[Onyxthx]

Some of you may have read my first post about how i got a killer deal on an 1125cr and im storing it until i learn to ride. when i redeploy back to ft. hood Texas, ill be getting a smaller bike to learn on. looking on craigslist, i notice a ton of starter bikes, but many run 2-3k+. since i just spent a decent fist full on my BUELL and i don’t want to skimp on gear when i get home, i was hoping to be able to cut corners on buying a new bike, specifically looking at maybe getting a pre-owned dirt bike. i have read some posts that say dirt biking experience can be invaluable when you move up to a sport bike, others say the two aren’t close enough related to give you the experience you will need on the legal roads.

what do you guys think?

[nok610]

A lot of the guys from my MSF course were dirt bike riders. During the course, they stated that it was a different feel for them since the body posture was different as well as the general response of the bike on the dirt from legal roads. A lot of the stuff they could pull off on dirt, they wouldn’t be able to pull on the roads, for instance, the bike won’t respond the same way.

Overall, they knew all the basics of riding a bike, I guess in their case was just getting used to the different postures and feel for the road. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but I’m just passing along some info I picked up from the guys in my class.

[bigguybbr]

They are related and you’ll have all the skills to get your balance and get the bike moving but I think maneuvering safely on the road is a little different set of skills. Thats why everyone here recommends taking a saftey course geared towards the road. If you are on a military base, you might even be required to take one before you can ride on base (I know Groton Naval Base requires a person to complete a rider saftey class before being allowed to ride on base)

Why not look for an enduro aka dual sport? Then you can have the best of both worlds, on and off road!

I’m still trying to get my hands on a yamaha tw200. It’s a great little enduro with these huge fat tires. The bikes are just pure fun, but aparently no one in CT is willing to part with theirs for a reasonable price

Crash has a drz400 that he described as giggletastic I beleive.

[A]

Really you need to define the type of riding you plan on doing the most.. or just find out what type of riding you would like to do..

Dirt bike experience is valuable because you learn to maneuver a lighter weight vehicle and get used to pushing the limit of tire traction on different type of surfaces… but that has little to do with maneuvering in traffic where idiot drivers are everywhere talking on their cell phones and out to kill you with their 5000 lb. steel cages.

If you can find a used dirt bike for less than $500 and have place to ride it legally, I’d say go for it.

If you are spending more than $500 and another $20-$40 everytime you want to ride teh dirt bike, I’d say forget it and get a used Ninja 250 for under $2000 to practice in the deadly road traffic.

[eon]

If it’s a street legal dirt bike then I think that’s a great idea. You learn the basics of riding and you learn to ride safely on the streets. And once you do move up to the Buell this learner bike is worth keeping as it opens up a whole other world of riding for you. I am seriously considering doing something similar myself.

[SantaCruzRider]

No offense, but your plan sounds like you’ve bought a bike that is way too much for your experience, so you’re going to get a learner bike that is too small to really teach you all you should know before moving up and then will have a big experience gap to clear when you move from dirt bike to liter+ bike.

The typical advice on this site is that dirt bikes teach alot about balance and use of controls and may be the factor that makes a 650 manageable as the first road bike. But they won’t set you up for the 1125 (IMHO).

I think a better plan would be to find an older 500cc standard or sport bike. After a year of riding, the jump from that to the bigger bike will be more reasonable and less dangerous.

[Author]

Posts