200EC - Adult Beginner Bike?

[kcampbe]

Hi!

I'm new to the board and looking for some advice.

I've been riding street bikes (V-Strom 650) for a couple of years and am looking to buy a bike for trails and off-road, no MX, but light jumping, etc.

I'm 48, 6', 240#.

I've been looking at the KDX220r and the KTM250EXC. I've recently come across a 2004 EC200 in my area for less than $2000.

I'm wondering if it will be enough power to move me around?

Any feedback or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks - Kevin

[roostafish]

All of those are good bikes. The KTM 520 is hardly a beginner bike! That might scare you off of riding in the dirt.

The KDX is a true beginner bike, and reliable as a stone tool. I love them, but at 240# you would find yourself taxing the suspension even in the parking lot. Certainly any kind of jumping is out of the question.

The EC 200 for less than $2000 is a good deal as long as it's not totally trashed. It shouldn't be, it seems that the value just drops to $2000 after a while no matter what it is. Strange but true.

What you can expect from the EC 200 is a solid chassis with great turning and good suspension. You still may overcome the suspension at your weight, but it'll be light years better than the KDX. The power will also be far stronger than the KDX, but certainly controllable. I wouldn't let fear of parts availability or reliability bother you, because the Gas Gas is reliable, and parts are readily available, and if you've got a good dealer in your area, he'll probably even stock parts the Kawasaki dealer would have to order (words of experience). The KTM too, should be a well supported machine, but I'd stay away from that beast. If it were a 250 EXC I'd be okay with it, but a 520 is a brutal beast, big, heavy, hard to start and won't turn. Oh, and it's a four stroke, so if it ever does break, it will cost you cubic dollars to fix. Two strokes are inexpensive to maintain.

Bottom line, I think you'd be okay on the EC 200, and if you find you need more power in the future, there are inexpensive ways to get huge gains out of it.

[stainlesscycle]

get the ec200,it's better than a kdx in every way. i don't have an opinion on the 250exc, i've ridden both the 200 and 300, but not the 250...

at 240# it'll at least need a front and rear spring. should be less than $200....

i'm 190 and am really happy with my 200, smooth controllable power, and enough of it to get you moving. it is not a lazy bike though.. it will keep you busy......i don't mx, just woods stuff.. i like smaller displacement bikes, i've went through most of the big 4t's, and lotsa vintage big bore 2t's.

[roostafish]

Duh, I'm dyslexic. you did say 250 EXC, not 520!
The KTM 250 EXC is a great bike, at 240 lbs this won't be too much bike for you. Suspension again will be the issue. If that KTM is older than '05, I wouldn't bother, mostly because the rear suspension pretty much is awful, and the chassis is kind of unsettled, at least for me. The did get better after '05, but the Gas Gas has a far better chassis. In fact, any year Gas Gas handles better than any year KTM. Old GG vs new KTM, the GG still handles better. My opinion.

[Jeffro820]

Hey Mike,
Didn't take you long to update your signature!
Braaaaaaaaaaaap

Jeff

[Don180]

I am also looking at purchasing one of these bikes and I am a complete beginner,can anyone tell me the BHP of an EC200?
Also are they easy to drive slowly or do you have to rev the hell out of it?
Oh and one more thing,id have to ride it on the road for 10-15 miles to get to the trails,will it cope ok?

Thanks

(sorry for hijack )

[stainlesscycle]

hp is advertised as 37hp at 9500.

it's not like a 125. you don't need to rev it like crazy. but it is a 2 stroke.


i sometimes ride mine about 7 miles to a trail. top speed is above 60 (13/52 gearing) and it handles ok at that speed. dirt tires don't like pavement..

[Gasgasogeros]

hi im 52 and the best bike for old is gasgas 300 i have ktm exc400 2004 before end husaberg 450 2004 go far from pds. Only from 2008 its start work the pds but its far from linkage bike

[roostafish]

Originally Posted by Don180

I am also looking at purchasing one of these bikes and I am a complete beginner,can anyone tell me the BHP of an EC200?
Also are they easy to drive slowly or do you have to rev the hell out of it?
Oh and one more thing,id have to ride it on the road for 10-15 miles to get to the trails,will it cope ok?

Thanks

(sorry for hijack )

I had a '99 EC 200. After break in, the shop owner insisted on putting it on the dyno to compare to a KTM 200. The KTM made 33 hp on the dyno, with a street tire (makes a difference). The Gas Gas made 31 hp (with street tire). THis was unacceptable to him and he went in search of enough horsepower to make more than the KTM. We got it, it was easy enough, but bottom line, it didn't need it. Stock, that bike was very friendly and easy to ride, and 31 HP, or 35 HP makes no difference in how you ride, only how fast the bike is.

The bike will easily tolerate a 7 mile road ride, the six speed tranny makes that a breeze. It's still a 2-stroke, tuned for off road, so it won't be exactly like riding a Gold Wing, but totally doable.

[sled_fiend]

As a fellow beginner let me give you my experience. I started riding dirt bikes when I was 23. I'm 26 now and didn't really have much opportunity to ride the first couple of years so I'd say my riding ability is that of a newbie with 1 to 2 good seasons under my belt. I'm 6'0" 160lbs.

I started with a 98 KTM 250EXC. This was probably a mistake. Too much power for me starting out. Coming from snowmobiles it took me a while to get used to a twist throttle. Whiskey throttle on a 250 in the woods = bad news. Last year I bought an 05 DE200 w/ Ohlins suspension after reading all the great things about Gas Gas chassis and suspension. My first ride on my 200 and I knew I had found the right bike for me. I wish I had started on a 200. It has plenty of power, especially for the tight woods I ride in, but it doesn't kick your teeth in if you make a mistake either.

I usually ride my bike a gear high and kind of lug it, especially since I installed a rekluse auto clutch. It's got a fair amount of low end power which is improved by the LTR power valve cover, Boysen reeds, and FMF pipe which came with my bike.

I love the bike because I can ride it anyway I want. Lug it out of a rocky gully, or snap it out of a sandy corner on the pipe, it loves it all! It's right in the middle of the 125 and 250/300 power types. Its the Goldilocks bike. Maybe that's why they're yellow.