Bike for my 18yr old baby girl

wheelie

wheelie

New member
Hi guys, long story short is I am getting a "race" bike for my daughter.
She is 5'3, weights in around 110 and has been on & off dirt bikes her whole life. She started at 4 yrs of age and by 5-6 was racing pee wee harescrambles & local fair motocross's. She grew up on a pw50, xr50, xr 80, etc. and after a absence she has gotten back into riding (most recently on a RM85). She got a liking to a street bike so I got her a good o'le Suz GS450 and rebuilt it over the winter, but the trade off was selling the RM85.
We have been talking lately about her having another shot at racing dirt bikes before her window closes on having a shot at progressing up the ranks. She wants to start training and start racing in the womens class or C class this next spring. (the trade off is no more street bike..lol) which is fine by me!
I want to focus on her and give her the tools to do well. I am even willing to stop racing myself to do the real deal for her.
With all that said...when she had the RM85 she could touch the ground & start it on her own.. YEY. BUT, to race in the series that she will be running the bike/class displacement must be 86cc & above (no 85 cc bikes allowed).
So that knocks out quite a few options. I WISH GASGAS or Husqv or TM had a race bike that wasn't so high off the ground...lol I have a gasgas 200 and think its 2 heavy for her (plus 2 tall).
Looking for what you guys think on a competitive bike 2 or 4stroke above the 85cc limit that would work in the woods, start easy and be able to be flat footed at 5'3.
We are looking at a 2013 CRF150R expert model.The local honda dealer knows us and has worked with Scarlet before when she used to race and is excited at the prospect of helping her out.

Any ideas besides the CRF? any euro models that we are overlooking? need something easy to ride (starts good, light and smooth power)
Thanks

images.jpg


Pic of Scarlet before this yrs Indianapolis Supercross
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She is big enough to ride a 125/150. This is my daughter riding the the 150 Husky in the picture and she is 5'-2" if we stretch her on the rack first. No seat mods and no suspension mods. The Husky is very light and easy to start.
85-M.jpg

The husky can easily be dropped an inch in the suspension and maybe another inch in the seat. Run the bars back and low. We ran rm low's.
 
According to Bikez, the seat height on the Husky 125 is 38.8 inches. That's not too high on a MX track. It will drive her (and me) nutz on a tight hare scramble course.

http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/husqvarna_cr125_2012.php

I've ridden the Honda 150R on trails. It is in serious need of a fly wheel weight. It was difficult to get going at the base of even a shallow hill climb. The owner of that bike went to a Service Honda 250. She loves it and when I took it for a ride, it was a blast. Heavy, though.

My daughter, is around 5' and is on a 85 KTM with small wheels and shaved seat. I little bit low for her, technique-wise but when she gets in the rocks, the ability to plant both feet is well worth it.

For your daughter, I'd at least consider a KTM 105 (big wheel kit). My daughter complained of the "twitchiness" of the motor for tight sections so I added a Steahly FWW (7oz is as big as they come for the small KTMs, unfortunately due to the small cover). It helps a bit, not a lot. I also installed a #400 throttle cam.

We have two girls (6th grade trading up to them from KTM65s just this summer). I have a Rekluse Pro for my daughter's bike, but I haven't installed it yet.

Also from Bikez:
A 2004 KTM dry weights at 150 pounds with a seat height of 35.4".

The 2010-ish Honda CRF150Rs are about 183 pounds with a seat height of 32.4 (!!)
 
I'd stay away from the super minis (105s) and just get a good used 125 and have it lowered if need be. The full size wheels and suspension make a big difference.
 
For the track, a 125 is fine. For technical trail, it is lacking. Young racers have all but abandoned it here in Arizona.

Here is what he said he is looking for his daughter:

Looking for what you guys think on a competitive bike 2 or 4stroke above the 85cc limit that would work in the woods, start easy and be able to be flat footed at 5'3.
Click to expand...

He's not describing any 125 MX bike. Look at the KTM105 and the Honda150, both with FWW. A Rekluse isn't a bad idea, either, if your races tend to be more technical.
 
I'd give any number of 125's a look. At 5'3" you'll need to lower just about anything. I have an 08 husky 144 and had an 01 husky wr 125. any husky 125 lowered and set up as a 144 w/bottom end grunt would rock. There are plenty of yammie 125's running around the woods of New England. That would be my starting point. they are cheap, small and as low to the ground as you will get. They can also be massaged to work just fine in the woods. A 125 also makes for a better rider.
 
ok...I have a 01 YZ 125 (that she has rode), but she is tippy toe with her riding boots and cant get started without the bike almost falling over..lol or has to use a stand on one side. I feel (as some pointed out) that in the woods she will need to be close to flat footed for all issues she may come through around or over..lol

Since some of you have lowered a bike before, could you give me the steps on how you would go about it? Thanks for all the helpin.
 
She alreadly fits a KTM105/Honda150R.

You'll spend an awful lot of time and money trying to turn that 125 into something it was never intended to be.

That motor is not as enduro-friendly as a KTM 105, and that frame can't be lowered enough to give her the foot security you say she needs.

Do they only make the KTM 105 in the SX model?
Click to expand...

