Bike Guides

Have you ever seen people ride dirt bikes quite comfortably, yet when you stand next to one, you realize how tall they are?

Dirt bikes are tall because they need space in the frame to mount the engine, radiator, gearbox, fuel tank and muffler. Given that dirt bikes travel in offroad areas, they also need high clearances below the oil sump to traverse obstacles like rocks and logs. This gives them a standing and sitting height greater than most other motorcycles.

In addition, dirt bikes are used for jumping and require a lot of suspension travel to compress the forks safely and protect the rider from shock. It’s this length of suspension travel which means they need to be tall and somewhat difficult for a rider to sit on, much like a horse.

The only other type of motorcycle which is bigger are adventure motorcycles which sit marginally higher due to larger capacity engines and bigger fuel tanks.

The Height of Dirt Bikes

It’s somewhat intimidating to realize how high they sit. After all, bicycles are much easier to jump on and start riding. Not only are dirt bikes taller, but they’re also wider because of the fuel tank. This is much like riding a horse actually!

Given how many components are needed to be fitted inside the dirt bike frame to make the vehicle itself travel fast, it’s evident that they can’t be low to the ground like sports bikes and racers.

This higher stance does make a dirt bike more slower in a straight line speed and around corners than such bikes. Essentially, they’re not very aerodynamic and dirt bikes don’t have fairings, unless the owner fits one to contend with highway speeds.

Now – most road riders don’t need to look that far ahead. Dirt bike riders do, and so the higher seat height helps to see further down the track for potential hazards like fallen trees and wildlife that could spell the end of a ride for any rider.

How to Deal with Tall Dirt Bikes

Sometimes it can be frustrating to come across a dirt bike and realize that you’re a little bit too short. Indeed there are riders under 5 feet that would love to go riding on a registered dirt bike but can’t, and thus, have to settle with a pit bike. Or at least they think! The times have changed since the limitations of dirt bikes from yesteryear.

Manufacturers have realized this issue exists and today there are several ways to start riding even if you’re a shorter rider.

Some ways to deal with tall dirt bikes include:

1. You can lower the springs. You can either adjust your existing springs or get new ones fitted that will help you drop the height by an inch or two.
2. Get your seat professionally dropped lower. Some mechanics know how to shave off up to 3 inches from a seat height. Either they replace the seat or simply drop its height through chanting the mounting areas.
3. Have a smaller fuel tank fitted. One of the reasons why a dirt bike might be riding too high is the fuel tank is actually too big, and thus there needs to be additional space to compensate. By removing this fuel tank and getting something small, there is often a notable drop in the seat height.
4. Change tyre sizes. With some dirt bikes, you can change the tyre sizes so you can drop one size to reduce the seat height. This depends on some various factors and so it would be best to talk to your dealership and get their professional recommendation as to the right tyre size for your dirt bike.
5. Wear some boots. While you may have cast your eyes over a dirt bike with running shoes on, you’ll actually gain half an inch with boots on. These have a thick sole to stop sticks and rocks from piercing the rider’s feet.
6. Lean on your dominant side. When you have a close look at all dirt bike riders, you’ll notice that most of them are actually leaning their dirt bikes on one side when standing straight. This is something that becomes a normal part of dirt bike riding and you’ll be on your tippy-toes if you were to stand straight, even if you’re tall.

This all assumes you have a dirt bike already. If you haven’t bought one yet, then read on.

Dirt Bikes for Shorter Riders

Dirt bike manufacturers have become smart and realize the growing trend of female riders who are the most vertically challenged. Today there are some bikes which are more suited towards shorter riders.

For instance, the Honda CRF250L is a great road-registerable yet short dirt bike for riders looking for something for the trail, the dirt and to get on and off easily. This bike makes for an excellent yet short adventure riding bike.

Even shorter is the CRF230 by Honda and the TTR 230 by Yamaha. Likewise, anything in the 230 class by Kawasaki or Suzuki or even less like the 150 versions are excellent. Here in Australia, you can get the CRF230 on a conditional rec-registration in some states.

