decisions

[Trapjaw]

I have a question on making the right choice. The age old, frequently asked, what should I get question...

A little history and info:

I used to always have a bike or atv from around age 8 to 17. Kawasaki 80 I think was my first bike, it was so rugged and hand made looking. I have a pic packed up somewhere around here. Had a metal tank, front fender was like a 1/32" flat piece of metal rounded like a fender. Custom yellow, blue and white paint. My bro in law bored it over and we put a new piston and rings in it and a carb off a rm125 (as far as i remember, was something like that) And it ran like a scalded dog.

My older bro had a late 80s model Honda Elsinore 125 that I rode sometimes when I was 11 or so. I think they took it to have it bored or something. I cant remember much about all that. I learned about power bands the hard way. My dad had a 175? yamaha mountain bike so they called it. No tellin what it was. Looked like a chopper with on/off rd tires. I turned it over on the pine straw when I was around 10 yr old. But I was determined to ride it.

Got my 2nd 4 wheeler at 16-17, rode the shit out of it. Hate it for the guy who bought it. Went bike-less from around 19 to now, Im almost 31. My nephew, which is 15 got a honda trx400ex, and after riding it for almost a month it has renewed the love for bikes in me and Ive been dying to get one.

All which led me to here after a week or two of researching, debating, job hunting.. I thought about a ninja 250r for work, but I wouldnt get to trail ride with my nephew for at least a year when I got my debt paid off. Then I thought about getting a kawasaki 140L or honda crf150, decided they were too small cause im over 6 ft. and weigh under 150 soaking wet. I Looked at the kawasaki 250s. & honda crf230L. But I didnt want to risk breaking anything in the woods. Plus im trying to be reasonable with my finances and get something cheaper to begin with. So I finally decided on the yamaha ttr230. Even with all the negative reviews Ive read about it slipping out of gear, bad front suspension, too heavy, its a girls bike, you'll grow out of it and wish you had a YZ250, honda motors are more reliable, etc.. I still think it will be a good bike for what I will use it for.

I consider myself experienced, I have never broken a bone. Although Ive had 3 or 4 close calls on atvs. I feel like I could handle a wr450 or yz but I dont need one of them for the woods and fields & just joy riding. Its too much money and too much power for casual trailing.

So do you feel that is the right choice for my situation or should I just get a 4wd atv and be done with it?

thanks for your time.

[Burke_78]

If you want to ride to work and ride on the trails with your nephew... DRZ400SM and get a pair of dirt tires on rims so you can just swap out the tires and ride the woods on the weekend and the streets during the week... at least thats what I would do... if we couldn't have our quads street legal here

[Trapjaw]

Went to my local dealer and they had an 09' ttr230 in stock for $3200.
I about forgot about the suzuki dual sport line. Its still a little too high for what i want to spend out the gate.
I think i have a plan laid out if all goes well. I'll just get the 230 for my temporary fix, finance my old mans blazer with him . Then get me a small trailer to haul the bike with. Maybe by hunting season I can try to swing a new or used 4x4 atv, leave it at his house to save him from having to buy one since hes retired, he can get more use out of it than me during the week then we'll both be set. Last yr we each pulled a deer out of the woods by hand and it wasnt fun.

[Burke_78]

I know what you mean... I grew up in Iowa and have dragged many deer through snow and up some decent hills... seems like you are dragging anchors and tow hooks up Mt. Everest

[Trapjaw]

i pulled a muscle in my back about a week before the last day of deer season, but it wasnt bad. it felt pretty good the next day actually. Then either the day before or on last day me and dad tracked a doe down in the creek beside the neighbors house, he had a rope so we started tuggin then i tugged on the rope tied to her feet one wrong time sideways and i almost couldnt walk. but i forced myself to walk about 200 yards to get the truck. i was down for a week.
But if i told you the whole story, from about 30 mins before that, it was totally worth it

[Trapjaw]

dont hate me but i ended up getting a new 09' crf230f ::
it was cheaper than the ttr i was looking at. so far its been great in the woods and on trails. Jetted it & took it to Stony Lonesome in Cullman Alabama last weekend and it did its job. I like blue more than red though. My next bike will be a yz250, yfz450 or a big bear 400 4x4. Need the 4x4 most.

[Rome Veelo]

sounds like a good choice to me man.