Motorcyclists, Check In Here!

[gregintenn]

51 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

Anyone think I would regret buying this?

https://powersports.honda.com/motorcycle/trail/crf125f-big-wheel

Apparently both kids and adults ride this model. I'm 5'8 160lbs. There are lots of YouTube reviews from adults who enjoy this bike. It's a 4 speed with a clutch. Fuel injected. Drum brake in the rear which I don't love. Kawasaki makes a similar model with slightly bigger engine, 5 speed, and disc brake in the rear but it's carbureted. I know both make great engines.

 

 

In high school, I was a bit larger than you are now. I rode a CR 125. Fit me great and had a scary amount of power. Nothing wrong with a drum rear brake on a dirt bike.

[peejman]

1 hour ago, Erik88 said:

Anyone think I would regret buying this?

https://powersports.honda.com/motorcycle/trail/crf125f-big-wheel

Apparently both kids and adults ride this model. I'm 5'8 160lbs. There are lots of YouTube reviews from adults who enjoy this bike. It's a 4 speed with a clutch. Fuel injected. Drum brake in the rear which I don't love. Kawasaki makes a similar model with slightly bigger engine, 5 speed, and disc brake in the rear but it's carbureted. I know both make great engines.

 

 

If all you want to do is trail ride, it'll be great.  Rear drum brake is fine, you should only use it when creeping down steep slopes or lock it to make the rear slide. The front is doing 80% of the work. 

Carbs are perfectly good.  Troubles only arise when someone who thinks they know what they're doing start messing with them. 

 

[gregintenn]

2 minutes ago, peejman said:

If all you want to do is trail ride, it'll be great.  Rear drum brake is fine, you should only use it when creeping down steep slopes or lock it to make the rear slide. The front is doing 80% of the work. 

Carbs are perfectly good.  Troubles only arise when someone who thinks they know what they're doing start messing with them. 

 

Or when ethanol is stored in them for an extended period.

[Erik88]

27 minutes ago, peejman said:

If all you want to do is trail ride, it'll be great

That's exactly what I want to do. Where would it not excel? Motocross? I have no interest in that. 

[BigK]

58 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

That's exactly what I want to do. Where would it not excel? Motocross? I have no interest in that. 

Accelerating on demand up a long, steep hill maybe?

[peejman]

6 hours ago, gregintenn said:

Or when ethanol is stored in them for an extended period.

True. No ethanol in anything with a carb, ever.  I learned that the hard way. Twice. 

 

5 hours ago, Erik88 said:

That's exactly what I want to do. Where would it not excel? Motocross? I have no interest in that. 

It's not road legal so no FS roads. 

The suspension isn't great but can be upgraded.   So it depends on how fast you want to go.  My bike has very basic suspension and i use it as a hint to slow down. When it starts bouncing me around, I'm probably going faster than I should be. 

You can swap sprockets and gear it down if you don't like how well it climbs. 

[Erik88]

16 minutes ago, peejman said:

It's not road legal so no FS roads. 

It probably comes down to the individual cop though. My electric bike isn't street legal. I've passed 3 cops so far in West Knoxville and none have paid me any attention. 

[Frog4aday]

@Erik88 I agree with @BigK, get the Honda w/EFI and pass on the carbureted Kawasaki. With crap ethanol fuel, EFI is less problematic over the long haul. I had a KLX250S that leaked oil from the get go, so not as keen on the Kawi's since then. Honda should be a good investment for you when you outgrow the 125cc & decide to go bigger (easier resale; holds value better.)

[Erik88]

Does anyone have any tips for looking at used dirt bikes? Aside from checking the oil and overall condition, what are some red flags I should look for? I know the air filters typically can't be accessed without removing a body panel but I may try to do that. 

I've called a few dealers around Knoxville and the fees today are outrageous. The Honda I want has around $800 in various charges tacked on to the price, then tax. That's why I'm leaning towards a used bike. 

 

[gregintenn]

2 hours ago, Erik88 said:

Does anyone have any tips for looking at used dirt bikes? Aside from checking the oil and overall condition, what are some red flags I should look for? I know the air filters typically can't be accessed without removing a body panel but I may try to do that. 

I've called a few dealers around Knoxville and the fees today are outrageous. The Honda I want has around $800 in various charges tacked on to the price, then tax. That's why I'm leaning towards a used bike. 

 

Overall condition is a pretty reliable gauge. Sprockets, chain, wheel bearings, tires, brakes. Are the front forks leaking? 
 

Obviously, crank it and take it for a spin. Does it run right? Shift right? Handle bars straight? Smoking?

 

Ain’t much you can hide in a dirt bike. It’s all right out there in the open to see.

Edited May 15, 2023 by gregintenn

[peejman]

Irregular tire wear.  Loose head bearings.  Glazed rotors.  Brake fluid color.  Worn wheel and swing arm bearings. Spoke tension. 

Farkles usually don't add much to the price for me, unless it's something I really want. 

Dead cold (hand on crank case) start.  

Look at the other vehicles the seller has, are they clean and well maintained?

