrong with a Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki etc as they are all pretty similar. Just go with whichever one suits your budget and invest in some good quality protective kit.
 
Cheers for the replies guys. Why not got for a 450? Would be purely hobbyist as always fancied one.

The KX 450 looks really nice and relatively cheap

I think it depends on what sort of riding you want to do.

Anything off-road is a totally different riding experience then a road bike.
The grunt on a 450 is absolutely instantaneous on account of the ?very? short gearing, and the grip off-road is a fraction of what you are used to on road.

250?s are considerably more manageable and are every bit as capable off-road as a 450. Just watch any pro 250cc MX, SX or Enduro racing to see what they can do.

If you want to do quite technically difficult off-road riding, or MX, then I think a 450 is excessive to be starting on.

As Cork says, you definitely need to consider whether you want an ?Enduro? or a ?MX? bike.
If you want to do anything other than MX, then I?d go for an Enduro bike.
 
450 off road is like starting on road with a gsxr 750 or 1000cc bike.

There animals. They just want to go. You land off a jump and wrist twitches itll fire forward
 
I can't really add to much to what others have said only that I agree. I have done a bit of MX and Enduro and I would say a 250 4T is perfect for the vast majority of people. I have ridden a Husky 350 4T and that was lovely a bit more chug ability but not a rabid animal like a 450. That was the enduro model so I am not sure if the same applies to the MX bike.

2T definitly a 125 or 200 is perfect they are flipping rapid on the power with a light. 250s and 300s are just animals, it's like the bike riding you.

Even with my old 125 I landed a bit awkward a couple times, had a bit of the old whisky throttle and nearly flipped it.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
Do not buy a 450 as your first bike. You will not be able to cope. You will sell it very quickly after purchase and it will scare and hurt you in equal measure.
 
Going to echo everyone else here really:

-Budget as much as you can and get as newer model as you can, and try and ensure you can trace its history, maintenance, hours run etc
-4T (with Elec Start if avail), 2T are a constant maintenance item, more on off on the throttle, narrower useable power (read you gotta be on it to win it!!!), massively reduced times between rebuilds etc
-Enduro spec bikes will offer slightly longer gearing, heavier fly wheel, different suspension options and generally be a little more friendly on the heart and wrists initially, but will still offer extreme hi-adrenaline moments and can certainly tackle the whoops and table tops when your ready, but also offer the option for an MoT etc for green lane-ing if that's your thing.
-Moto-X spec bikes are more focused and will usually have firmer (not road spec hard mind) and longer travel suspension, smaller fuel tank and slightly different hubs/rotors/wheels to enduro spec, but most are completely interchangeable.
-Brand? Well this is completely a personal choice and a costing exercise in most cases... KTM and Husky come from the same factory and could be considered similar to buying a Audi vs a VW vs a SEAT, the models in their ranges can be a confusing myriad of numbers and letters that usually don't allude directly to a cc so homework needed there! from Japan my personal choice is Yam - a sorted YZF would be my go to, the newer Suzi RM is a rebadged Kawa KX or vis versa and the Honda CRF is a nice piece of kit (like KTM though they've started adding letters etc that are different specs from just enduro or Moto-X, so check carefully), they all ride subtly different and if you could get out with your mates and try different options before you buy would be my advise.
-Size - 250 all the way to start, a 450 will put you off ever wanting to go off-road ever again, they are a handful (understatement of the year), heavier (and this matters so much more than on a road bike) and solely focused on causing your early demise unless you are ryan vullopoto!:biggrin-new:
-Before any of this make sure you get some good riding kit, this is a must! Ankle support/protection (they take a pounding) through good boots and chest/back protection (a roosted rock to the chest even through armour can leave a nasty bruise and make breathing interesting! and when she flips you over the bars after a miss timed whoop section you'll be glad of the same protection to your spine!!) is really important, followed by knee/shin guards and then possibly a neck brace, decent goggles and the helmets as with the road is a budget/fit/comfort thing and can be had fairly cheap to mega bucks!
-finally, consider how you will transport it, and have a travelling tool kit and spares, fuel etc loaded and ready to go (think track day stylee if you have experience with those), and fluids/energy intake for you!!
-oh and try not to tank it full of ale the night before! this activity will have you in knots in mins if hungover or a little out of shape!!
Here endeth the sermon, now get out there and enjoy the dirt...lol
:dirtbike_smilie:
 
Id start with a 250, when I first started having a go at motorcross, I was using a KTM 450 and it was to heavy and to much. It was good in the corners if you were in the wrong gear, as it would keep pulling. If I was to get into it again, id stick with a 250cc
 
I rode and race MX for several years. Including 125 2Ts and 450s. And I can pretty much echo everyone else and their comments.

Starting off as a new rider, 250F or a 125T. I would personally always recommend a 125 2T to anyone who is really new to the sport, yes a 250F is easier to ride as you can grunt it out of corners or deep muddy tracks but a 2T teaches you some great skills which i personally believe you will only ever learn on a 2T.

I am not sure why everyone states 2Ts are more maintenance. Slap a piston in every 30 hrs (average rider) and job done. 4Ts are more costly to maintain, if you are on top of your schedules that is. My 4 strokes had filter and oil changes every 2-3 rides. You then have to do check valve clearances, especially if you're pinging it off the rev limiter. Which you will do on a 250f. Pistons are also more costly to change if you are not doing it yourself.

Brands, for reliability my Honda's and Yams were always super reliable. I think a Honda is always such a forgiving bike and very neutral. I'd honestly say most newbies seem to start off with a CRF250. Never owned a KTM (caveat here) but if i was to, it would be a 150SX (2 stroke) their 4 strokes in my days (2010-2016) were plagued with gremlins. Newer bikes are much better but you do pay through the nose for them. My only (KTM) experience was my last bike a 2019 Husqvarna TC125 and that things was a riot, more power than a lot of 250fs but no torque and on deep muddy UK tracks i would rather have a 4 stroke.

If you want the best turning bike, even now the Suzuki is amazing, RMZ250s. Not the lightest fairly reliable, suspension needs work as it is set for US rider weight. But they can cut an inside line like no ones business.

My racing was on a CRF450 and the opposite end a YZ125. The 450, you had to be 450 fit and strong to get the most out of it. I was out on my 3 times a week. And while i didn't do too bad on it, i spent more time getting x-rays with that bike than any other. And it was usually when I was getting cocky or not riding enough. 2 Seasons after i switched to a 125 for fun, the 450 got used less and less, then i sold it. I was faster on the YZ125 than the 450. It suited me and my riding style.

Anyway, 250F of 125 2T is the way forward for anyone new to the sport.
 
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