426 good novice bike for big rider?

[1BLUEsky]

An experienced friend of mine rides an 02' on trails with no problems although he recently added a STEALY fly wheel weight and a spark arrestor. Without the weight you may experience some stalling in more technical areas of a trail. He has no serious problems with starting.

[theclone]

OK I just talked to my dad and he says he would rather have me start out on something a little smaller, like a 250F. Be honest, which would be a better choice? Just to refresh everyone's memory: I am 6' 195 lbs. this is my first bike other than a quad, and I will be riding mostly in the desert. So 250F or 426F? BTW, I will show this thread to my dad, so give specific reasons, and be honest.

[yogist]

Bikes are not quads...Its a lot different ride..Its going to take some self control on your part..A newbie to bikes can start with a cr 500..Its just up to the rider..Your going to fall and get hurt some, but after a bit youll get used to the feeling of it sliding around underneath you and will become 2nd nature..

At your physical size i would say get the 426...But Ive never ridden a new 250 thumper yet..

[Fryboy]

For desert riding there isn't really a choice. The 250F will be underpowered. You will be searching for extra gears on the long straights and sandwashes will sap your power. Now if you were a buck 50 or so then it might do all right. What makes the YZ426 right for you? Having that 5th gear, the ability to lug or flat out hall ass. The suspension is I would imagine a bit better for someone of your (our) size. Good luck to you. You have a great dad.

Happy trails

[TeamEndo]

Don't even bother with a 250. Quad? Get the 426, you won't regret it. Get a stock throttle stop screw off of a WR if your worried about using to much throttle, or better yet, just don't roll your right wrist all the way!

Have fun!

[SureBlue]

The power of 426 is in fact very controllable, it is all about how you twist it. I would be more worried if you plan to buy a 250 or 500 smoker. You're perfectly sized for the bike, just promise your papa you'll be careful

[xjruss]

I've ridden quads for the past 13 years... 2 months ago I bought an '02 YZ426 for myself and picked up a '98 YZ400 for my older brother. This is the first time I have owned a two-wheeler... I've only ridden my quad once since I bought the bike(s) and I've ridden every weekend since! The beauty of the 4-strokes is that the power is there throughout the rpm range which makes it very user-friendly (IMHO). When I ride desert, it seems like I rarely use more than half-throttle... the dunes are a different story but even there, I can lug the crap out of it in 3rd or 4th and then open it up when I need to... it's awesome!

I'm 6'1", 170lbs... I contemplated starting on a 250F also, but I'm glad I went with the bigger bike. I'll echo what others have said... starting the bike is not a problem if you follow the steps.

With your size, I'd definitely recommend a 400 or 426 (both great bikes)... also, you'll shift a lot less with the bigger engine which will be easier to ride.

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

[Raven1911]

I too was in this predicament about 1 month ago 250F vs 426F. Bought the 426, but I am only 175lbs, but really like my decision. I am a relative beginner (been riding for about a year) and the 426 is awesome. You can do so much with it and the torque is awesome for desert, trail and especially hillclimbing. Go with the 426 and be ginger with the throttle until you get used to the bike, you won't regret it

[LPT1485]

I just upgraded from a 04'250f to an 01 426f. There is a vast difference here are some of the major things Ive notices. Weight is the first thing I noticed, the 426 was alot heavier and a bigger bike all around. It took about an hour to get used to, but once I did Im much more confident on this machine. Its suspension absorbs everything and is very easy to set right to your weight, I weight 180 and am 5'10''. All in all the 426 is going to be a bit of a handfull at first, I ride pretty intense east coast trails and it performs flawlessly, its in stock form with the exception of the 03 cam and I love it. In the open this thing pulls like a freight train, the major difference between the 250f, I would top that thing out in no time and always was grabbing for an extra gear. not so with the 426.

So all in all, get the 426, it'll probably be cheaper than a 250f. And you wont need to upgrade in a year or so when you get tired of the power of the 250f (what I did). Just have good throttle control and a clear head while riding and youll have a blast on these machines. Also, get an 01' or an 02', titanium valves and all that jazz. Good luck

[buzzgrizz]

Its a great bike, but if you can help it, get a 2001 or 2002. A freind of mine had the 2000 and being a first year bike it had a few issues.

a 00 426 was my first and still is my big bike and i've had no problems with it but also wouldn't mind it being a 02 just for it being newer