Get Smart
I’ve wanted a bike ever since I was eight. I’m now 17 and have finally decided to do something about it. I’ve left school and am working full time now. I want to do moto-X, but I don’t know whether to get a 125 or a 250F. What would you recommend for a first-time racer? Most people are saying to go 125cc, but apparently you have to use the gears more and use your upper body a bit more, which uses up a lot of energy. Which is best?
Josh Foster
Waihi Beach, New ZealandEveryone’s situation is different, but if you mean you dropped out just to ride, I would say please get back and finish school. Motorcycles are an amazing amount of fun, but they’re a luxury and not something that should ever take priority over things such as completing your education. I’d say get back in school, and when you finish reward yourself with a 125 (yes, you may have to work a while to save up). You probably won’t be racing right away, so don’t worry about which bike is the fastest. 125s are cheap and fun and will let you learn how to work on a bike. Yes, you’ll have to shift more than if you were on a 250F, but learning to shift is fun and an important part of becoming a good motorcycle rider. You’ve been waiting to ride since you were eight? Don’t leave school early after you’ve made it this far. I just did a great interview with David Vuillemin, and he stressed the importance of education. He’s coming to the end of his professional racing career, and his good education has a few new doors opened to him that might be closed if he’d turned his back on his studies when he was young. -Pete Peterson
I’ve wanted a bike ever since I was eight. I’m now 17 and have finally decided to do something about it. I’ve left school and am working full time now. I want to do moto-X, but I don’t know whether to get a 125 or a 250F. What would you recommend for a first-time racer? Most people are saying to go 125cc, but apparently you have to use the gears more and use your upper body a bit more, which uses up a lot of energy. Which is best?
Josh Foster
Waihi Beach, New ZealandEveryone’s situation is different, but if you mean you dropped out just to ride, I would say please get back and finish school. Motorcycles are an amazing amount of fun, but they’re a luxury and not something that should ever take priority over things such as completing your education. I’d say get back in school, and when you finish reward yourself with a 125 (yes, you may have to work a while to save up). You probably won’t be racing right away, so don’t worry about which bike is the fastest. 125s are cheap and fun and will let you learn how to work on a bike. Yes, you’ll have to shift more than if you were on a 250F, but learning to shift is fun and an important part of becoming a good motorcycle rider. You’ve been waiting to ride since you were eight? Don’t leave school early after you’ve made it this far. I just did a great interview with David Vuillemin, and he stressed the importance of education. He’s coming to the end of his professional racing career, and his good education has a few new doors opened to him that might be closed if he’d turned his back on his studies when he was young. -Pete Peterson
