My Lad Wants a Dirt Bike

[Tuffers]

He loves MotoGP etc and has now decided he wants a dirt bike. He's never ridden a bike, but has been on the back of mine. He's 15 and I've said if he does well in his GCSE's I'll buy him one. We are not far from a proper dirt bike track. What bike would you get him? He's about 5'6". Small wheel or large wheel? What cc? What make? I don't want to spend over a grand.

[Kwacky]

how about something like a second KLX125?

[kiwikrasher]

Being fresh to bikes I'd get him a four stroke to start with. Being a slight lad I reckon a Honda XR 125 would be a good start. Those XR's are bullet proof and have enough power to keep a beginner excited without being a handful.

I dirt rode exclusively for nearly 10 yrs, and although I love the two smokers, I wish I started on a low powered 4 stroke.

[Tuffers]

Don't they have to change the piston rings after so many hours on a 2 stroke? I don't know if a 125 will be too powerful for him?

[Kwacky]

The kwak throws out about 10bhp from what I'm reading.

[kiwikrasher]

Don't they have to change the piston rings after so many hours on a 2 stroke? I don't know if a 125 will be too powerful for him?

That was my point. A Honda XR 125 is a four stroke. reliable, stable and a great platform to learn on without being too powerful.

Honda XR125L equipped with engine capacity of 124.7 cc 4 - Stroke, Over Head Cam (OHC), Air-Cooled with carburetor fuel intake system. From the machine The New Honda XR125L capable of spewing out power 8.0 kW (10.9 PS) at 8,250 rpm and torque of 10.4 Nm (1:06 kgf-m) at 6,500 rpm.

Other options would be a Yamaha XT or Suzuki DT, all four strokes.

If he was younger I'd consider a small wheel 80cc of something, but he's only 2" shorter than me (and I was only 5'1" at his age) so I reckon he'd be OK size wise on the 125. He'd get to learn all the proper clutch control etc and it's would be road registerable for when he comes to that age if he hasn't flogged it to death.

[Deegee]

Lots of good points in favour of the four stroke, but a 2 stroke 125 is easier to kick over and start, and it's lighter, more manageable and easier to throw around/pick up when he falls off it, plus for the rudiments of maintenance it's a 2 smoker all the way. (Don't forget Dad gets to trip out on the Bel-Ray fumes as well )

[D41]

For the life of me I can't remember what we got my lad.....little 125 two-stroke I think, from a neighbour. Whatever it was, it did it's job for him...if only, sadly, for him to find out that he wasn't really into biking as much as he thought he was.