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Dirt Bike Suggestions

S
Nov 26, 2007
1,716
126
63
49
FU
Thinking of getting a dirt bike soon and looking for suggestions. In the past i had an 2003 WR450F (street legal) and a 2006 YZ250F (SASS). The YZ was def a lot more fun to ride but I loved the fact that I could take the WR on the roads as well as the WR's E start :). I am not a racer and this bike will basically be used to kill time before next winter :)

Is there a bike like a YZ250F that can easily be made street legal? Can you achieve this by just gearing down a WR?

I hear EFI has now made it to the dirt bike world. How are they working out?

Other brands models? I'm not married to yammis
 
R
Dec 3, 2007
57
7
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Washington State
Here in Washington State I have been able to get a plate directly from the dealer on my last 4 KTM's. Two stroke and 4stroke. KTM hard parts sells a light kit for under $200 and a brake switch is around $30bucks. Plate, head light, and brake light is as far as I go and no problems for me. KTM does sell a street legal 4stroke in a 450 and 530 called the EXC. For a few bucks they can become the real deal dirt bike. I race, so I rather take a race bike and make it street presentable rather than taking a street legal bike and spend money to make it race worthy.
 
S
Dec 5, 2007
394
22
18
Boise ID
I ride an 04 WR450 with a few mods and it works really well for me. I seem to make to a desert race or ISDE a couple times a year and for that it is not the best but still works pretty well. you can make it street legal but I'm not a fan of most dual sports bikes. they don't seem to do either thing very well... just kinda good at both. for me, dirt is the priority so i'd lean toward fixing up a dirt bike to ride on the steets... ala super moto.

Cool thing about the bigger 4strokes is the 2 moto snow bike option it gives you. i'm a sled head but have had my 2moto for a year and a half now and really like the options it provides. will it replace my sled??? not likely but it is more fun to ride when other than deep pow is on the menu. not cheap but what in this sport is?

fuel injected bikes have the option of going turbo (BIG $$$) and supposed to be like riding a sled with 225 + hp. never rode one so, that is second hand info at best. i know all but yamaha is running FI in their race bikes now...

hope some of that helps. for me the e-start, kickstand, light and wide gears really fits most of my riding with family and friends so i'm a fan of the WR. Love the "flickablity" of the race bikes but not very many guys ever test the limits of the bike they ride so I think sometimes its the ego that buys the bike, not the real intent of use for the bike.

good luck.

Hauler
 

off road rider

SnoWest Paid Sponsor
Premium Member
Jan 2, 2008
1,729
354
83
Kent Wa
Cant go wrong with the KTM 450/530xc its a "real" dirt bike you can plate for the street..The exc is close to the same bike but geared high and has some extra plumbing to make it street legal out the door.
In wa its your only real choice..I know other states do allow you to plate bikes like the Wr.. But bottom line.. any new age bike will work well. no one is making junk. and there are few riders that ever ride the bike to its full potential anyways. take a look at what type of riding you will really be doing, and go from there. a good dealer close to you might be something to also think about..
Ive been riding with a buddy on the new rm450 fi.. I have to say Im not real impressed. It doesnt start any easier than my 525 and it seems to run very rich.. It might need some remapping???
One good thing with the fi is that when dumped over it will stall fast and doesnt leak all the fuel on the ground..
 
Last edited:

xrated

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Jul 20, 2004
8,870
1,018
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Plainview, MN
Yammi sells a supermoto in 250F that is street legal, well it may need lights don't remember.

If I didn't have 25 miles of highway to work I would be all over a 250f in some sort of super moto setup.
 
S
Dec 9, 2008
20
2
3
I love my wr450f, parts are probably easier to get, but KTM makes a great bike too. If I didnt ride a yamaha Id ride a KTM...
 
D
Oct 22, 2008
116
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Longview WA
I loved my crf 450x and a good forum for any honda dirt bike is CRFSONLY.com on the honda put in a jd jet kit cut the airbox put in a factory honda 450R cam and header along with an exhaust (mine was off a 450R) and it is a totally different bike. Sucks you have to modify it to be fast, for what they cost it should be done at the factory. Remember you meet the nicest people on a honda lol!
 
M
Oct 13, 2008
81
5
8
Thinking of getting a dirt bike soon and looking for suggestions. In the past i had an 2003 WR450F (street legal) and a 2006 YZ250F (SASS). The YZ was def a lot more fun to ride but I loved the fact that I could take the WR on the roads as well as the WR's E start :). I am not a racer and this bike will basically be used to kill time before next winter :)

Is there a bike like a YZ250F that can easily be made street legal? Can you achieve this by just gearing down a WR?

I hear EFI has now made it to the dirt bike world. How are they working out?

Other brands models? I'm not married to yammis


Most 4 stroke bikes CAN be street legal, all they need is lights and a licsense plate. Your supposed to have street tires, but the odds that a cop would pull you over and know what type of tire you have is slim to none.

I would recommend a honda, most of them already have lights, or a klx450f. It is a kawasaki and comes with a light, and it is pretty much a race bike with a light on it, except heavier because of electric start, im pretty sure.
 

off road rider

SnoWest Paid Sponsor
Premium Member
Jan 2, 2008
1,729
354
83
Kent Wa
Most 4 stroke bikes CAN be street legal, all they need is lights and a licsense plate. Your supposed to have street tires, but the odds that a cop would pull you over and know what type of tire you have is slim to none.

I would recommend a honda, most of them already have lights, or a klx450f. It is a kawasaki and comes with a light, and it is pretty much a race bike with a light on it, except heavier because of electric start, im pretty sure.

You might want to look into what options are available for aftermarket electrical power.. the KTM, honda and Yamaha all have aftermarket stators available.
The Kawi or suzuki does not.. The stock light is almost useless and the bike has no extra power for a decent headlight.
Ck your states regs.. again here in wa, you Can NOT plate anything other than a KTM..
 
X
Sep 15, 2008
89
3
8
You might want to look into what options are available for aftermarket electrical power.. the KTM, honda and Yamaha all have aftermarket stators available.
The Kawi or suzuki does not.. The stock light is almost useless and the bike has no extra power for a decent headlight.
Ck your states regs.. again here in wa, you Can NOT plate anything other than a KTM..

or a husqvarna
 

cubby

Well-known member
Premium Member
Nov 26, 2007
2,206
484
83
I don't think yamaha has the FI yet not that I know of anyways, but if you have the coin spend it on a KTM worth every penny from what I have heard. I ride a 03 wr450 and just love it. I put on the fmf 4.1 muffler, air box mod, jd jet kit, thottle stop mod and a few others and it runs very well.:D:D
 
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