Advice: Get into dirt biking?

[1.21GW]

I want to try dirt biking, but don't know anyone who does.  Looking for general advice, but also have some specific questions:

- is it only pay-tp-play tracks, or are there places (open fields, forests, etc.) I can just go?  [I live in NYC area but can travel reasonable distances]

- i don't own a truck, so I'm thinking I will need a dirt bike that is registered for street riding in order to get wherever I ride.  Does this create issues?  Are dual sports worse?

- what is/are good used brands/models to pick up?  I'm thinking I would get whatever is the dirt bike equivalent of a Gixer or CBR---common, cheap, lots of parts available, reliable, etc.

- I figured I would sign up for some intro to dirt class, and then decide whether I want to go out and buy a bike.  Any course suggestions?

It might not be for me since I live in a city and don't have a truck, but I REALLY want to give it a try.  Any links to related dirt noobs threads would be helpful, too.

Thanks! 

[MadDuck]

You will almost certainly need a truck. You don't have to buy a new one but it does have to be big enough to haul the bike. I don't recommend a truck that has been lifted either. You will have to get the bike up and in and back out. This is also where it's good to have a buddy to go riding with. Going up a narrow ramp that's about 3' high is bad enough and when they get higher you'll wish you had a crane.

You can get a dual purpose bike but that kind of limits you both on and off the road. One thing about dirt bikes is that you may end up falling down a lot. How often depends one your skill, the chances you take and where you ride. The point being that you don't want to accidentally damage your ride back home. Sometimes it's bad enough having to push the bike out of the woods back to the truck.       .

It's a whole new world but a good one.  See if you can find friends who have spare bikes and can take you out to try it before you buy anything.

[Speeddog]

A mid-sized dual sport seems to fit your requirements.
Suzuki DR350, DRZ400, etc.

However, not sure how far you're going to have to ride to get to the dirt.
Mid-size dual sport on the freeway gets old quickly.

Here's some info on new small dualies:
http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/02/27/dual-sport-motorcycle-comparison-test/

Kawasaki KLR650 has been around a long time, they're plentiful.
But they're very heavy, not a good mount to learn dirt riding on.

[Dirty Duc]

I think you have to define "dirt-biking" a little better to figure out what you want.

Racing:
Motocross?
Enduro?

Riding (assuming dual sport by your need to ride to the dirt, but the definition of "dual sport" varies from a plated MX bike to an R1200GS):
Technical single track?
4wd two track?
Dirt roads?

There's a lot of options.  There's a lot of info over on ADVrider.com to include some pretty active regional forums.  To some people, Adventure riding is playing in the dirt in a managed recreation area, to others it is long distance travel over varied road surfaces (all the way down to technical single track).  

The suitability of any bike for any particular spot on that spectrum is also a function of rider skill...

Weight and mix of street riding will probably inform your decision the most.

[d3vi@nt]

You don't necessarily need a truck. A trailer hitch and a small moto trailer can work. We used to haul two dirt bikes, a tool box and a couple cans of gas behind a '70's Datsun B210 wagon. Only steep hills were a bit of an issue and that car was gutless.

[1.21GW]

Thanks.  Lots of good information, guys.  I will google/research and come back with more questions.  A few quick follow-ups:

Dirty Duc:  Not sure what type I want to do until I try.  But based on what I've seen, I'd probably prefer enduro over motocross, or maybe "just playing in the dirt" as you say.

MacDuck: good point on not wanting to rely on your bike to get you home.  Might mean I have to just rent trailer/hitch for days I want to go (or find a buddy w/ truck).

Speeddog: based on above, might just avoid the dual-sport/riding to location plan and just go for pure dirt.  Are the differences that material?

D2vi@nt: yeah, hitch on a car might be the solution for me.  Thanks.

[Speeddog]

Dirt bikes work better than Dualies in the dirt, as that's what they're optimized for.
For a given size; lighter, and more capable suspension.

Payback is you need a truck/trailer, and there are some areas you are not allowed to ride with a pure dirtbike.
That may vary, depending on your area.

This seems to be a good way to start:
http://www.dirtbikeschool.org/

[SpikeC]

 I remember way back in the 'ole days, when you could put lights on a dirt bike and make it an enduro bike, then ride to the boonies. I usta ride my T100 Triumph on the road to the dirt and have a good 'ole time! It had high pipes, a skid plate, a knob bike on the back and atrials tire on the front. 58 tooth sprocket and that thing could climb trees!
Had a cop give me a warning once for not having a high beam indicator, "butt I don't have a high beam!" I said, and he just shook his head. Rooky.
The thing had plates, too!

[Barney]

dude, you live less than 2 hours from some phenomenal riding down in south jersey.  there are literally hundreds of miles of fire roads, single track, double wide trails, etc. plus tons of open riding spots to learn the ropes.  there's a bunch of really good spots way closer to the city that I ride at as well...one spot we have is right off the turnpike and you can actually see the skyline.  these places are all "free" with the understanding that theres a slight possibility the cops could hassle you.  but in all the years i've been i've never had any issues.  there are also places out west in pa, also probably about 2-2.5 hours away from you and further, where you can pay really reasonable fees to ride maintained and directional trails, which is nice cause you know you're not gonna run head first into someone coming around a corner.  

if you want, i can shoot you some links to places we ride and google maps place marks so you can check out what they look like.  

theres one spot down in south jersey, a sand quarry that actually hosts a hare scramble every year, with some really great trails, open sand pits, a moto track, and tons of fun terrain to ride on - it's absolutely huge, and it's like riding a level in one of those
motobike video games in real life.  it's always changing too. show up on any given sunday in the spring/summer/fall and there could be 50 dudes on bikes and quads...and there's room for hundreds more.  

