Dirt bikes

Good thinkin' not gettin' the YZ. MX bikes aren't all that friendly out of their environment.

 

Thats what I started thinking. Just dont know anything about the rt180,or dirtbikes in general.......but seems like its a sensible bike for what we do anyways. Any dirtbike guys we talk to, focus strictly on motocross and say not to waste my time with RT's or similar......but I think thats coming from straight-up motocross mentality and if it cant jump 100ft then its no-good

 

People on other forums seem to like 'em. Reported to be a good all around bike for beginner to advanced riding and capable enough to tackle challenging terrain, too.

 

Found an rt180 fairly local for a decent price. Theres a hare scramble next month that my daughter and I want to try out,so fingers crossed I can swing it. More than anything just trying to keep my bond with her as she enters teenage years soon Shes getting excited for me to get it too.

 

I need to get my KTM shipped back from Texas ASAP. I have this next week off before I start the new job and I wish I could go out to my favorite spot to rip for a day or two. This is my favorite time of the year to ride in SoCal. Probably won’t be able to ship it back until end of January. That’s if @crashman doesn’t crash it into a million pieces.

 

Make sure you check it well.

Grab the bars and jiggle the bike a little side-to-side. This will indicate any loose wheel bearings, swingarm pivot shafts, spokes, etc.
Make sure the brakes engage smoothly, release completely and that the wheels rotate without binding.
Look for fork/shock seal leaks, steering head looseness and smooth turning lock-to-lock.
Compress the suspension and see that it has some rebound.
Other loose things like exhaust springs, hangers and missing fasteners is nitpicking but, still, you want to get an idea of the overall general condition of the bike. Look at everything you can to help make an assessment of the amount of care and maintenance the bike has received.
Look inside the gas tank.
How are the fuel hoses? Brittle? Cracked?
Throttle and all controls work smoothly and return to their stops?
You should be able, with mild difficulty, to push the kickstarter through its range of motion by hand. If it's too easy and the bike is difficult to start, it needs top-end refreshing.
All of these things cost time and/or money to fix. A good deal could end up being a nickel-and-dime horror show. Look at it with a fine-toothed comb.

If all this is good, or you can address any issues within reason, take it for a spin. Does it carburate well? Does the clutch slip?
Do the brakes actually work?

Good Luck!

 

All my bikes are "good deal/nickel and dime horror shows" The seller just responded its still available.........guess i gotta make room in the garage and get rid of one of the current girlies

 

I peeled off the graphics and lightly buffed the serial number. You no longer have a KTM. The one I have runs pretty strong though...

 

Me making a fool of myself on camera. For context this is a hill I've tried to climb four or five times each time I'm out there and had never made it. Haven't seen anyone make it in a couple of years, although I'm sure others could.

My crew finally bailed on me since they didn't think I would make it.

 

good job! I rode this past weekend at Highland Park (local riding park with lots of trails) with a few friends. I only rode for a few hours, but had a blast. I hadn't ridden there in a few months, and have been off my 950 for a while. they were all on little bikes (200-450's) but I was able to (mostly) keep up with them and rode some of the harder (for me) trails. We did a lot of 3 and 4 diamond trails, so the 950 was a handful but had a great time and it was a good feeling to clear all the trails without a single drop.

I'll see if any of my videos came out decently...

 

Big ride in a few weeks, just added a new front tire, putting new clutch plates in, oil and filters, and new grips, she should be ready to rock and roll.

 

nice bike greg! on my short list of bikes to buy. lusting after a beta 390rrS or RR race. found a ktm 17 xcf350 for 7400 new left over (plus fees). looking to add another bike for woods, dual sporting ect... I would love to wait for the 450 fx, and wr450 to get the new updated yz stuff but, I cant wait for that. bike shopping is fun but, exhausting. dealers are all over the place with pricing. used ones, guys are asking what you can get new left over bikes for.


what all add ons, and mods do you have? who did your plate graphics? Ski

 

there's a guy on top of that hill over there yelling the at the sky
looks steep on the camera, must be vertical in person. nice one

 

no motor mods or exhaust mods at all, bone stock there. Rekluse core 3.0 with heavy wedges (more instant hit),
Kreft moto does the suspension on my ktm's (all he does is WP stuff) and not cheap to get the 4cs forks sorted, but they are amazing now.
EBC sintered brakes up front, but "red" organic out back for less heat generation and more control..
Core moto brake lines, ballistic 8 cell battery
ktm PHDS bar clamp dampers, honda steering damper/aid mounted behind front number plate
ktm map switch (nice to switch to mild when it's really nasty like when riding at Scott Harwell's place in NC in the snow... slippery stuff)
p3 pipe guard, acherbis plastic skit plate (just to keep the frame from getting scratched).
Tubliss on my practice bikes, nothin but bibs for races (won't ever run tubes again)
Michelin starcross 5 "medium" 110/100-18 rear, "soft" 90/100-21 up front but run the "medium" front at the national enduros further north, and some harescrambles with harder terrain.
Engine ice, bullet proof rad guards, moto hose hoses... Likely gonna add a fan kit to this one
HBD graphics did the plates. the rest of the bike is just stickered..

SERIOUSLY considering the 250xcf for national enduros. Rode a couple recently.. plenty of power for the tighter stuff, lighter feel overall.
Good luck with the bike search, it is tough to narrow it down for sure.. 2 stroke, 4 stroke, ktm, husky, beta, yam, etc... A lot of guys are loving the new yamaha 250 and 450 yzf woods bike. they are heavier, but they swear ya don't feel it. $7400 for that 17 350 leftover isn't bad.

 

I’ve picked up several ktm riders bikes off them on the slopped hills and bottoms we ride and to me they weigh just as much as my Yamaha 250 when picking them up off the ground.

 

KDX200 and never look back. Cheap, bulletproof fun (just sold mine for $1500), very capable and you won't get bored.

 

Hoping to get out for a quick ride to do a few laps on my woods course today. Tired of starting up the Zuma and Pw50 just for 2t smell

 

Shockingly underrated bikes.

 

There’s a reason Kawasaki hasn’t changed that bike in ages. They got it right the first time.

 

I also owned an RT180. Trust me when I tell you KDX!!