Help with first Dirt Bike

hi,
its prety hard to tell.
If you plan doing mx, then you need a mx bike wich require constant maintenance and you to work on it.
A trail bike dosent require much maintenance but it will not make it on a mx track.

If you decide to buy a mx bike, in the 2k$ price range i suggest a 2 stroke as they are cheap and easy to repair/work on while a 4 stroke in that price range will be more expensive to repair/work.
125 2 stroke can do it well but i suggest trying a 250 2 stroke for your size and trail if you feel well with the bike. The 250 top end wil last longer for trail use.

If you go the trail bike way, they are mostly 4 stroke low maintenance, cheaper, less repair and more reliable for trail use. A 250 4 stroke trail bike is great and will be alot fun for the trail but not for mx track.

It is difficult to find a bike that does both MX and trails really well. Most bikes are designed for one or the other. The 125 2t would not be a good choice for a trail bike, I own one and speak from experience. They have very little low end which makes it difficult to ride on the trial (the reason I am selling my RM125). Any older generation 4 stroke would make a great trail bike and would be easy to maintain, but it would make a poor MX bike. A 250 2t might be your best option, as it can be setup with decent low end power for the trail and it will perform at the track. However, for a beginner, a 250 2t would be alot to handle.

I am surprised that you are finding used four strokes cheaper than the two strokes. In my area a 10 year old 250 two stroke that is in good condition can be found for around $1500 while a decent four stroke would be $3000.

Keep in mind that dirt bikes come in several different flavors and you get what you pay for. The low end bikes are usually referred to as "dirt" or "trail" bikes while the higher end racing bikes are usually usually called "MX". The "trail" bikes will be a lot cheaper, and a lot heavier.

The pros for a "dirt bike"
Usually comes with a kick stand.
Some have headlights for night riding.
Electric Start is often a feature
lower seat height
the engines are usually more reliable, require less maintenance.
Much less expensive.

The pros of a MX bike
High performance engines (requires higher octane gas)
more travel on the suspension
Greater ground clearance
Lighter


As far as the type of riding you do, if you want to hit the MX track then I would highly recommend getting a MX bike. A good running MX bike will do just fine on the trail but a trail bike is going to suck at the track.

And "trail" means different things to different people. To some a trail is a well marked, smooth, easy path to follow. When I go ride with my club, a "trail" is something that a mountain goat has difficulty on.

When looking for a four stroke, be aware that a 230cc bike is probably the cheaper trai model while a 250 four stroke will likely be a MX model.

You might want to consider that the first bike you buy to be a temporary thing. Get a nice cheap 230cc trail bike to learn on, then plan on replacing it with a MX bike in a year or two.

Rod

MC, thats the Bay Area for you...I have a friend who lives out there. I guess its the whole cost of living thing. My 1600 sq ft house in your area would probably be worth 5 or 6 times its value here in TX. I am on Craigslist and Ebay at least twice a week...just browsing. You find find a really nice 4 stroke here for $3K...especially now. About 5 months ago, I paid $1300 for my 99 YZ400F and it has been a deal so far (knock on wood)..that was cheap even for here. You can find a 10 year old 2 stroke around here in good shape for $1100 - $1300.

A guy here at work has a KDX200 (and several others) and he says they are good trail bikes. He has been riding for almost 40 years and knows bikes inside and out. Is it the one on Craigslist in Burleson? If so, that ad states that it is negotiable. I think $1500 may be a little too much for that bike...but maybe not if it is in really good mechainical condition. You might be able to get the bike for $1300. Write a list of things you want to look at before you look at any used bike. Go through the list one by one and take your time. You may not need it, but I recently posted a list of what I look for on the "What bike to get" forum.

KDX200 or 220 is good trails bike with nice power and trail riding ability. I can tell you for sure a well tuned 250T is a bear on a new(ish) rider. I am in a similar boat. Under 2K and a bike that will do competent trails and MotoX will be a tough bill to fill from where I sit, at least well. Even if you suspend a trail bike to work well, it still will not have the frame and setup for jumping, it will be heavier, and more than likely be raked shorter in the front end and be "twitchy". I experienced this when I tried to replace my XR400 with a CR250 to get more of the jumping ability of a 2T but with the power and trailability of a 4T. My ultimate solution will be a CRF250x or CRF450x, money is a concern because they are expensive but ultimately it will hopefully deliver what I want. WR from Yamaha should do same/similar but I am Honda fan.

2001 and up rm250,(or any other 250 ts) they are quick, and nimble with decent low end grunt, it seems to me it would transfer well from mx to trails, this really seems like the only option...

I have to agree with dougtx, the CRF 250 and 450 are all around great bikes. You can ride anything with them. trails, desert, track, whatever.