Looking for a street/dirt machine

[pitlover]

Hello so at the moment I have a 2001 rm125. I am 16. 6'2" and little over 210 lbs. I am looking for a bike that I can ride onroad to school and back, and on day ride with my friends up in the hills.

I want a bike that is reliable and will not break down on me when I am out on the road or dirt.

The only bike really in my price range is the yz400/426 or wr. I have found a couple for sale locally and want your opinion on them.

http://modesto.craigslist.org/mcy/2577631875.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/mcy/2576096430.html

The first says it has a tapping. Can this really be fixed by a valve adjustment?

Also what are your guy's opinion on how good it will be for street riding?

I posted this in the yz400/26/50 section also, but it sort of pertains to bolth sections.

[FORMA MOTO]

Hello so at the moment I have a 2001 rm125. I am 16. 6'2" and little over 210 lbs. I am looking for a bike that I can ride onroad to school and back, and on day ride with my friends up in the hills.

I want a bike that is reliable and will not break down on me when I am out on the road or dirt.

The only bike really in my price range is the yz400/426 or wr. I have found a couple for sale locally and want your opinion on them.

http://modesto.craigslist.org/mcy/2577631875.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/mcy/2576096430.html

The first says it has a tapping. Can this really be fixed by a valve adjustment?

Also what are your guy's opinion on how good it will be for street riding?

I posted this in the yz400/26/50 section also, but it sort of pertains to bolth sections.

These are pretty high strung bikes for daily street riding.

No way to tell what the tapping is. If were easy to fix, he would have done it already.

[pitlover]

These are pretty high strung bikes for daily street riding.

No way to tell what the tapping is. If were easy to fix, he would have done it already.

What exactly do you mean high strung? I actually do not think I will be riding to school but more of doing the back roads and twisties with my buddies.

And I text him and asked him. He said that it taps at idle but once you start moving it goes away.

[FORMA MOTO]

What exactly do you mean high strung? I actually do not think I will be riding to school but more of doing the back roads and twisties with my buddies.

And I text him and asked him. He said that it taps at idle but once you start moving it goes away.

Yeah, that's not going to get better on it's own. Stay away unless you like to work on four stroke motors.

[ArcticWR400]

You said you wanted something to ride on the roads and in the hills. that rules the supermoto out. which also has a suspected valve tap... stay away. 4t's are not a lot of fun to fix. roughly 3x as many moving parts, so if its already got issues just strike it off teh list.

The YZ400 with blinker kit looks to be in good shape. i would look into that, but don't let him talk you into the supermoto one unless you're willing to truck your RM to the hills for fun riding and he chops the price substantially.

any of course, test drive the one you're considering... i question the 40t rear sprocket on the YZ400 though. awefully high gearing for a bike with knobbies but then again, I run stock gearing and usually trail ride in 1st 2nd 3rd gears...

oh yea, and a bike's a bike. so if it doesn't give you a hard on then its not worth owning.

Oh, and by high-strung he means performance oriented. 1 thing wrong will cause 2 more, which will cause 2 more.

[pitlover]

Okay, I will definately take my mind off the wr400 with supermoto already.

The other bike youre talking about with the 40t rear sprocket was what he was going to convert to a supermoto. I may take a look at that. His other one is not for sale.

How well would these bikes run on the street with enduro tires?

A supermoto conversion seems quite pricey and I may have to buy enduro tires for now.

[pitlover]

Do you guys think that the small oil leak behind the sprocket is a reason for me to stray away from the bike and wait for the right one?

[FORMA MOTO]

Do you guys think that the small oil leak behind the sprocket is a reason for me to stray away from the bike and wait for the right one?

No, a countershaft seal replacement is easy, but you can't ignore it; it has to be fixed.

Let's be clear though:

A WR geared stock tops out at about 60mph, wide open.

To get it to cruise at that speed makes first gear extremely high, and not suitable for off-road, unless you are very experienced.

A DRZ geared stock tops out at 75, and first gear is totally useable. And it has electric start, a 'cush' hub to prevent damage to the transmission on the street (wheelies, downshifting), and is not as 'high strung': it's easier to ride on the street.

But, if you want less weight, better torquey power, and potential for much rougher terrain riding, the WR is a better choice.

I have owned both, and the DRZ is very civilized to ride every day. The WR has more vibration, the suspension is hacky for the street, and the seat is very firm.

No matter what you buy used, if it's a four stroke, you will need to be able to maintain it well, for it to last. Lots of oil, oil filter, changes, air cleaning.

[pitlover]

Thank you. I am going to keep my eyes open and look around for a drz.

[ArcticWR400]

You can buy a "cush" drive sprocket for a WR to help prevent wear and tear to your knobbies and more importantly to your tranny... here is a link...

http://kushsprockets.com/sprockets

[dustdogg]

No, a countershaft seal replacement is easy, but you can't ignore it; it has to be fixed.

Let's be clear though:

A WR geared stock tops out at about 60mph, wide open.

To get it to cruise at that speed makes first gear extremely high, and not suitable for off-road, unless you are very experienced.

A DRZ geared stock tops out at 75, and first gear is totally useable. And it has electric start, a 'cush' hub to prevent damage to the transmission on the street (wheelies, downshifting), and is not as 'high strung': it's easier to ride on the street.

But, if you want less weight, better torquey power, and potential for much rougher terrain riding, the WR is a better choice.

I have owned both, and the DRZ is very civilized to ride every day. The WR has more vibration, the suspension is hacky for the street, and the seat is very firm.

No matter what you buy used, if it's a four stroke, you will need to be able to maintain it well, for it to last. Lots of oil, oil filter, changes, air cleaning.

I know this really isn't the OP's question but My '02 WR 426 will top out in the 80-82 mph range wide open with stock gearing - 14/50. This is verified many times on my GPS.

[FORMA MOTO]

I know this really isn't the OP's question but My '02 WR 426 will top out in the 80-82 mph range wide open with stock gearing - 14/50. This is verified many times on my GPS.

Yeah, but you can't ride wide open, every day, in traffic, just to keep up. You need to have a high cruising speed at a lower rpm, or you will wear the motor out in months, and be changing oil every few days.