Analysis Paralysis

[Paul_E_D]

I'm getting a new dirty mount, but I am fully torn about exactly what to get. My habit is to train on this bike for a few months in the spring, and fall, plus ice ride. I have a small track I can ride to from my house, no roads. That is where I ride 90 percent of the time. It is rough, and to go fast, you really need a pretty MX biased setup. Plus, I am drawn to MX bikes in general.

The wildcard in this decision is things like most of my friends now ride woodsy and even dual sport mounts. I can't participate in that stuff for the most part with a full on MXer.

Right now the front runner is the 2016 YZ250F. The motor and suspension get rave reviews right out of the box. The forks are the last traditional spring and oil fork in the MX world, and are for the moment thought to be far and away the best. I want something I don't have to endlessly tweak to get plush action from.

2nd place is the KTM 350. Not sure which XC-F or SX. I think at my weight (130) the XC-F suspension might be plenty MX friendly for me. The motor is getting crazy good reviews, but I know KTMs are very finicky to set up, and I'm trying to avoid that mess.

Third place would be the 350 EXC-F. Street legal out of the box, plenty of bike for any occasion. Problem being the no-link chasis. I have owned one before and struggled to get it to work well for MX terrain.

Then there are the 2 smokes. I REALLY want a 150SX. Linkage chasis, killer motor, insane brakes, light weight. But it's even less versatile than the rest of this bunch.


Gah. Analysis Paralysis. HELP!

[gmdboston]

Fuggit, but 'em all, then decide. hope this helps.

[Paul_E_D]

You always have the answer Peter!

[R7]

Go big or go home. I have a nice clean ktm 450sxf that has your name all over it...lol

[union]

Why not look at the KTM 300 XCW? It's a two stroke and can be registered in MA. It's the PDS shock but other then that I don't see any negatives from your list.

[Chippertheripper]

The new 4cs forks scare me a little. But that's only because I know nothing about them.
You could go the Vermont route with the yammy, if you wanted, and be able to play with your friends.
With the exc, you could take roads to trails that weren't mx oriented and ride woods on it.

I THINK the pds has been made better. How much better is a mystery to me.
A 250/300xc will have linkage and closed chamber forks up until 2014 if you buy used.

[Paul_E_D]

Mark, NO. LOL.

James, the 300 is wayyyy too much bike for ripping hard laps on a knarly track. Too tall, too powerful, too hard to start, too much of everything!

Chipper, I have it on good intel that a PDS can never be made to work on the range of terrain reqd for MX. Hard whoops, acceleration hack, hard landings. It's not versatile enough. I'm also resistant to going with the new forks on the KTMs. I want to fire it up and rip. Not tweak and tune forever.

[union]

James, the 300 is wayyyy too much bike for ripping hard laps on a knarly track. Too tall, too powerful, too hard to start, too much of everything!

Bullshit on hard to start. It has a button you push. Doesn't get much easier. I don't think they are any taller then the other KTMs. It's actually lower by 10mm then the 350 EXC-F on the 2016. As for power. Got me there. You know there is a good resources on those right now. PK is riding one.

[Chippertheripper]

The 300 is not too much bike.

[JettaJayGLS]

Go with the 150SX.

I too always wanted and owned an MX breed, and I was always able to at least keep up with my friends in the woods...granted my riding buddies weren't the greatest. I think the light weight of the 150sx in the woods will help make up for some of the pit-fall of the MX suspension.

[Kurlon]

What are the downsides to the Yamaha that are preventing you from jumping on one?

[Imbeek]

Out of the ones you listed, 350exc-f, IF you think you can get the suspension to work right (even if a minor struggle to do so)

Outrageously high resale value when you decide to sell it because of the street legal part, suitable for woods riding anywhere with buddies, most versatile. Again, IF you think you can get it working well. Don't you think you will end up messing with the suspension on all of them, anyway?

[Paul_E_D]

I know the 300 is too much bike. I've ridden them. Until you try lapping a rough tight track on a monster like that you have no idea.

The PDS thing is just about a show stopper for me on the EXC-F. It also comes with the highest entry price by far. Also, I believe the KTMs across the board are very sensitive to set up and will require a lot of work.

I *suspect* the Yamaha will work right out of the box, and quite possibly work *good enough* for occasional woods rides, but I haven't had the chance to ride one. I guess it's really between the Yam, and something street legal.

[rolker]

Is this one of those threads that is gonna keep on going all winter?

[Paul_E_D]

Only until Isaac buys my KX250F, so get on him about that!

[Rambunctous]

For me the ideal set up is two bikes. A KTM 150 XC and a KTM 300 XC-W. So I compromised. I have a 200 XC-W

[nhbubba]

I've ridden a newer 350 XCF-W. It is a pretty versatile, very nice motorcycle. I think that would be my vote.

XCF/XCF-W should be plate-able, even in MA. You'll need a lights kit and such, but that isn't a big deal, right? Only reasons I can think to go EXC-F instead would be the keyed ignition and light kit from the show-room floor. You're going to chuck half the bits right away. (Enormous mirrors, reflectors, etc.)

350 seems like a great does-it-all compromise. I often find myself wondering if I should have dumped my DRZ and bought a 350 XCF-W instead of investing in the 200 XC-W I have and keeping the DRZ.

The other alternative is to keep two bikes; a small displacement, uber lightweight for your play-pen and something bigger for riding with Ken & co. This is what I've done, although with lower-rent bits.

[Rada]

1994 CR250R

[Paul_E_D]

Yeah, plating the 350XC-F might be the ticket! It has the linkage I want. I forgot that you can plate them with the lighting kit.

- - - Updated - - -

1994 CR250R

LOL, that would be my choice for ice, so maybe I need 3 dirtbikes?

[Mr. Kurtz]

LOL, that would be my choice for ice, so maybe I need 3 dirtbikes?

THIS is the right answer...three dirt bikes...hmm.....

[nhbubba]

N+1 is the answer. Always.

[Paul_E_D]

I think you might have sold me on the 2016 XC-F350. Let the shopping commence!

[nhbubba]

Jealous.

Now why the XCF vs the XCF-W? Because of the suspension and linkage?

[Paul_E_D]

Absolutely. PDS is a nightmare on an MX track in my experience.

[isaac_]

Only until Isaac buys my KX250F, so get on him about that!

BRAAAP! Let's do this Paul.