Dual duty bike: trails and parking lot fun (sliding)

[bad-mofo]

Any recommendations for an inexpensive and easy to ride dirt bike with the following things in mind:

1. one of big four, not Chinese knockoff
2. 4-stroke for predictability, wide powerband, and ease of repair
3. disk brakes, at least the front one
4. seat height similar to a regular sportbike to ride it sportbike style (hanging off). I'm 6-2 200lbs.
5. interchangeable wheels without messing with geometry. I'd like to have two sets of wheels: with knobbies and street tires. Is it possible to get street tires for regular dirt bike wheels

I primarily wanna use this bike for parking lot fun (sliding front and rear, backing it in, etc.), few supermoto trackdays and occasion al dirt riding (nothing serious). I don't wanna permanently motard it with 17" wheels, but rather switch wheels back and forth. Do you think it's unrealistic?

I'd like to know the following:
- link to some source of street tires in dirt bike sizes. They don't need to be the grippiest coz all I want is slide.
- brief description of "motarding" any dirtbike. I have no idea how to lower it front and rear.

Tell me what you think
Thanks,
Alex

[Jikser]

this bike is the closest one that fits your requirements...you can put db specific size street tires for sportsman-class motard. low enuff for ur kneedragging needs...good enuff for trail riding...msrp 3100
http://powersports.honda.com/assets/images/model/model_hero_shot/motorcycles/2006/large/CRF230F.jpg

[bad-mofo]

What is sportsman-class motard, Wil? link please. Somehow I have hard time finding those street tires of exact size. Or it doesn't need to be exact fit. All of dual-purpose tires sem a little wider than the original knobbies. Is that OK? Also how easy it is to lower the rear? The front is obvious.

[RC-5Juan]

What is sportsman-class motard, Wil? link please. Somehow I have hard time finding those street tires of exact size. Or it doesn't need to be exact fit. All of dual-purpose tires sem a little wider than the original knobbies. Is that OK? Also how easy it is to lower the rear? The front is obvious.

Sportsman style is using the bigger wheels with dirt-track tires. Its a cheaper alternative to buying 17's with roadrace tires. You probably wont want to lower it. Being as big as you are, youll take advantage of the extra ground clearence. If you really want to lower it, you can shave the seat like Wil did on his 450. If you want to get duel purpose tires, it doesnt matter if they are a little wider (motard guys are running 160 series rears with no clearance problems). The dirt-track tires will get you more grip and control. Do a search on supermotojunkie.com for "sportsman" and you should be able to find where guys are gettin their tires.

[bad-mofo]

Thanks for the link. I found the tires. They're pretty common: either Avon Distanzia/Gripster or Pirelli Scorpion. 110/80-18 rear (10mm wider, 20mm lower) and 80/90-21 front (10mm lower). It means raising the forks 10mm (or 20mm?:dunno ) will correct the geometry.

The tire availability is important so I decided to stay with adult-size bikes that have 21/18 wheels, not youth models. TTR-230 or CRF230 seems to be the cheapest. The next level: 250s offer disk rear brakes and better suspension. Are drum rear brakes that bad (for what I want to do with the bike)?

[RC-5Juan]

Thanks for the link. I found the tires. They're pretty common: either Avon Distanzia/Gripster or Pirelli Scorpion. 110/80-18 rear (10mm wider, 20mm lower) and 80/90-21 front (10mm lower). It means raising the forks 10mm (or 20mm?:dunno ) will correct the geometry.

The tire availability is important so I decided to stay with adult-size bikes that have 21/18 wheels, not youth models. TTR-230 or CRF230 seems to be the cheapest. The next level: 250s offer disk rear brakes and better suspension. Are drum rear brakes that bad (for what I want to do with the bike)?

Riding on the dirt is all back brakes. You'll appreciate a better braking system. Those 250's probably have quite a bit more engine than the 230's as well. The 230's are playbikes while the 250s are full-on race bikes (If you are talkin about CRF250s and YZF250s). They will have loads more power, loads more suspension, and loads more capability, but they are also going to require more maintenance and will cost loads more money. Id stick with the 230's for what you are doing. Get a 250 if you think youd ever like to tard it out with 17's.

[Jikser]

YEA WHAT HE SAID....LOL

[bad-mofo]

Went to supermotojunkie.com and found some ideas for sportsman-class mini-motard: TTR125 or KLX125 based with 19/16 tires. Bridgestone BT45 seem to have the right size.

My questions are:
1. How much are the stock wheels? (to have two sets with street and dirt rubber)
2. Do any chanes to tire height (within 10mm or so) require the geometry adjustment (raising/lowering forks) or the concept of fine-tuning geometry doesn't apply to dirtbikes/motrads. Does anybody adjust the geometry when changing from stock wheels to 17s?

Thanks

[RC-5Juan]

Went to supermotojunkie.com and found some ideas for sportsman-class mini-motard: TTR125 or KLX125 based with 19/16 tires. Bridgestone BT45 seem to have the right size.

My questions are:
1. How much are the stock wheels? (to have two sets with street and dirt rubber)
2. Do any chanes to tire height (within 10mm or so) require the geometry adjustment (raising/lowering forks) or the concept of fine-tuning geometry doesn't apply to dirtbikes/motrads. Does anybody adjust the geometry when changing from stock wheels to 17s?

Thanks

I dont ever mess with the geometry. A lot of guys drop their forks as far as they can for quicker turn-in when in tard mode. I dont know if that applies for mini tards though cuz they are already so low.