Getting Started

For the vertically challenged among us, don’t let the fear of tall dirt bikes put you off from this fun sport. Sure – electric mountain bikes sound like a great alternative, and they are! But dirt bikes are open to everyone including kids.

Head to your local dealership and sit on a few bikes while wearing boots. You’ll soon realize just how easy they are…and most importantly…how much fun they can bring to your world!

Music and dirt bikes go together, like peanut butter and jelly. You haven’t experienced life until you’ve found this unison.

Look for any dirt bike rider before a competition and you’ll find them in deep thought while head phones are arching ’em up. That’s for a reason – to get the mood flowing and raising blood pressure. That audio encouragement transfer to better race results and continual sponsorships.

But you’re probably curious what’s actually playing. What’s pumping them up to get race ready? We, there is numerous bands but let’s actually look at the individual songs.

Best Dirt Bike Songs

We’ve done the research to find you the hottest songs for those who twist the throttle hard. Be warned – listening to such music might causing you to tear through tracks and trails much faster, leaving your competition to dust!

Love’ em or hate ’em, let’s start:

1. Popcorn by M&H Band

This is the video that is perfectly tuned to Dakar Rally. If you’re an enduro rider, you’ve got to listen to the song to appreciate the sheer competitiveness and spirit of the sport!

2. Believer by Imagine Dragons

Yep, you’ve got to love this song. Great for the race track as it is for the gym session. It’s something that’s just as great to wake up too and get yourself awake much more than just a coffee or energy drink.

3. Titanium – David Guetta

The most famous song of last decade for those who cruise and ride hard. You don’t have to be a dirt bike rider to appreciate this epic song! Perfect for the mountains or open country rides.

4. Faded by Alan Walker

Oh this song is sure to get your blood flowing and uber focused on the outcome. Stay committed to the prize and win this race! Popular in nightclubs as it is for race days.

5. Lovely Day by Donavon Frankenreiter

Why this song? It certainly belongs to the surfing fraternity, but song is famous from the intro of Snakes on a Plane with the dirt bike. Remember that intro scene? It got some people into dirt bikes and this song reminds them of the joy behind the handlebars.

6. Me, Myself and I by Drae Cliche

Oh yep, who hasn’t forgotten this one. While it doesn’t get the blood flowing, it’s perfect for driving to the race track for a day of feeding dirt to the competition.

7. Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim

Definitely one of the best songs to come out of the 90’s and get you in the zone. There is nothing that has pushed us more forward! You can’t procrastinate any more with these tunes!

8. What A Feeling by Global Deejays

This song will certainly get you focused on the outcome. That is – the gold medal at the end of this race. All that struggle and practice will be worth it!

9. Thunder Struck by AC/DC

Who can ever forget this song? It’s played at just about every Crusty Demons shows around the world by those who know how to roost hard – the Aussies!

Single Bands

Dirt Bike riders know some pretty epic brands that no matter which song you choose, you’ll find some epic tunes to get you in the zone. These are:

• AC/DC. The legendary Aussie band
• Guns N’ Roses.
• Nine Inch Nails
• Motley Crue
• Social Distortion
• Tool
• Metallica
• Eminem
• IronMaiden
• Descendants

You certainly won’t have trouble finding some good tunes from any of these. Find them on Spotify and kick-start your dirt bike into gear!

By the way – you certainly can ride a dirt bike while listening to music. Simply get yourself some discreet wireless earbunds. While they won’t drone out the sound of your engine, they are certainly effective to get you zoned in on at least being on the podium.

For many of us, our motorcycles are almost just as important as our own kids or even our pets, and so crash bars can really help.

Motorcycle Crash Bars help to protect your engine from serious damage arising from crashing your motorcycle. Accidents at high speeds can damage radiators, side casings, the fuel tank and oil reservoir. Generally speaking, it’s crash bars that will take the brunt force of any crash and thus protect the motorcycle while also providing some mild protection to the rider too.

