So, I'm about 6'2" and 155lbs. Will a klx 250 fit me alright? My dad got back into motorcycle riding about a year ago (after a 20 or 30 year hiatus), and really liked the klx 250 because it reminded him of how the old school enduros were. He ended up getting a Honda XR 650 because he was worried the 250 wouldn't pull his 210 lb frame around very well (by the time he would have upgraded the power of the klx he would have paid much more for it than he did for the XR).

However, I'm about three inches taller than my dad, and my legs are longer than his. I just don't want to ride a minibike .

I suppose I could just go sit on one, but I also want to make sure the bike will fit me power-wise if I put on a few pounds (I like the KLX, but the DRZ400 seems it would fit me better if I get heavier).

 

I'm about 6'2/165 and stock the bike will be a little low. I got raising links for about $25 that bumped it up a little more than an inch. It feels good now. As for the power, if you're a really experienced rider you'll probably want more. The big bore is a good start.

If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably get a WR426/450 and street plate it.

 

I'm 6-1 and 250, and with some mods the bike will have enough power to take you anywhere. As far as the size of the bike, I'm still kicking around the idea of some links to raise the bike a bit. But other than that its perfect. Oh and welcome to the forums.

 

Do it Deej - at 6'1 you'll like it. I used these:
http://burkhartcycle.com/store/index...products_id=96

They don't raise it a huge amount, but you can feel it. Plus I cranked the pre-load on my rear spring down almost max.

Also if you're tall, you probably have big feet. For $15.00 these pegs are a must in my book:
http://www.d2moto.com/1994-2007-Kawa...gs-p/fp022.htm

 

I'm 6 foot, so a bit shorter, but IMO you want the lowest saddled bike you can get that still offers comfortable cockpit ergonomics...at least if you're going to ride off road. Almost nothing sucks more than being in off camber, loose conditions where one foot dab would save you, but instead you have to bail and let the bike tumble. The amazing thing about the KLX to me is the amount of travel you get without a towering saddle height. Mine is an '06 with 11" of travel, but the bike is "flat footable" at my seated sag positon...and that with a 6.0 rear spring over the OEM 5.7. I think once the right spring rate is found for a given rider and conditions, you want as low a bike as you can get. I've had some fairly tall bikes over the years, and they bring some funky handling problems to the table for trail riding IMO.

I'm talking about trail riding here, not motocross, so a decently low saddle height is a blessing. The XR650R is a great bike, but it's a beast. If I lived in SoCal or some open desert, I'd definitely consider one, so it may come down to where you ride. It's tighter, rockier terrain where I usually ride, and in conditions like those the KLX250/300 really shines. This past weekend I rode with a buddy who doesn't own a real dirt bike, but he wanted to come out to this rocky place I speak of. He brought his wife's DRZ125...the 17" front wheel, drum-braked model. This guy is lean, not fat, but he's 6'5". My gosh, this thing is a freakin' minibike to him...or me. We rode over 40 miles of horrid, rocky singletrack last Saturday, and he was able to get those small wheels over every ledge and rock out there. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating riding a minibike like he was, but after seeing him attack some of this challenging terrain and how he could ride in the tight 90 degree stuff, it really pointed out how a smaller bike isn't the handicap that one might think. The KLX250/300 isn't a minibike by any means, but its size and geometry are just about ideal for woods and any place where it's not more open terrain.

The DR(Z)400 is also a great bike, but it begins to feel like the bigger DS bike that it is when pushed in tight spots and technical terrain. It's not so much a weight thing as it is a size and geometry thing. Probably a lot of it depends on where you'll ride. Here's a pic of the 6'5" guy riding his minibike...LOL!

 

Welcome to the forum Jason ... a great group of folks here and lot's of valuable info to be found.

+1 ... excellent feedback from TNC. Especially ability to have feet reach ground when the going gets scary gnarly!

I'm 5' 10", 165 lbs, 33" inseam. A KLX250 fits me quite well from an ergonomics standpoint even after raising the seat height a bit via stiffer fork and shock springs. Would it be my choice for hitting the A/B class national enduro circuit or tackling Paris-Dakar? Not. Other than that, it works good to great in a variety of riding conditions and value for the money is darn hard to beat IMO.

 

For your height, the KLX will suit you just fine. The older 06' & 07' have a taller seat height. In 09', Kawi lowered the seat height (along with suspension travel). I'm 6'0" and the 06' KLX fits me just right. Thou sometimes a little high on the trails, but I love the suspension travel to soak up those huge hills.

 

Thanks for the welcomes!

I'll be doing mostly appalachian riding primarily here in WV. I really want to use it for the trails, and maybe a few backroads. My emphasis in riding is definately on the dirt!

My dad's biggest complaint about the XR 650 (other than its sheer size) is that it is geared to be a wide-open west coast style bike. He's done a few mods to it to make it more east coast friendly (like changing the front sprocket). That puppy is way larger than anything I would ever want to ride. I prefer nimbleness on the trail to power.

I really like that the bike is a 6 speed instead of a wide ratio 5 speed. I think that will match the terrain here.

 

Oh man, Jason...your area should be great for a KLX. It's a surprisingly nimble and flickable bike for a DS model...probably because it's really just a tweaked KLX300. On the other hand, I did 10 days of riding last December in the Big Bend/Terlingua area which is more wide open desert...and this before doing the Race Tech suspension mods. Even tapped out at speed in river washes and such, the bike was extremely stable and not twitchy. I'm not sure how Kaw got the bike to feel that way at speed, yet be so flickable in the tight stuff. I'm not complaining.

 

im 6 even, 145. the stuff you would want is some risers, tall bars (atv or fmx bends seam to be the best), if you have big feet you might like the drc footpegs, moves your boot back about an inch. after that, fork springs for your weight, and ride the **** out of it.

dude, i feel the same way. the bikes great in 1-2 gear single track, then ill take it to wide open desert, riding washes and sand whoops with the bike literly pinned all day and not a complant.