250CC vs 350 CC for Beginner?
Bob Berryman
Help
I have ridden street bikes for several years and am ready to get a dirt bike
(dual Sport so I can ride to the mountains). I live in Boulder, CO, so have
easy access to the mountains. With my street bike at 10,000 feet, there is
a lot of power loss (20-25% I think).
Question is : IS a 250 dual sport bike enough power for a casual slow
modest beginner to use in the mountains or do I need 350CC. I do NOT PLAN
to Race or Jump or do any thing that might break one of my fragile
irreplaceable Body parts. My street bike is 750CC which is plenty of juice
for me.
Please advise in this group or email your best free advise to
rdb...@ecentral.com
Bob Berryman
Alevelrdr
Bob you were made for an XR400..........
Harvey
WLAboyz
Hi there!
Welcome to the world of shopping!
First go to all the dealers of different makes and pick up brochures.
Sit on all the models your considering.
Go home and study the brochures.
For a look at the XR400/KLX300 go to:
Motorcycle.com/mo/mcdirt/klxvsxr.html
Hope this helps, I myself am looking at the XR600 and making it stree legal,
but as fate would have it I can't make up my mind.
Fred/'78IT250
Tim/'87KX80
Chris/'77XR75
Fusion
"Bob Berryman" <rdb...@ecentral.com> wrote:
>Question is : IS a 250 dual sport bike enough power for a casual slow
>modest beginner to use in the mountains or do I need 350CC. I do NOT PLAN
>to Race or Jump or do any thing that might break one of my fragile
>irreplaceable Body parts. My street bike is 750CC which is plenty of juice
>for me.
I say get a 350. The 250 dual sport bikes aren't any lighter, and
you'll be wishing for more power within a month.
If you've never ridden in the dirt before, you're going to be really
surprised with how much it improves your riding ability.
Your reaction times will improve, your balance will improve by an
order of magnitude, and your panic skills will improve.
Good stuff to take back to the street.
[posted to R.M.D., with a copy sent to author]
Tim O'Keefe
89 KDX200 94 DR350se 94 XR600
http://www.users.fast.net/~fusion1
(trail riding, rat bikes, rental car abuse...)
David E. Wilson
For the areas near Boulder CO, which are very tight and technical, and
being new to dirt biking, I would get a XR250. Nothing is easier and
less work to ride in the mountains near Boulder. I weigh over (way
over) 200 pounds and I think that an XR 250 is the most fun bike for the
mountains near Boulder. An XR 400 is also a nice bike, but it needs
sigificant set up in the area of suspension (expense) and jetting (not a
sure bet) for the local Boulder area.
Vintage Dave
RANDYMOTO
You actually loose 40% power at that elevation. Since you are used to a 750
street bike the extra weight of a 350 would be negligible and you would
welcome the extra power. I would recommend a 350 to start and depending on
how tough the off road terrain is, you may want to ride move up to a 600.
The 250 and 350 will seem real slow on the road compared to your 750.
Randymoto
97XR400
>Question is : IS a 250 dual sport bike enough power for a casual slow
>modest beginner to use in the mountains or do I need 350CC. I do NOT PLAN
>to Race or Jump or do any thing that might break one of my fragile
>irreplaceable Body parts. My street bike is 750CC which is plenty of juice
>for me.
>
Dave Chasse
Bob Berryman wrote:
>
> Help
>
> Bob Berryman
250's are fun but 350's are funner. You will like the extra power.
Dave Dude
Griff Drew
Definately do the dirtbike to dualsport conversion. I have owned a XL200R
and a XR650L and they do not compare to my XR400R for dirt performance.
The cost for a true conversion should be about $500 (lights, tires,
inspection, etc)