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I am in the process of looking for a bike and really like most of what i hear about the crf230f. One thing that has me second guessing myself is how alot of owners seem to refer to it as a beginners bike or kids bike. Heres a little info about me and then i'll really appreciate anyones input. I am 23, 5'6" and 135lbs. I grew up riding dirtbikes with my dad but shortly into highschool i purchased a yamha blaster and havn't been on a bike since. I'll primarily ride trails in northern michigan and tend to be more of an aggressive rider (in my opinion). Now with that info would a crf230f be a suitable bike for me or will i quickly become bored with it?

This decision brings back memories. I got back into dirt biking about 4 years ago when my boys wanted to get into the sport. My first reaction was the CRF230 to poke around in the woods with the boys. Six weeks later I had a 250x. Six months after that, a 450x. A year later, a 250cc 2-stroke. You get the picture, I am still looking for the perfect trail bike.

Don't get me wrong, the CRF230 is a great trail bike. But as my skills started to come back after a few rides, I wanted more. Case in point, consider going to the 250x if you have previous experience. You will probably need to have the suspension adjusted for height but this is no big deal for a good tuner.

I agree with WillCRF, you will get board fast ridding a stock 230. I am 200lbs and ride trails and my modified 230 is very fast. My brother is a natural rider, fearless and bad-fast, he can kick my but on a stock 150 but just cant keep up with me on his 450x. I am a born mechanic so I opted for a 230 over a 250 knowing air-cooled bikes are tuff as nails and I would be doing the work myself. After mods the 230 is plenty of bike for me. If I get a chance I would love to try a 250. My next bike however will be a 450x supermoto or a vintage Honda CB350.

I just got my 230f and only have about 3 hours on it. But I love it. The only thing is I am about 5 inches shorter than you so I was going for a bike that I could touch the ground on. I also ride trails in Northern Michigan and think that this bike is awesome for that. I am now up at school and looking for some more trails to ride, right now I am mainly going out on the snowmobile trail (flat and straight). So it is a little under powered for those kinda trails. But the tight stuff back in Northern Lower MI is great with this bike. And with your size and weight I would think that it would be good. I weight a little less than you and the suspension seems to be good for me.

mksaxton wrote:I just got my 230f and only have about 3 hours on it. But I love it. The only thing is I am about 5 inches shorter than you so I was going for a bike that I could touch the ground on. I also ride trails in Northern Michigan and think that this bike is awesome for that. I am now up at school and looking for some more trails to ride, right now I am mainly going out on the snowmobile trail (flat and straight). So it is a little under powered for those kinda trails. But the tight stuff back in Northern Lower MI is great with this bike. And with your size and weight I would think that it would be good. I weight a little less than you and the suspension seems to be good for me.

get your self a 14 tooth primary.

I appreciate all the relpys. Good information. I wish there were a bike in between the crf230f and the 250x. Alot of 230 owners seem to want more power but at the same time the 250 is pretty tall for me. Maybe i just need to go to the dealership and sit on a couple. The only other option seems to be the klx300r but i dont really want to go that route. Either way all the information has been helpful.

I wouldn't worry so much about the bike height as you can get a lowering link to brink the bike down. My situation is similar to yours. i grew up riding in the desert and got back into riding earlier this year. I am 5'7" and wanted a bike the right size for me. I really wished I would have held out and got a 250x or a 450. I have spend quite a bit in mods on the 230 in an attempt to make it more powerful and handle better.

Get the 250x!!!! you will be glad you did!

so what the deal with the 150r expert? Is that a kids bike too?

don't get a 230f, get something bigger

The 150 Expert is a great bike for a teenager maye 12-15 years old. I saw a grown many riding one a few weeks ago. He looked like a man riding a puppy.

The 230 is an awesome trail bike , And in my opinion one of the best out there as far as a woods bike goes, but if you are an aggressive rider, you will definitely get bored quickly. I'm 36 and got back into riding this year after selling my last bike (XR100) back when I was 15 y.o, so The 230 WAS perfect for me, although I'm 5'8 and like 200lbs , I did some mods to the bike and made it a little faster than stock and changed the bars and stuff and this bike has been wonderful to me. I love it! But I am selling it. I bought it june 30th and already want a 250x really bad. Now I increased my riding skills tremendously since i started and will never regret buying the 230, but I also do some track riding too, and the 230 is not made for that at all. So anyway...If your still interested in an 07 230....mine is for sale! check the garage for pix! good luck!!

I think it really depends on your riding style and what you enjoy doing out on the trails. If you are looking to constantly rip it, then the CRF203 is not for you. If you are looking to get out of the house, go somewhat fast and put an emphasis on the outdoors and riding, then I feel it is the perfect bike for you.

I enjoy mine a lot and have done some of the mods listed here on this site. Not because I am looking to go faster or try to make it a 250, rather because I need to be a poser and look good on the trails, lol!!!

well i went a whole different route all together...got a great deal on a new 05 rm125

well i went a whole different route all together...got a great deal on a new 05 rm125

2-strokes are a blast to ride. If set up properly, they make great woods bikes. Enjoy the new ride.