Got 3000 to spend and dont have a clue

If you are going to start out on trails get a KDX, probably could find a clean one for 2k and then use the rest of your money for good protective gear.

These are gross generalizations, so here goes

2 strokes make power every 2 strokes, 4 strokes every four- 2 strokes accellerate hard but need to be revved and like to stall - 4 strokes can putt all day and make more power lower and usually have more flywheel effect so they are harder to stall. 2 strokes coast when you let off the gas, 4's immediately slow down. 2 strokes are light and feel lighter. 4 strokes are heavier and feel even more so.

to confuse matter even nore, some 2 strokes are more like 4's and some 4's are more like 2's .

In your case a 2 stroke like the KDX makes the most sense because they are easy to maintain and fun to ride and have 4 stroke type power. Sort of.

The KDX's are great because they are full size motorcycles, fairly bulletproof, there is a huge support infrastructure, and as you gain skills they can be modified for more performance instead of having to buy new bikes.

You should also consider dual sporting as it is a way to ride lots of trail . So being street legal would be a plus.

Motocross bikes are very specialized and don't typically make the best trail bikes for beginners- good riders prefer MX bikes on the trail because they can fly low and have a lot of power.

hope this helps

Yosh- the KDX 200 hasn't changed aside from graphics since 1995. The bike is still in production today. That means that the parts for a 1996 KDX are just as available as the parts for a 2005.

Whether it is worth $1400 is very subjective. Is the bike in good condition? can you trust the seller? is there aftermarket parts you would otherwise probably buy? Things like that.

If you are wondering whether it is a decent price I can tell you that my freind just purchased an '98 for $1050 at a gigantic dirtbike swapfest (lots of competition means lower average price). I NEVER thought we would get that good of a price on it, but we did.

Don't let that scare you off of $350 more for a decent bike. This bike had been ridden hard and it showed, but it was maintaned too, and that showed as well.

If he is asking $1400 I bet you can talk him down a little and I bet he would go for $1200.... $1200 is not bad for a good trail machine like a decent KDX... If it's beat to all blazes, don't touch it, get something you can ride for a bit before the wrenching, you have enough money to be pretty picky about a KDX (but no one wants to spend more than they have to)

Keep in mind that you need about $500 worth of gear to be safe as well.

I would say to definitely check into a KDX200 or KDX220R. It is a trail bike. It might be a bit zippy for a new beginner at first, but it shouldn't take long for you to grow into it. If you went with something like the Honda CRF230F or the new 2005 Yamaha 230, you might grow out of those in about a year, then have to sell it to get something with better brakes, suspension, motor, etc. Definitely check into the KDX you mentioned, but don't buy something that you are going to have to work on to get up to snuff. You will have enough to worry about as far as just riding. Being a mechanic and being a rider are two different things.

RoostRider made a great point. Put about $500 of your budget into safety gear. Also, make sure you have some way to store the bike when you are not riding it, plus a way to get it to the riding area. For example, if you say, "I have a truck.", I would ask, do you have a pair of tie downs and a loading ramp?

Hmm. I am north of Huntsville, so we aren't terribly far apart. Watch out for Ivan. I hear it is headed right your way. Good luck on Ivan, and the KDX.

Is there any chance you can take some digital pictures of the bike and report back? A picture is worth 1,000 words. :-) Ask him "how often do I need to clean and oil the air filter"? If he says, "I never have", then run away. I would check the sprocket wear. That can give you an iudea of how well maintained it was. If the tires are near bald, then that is another good indicator. Ask how long has it been since the piston and rings were replaced. There's a million things you could ask, so those are just some. The main thing is to get an idea of how well it was maintained and what problems need to be worked on already.

I got a '96 200 for $1500 but it had FMF pipe and silencer, new tires, bark busters, and renthal bars and sproket. If you don't know what to ask, ask him what he has done to it(aftermarket parts, maintaining the bike, how much and how hard he rode it). If he sounds like he knows what he's talking about and has a title you can probably trust him. If he has no clue and just wants to sell it really bad either come back w/ a friend that knows more about it or look for another bike. Always see the bike in person and hear it run before you buy it. Ride it(or have him ride it) if possible.

I have a friend that had a crf230, got tired of it in less then a year, Then bought a kdx. Deffinetly go kdx.

I agree with everyone on the KDX. A proven bike with great powerbands for beginners. The fourstrokes your looking at will be easy to outgrow and have limited suspension and motors. KDX's have good resale and can be taylored to your riding style. Even MX.