HELP! Looking for a good trail bike..

First, welcome to DRN. :cool:

Second, fill out your User CP, so we can hook you up with members in your area.

Third, I'm going to move this for more views.

Fourth. check out the What Bike Do I Get... ? forum for tons of great info on bikes. Use search and you will get lost in there for days. :) Check the Help Us Help You ...Hints to help get advice on bikes thread for great information that will help everyone zero in on recommendations.

Lastly, regarding your question about valves, all 4 stroke bikes have maintenance schedules and procedures that must be followed to keep them in top shape and keep them from turning into a grenade. Personally, I have never felt the work to be a burden.

Any 250F should serve your needs well. My son is 6'1" / 230 and that is what he rides. I'm sure others will chime in with their opinions.

If you are not gooing to any extream then a older XR250, 400, or 600 would be a easy bike to ride. But they are heaive. Also, you could look into a used Suzuki DRZ400.

What state do you live in?
(I wish that question was part of the "sticky" form)

If you live in California you want to be sure to get a "green sticker" bike. Based on the type of riding that you indicated that you want to do I am sure that you would encounter California restrictions on "red sticker" bikes.

The WR250F is a nice bike and sounds like it would suit you well. If you are going to be riding on government land, especially in wooded areas you will want to have a US Forest Service spark arrester on the bike. I believe that the WR series came stock with them, but people often change them out. The "MX" style bikes typically don't come with spark arresters.


Rod

Four-stroke bikes to look at: Honda XR250R, XR400R, KTM RFS250EXC or 400EXC.

Two-strokes: Kawasaki KDX200 or 200, GasGas EC200, 250 or 300 or a KTM 200, 250, or 300 EXC.

You can pick up used GasGas bikes for dirt cheap and they are great woods bikes (best I've ever ridden!).

SpeedyManiac, well put.

The CRF250X and WR250F are detuned versions of the CRF250R and the YZ250F respectively. They are not "trail" bikes like the XR or TTR which only require a clean air filter and the occational oil change.

If you plan on leaving the trails for some laps on the MX track the CRF250X and WR250F are better choices because they have a better suspension and weigh less than the XR or TTR's. That being said, they are a little more labor intensive. Keep the air filter clean, oil changed and the valves in spec, you should be just fine.

I'm a firm believer in choosing a bike to grow into. That way as your skill increases, the bike won't be a limiting factor.

Good luck, Steve