size problem

[JMTwhoops]

I'm on an XR 80 right now....don't ask...bad grades so I couldn't get a new bike. I'm usually stuck top ending the damn thing the whole ride. Time for a new bike because I'm getting better grades. I have my eye on a 2004 Honda CRF250R. It's seat height is 37 inches though. Can I manage that?

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'9 160
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
uhh....idk,med-high
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ????? tracks, trails, anywhere i can
4) Do you have any riding experience? 4 years
5) Do you think you will race ? maybe
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? no
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? 4, i hate 2's, and honda
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? yes
9) How much do you plan to spend on a bike? up to 4k
10) Do you live in California? yes, southern california, next to LA
11) anything else that you think would help form an opinion
am i tall enough?

 

[XRpredator]

you could probably handle it. Most bikes are built for that "average" 5'8" 160 lb rider.

of course, it will have oodles more power than your current steed. Take 'er easy for a while 'til you get used to it.

 

[2 strokes for life]

You are plenty big. You sould like my buddie last year that was ridding an XL125 and is your size and went to a 1997 YZ125.

 

[JMTwhoops]

yeah im used to it cuz i ride my dads xr 400 all the time...thanks guys and do you know how much the gas tank plastic would cost to get black?

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I would think that your size would be fine on a 37 inch seat height. Yamaha's are almost 39 inch seat height so you wouldn't be on one of the tallest bikes, for sure. If I am reading your profile correctly you are just barely 15 years old, so you might still grow a bit more. I sure wouldn't suggest a smaller bike.

Because you live in California (thank you, moderator, for adding that question!) you have registration issues to worry about, and the Red vs Green sticker problem.
I am pretty sure that the 2004 CRF250R is NOT going to be a green sticker bike, which will restrict your riding season in many places. The CRF250X is green sticker, so you might want to consider that instead, or go with a 2002 or older bike which automatically gets green stickers.

I highly recommend avoiding any bike that doesn't come with a clean California title.

Rod

 

[kawicam250]

you are tall enough, but that doesnt mean this is the right bike for you. its a good bike, but you also stated that you wont be doing your own work on the bike. do you hate 2 strokes because you believe their more maintenance? the trail 4 strokes have hardly any maintenance, while a similar engine size 2 stroke will have more than any 4T trail bike. however, a 4T MX bike, like the CRF250R or CRF250X will have significantly more maintenance than a 125 or 250 2T. just dont blow up if/when you have to replace the valves, as that has been a problem with the CRF's.

 

[2 strokes for life]

Almost any liquid cooled 4 stroek will have more maintenance, with a few exceptions.

 

[JMTwhoops]

i dont mind maitenance, im just trying to find a bike that is cheap, used.

and i do believe that red stickers block your riding in the summer? im not sure, but here, they dont check in most places i go because it is raw desert and i don't ride in the summer because of the heat.

thanks for the help! and do you guys know what the best possible bike is? i just want it under 3500. ill look into some more bikes

 

[kawicam250]

i dont mind maitenance, im just trying to find a bike that is cheap, used.

and i do believe that red stickers block your riding in the summer? im not sure, but here, they dont check in most places i go because it is raw desert and i don't ride in the summer because of the heat.

thanks for the help! and do you guys know what the best possible bike is? i just want it under 3500. ill look into some more bikes

the Yamaha 125 is a bike that would fit you physically, but i dont know about it being a green sticker if its newer than 2003 :think: , or any 125 for that matter. check it out, and try to figure out what is green-sticker-eligible and what isnt :nod: .

 

[2 strokes for life]

Any pre 2003 125 and 250 from Japan are Greensticker but newer are not. The only 2 stroke greenstickers are the KTMs and i think gas gas.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

and i do believe that red stickers block your riding in the summer? im not sure, but here, they dont check in most places i go because it is raw desert and i don't ride in the summer because of the heat.

The exact red sticker "season" varies from place to place but generally yes, it excludes the summer. I also ride the desert in the winter, usually the Barstow area. I have never been checked myself but I hear enough first hand stories and I see the BLM rangers often enough to encourage me to get my bike legal.

When summer rolls around and the desert gets too hot its time to hit the hills. Now it is even more critical that you be legal. It isn't too hard to avoid a BLM ranger in 58,000 acres of open desert. It is quite a bit harder to avoid the US forest service rangers on a 5,000 acre site, especially when you are confined to the marked trails.

If nothing else, resale value of a properly registered green sticker bike will be better than a non registered or red sticker bike.

thanks for the help! and do you guys know what the best possible bike is?

No such thing. Or at least if there is one then you are the only one who could establish what that bike is. Nothing is ever perfect, there are always trade offs and concessions that need to be made.

If you are buying used then you don't need to consider this to be a life sentence. If you get a reasonable deal when you buy the bike and it doesn't appeal to you then you can turn around and sell it with fairly little loss. Just make sure the bike you buy is in reasonably good shape so that you don't end up eating a lot of cost to get/keep it running.

Rod