Which would be better for trail riding a two or four stroke bike?

I’m wanting to get back to riding, but it has been about 13 yrs. I also need to know what size bike? I am a female,5’8″ and 145. Thanks

Jay must have been asleep at the keyboard.

Two strokes produce quick horsepower, but don’t have much torque.

Four strokes usually make lots of torque, and a little less horsepower.

It used to be that two strokes were lighter, faster and designed more for race applications. Four strokes were slower, heavier, lived longer and were better for weekend trail riding.

All that changed about 8 years ago with Yamaha’s YZ400F, a four stroke that could compete with the two strokes in MX and Supercross. Now most all the competition is on four strokes.

So, most new four strokes are now light, quick, hugely powerful and relatively high-strung.

The good news is there’s more to choose from now than ever before. The bad news is…there’s more to choose from!

My best advice would be to get yourself a relatively inexpensive beater bike first. Face it, you’ll probaby drop it and scrape it up more in the first year back riding than you do for the next 10 years! It’s awful to buy a shiny new machine, only to have it looking like crud after the first few wrecks.

So, I’ll cut to the chase. Here’s my picks for the best used trail bikes, buy one – keep it for a year, then sell it and buy what you really want!

1. 1994 & later Honda XR200 (four stroke). Very low to the ground. Easy to ride, easy to start. Bullet proof. Suspension and power are soft. Excellent for tight woods riding. Look for: Easy start, no clattering or weird noises from the engine. Should go into each gear smoothly and not try to jump out.

2. 1995 & later Kawasaki KDX200 or KDX220 (two stroke). A very under-rated machine with great handling, good power and a strong reliable engine. Not really as much of a ‘beginner’ bike as the XR – if you ride more wide open trails and soft sand, this will be the better option. Lood For: These have a power valve that needs regular cleaning – all kawasaki’s make some noise, but listen for really obnoxious clatter coming from the cylinder. If possible, listen to a new one before you go looking at used.

There are tons of other options, but these two are very plentiful and also have great reliability – so you should be able to find a good used one in your area for not too much $$.

After a year, then you’ll know more the type of riding you enjoy, and also have a chance to see the new bikes out on the trails. Then you’ll be able to buy the bike of your dreams!

My personal choice? The KTM 250EXC-R. Expensive, but oh so much fun to ride!

Hope this helps!

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