The best 4 stroke dirt bike for beginners is the one that will make learning to ride easier, which will allow you to enjoy riding with more control and prevent crashes. Sound interesting?
Then I will cover the best 4 stroke dirt bikes for you to start on based on your size, which ones to stay away from, and how to make learning to ride a dirt bike easier and quicker.
Is a 4 stroke a good beginner bike?
Depending on which type of 4 stroke dirt bike you get, yes, it can be good for beginners.
With that said, you need to know the different types of dirt bikes, which one is best for you, and why it’s so important.
The 4 main types of dirt bikes are:
The best type for you as a beginner is a trail bike or dual sport bike.
If you’re only going to ride off-road, then pick a trail motorcycle. If you want to ride on the street and off-road then the dual sport is best because it’s street legal from the factory.
2 stroke vs 4 stroke – what’s better for you?
Most 2 stroke dirt bikes are not good for beginners because they have too much ‘snap’, which makes them harder to ride. This ‘snap’ feels like an abrupt surge of power that can take you by surprise, causing you to whiskey throttle and/wheelie.
So, are all 2 stroke dirt bikes bad to start on for your first dirt bike?
No, but there’s only a few that I would even consider recommending, and only one of them is currently available.
What is the most reliable 4 stroke dirt bike?
Virtually any dirt bike can be reliable or unreliable. It mostly depends on how you maintain it and how you ride it.
The most reliable 4 stroke dirt bike is an air-cooled trail bike, such as the Honda XR200 or CRF230F.
But, if you never change the oil or air filter, the engine will seize much sooner than it would have lasted. The same goes for how you ride it.
Bouncing off the rev limiter is also not an efficient way to ride, but it wears the engine out quicker because the parts are making more revolutions per minute and they’re maxed out for what they can physically handle.
What is a good 4 stroke dirt bike for an adult beginner?
How tall you are is the most important factor to choosing the right dirt bike to start on. I always recommend picking a bike that you can easily touch the ground with one foot on.
You don’t need to put both feet down to balance the bike, but being able to put one foot down gives you more confidence as a beginner because you can prevent most tip overs.
If you’re a short adult rider, like me (5’6”), then starting on a tall enduro bike with a 38” seat height will be intimidating simply because it’s hard to balance the bike when you’re stopped, not to mention the excessive power that’s hard to control.
So, what’s the best 4 stroke dirt bike for an adult beginner based on your height?
- 4’8”-5’0”: CRF125F
- 5’0”-5’3”: TTR125LE or CRF125FB
- 5’3”-5’6”: KLX140G
- 5’6”-5’10”: KLX230R, TTR230 or CRF250F
- 5’10”+: CRF250F or KLX300R
Is a 250 4 stroke a good beginner bike?
If it’s a 4 stroke trail bike and not an enduro or motocross bike, then yes, a 250 can be a good beginner bike.
There’s only one 250cc 4 stroke trail bike that you can buy new, and that’s the Honda CRF250F. Any other new 250 is a high-performance model and is too much bike as your first dirtbike.
If you’re on a budget, older models, such as the DRZ250, XR250, and TTR250 are good beginner bikes if you’re tall enough. The downside is that they’re getting harder to find in good condition.
Best 4 stroke dirt bike for trail riding
So, what’s the best 4 stroke for trail riding? It really comes down to your experience level and height.
As a new rider, please start on a beginner-friendly trail bike because you’ll be much less likely to get out of control and hurt. A slower bike is much easier to learn on and master the proper techniques of riding off-road, especially if you’re just getting back into riding or coming from a street bike.
The best 4 stroke dirt bikes for trail riding are:
- Honda CRF250F
- Kawasaki KLX300R
- Yamaha WR250F
- Honda CRF250RX
- Yamaha YZ250FX
- Yamaha WR450F
- KTM 500 EXC
Only the first two are good for beginners if you have zero off-road motorcycle experience. The rest of this list is what you can look forward to once you build up your confidence and skill.
How to build your confidence much quicker
Starting on the right first dirt bike is the first step, but the next step is even more important. I see so many beginners making the same mistakes when it comes to dirt bike riding technique, and it’s not always their fault.
Poor riding technique will cause you to crash more often because you’re using more energy than you have to and you’ll get out of control from being out of balance on the bike.
That’s why I want to show you the proper techniques so that you can ride with control and confidence in less time to prevent crashes. Click here to learn the basics of riding off-road.