Need a Dirt Bike for my Wife. Suggestions?

powderhoundbrr

Active VIP Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
529
Reaction score
1,018
Location
Kimberley, BC
I am looking for a bike for my wife. My 2 sons and I ride a lot and my wife wants to get a bike so we can all go out together. She is coming in without a ton of experience. We ride 99% trails. I have been looking at a CRF150F but the thing weighs 230 pounds. It is 10 pounds heavier than my yzf450. Can anyone recommend a good bike to learn on?

She is 5.6 130 pounds so a smaller bike with not a ton of power will do. I am looking for something with smooth power and light. It is more about seat height than power right now. I want something that will boost confidence and then we can move into something bigger.
 

Dragonalain

Active VIP Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
805
Reaction score
2,353
Location
saskatton
I am looking for a bike for my wife. My 2 sons and I ride a lot and my wife wants to get a bike so we can all go out together. She is coming in without a ton of experience. We ride 99% trails. I have been looking at a CRF150F but the thing weighs 230 pounds. It is 10 pounds heavier than my yzf450. Can anyone recommend a good bike to learn on?

She is 5.6 130 pounds so a smaller bike with not a ton of power will do. I am looking for something with smooth power and light. It is more about seat height than power right now. I want something that will boost confidence and then we can move into something bigger.

I had my wife on a slammed 09 crf250r a couple years ago it approximately 230 pounds. She could handle the power no problem but if she ever had to push the bike to turn it around on a skinny road that's where she struggled. We looked at a bunch of different options and went with a crf150r bike weights 165 pounds ish and has like 25 hp it rips. she can touch flat footed and can easily push and pick the bike up if she falls. If you keep the valves in spec it easily starts in a couple kicks. I've got a 2012 kx450 and I must say I like the 150 as much. It's a fun little bike.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Marley

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2011
Messages
493
Reaction score
341
Location
SW Alberta & SE BC
KDX 220. Kawasaki 2 stroke. If she has longer legs.

Got my 19 year old daughter one as she had a KLX 125 4 stroke (large wheel) but it was physically too small - she couldn't stand up on the pegs without bending over to reach the bars. Got on the KDX and rode it like a pro...but it is a 2 stroke.
 

togo ripper

Active member
Joined
Oct 8, 2013
Messages
126
Reaction score
111
Location
Yorkton
I taught my wife how to ride on a crf230 it had electric start nice smooth power and ultra reliable that's my suggestion, she will need more power than the 150 can provide pretty quick plus the torque of the bigger motor lets it lug more so less shifting
 

tko sled ed

Active VIP Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
2,771
Reaction score
2,910
Location
Parkland county
Website
www.foxmaplehomes.com
I have a ttr 230 for sale like Togo said they are great bikes ImageUploadedByTapatalk1426556586.592137.jpg ImageUploadedByTapatalk1426556609.385362.jpg
Pm me if you want more pics or a call


From mooseknuckle sledding lodge
04 outback dd vortec
 

mb1

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2007
Messages
777
Reaction score
153
Location
Edmonton
If I'm gonna trade you my dirtbike for your wife,I'm gonna need to see some pictures of her first.


LOLOL!


I think the lower seat will really inspire confidence. I'd put my wife on a CRF100 even just to get her started. You can always sell it and get something else without really costing any money assuming you buy used.

A couple years ago, Jason Schrage was dared to race a CRF150. He won an alberta PRO class harescremble on it vs guys on 450's. So don't let them say its not fast.
 

goodngrubby

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
3,452
Reaction score
4,827
Location
Nanaimo
I just picked up a small wheel CRF 150R for my wife. She's 5'3", her heels don't touch the ground. She's going to have to do some pretty intense training to outgrow the horsepower that little bike delivers.
 

cnelson6

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Messages
613
Reaction score
568
Location
High River
I got the wife a CRF150RB so it has the bigger wheels, she had the small wheel version but we found it to be way less forgiving for rolling over the logs and stuff in the bush, So we sold that and got the Big wheel. What I did to it to make it more accommodating for her was Rekluse clutch, boyseen quick shot3, accelerator pump mod (to make it a little more crisp on the throttle and easier starting and put mini bars on it so her arms were in a more natural position. Works Awesome wouldn't have her on anything else.
 

Marley

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2011
Messages
493
Reaction score
341
Location
SW Alberta & SE BC
Physical fit is more important than power as mb1 said. Toes barely touching the ground on both sides is good.

I like my big KTM thumper but rarely (if ever) do I use all it has for more than a brief blip on the trails. Big hills - different story.

Biggest things I tell all new riders is 'get your weight forward' and 'the clutch is your best friend' (anytime in trouble, pull in the clutch).
 

DDrake

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2009
Messages
845
Reaction score
646
Location
edmonton
My wife rides a 2007 crf150r small wheel. She is 5'1 and the bike is the perfect size for her. Lots of power too so that would be the bike to get for her IMO.
 

the_real_wild1

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2010
Messages
6,966
Reaction score
7,389
Location
cardiff
Physical fit is more important than power as mb1 said. Toes barely touching the ground on both sides is good.

I like my big KTM thumper but rarely (if ever) do I use all it has for more than a brief blip on the trails. Big hills - different story.

Biggest things I tell all new riders is 'get your weight forward' and 'the clutch is your best friend' (anytime in trouble, pull in the clutch).
I have lots of forward weight lmao :beer:
 

+SLEDWRECKS+

Active VIP Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
494
Reaction score
1,100
Location
Sylvan Lake
CRF150R weights 187 lbs full of fluids & fuel. So it is a fairly light bike. My fiancee rides one and is a great bike with some torque. Just depends how you gear it.
 

TheMuffinMan

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
484
Reaction score
674
Location
Chetwynd, BC
If it's strictly for trail riding with the kids and she does not have a lot of experience, I would say a 150r is overkill. Yes it makes lots of power; it also has no e-start, is prone to stalling due to light flywheel, does not have a granny 1st gear, and likes to overheat in the slow going...these can cause frustration really quick and could turn her off of riding entirely. Great bike but it needs to be ridden aggressively to work.

I know because my wife had one for 6 years. Bought it because it was THE mini bike to have supposedly. Last year we rethought things a bit and picked her up a KLX140L (big wheel) just to see how she would do on a trail bike. One ride and the CRF was up for sale...now she says she enjoys riding again. The weird part? She goes faster and farther on the Kawi...being me I just had to do a fork conversion though ;)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Scrambled

Active VIP Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2009
Messages
1,108
Reaction score
2,492
Location
Nanoose Bay B.C
My girlfriends only 5 ft and just started riding in the fall,we got her s Suzuki drz 125 big wheel,its a little tall for her but easy to control with smooth power delivery, start good and has a decently low 1rst gear,she's learning good on it for a 42 year old woman just learning to ride
 

lcoop

Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2009
Messages
22
Reaction score
76
Location
AB and MT
TheMuffinMan is has got it right. If she is learning and riding off-road a motocross bike is the worst thing to get for her. My girlfriend hated riding her rm100. It wasn't until we got her a klx140l that she started loving dirt bikes. It's easy to ride. Easy clutch pull and very hard to stall. Electric start and this is a must as nothing is more frustrating to begginer riders than kicking a hot 4 stroke a million times to get it started. I like the klx over the other bikes in this class because it has disk brakes front and rear. No drums. My girlfriend even one a bunch of ladies b off-road races on board her klx. Now she has stepped it up to a lowered ktm 200 but I'm glad the klx140l was the starter bike. Good luck.
 
Top Bottom