All of the small KTMs on the http://www.ktm.com/us/mx.html web site are SX models. They made some XC models (in 2008 or so) but the only difference was a kickstand and a skid plate.
 
wheelie said:
ok...I have a 01 YZ 125 (that she has rode), but she is tippy toe with her riding boots and cant get started without the bike almost falling over..lol or has to use a stand on one side. I feel (as some pointed out) that in the woods she will need to be close to flat footed for all issues she may come through around or over..lol

Since some of you have lowered a bike before, could you give me the steps on how you would go about it? Thanks for all the helpin.
Click to expand...

We lowered her fist husky by installing a 1/4" spacer on the shock with the stock 4:1 linkage, that lowers the rear an inch. We also shortened the spacer in the forks to shorten them an inch. You could easily gain some more cutting the seat foam. The reward of the full size wheels and suspension far out weighs going with the mini to be flat footed. With some practice she won't mind not being completely flat footed. As long as she can touch enough.
 
wheelie said:
ok...I have a 01 YZ 125 (that she has rode), but she is tippy toe with her riding boots and cant get started without the bike almost falling over..lol or has to use a stand on one side. I feel (as some pointed out) that in the woods she will need to be close to flat footed for all issues she may come through around or over..lol

Since some of you have lowered a bike before, could you give me the steps on how you would go about it? Thanks for all the helpin.
Click to expand...

I'm a bit of a baby girl and don't have much luck touching the ground on just about anything (including my gasser). I can tip toe both side on pretty much all the brands. Thats as good as it gets.

I honestly find sitting on it in the workshop the hardest as out on the trail, while you find situations where you fall off camber and can't touch the ground you also have the other side where you can. If you're in a rut the bike is lower. If its cased on a log you can reach the log. Sliding your ass cheeck over to the side where you want to reach gives that leg extra legth too. I'm sure with a little practice she'll have no issues making the height work (especially if you lower it a bit). Thats assuming she can hold the bike with only 1 foot planted. A 125 shouldn't be too heavy though.
 
No. Don't compromise for your daughter. I've seen that mistake over and over again (three times, actually). Girls who have a 125 for motocross and a smaller bike for enduro... then one day they say, "Ya know, I'm going to use my YZ125 for the hare scramble this weekend." Every-single-one of them found it to be a mistake. They went back to the small bike for off-road -- and they liked it.

Get her the right equipment.

If she's spending most of her time on the monotony of the track, the 125 is fine. If she's spending most of her time in the woods or desert single track, get her a bike she can use when nature throws her a curve.
 
I don't follow your logic of the KTM105 and CRF150R. Skid and GasGas are right on and expanded on my point exactly. Any 125 is going to have more of everything than a KTM105, in a lightweight chassis that will smooth the terrain a lot better than the super mini chassis. Sure you can expand that scope to include the 144 and 150 variants. If you read the original post closely you would see she has been on an 85, one without a power valve no less. ANY 125 is worlds easier to ride in the woods than one of those 85s, so there is a higher skill level there. Its the natural progression and would be a good choice. Like skid said, tons of them in the technical rocky woods of New England.

My nephew was 5'4" when we got him a GG125 to replace his KX100. Like the bigger GGs the 125 starts off lower in seat height than most, but we dropped the rear slightly with 124mm pull rods and raised the fork a few mm. Added a 10 oz FWW and jetted the bike for the best torque possible. He rode that bike in some of the nastiest terrain you can imagine and became an excellent rider because of it.

Find a nice, used YZ or Husky 125 and have it lowered and set up for her height and weight. It will fit well, and be easy and cheap to maintain.

Stay away from the KTM105. They have crank lubrication issues with the stock parts.
 
Read the needs he noted for his daughter.

The KTM105 has a power valve. We have dozens out here in Arizona running our enduro series. Not a single problem.

The KTM105 is a joy to ride in the crud compared to a 125.

You can't compare a 5'4" boy to a 5'2" girl. Not the same.
 
I was talking about his daughter's 85. Only 85 with a PV is the Kawasaki, others are tougher to ride. All the KTM105s around here have had lower ends done or are sold off prior. Wheelie, if you doubt me google it. The rod lower end design has one set less grooves than most bikes that causes oil starvation. Aftermarket rod kits fix this.

Its simple physics, much smoother ride with larger wheels. A 5'3" 18 yr old experienced female rider is a lot closer to a 5'4" 14 yr. old boy than you think. There are some really fast, short, athletic young girls in our hare scramble series on 125s.

I would agree that a 250F is a bit much, but a 125 no, it will be fine. Plus, it can be raised again if desired instead of buying another bike.
 
My daughter's 2007 KTM85 has a powervalve.

There are some really fast, short, athletic young girls
Click to expand...

I have no reason to believe that she is one of them.

She could be, but if she's not, keep her on a bike that's fun for her (not some imagined view of her).
 
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I agree with Rick. Do not forget the 125 will be 50 pounds heavier as well. If you are going full size and lowering you will be much better off on a KTM 200. That is what my wife rides but she is pretty tall. They are much smoother power than any of the 125's.
 
Actually, 58 pounds heavier (dry).

From Bikez.

2011 Yamaha YZ125 -- 208 pounds dry. Seat height 39.3"

2004 KTM 105 -- 150 pounds dry. Seat height 35.4"
 
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