If you have ever seen bull bars on Australian 4×4’s or bash plates under their engine to protect the oil sump, then crash bars on motorbikes work in much the same way. In some cases, they do provide some aethesic differences.

Are motorcycle crash bars worth it? Certainly, if you value your paintwork and are keen to prevent any potential damage to your high-spec adventure motorcycle.

Motorcycle Crash Bars

You’ll find motorcycle crash bars typically mounted to the lower frame of a motorcycle. These can be fitted to dirt bikes, dual-sport motorcycles or any other motorcycle for that matter where the rider feels there is a high risk of serious damage to their engine.

Not only do the crash bars protect the engine, but they can protect the paintwork too. This only applies if the motorcycle crashes at low speed and don’t flip on to the other side, given that crash bars are mostly protecting the underbelly of a motorcycle.

These crash bars can stop the oil tank from being punctured, however they don’t provide complete protection to the underbelly. If you’re going truly offroad and are worried about rocks striking your oil sump, then a bash plate is highly recommended.

Now, they’re not just good for protection. You can use crash bars to mount additional gear like your pegs and lights, or even a forward-mount for your rear luggage sets. For riders who crash often, they’re thankful that they have a set of crash bars as anchor points for their gear. On that same token, you can use the crash bars as mounting points when you’re sea or air freighting your bike to a new country.

There is some talk among the ADV riding community that they can prevent some leg injuries, though study 1 and study 2 reject these findings.

Disadvantages of Crash Bars

While it sounds like we’re singing the praises of crash bars, there are some disadvantages that they bring. Namely:

• Cost. You can expect to pay a hefty price for crash bars considering they’re simply a piece of metal, and even more, if you get your dealership to install it for you.
• Width. Because the crash bars make your motorcycle wider, you’ll have to get used to the additional width. Sure – they’re not as wide as the handlebars but the extra width you see is notable.
• Color matching. Sometimes it’s hard to find exactly the right color match for your motorcycle, and so you may have to settle for a crash bar that’s almost identical, but not quite so.
• Weight. You’re adding additional weight which takes a couple of rides to get used to. Fortunately, the weight is often down low and the materials used are typically light, but it’s still noticeable and you can expect increased fuel consumption.
• Heat. Your crash bars can generate some serious heat on a hot summer’s day. If you have big fairings and aren’t getting the airflow that you need to stay cool, then the crash bars are going to add a few extra degrees to an already hot ride.

Now – are they worth it in the end? Absolutely, especially if you’re going on expedition trips where you’re away from civilization and the local dealership. It’s at that moment that you pick yourself up from a decent crash that you’ll be thankful that you had a set installed.

There are dirt bikes and then there are “pit bikes” which are a whole different animal which allows cheap entry into the sport.

Curious if they are worth buying instead of a normal dirt bike. Besides, what does a pit bike do exactly?

Pit bikes are similar to dirt bikes yet are smaller, lighter and cost much less. For small children and teenagers, pit bikes represent a more affordable alternative and with much of the safety elements of normal dirt bikes. Given their lower costs, the engines aren’t as powerful or reliable, and the racing circuits are much smaller.

These are sometimes called ‘pocket rockets’ due to their small frames yet with some snappy power in such a small engine housing. They’re interesting to see and certainly fun to ride, at least for a little while.

Many riders tend to outgrow these pretty quickly. They’re good for some cheap thrills but aren’t suitable for dirt bike racing.

Pit Bikes compared to Dirt Bikes

If you think of dirt bikes as the industry standard, then pit bikes are their ‘mini-me’ version. Smaller, easier to lift up and easier for kids to handle. If you’re learning to ride, then a pit bike can often be a viable alternative.

Pit bike engines are usually between 50cc and 150cc in capacity given how small they are. Compared this to a dirt bike where 250cc or 450cc are typical, where as adventure motorcycles (the big grown up version of a dirt bike) are 650cc and up to 1200cc!

