Why Are Dirt Bikes So Expensive? (Explained Details)

Dirt bikes are so expensive because the materials used to make them are expensive and hard to find. Once the materials are gathered, the building charge, the dealership expenses, and the shipping cost all add to the cost of the dirt bike.

People make a lot of inquiries concerning the dirt bike, but the most frequent has to do with their pricing.

There are many reasons why dirt bike is expensive, and we’ll briefly discuss them to understand them better.

There are only a few makers of dirt bike parts in Japan and Europe, and the materials used to make such bikes are few and far between. It takes a lot of effort to source and brings these parts together, contributing to the cost.

To find out what makes a dirt bike expensive, let’s discuss some top reasons for its high cost, the parts that make it expensive, and if dirt bikes are expensive to maintain.

Why Are Dirt Bikes So Expensive (Top 10 Reasons)

A dirt bike is built for dirt bike sports where riders ride through rough or hilly roads. To make rides around such locations easy and achievable, the bike manufacturers use expensive materials to construct the bikes.

Below we will look at reasons why dirt bikes are so expensive :

• Cost of materials
• Low Demand
• High production cost
• Dirt bike accessories cost
• Upfront payment basis for dirt bike
• High cost of maintenance and spare parts
• Dirt bike insurance
• Protective gear
• Additional costs attributed to riding dirt bikes
• Lease
• Technology

What Parts Of The Dirt Bike Make It Expensive?

Here we will talk about the parts of the dirt bike that make it expensive and the functions of those parts.

We will examine each element individually and determine why it makes the dirt bike so expensive.

Wheels

The dirt bikes are known for riding on hilly or off-road (muddy) tracks, and that’s why the tires should be strong enough to handle such terrain.

The wheels of a dirt bike are different from ordinary bike tires. They have soft rubber with thread blocks that are closely spaced. The tires are filled with tire mousse to shield the tires from punctures.

The tires have lumpy deep threads that aid its grip on mud, rocks, mountains, and dirt. These tires are made with harder rubber to increase their durability. It also maintains a constant temperature while on the move.

Engine

The dirt bike comes with a four-cylinder engine to make it ride smoothly. This engine is one of the reasons for the bike’s high cost. If your engine is air-cooled, this can also increase the cost.

The reason for this is that with your engine being air-cooled, the engine should perform better and have a longer running time as the air-cool feature helps regulate the engine temperature.

Brakes

The brake of a dirt bike is equivalent to a car’s anti-brake system. The brake is lightweight as it helps keep the bike on the same weight.

The bike comes with disc brakes that don’t require much pressure to be active. In comparison to other brakes, this disc brake offers more consistency when pressure is applied than another brake system.

Something worthy of note is that these brakes don’t function properly under wet weather, and other types of brakes may take longer to stop the bike.

So the disc brake is the best option as the material used to produce it protects it from damage due to dust and mud, and it would still function even if the wheels are not properly aligned.

Frame

Normal bike frames are made from aluminum, but the dirt bike frame is developed with magnesium, titanium, and carbon fibre.

The frame holds the front fork, which contains head tubes, and in some bikes, you have the engines mounted on the inner sides of the frame as well.

The frames are built to be highly strong, so they will not suffer any destruction, even with accidents.

Suspension

The front and rear wheels of the dirt bike are connected through suspensions. Some front suspensions are either attached to the front fork or the bike uses an Earles-type suspension.

The rear suspension is used to hold the rear wheel’s axle. The rear suspension comes with different workable parts, which include shock absorbers, dual shocks, and mono shocks.

Front Fork

This is the most critical and most familiar part of a dirt bike. The stability of your bike is determined by the front fork.

The front wheel is held in place by the front fork to enable smooth turning and how much you can turn it.

The front fork handles the fork tubes, the neck of the frame, the bottom handle, and the lower legs.

For all these parts to be kept in order, the front fork should be rigid and made of a particular metal.

Also Read : Shimano Deore Vs SLX: Which Groupset Is Better?

Why Are KTM Dirt Bikes So Expensive?

KTM Dirt Bikes are so expensive because of the cost of the materials used in making them and the cost of the logistics used in moving these materials.

The high cost of the KTM dirt bike can be attributed to its operation at a high engine RPM that leads to more heat being generated. 

This excessive heat can lead to a massive wear and tear on the bike parts which makes repairs and servicing of this bike to be expensive.

Also, it costs a lot to import parts to assemble a KTM dirt bike from Japan or Europe so you have to be prepared before embarking on such a process.

How Much Does A Real Dirt Bike Cost?

A real dirt bikes in the market cost an average of $8000-$9000 but depending on the company brand, you can find it more expensive than this.

If this is your first time looking at the dirt bike market or your tenth time,  you’re advised to compare the average price for various dirt bikes in the market. 

If you want to get a used bike, you can find them for $1000 less than the cost of a new one for every year they spend in the market. 

Are Dirt Bikes Expensive to Maintain?

Yes, dirt bikes are quite expensive to maintain. A dirt bike is a high-maintenance bike because you ride and race at a high level that demands so much work from the bike. 

But if you’re very conservative with your riding you may not need to maintain it always. That being said, it would cost you between $3000 – $6000 to maintain your bike depending on how you ride and if your maintenance requires replacing parts. 

As you can see from the above paragraph, the cost of maintaining your dirt bike can vary.

Final Thoughts

You should always inspect several parts of your bike before you ride. Doing this would help you maintain your bike properly and increase the bike’s performance and your riding time.

Almost half the bike’s price is attributed to its physical parts, while the other half is to dealerships, high possession rates, and corporate launches.

These factors are the cause of the high cost of a dirt bike.