My new hobby which will most likely kill me...

I don’t know how to ride a motorcycle, never ridden one before. Thanks to Covid, somehow I got caught on watching moto videos and stuff and next I knew I was on my way to buying myself a Dirt Bike..

we all gotta start from somewhere right?

Here is new to me, 2016 KTM 250 XC-F with a 290 big bore kit / tune.

I somehow figured out how to ride it for a minute to test out, not that I knew what I was looking at, but I felt guilty for buying a bike without driving so I gave it a try and didn’t die. She is very snappy!

Any recommendations? Tips and tricks? Mods? Cool graphics?




**** How do I host photos? It only lets me upload one pic...

Congrats. My tip is to always wear the proper protection, especially for the chest. A guy I knew died from internal bleeding after a hard landing.

Have fun!

Keep the shiny side up.

Find an empty parking lot, take off, shift, ride, stop and repeat, then start making big ovals.
About 7 days of this might save your life.

At least it looks like somewhere you can ride it, here, nope.

Look where you wanna go. You will go where your eyes are focused. All the gear, all the time. Dont waver. Check out advrider. Great forum for off and on/off road bikes. Have fun and stay safe. Dont let anyone you ride with determine how much you do. Take your time and enjoy it.

Right! Same here, not many places nearby.

03cobra#694 said:

At least it looks like somewhere you can ride it, here, nope.

Click to expand...

Where all your gear! A simple put can turn bad. I ride quads now adays but always wear full gear even if I'm riding for 5 minutes. I had a fall last year and I was only wearing my chest protector and helmet. My tennis shoes flew about 30' away (I couldn't find them) and 2 weeks later my back locked up. That took 2 months of a chiropractor to fix.

Be safe, and have fun!

Not a bad first bike. Couple guys I ride with have those they’re fast. You have to get used to steering it around turns with the throttle.

I normally start by saying take the MSF course, not sure how much it would apply since that isnt a street bike but it still gives you tons of knowledge of basic riding skills and low speed maneuvers. Still would be worth the class honestly especially if you ever consider a street bike.

Biggest thing in that class that sounded kinda silly was turn your head. The bike will go where you are looking. You can significantly reduce tight turn size by getting your head cranked around. If you are coming in hot dont look at that tree you are heading towards cause you will keep going right for it. Look at where you want to go!!

Also this goes for street or dirt, as a newbie dont try and keep up with more experienced riders beyond what you are comfortable with. Good buddies will go your pace or wait for you to catch up.

Yep safety gear. I broke my foot last November had to have a plate a screws. Had all the safety gear. A large branch was on the side of the trail smacked the top of my foot Just didn’t see it.
Dirt bikes are a lot of fun tho

When in doubt, throttle out.

Good place to ride is at Fox Valley Off Road, check them out.

KTM 350 Sxf here, but I use it for trail riding only so never really get above 3rd gear and spend most of my time in 1st or 2nd (tight trails). Absolutely gear up every single time without question. I took a low speed fall 2yrs ago that knocked me out and gave me a concussion that stuck with me for 6mo with insomnia and difficulty with critical thinking. I had what’s called “ice picking” more than 1yr after the incident. The point is that these things are tons of fun, but they can work you over at any time so wear the gear to minimize the damage. Practice low speed figure 8’s in your back yard to get your balance and body position right and go hit some trails at low speed to build confidence. Most importantly, enjoy the ride!

You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for the information. I bought the following gear:

-Rockstar 3 series helmet
-100% goggles
-O’Neal boots
-Leat knee guards
-Full upper body armour to be worn under jersey
-FOX jersey
-FOX gloves
-FLY Racing jersey

musclefan21 said:

I don’t know how to ride a motorcycle, never ridden one before. Thanks to Covid, somehow I got caught on watching moto videos and stuff and next I knew I was on my way to buying myself a Dirt Bike..

we all gotta start from somewhere right?

Here is new to me, 2016 KTM 250 XC-F with a 290 big bore kit / tune.

I somehow figured out how to ride it for a minute to test out, not that I knew what I was looking at, but I felt guilty for buying a bike without driving so I gave it a try and didn’t die. She is very snappy!

Any recommendations? Tips and tricks? Mods? Cool graphics?

**** How do I host photos? It only lets me upload one pic...

Click to expand...

Tip. I've ridden since I was 10 and now 35... Don't be scared of the machine, but respect the machine.

Things can get out of hand quickly. Build yourself up to that point of feeling like holy shi ., **** that... And find your limit.

Enjoy the bike. I just sold my 16 200 XCW. Best woods bike I've owned for sure.

musclefan21 said:

I don’t know how to ride a motorcycle, never ridden one before. Thanks to Covid, somehow I got caught on watching moto videos and stuff and next I knew I was on my way to buying myself a Dirt Bike..

we all gotta start from somewhere right?

Here is new to me, 2016 KTM 250 XC-F with a 290 big bore kit / tune.

I somehow figured out how to ride it for a minute to test out, not that I knew what I was looking at, but I felt guilty for buying a bike without driving so I gave it a try and didn’t die. She is very snappy!

Any recommendations? Tips and tricks? Mods? Cool graphics?

**** How do I host photos? It only lets me upload one pic...

Click to expand...

Tip. I've ridden since I was 10 and now 35... Don't be scared of the machine, but respect the machine.

Things can get out of hand quickly. Build yourself up to that point of feeling like holy shit **** that... And find your limit. Haha

Enjoy the bike. I just sold my 16 200 XCW. Best woods bike I've owned for sure.