Now, unlike dirt bikes which can be ridden on motocross circuits, on enduro tracks and up and down steep hills, you probably don’t want to take the same risks on a pitbike. They just aren’t designed for such aggression!

To ride pit bikes, you’ll need to have a relatively flat area. Rocky outcrop areas and hilly terrain aren’t suitable, nor is sandy tracks or deeply rutted areas.

Not only is this due to their smaller engine power, but their tires just aren’t up to the same grippy standards. So you won’t be making epic cornering passes while holding on for dear life.

Safety Considerations

Are these just a dangerous version of a dirt bike? We’ve discussed the safety considerations of dirt bikes previously and see some real concerns with pit bikes. And it isn’t surrounding the police or local law enforcement either.

You see, here at Frontaer, we’re all about kids being safe on dirt bikes. By having an enjoyable riding experience, they’ll want to keep riding again and again. This develops into adult life where they continue to shine, and next minute you’ll have grand-kids riding. The ultimate gift!

Typically, these are Made in China and use inferior build components. Thus, pit bikes can break more easily and leak hot oil all over the rider more easily. Likewise, important things can break at high speeds like the chain or break.

Now, this is only marginally more likely to happen. There are more important things to focus on including the riding gear. Most people who turn to pit bikes aren’t wearing all the right gear and should really spend some time in the local MX dealership to get some good protection apparel.

Likewise, it does cause people to become somewhat irresponsible with their dirt bikes. This is especially so as pit bikes are illegal in most countries around the world apart from private property. They’re not even welcome in some MX parks and riding clubs.

Be careful of hot engines which on a typical dirt bike is likely to be well covered. Pit bikes are cheap and so the engineers don’t put much effort into genuinely protecting the rider.

Buying a Pit Bike for a Child

Instead of paying $2,000 or more for a normal dirt bike for younger hands, you could spend less than half on a pit bike. Sounds like a great deal, right? Well, don’t be so quick to rush out there and buy some special that you saw online.

You’ll need to ensure you buy the right bike for their height and ability to handle a motorcycle. They are likely excited about this prospect already but ensure you don’t go too big or small when buying. To say it another way – meet them where they are already.

Just remember that the motorcycle will be less powered than the dirt bike equivalent. If they have found an 80cc dirt bike to be perfect, then an 80cc pit bike will fit them well but with less weight but consequently less power.

Now – buying replacement parts is one challenge. Because these bikes are cheap, they tend to wear through parts quickly and getting replacements could mean ordering online and waiting a week or two for the courier to come to the front door. Keep this in mind if you plan on riding a few times per week.

Adults and Pit Bikes

We generally don’t recommend adults to get pit bikes as their power is lacking for any real-world fun. Sure, they’re great for squiriting around a flat and open track, but they will struggle to do any decent hill climbs or to be leaned over in a corner.

Most of these bikes are low quality too and if you weigh more than 200 pounds which most of us are, then you are putting quite a bit of strain on the suspension. Trying to replace the suspension on these bikes can be challenging if you’re not a dirt bike mechanic. Your local dealership won’t touch it either unless they are the dealership selling that specific pit bike.

If you’re serious about riding off the beaten path, then invest in a proper dirt bike for yourself. Sure – your kids can still have a pit bike to learn the skills necessary to advance in their journey, but you might be underwhelmed in what is offered.

Why are Pit Bikes Cheap?

Pit Bikes are manufactured at a price and are designed to be a toy more than a serious offroad machine. They serve a demographic of people who can’t afford a genuine dirt bike, yet don’t want to miss out on some weekend thrills.

You won’t see these bikes winning any motocross trophies as they can’t live up to such performance expectations. They’re just cheap bikes for those who can’t afford much.

Given their cheap nature, they also only last a few years before finding their way to the landfill. On the flip side, dirt bikes tend to last at least one decade and sometimes up to 3. It isn’t uncommon to find a pre-2000 dirt bike for sale for less than a pit bike, paired with parts available still. The Honda CR250 is one example.

