Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Any middle-aged guys know anything about Dirt Bikes?

Never owned a dirt bike as a kid. Came close, but never did get one. A lot of my friends had one. Kinda looking to scratch the itch.

Any recommended brands and size for a middle-aged guy wanting one for trail riding and putting along? Value reliability over everything else.

KTM 640 or Honda XR 650L with the Big Red Pig done. Those two will take a lickkin and keep on kickin.

Look at the suzuki dr650,4 stroke and a lower seat height than the honda, it can be lowered another 2 inches. Its great on the road or dirt and gets great gas mileage and is still gotta carb. I love mine and at 67 ride it a lot just out puttering around

I'm 57 and have had a few over the years. '78 RM 125, '81 RM 250, '85 YZ490, '87 KX500, 2005 Honda CRF150, 2005 Suzuki RMZ450. I still have the last two.

That's the only experience I have. With that in mind, I would go with a Honda, like a CRF350 of something in that size range.
I hear the KTM's are nice, but I have never owned one.

Tony

Honda 4 stroke.

About 250cc.

Thanks for replies so far guys. I own an ATV and find them more fun than a side-by-side. DO you have more fun riding the dirt bikes over the ATVs?

I had an XR650R for 20 some odd years. I cant say I would recommend it as someones first bike. If I had it to do over I would buy a CRF450. Much lighter bike and way more nimble.

They have advantages over ATVs. They can obviously go down narrower trails and it's often easier to find a line on trails with 2 wheels rather than 4. If you get a street legal dual sport you can ride it to the trail head or forest service road. I have owned quite a few dual sports. DRZ400, DR650, XR650L and a few others many years ago. Of those, the DR650 fit my style of riding best. It had much better range and was much more at ease on the roads that get you to the off road trails. The XR650L was more dirt capable than the DR650 and the DRZ400 was better yet off road. If I were to buy a dual sport today it'd be a CRF300 Rally.

Ever heard the saying you’re never too old to learn? Ya well that’s bullscit!
If you can’t be talked out of it get a Rukus scooter,… The fat gals will be all over you!

laffin’

CRF 250F

Yeah, I wouldn't start off with a tall and powerful dirt bike, especially not for trail riding and putting along where you'll want to be able to put your feet down occasionally. Also, you have to decide if you want a pure dirt bike that you'd have to trailer or put in a truck or a dual sport that you can ride on a paved road if needed. For the intended purpose - not bombing over jumps or seeing how fast you can break bones - a dual sport might be a better choice.

These four are name brands known for reliability and would make good bikes both for a beginning dirt rider and for the purposes stated.

Honda CRF300L or LS, the LS has a 2" lower seat height. Or they even make an XR150L which is cute but might be a bit too under powered.

Yamaha XT250 is tried and true as is their TW200, again the T-Dub has a lower seat.


There's always the latest iteration of a classic trail bike, a Honda Trail 125 although they are expensive for what they are and scarce as hen's teeth in America.

I raced motocross for 10 years.
Motocross went to [bleep] when it went 4 stroke.
I won quite a few races and was riding in the pro class when I got hurt.
We didn't take many photos back then...
You don't want a race bike to learn on.

You can’t get more reliable than a 95-99 Suzuki DR350. Off-road capable and street legal.

Stay in the 250-400 cc range. 650 is way too much bike for trail riding and putting about.

well first to find the term middle aged..

For a first dirt bike, I would recommend something in the 250cc range in a dual sport bike. Now, these bikes, whether from Honda, Yamaha or Kawasaki, are a little short on torque and a little short on fuel capacity. They are also a little tall in the seat if you have a short inseam. My KLX 250 will manage about 120 miles on a tank with a little reserve. Performance is adequate for city traffic and ok for secondary roads, but freeway stints make you feel like you will be getting an automobile suppository at any moment.
For pure off-road use, the 250 dual sports are OK, but off-road capability is highly dependent on rider ability. For dirt track and logging road exploration, they are perfect.
I much prefer riding bikes to riding an ATV, but that's maybe because I rode bikes for twenty years before I even sat on an ATV. I might be stretching it a little to call myself middle aged, but at 74 I still like to ride. In my mind, I could still race if I wanted, but in my mind is where any inclination in that direction will stay! GD

Depends on the trail, and the man on the bike.

Eggzachary.

last dirt bike I had was a KLX 650R.. which do most people's standards I was probably middle-aged the time I own this. which might actually be the best time to own something like this when you've got years of experience under your belt already..

I'm much like salmonella. Today there's a yz125, yz250 xt225 and my kids ttr125 in our garage. I've ridden an awful lot of bikes and if you were a newish rider wanting trail manners and ease of learning...I'd look at some of the 230 class bikes. I can still have fun on my old xt and get 130 miles on a tank. It doesn't eat up bumps like my 250 but its everything I need and nothing I dont during hunting season. I typically out 500 miles on every September in the mountains of Idaho and beyond a flat and fork seal it's been bulletproof.