In theory an endouro sounds like a great solution, but I'm pretty sure after riding all that distance, you'd be sick of it, and even if you werent, you definitely wouldn't want to ride all the way home when youre done.  Dirt bikes take a whole lot more out of you than street bikes do.  it would be great if you lived 5-10 minutes from the trails though! the other problem with riding a dirtbike on the street is the temptation to do stupid stuff like jump stairs or curbs or whatever and get yourself arrested...


[edit] ugh. i just typed all that and realized you said "a city" and not "the city" - i'm from jersey.  dont know where you're from, but i'd still hit ya with links lol.

anyway, any of the major brands will have parts readily available and you cant really go wrong with any of them...honda, suzuki, yamaha - ktms and huskys, etc are really nice and great bikes too, but parts for them can be a little more expensive and they tend to come with higher end stuff like magura hydraulic clutches and brembo brakes...if you're looking for  a 2 stroke, your options are a little bit more limited. for newer bikes, but if a really solid first bike would be something like a later model yamaha yz125, provided youre not 200+ pounds...

4 strokes require a little more maintenance, but then you dont have to mix gas...any later model bike is gonna be pretty much bomb proof, just do your research like with anything else.

/end rant

[1.21GW]

Really great stuff, Barney.    (Short reply because I'm packing and need to get to bed for a hiking trip tomorrow) :

Yes, I am in 'the city'.  But I grew up in NJ and would theoretically keep my dirt bike at my sister's place in Somerset County.  South Jersey is definitely doable for me.

Did some looking online today and figure one of the japanese bikes from early/mid 2000s would probably be a good reliable starter bike.  125 or 250cc.  I'm not 200+ lbs for the record (not yet).

I appreciate the links offer and will check back for more specifics as I get along.  I assume you are referring to pine barrens?

For now, I'm looking to do a course/class just because I think it would be a good way to just get introduced via more experienced riders.  However, the few I found so far are pretty basic, almost like they are tailored for first-time riders (street or dirt) or even just kids.  Will continue searching...

[Ducatamount]

You will crash. Get the gear. Boots are very important as are gloves, goggles and helmet.You do not want to wear your street helmet.
Don't worry about chest protector, pants, jersey. They're good but secondary. Knobby tires, not dual sport.
Motorcycle reliability and lightweight are important to beginners (a DRZ is not light). Standing while riding is a necessary skill. Going down steep hills you need to be standing/crouching with your butt off the back of the seat,over the rear fender, only using rear brake (if brakes needed).
Preventive maintenance is even more important than on the street because you don't want a problem in the middle of nowhere.
It is always advisable (but not always possible, I know) to ride with a partner.
A registered dirt bike is always better than unregistered even if you only ride on dirt roads to link up to trails. Don't worry about a working horn, lights, brakelight, turn signals, mirror. You just need the plate on the back and the reg.

I don't care what anyone says, the best riders are also proficient in the dirt and most started there.
Damn, now I want to roost some dirt!

[Barney]

nice - the pine barrons is exactly what I was talking about. watch out for the jersey devil

You will crash. Get the gear. Boots are very important as are gloves, goggles and helmet.You do not want to wear your street helmet.
Don't worry about chest protector, pants, jersey.

+11tybillion. 

In my personal opinion, good boots are just as important as a good lid.  one wrong foot plant without 'em and you'll never walk right again. the jersey and pants aren't essential for sure, but you can get good past season stuff from that giant online motorcycle giantstore website dirt cheap, and I do find they're a little more comfortable than riding in jeans and a tshirt...I'd look there for a helmet/goggles/gloves too - i tend to feel like this stuff is more disposable than street gear, so while you definitely want quality gear, I don't like to spend a ton of cash on it.

I dont know about the registration deal here in nj - my bike isn't registered because you need a title, and all i have is a bill of sale...

if you dont mind my asking - what are you looking to spend on a bike? 

[GLantern]

I didn't read through everything but I'm from Long Island and you should check in on advrider at the general nonsense thread.  Lots of us are riding dirt happily over there!!
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=477031&page=427

Also a dual sport doesn't mean your limited in performance. I personally have a 300 2 stroke that is street legal and this bad boy is a full on enduro bike. If you want a good offroad bike that's legal, which I highly suggest in NY, go with any Ktm exc.  Parts are a bit tougher then a drz to get but they are amazing bikes and very common. I would also consider a husqvarna te310 if your just starting out to help learn the ropes. These all require a bit more maintenance then a drz but the Suzukis are pigs. Then again I started on a drz400 and it was a great fun bike but ill tell you I don't miss it all that much except when I'm riding road.

[beaner]

I would not go with a drz or any street bike for that matter it would be like taking a Honda spree out for your sunday ride instead of your monster. the real question you need to answer is do you want a 4 stroke or a 2 stroke. Ive raced motocross my hole life and when just going riding ill take one of my 250 2 strokes any day. 2 stroke less maintenance and if you go to a track for a practice day you will have to spend $1500 dollars to pass a decibel test with a 4 stroke. and that still does not mean you will pass.in 06 I put an fmf power bomb system on my yzf 450 and it failed the sound test $1500 down the drain. the tracks don't even test 2 strokes because they never fail.  also if your going to buy used  buy one from someone who raced I know people always say don't buy bikes that have been raced but I would disagree racers spend just as much time on maintenance as they do riding. dirt bikes are a lot of maintenance and you know someone who raced has done that maintenance. look for a yz250 2005 thru 2013 these are vary good bikes and you can get them cheap.

[brimo]

Yes you will crash, so get something that
a) won't hurt too much when it lands on you (ie light)
b) parts can be bought at the corner shop (ie major japanese brand)
c) isn't so hard core that it will scare the shit out of you and put you off dirt riding for life.