Now – don’t let their cheap nature put you off. If your kids have been nagging you for a pit bike yet the bank account doesn’t quite line up, then going with a pit bike, for now, is a great middle ground.

Final Thoughts

The only good thing that pit bikes have going for them is the price tag. Their pricing brings them to the attention towards those who can’t afford to go riding. It’s good that this segment is served as all kids should have the right to get out there and start riding from a young age.

Yet if you can afford it, we’d recommend buying a proper dirt bike. These have incredibly good resale values so you’ll get some decent dollars back when you sell the bikes to another family and upgrade. Compare this to pit bikes which are known to be ‘slow lemons’ in the dirt biking community, and you’ll struggle to get much for it when you sell.

Most dealerships these days offer flexible payment solutions including financing. Thus, genuine dirt bike ownership might be closer in reach than what you initially believe.

Dirt bikes tend to have a bad reputation of dying in the worst possible spot, especially when you’re ready to race or miles from anywhere.

Whether it’s the battery of the starter motor, it’s both frustrating and concerning at the same time. It’s unlikely that you’ll have the tools, parts and technical know-how on the spot to actually get your dirt bike going again.

Thus, you gotta do a pop-start or as some others from Australia call it, a jump start. Either way, our guide will help you do this by yourself.

Pop-Starting Your Dirt Bike: Frontaer’s How-To Guide

It’s not that difficult to jump-start a dirt bike and it’s much the same as getting a car going. You simply need to be mindful that you probably won’t get it started the first time. What you will need is momentum, patience and good timing.

To get your dirt bike started with rolling, also known as a pop-start, you’ll need to:

1. Sit on your dirt bike with key on

Sit on your bike as though you’re riding. Some people try to run along the side of their dirt bike but this just makes things more complicated.

2. Put your dirt bike in 2nd gear

1st gear is too rough and will cause you to lurch forward while and gear will put be too much of a lull. 2nd gear is widely regarded is the optimum gear in which to pop-start any vehicle, such as a motorcycle or car.

3. Pull the clutch in all the way

Yep, hold the clutch all the way in. You won’t burn anything out. Just hold the clutch for now and then immediately go on to the next step.

4. Gain some momentum (A push from others or rolling down a hill)

Yep, it’s time to rope some buddies into the mix, but pros do this all by themself. If it’s your first time, then get someone strong to push you along the flat ground. The best tip is to find a slight decline to roll yourself down with zero effort. You can’t pop-start while going uphill and most beginners struggle to push their dirt bike individually and get it started on flat ground. Even 30ft of driveway which has a slight decline is enough.

5. Once you reach running speed, let the clutch out

Yep – literally let the clutch out and don’t balance it just yet. Be ready for a lurch. It’s aggressive as you reach the contact point. You’ll near the engine try and fire itself up while you’re trying to hang on and deal with the sudden stopping and lurching.

6. Balance the clutch as your engine roars into life.

This is when your engine will fire up and start running normally. You’ll need to balance the clutch initially to stop it dying. If it’s running, then the motorcycle will idle just fine as if it had started normally with an eStart or kick starter. From here, simply switch to neutral and idle along.

7. Repeat the process if it fails

Either push your dead motorcycle to the top of the hill or get your buddy to push you on the flat once again. Aim for 3 to 4 attempts before ultimately giving up. Most people do get their dirt bike started the first time around with the simple 2nd gear roll start method.

If you aren’t hearing your dirt bike starting up (coughing and splattering), then there could be bigger problems at play. This is when you’ll want to call in the mechanic for diagnostic work.

In Short

The reason you’ve needed to pop-start was a problem due to a dead battery. This is a good opportunity to check if it’s charging correctly as the alternator may need replacement.

So to make it easy: 2nd gear, let the clutch out while rolling along at running speed. It’s not hard and it’s something we recommend you practice while your bike is running well. When the day comes that you’ll need to do a roll-start, then you’ll get your dirt bike going in less than 20 seconds.