I'll add a couple things.... make yourself a checklist.  Is easy to get excited and skip over something important. Take a riding buddy along for a 2nd set of eyes. They have no vested interest so they might be more objective. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by peejman
Extra stuff

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, peejman said:

Irregular tire wear.  Loose head bearings.  Glazed rotors.  Brake fluid color.  Worn wheel and swing arm bearings. Spoke tension. 

Farkles usually don't add much to the price for me, unless it's something I really want. 

Dead cold (hand on crank case) start.  

Look at the other vehicles the seller has, are they clean and well maintained?

I'll add a couple things.... make yourself a checklist.  Is easy to get excited and skip over something important. Take a riding buddy along for a 2nd set of eyes. They have no vested interest so they might be more objective. 

^^^excellent advice!^^^

[Darrell]

6 hours ago, Erik88 said:

Does anyone have any tips for looking at used dirt bikes?

A fairly large proportion of used dirt bikes are going to have issues. Most dirt-bike riders wring their little necks. I would pay attention to WHO is selling it. If it's a young guy the bike may have been thrashed harder than if an older guy is selling it.  But I agree with Greg above that overall condition is going to be a good indicator. You can generally tell if a dirt bike has been kept clean and maintained. One that's been used the way it was meant to be used will show the signs.

[Erik88]

I keep getting people offering to trade me my bike for their Frankensteined junk. Bikes that have had their top end replaced. All kinds of aftermarket parts. Frame replaced. No way am I taking a risk on some bike with a history like that. I want something basically stock, in decent condition, with an owner that can communicate normally. 

I may have set the bar too high when it comes to Facebook marketplace. 

 

 

[peejman]

1 hour ago, Erik88 said:

I keep getting people offering to trade me my bike for their Frankensteined junk. Bikes that have had their top end replaced. All kinds of aftermarket parts. Frame replaced. No way am I taking a risk on some bike with a history like that. I want something basically stock, in decent condition, with an owner that can communicate normally. 

I may have set the bar too high when it comes to Facebook marketplace. 

 

 

Top end replacements on a 2 stroke are a fairly normal thing, they don't last forever. It does still happen on 4 strokes, but is much less common.  If the mileage is relatively low, then its clearly been run hard and put up wet. 

And yes, dirt frankenbikes are pretty common as well.   I think your best bet is to find one that was used as a stepping stone to something bigger.  Don't take that as an insult... lots of dirt riders think horsepower is a substitute for skill. 

[gregintenn]

Patience, grasshopper. Weed through the idiots and he shall be rewarded.

You May kiss a deal or two along the way, but you’re less likely to get shafted.

 

A big list of stuff replaced is a minus to me; not a plus.

Edited May 15, 2023 by gregintenn

[Erik88]

19 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Patience, grasshopper. Weed through the idiots and he shall be rewarded.

I'm not sure how much more abuse I can take. I've had a million "Is this available" messages. People asking me to trade them for 13-18 year old bikes, then begging me when I say no. My wife says I'm being dramatic but I disagree. Others get offended if you decline. 

 

19 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

A big list of stuff replaced is a minus to me; not a plus.

Exactly. I don't trust people to do the work correctly. 

[peejman]

2 hours ago, Erik88 said:

I'm not sure how much more abuse I can take. I've had a million "Is this available" messages. People asking me to trade them for 13-18 year old bikes, then begging me when I say no. My wife says I'm being dramatic but I disagree. Others get offended if you decline. 

 

Exactly. I don't trust people to do the work correctly. 

Then put the stock pipe back on.... 

[gregintenn]

37 minutes ago, peejman said:

Then put the stock pipe back on.... 

or move.

[Darrell]

I think everyone hates those "is this still available" messages. FB should just remove that as a auto-response.

Keep your chin up, the right bike will come along. Another option would be to sell your bike and then buy with cash. You might have better luck. 

 

[Darrell]

There's a Ducati 749 semi-basket case for sale in Montgomery, AL that's tempting me sorely. Something of a pig in a poke, but I'm a sucker for projects that might be a good deal. That five hour drive may be saving me, though.

[Erik88]

Visiting my friend in Fentress County. They all agreed the Talaria is more fun than the ATV's. 

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by Erik88

[Erik88]

Well, I have officially moved up to gas. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about missing the ebike. It was just so easy to ride. Everyone that rode it, loved it. This 2021 CRF125 Big Wheel was ridden so little it still has the hairs on the front tire. 

 

Anyways, 

 

Does anyone have a suggestion for strapping this thing down? I don't see a good place to run a ratchet strap through the middle like I did on the Talaria. 

 

 

 

 

[peejman]

1 hour ago, Erik88 said:

Well, I have officially moved up to gas. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about missing the ebike. It was just so easy to ride. Everyone that rode it, loved it. This 2021 CRF125 Big Wheel was ridden so little it still has the hairs on the front tire. 

 

Anyways, 

 

Does anyone have a suggestion for strapping this thing down? I don't see a good place to run a ratchet strap through the middle like I did on the Talaria. 

 

 

 

 

Cool, i think that'll be fun to ride. You might find something in the rear subframe to hook a strap on. Not having passenger pegs takes away that easy spot to hook a strap. 

[gregintenn]

I detest ratchet straps. I always just hooked a pull tight strap on either side of the handle bar. Since you have it on that rack and not in the bed, I’d probable run a third one through the back wheel spokes and just cinch it down snug.