Find Your Bike (Part 1)

 Find Your Bike (Part 1)

Hello everyone and thank you for joining my blog, where we will be looking at the different types of dirt bikes and why you may want or not want to own them. To help you out I will be covering the various model types of dirt bikes, giving some of their specifications and talking about what that bike is meant to be used for. Hopefully this blog can clear up any questions or concerns that you may have, and I’ll be sure to leave some contact information if there’s anything I didn’t cover that you want to talk about.

 

To start I’d like to provide you with a little bit of my experience, (to prove I’m not some random guy researching dirt bikes with no history riding them). I got my first dirt bike at the young age of 7 years old. I got home from school one day to find a 90’s model Honda Z50 sitting beside my porch. I had no idea it was coming, but I couldn’t have been more excited to ride. My dad helped me ride it around the yard, I wiped out so much I don’t know how my mom ever let me back on it, but from then on, I was hooked.

For today’s blog were going to start on the sizing of different dirt bikes and what may be right for you. I don’t know about you but I’m already getting excited, so let’s get into it!

 

 Sizing

Searching for a bike doesn’t necessarily have to start with sizing, but as a beginner, it’s going to play a major factor in the bike you choose. I’ll go over the different sizes of dirt bikes, covering engine size, as well as physical size of the bike.

 

To start we’ll talk a little about engine sizes. Dirt bike engine sizes range all the way from 50cc up to 500cc, and even higher if you get into the Dual Sport category. The lower engine sizes you might see like 50cc, 65cc, 85cc, 110cc, are going to have less horsepower and be built for younger smaller riders who are just getting into riding. As the engine displacement gets larger so does the power output and the frame of the bike. Once you get to 250cc however, the height of the bike is going to cap out.

 

Most of the sizing for bikes is going to be recognized by Seat Height. When it comes to choosing the right sized bike, it’s going to come down to what’s comfortable for you. As you start your riding journey, you’ll probably be more comfortable on a bike with a lower seat height, which feels safer and easier to catch if you lose your balance. As you progress in your riding, however, you will gain confidence and lose the need for a smaller seat height.

 

Below I’ve listed some average seat heights for different bikes, now these are going to vary with different models, but it will at least give you an idea of their size. These measurements will be from the ground to the top of the seat, with no compression on the suspension.

 

Average for 50cc – 24.9”

Average for 65cc- 29.5”

Average for 85cc – 32”

Average for 110cc – 26.4”

Average for 125cc four stroke – 31”

Average for 125cc two stroke – 38”

Average for 250cc trail bike – 35”

Average for 250cc MX – 37.5”

Average for 450cc – 37.5”

(Try not to pay too much attention to two-stroke vs four stroke difference, we’ll get into that later)

 

Seat heights are going to vary, even if the bikes seem to be close in engine size. This is due to the type of the bike. Motocross, or MX, bikes are meant to race and are going to have a higher seat height than Trail Bikes. These bikes are going to be considered less beginner friendly, due to their higher engine performance and less forgiving features.

 

Different Types of Dirt Bikes?

Believe it or not there are multiple different types of dirt bikes, and while they tend to look similar, they can be very different in how they ride. MX, Trail, Enduro, Dual-Sport, all these bikes are meant to serve different purposes. Can you ride a trail bike on a racetrack? Absolutely, and you’ll have fun doing it. But you’re not going to be as fast and efficient as someone on an MX bike. Can you take an MX bike through the trails? Of course, you can, but you’re going to find out that its engine is meant to be screaming at high rpm’s and can be tricky to ride at lower speeds.

 

Enduro bikes are essentially trail bikes that are better equipped to race and explore through trails. These bikes could come equipped with things like headlights, bigger gas tanks, hand guards, and more. Dual-Sports are dirt bikes that can be ridden on-road as well as off-road. From the factory they will have headlights, taillights, mirrors, a license plate holder, tires that are better for the pavement, and even a horn. If you are looking for a bike that you can take to work and hit the trails afterwards, this may be the type for you.

 

As a new rider you will more than likely be more comfortable on bikes that are suited for riding the trails, not bikes that come from the factory ready to race. Trail Bikes are usually paired with a softer suspension, lower engine displacement, lower horsepower and torque numbers, and more comfortable ergonomics.

 

Ergonomics refers to the position of the handlebars, the seating positions, and footpegs, also known as the rider triangle. Trail Bikes are going to have the rider seated in a more upright position, which feels much easier to ride for longer periods of time. MX bikes are going to have you lean forward in an aggressive riding stance, ready to be on your toes for cornering and jumps.

Some examples of good beginner bikes are going to be bikes like the Kawasaki KLX 140, KLX 230, or the Yamaha TTR 230. If you are a taller person or just want something bigger that is still going to be a good beginner bike you could look at the Kawasaki KLX 300r or the Honda CRF 250L. I stand at 6’ 2” and I ride a KLX 300r, it pulls me around with all the power I need.

 

Another metric to think about when choosing a bike is going to its weight. When looking at bike specifications, most weight measurements are going to Wet Measurements, which means that is the weight of the bike when it is fully loaded with fluids and ready to ride.

 

Newer MX bikes will come standard with aluminum frames, with feels much lighter. Older MX bikes, most trail bikes, and certain European brands are going to come equipped with steel frames, which are going to be heavier. More weight can give you more stability when you’re riding at higher speeds, but it can also make it more difficult to ride at slower speeds and during technical riding, especially on hills. This may be something you want to consider if you’re a shorter rider with difficulty when the bike comes to a stop.

 

 

Get Out There!

At the end of the day, the best way to size up a bike is to get out there and see one for yourself. Any dealership I’ve ever been to has been open to me swinging a leg over a dirt bike and that’s the best way to get a feel for what size bike you want. I can also confidently say that the dirt bike community is an open one and it’s more than worth it to hit some online forums and get more firsthand accounts of a bike you’re looking at. Some people near you may even be open to letting you see or even ride their own bike.

 

That’s going to wrap it up for today, hopefully this has given you some insight into the various sizes of dirt bikes and helped you to begin to understand what may be best for you. Join me on my next post where we will take a deeper dive into these different types of bikes and highlight some specific mechanical details, pricing, and see how your goals for riding will align with the bike you want.

 

Stay tuned and ready to ride, you’ll be on a bike in no time!