First time rider - opinions?

[Kijona]

I'm trying to get a friend of mine into riding bikes. There's a coupon for a place called Durham Town Plantation that's here in GA - something like 120miles of trail and 10 miles of MX track. I want to take him here to get some experience.

They rent dirtbikes and ATVs. The coupon states anything up to 230cc for the dirtbikes and 300cc for the ATVs. These are the options:

Suzuki RM-65
Honda CRF70
Honda CRF80
Yamaha TTR90
Honda CRF100
Honda CRF150R
Honda CRF150F
Honda CRF230

Suzuki Ozark 250
Suzuki LTZ250

He has somewhat learned how to use a clutch on my 1986 XR250R but he wasn't able to actually ride anywhere because he kept stalling it and we ran out of time. He has zero riding experience sans the aforementioned time on my 250. He doesn't know how to drive a stick either. I'd say take my 250 and let him learn on that but...I'm really afraid he's gonna hurt himself - the XR is geared kind of low.

I'm not a dirtbike expert by any means. I don't know a whole lot about any of these bikes listed, nor the ATVs. The best I can figure is the Ozark is somewhat like a Honda Recon/Rancher and the LTZ is a bit sportier? Neither of the two have a clutch, correct?

Should he try riding a dirtbike, and if so, which of the listed would be acceptable for a beginner - I was thinking the 90 but I don't know if the bike would be physically large enough for him. He's about 5'6" and 160lbs. I'd say the 230 but I'm concerned it might be too much bike for him to learn on. Obviously the best option would be the LTZ400 they rent, which I assume does have a clutch...that way he could learn the clutch and shifting without the risk of falling on his ass and hurting himself or the bike. However, it's $200 for a day and he's a college student - it's not like either of us are made of money.

[ver4]

The TTR's are very small bikes.  Even the larger TTR is not very big.  I think the TTR 90 would be too small.  I think the best bet would be the CRF150F.  The CRF150R is more for motorcross. I learned on a 125, but dirt riding doesn't always correlate (or ever correlate) with street riding.

[Kijona]

The TTR's are very small bikes.  Even the larger TTR is not very big.  I think the TTR 90 would be too small.  I think the best bet would be the CRF150F.  The CRF150R is more for motorcross. I learned on a 125, but dirt riding doesn't always correlate (or ever correlate) with street riding.

Yes, however, I'm not letting him ride one of my bikes without having previous experience AND without a motorcycle license, heh. So, you have to start somewhere. And the street is not the best place to start, believe me.

Thanks for the info on the bikes. I had no idea the physical size of the 90 OR the 150, so that helps.

[tt_four]

I'd say a 150 4 stroke would be a good size, I'm not sure if the ones you listed are 2 or 4 stroke.

A quad would be a good start, but only if it had a manual clutch, and I'm not sure how detrimental it would be to learn with a thumb throttle instead of a twist grip like on a motorcycle. I know how to ride a motorcycle, but even when I go out dirtbiking with my friends(kx250) I rarely ever even take the bike out of 1st gear. While he's new I don't think shifting would be a big issue for him, learning to work the clutch and balance would be an obstacle, but I think he can have a good time for a few hours and not really need to worry about shifting too much. I know the smaller bikes would have a shorter speed range, but he'd also be going slower since he's just learning.

Is he familiar with riding a bicycle? a day on a mountain bike in the woods probably wouldn't hurt before he jumped on a motorcycle.

[mister]

I recommend ALL people wanting to learn to ride a motorcycle spend a day riding a bicycle first to get familiar with two wheels. Yes the weight will be different when they get on the motorcycle, but it is quickly compensated for.

I started on yz80 and yz125 two strokes. Had a good lot of offs but learned what it feels like when a bike goes from under you and how to handle dirt and slippery surfaces. In the beginning he is not likely to get out of 2nd gear.

Michael

[Twisted]

Put your GS on the centre stand and let him sit on it while it is running so he can practice with the clutch and gears if you are worried about him dropping your bike.

[BaltimoreGS]

A CRF230 would be fine for someone his size.  They are less powerful than your XR250, they are the equivalent of the old XR200 but with better brakes.  Just make sure he has on proper safety gear   

-Jessie

[Kijona]

Yeah he rides a bike every day to and from campus so yes, he has that experience.

Also, I'd really prefer not to let him get on either of my bikes because it's inevitable that he's gonna drop whatever he's riding eventually and I'd prefer it not be one of my bikes.

[tt_four]

He sounds like a good candidate for MSF to me. Just let them sort him out, and then you guys can spend your time riding instead of him crashing, and you watching him crash.