trail riding bike?

[m4i2k2e2]

hey guys, ive been getting into trail riding. the trails are everything from rocky, rutted, rooty, muddy. hard soft, so everything. as of right now i ride a 99 cr 250r. the bikes a bit much to handle but i manage. the main thing is i cant just cruise along. i do ride some big open trails that are good for cruising and ripping up and occasional corner or so. the big always chugs and wants to go. now i rode my cousins stock 01 xr400. i rode it out in an open sand pit so i cant say how it is in the trails. i am partial to hondas so i was thinking a crf250x. can you mod this bike and give it some more grunt if need be. im unsure if the 450 will be heavy for my liking? any recommendations on a good bike i cant mod. like i said i dont need a ton of power but i would like some good grunt. i will keep the cr250. i dont want to mod that bike. i would like to get a four stroke. if you guys have a good insight on bikes you have owned and can compare it to any of the xr's or crf's that would be great. thanks for the help guys.

-mike.

1) your physical size (both height and weight are important)5'7" 180lbs
2) How physical / aggressive are you ? kind of.
3) what do you plan to ride- MX/SX tracks, woods, fields with friends or ????? woods tight trails, race hare scramblers
4) Do you have any riding experience? yes, two years.
5) Do you think you will race ? yes, hare scramblers
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work? yes.
7) Do YOU have a preferance to a brand/ motor choice (2 or 4 stroke)? honda, four stroke. also, i would ride anything if it was a great bike.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry? everyhting.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike? 2000-2500.
10) Do you live in California?no.
11) Your age?20

 

[GoldDrum]

I had a 2001 XR400 and it was great for the trails. Had all of the power you wanted and would either put along with my kids or get up and go if you want. I had it for 2 years and only had to change the oil. No maintainence other than that. I believe it was stock, I am about 6' 205lbs and it was plenty of bike. I now have a 2001 KX250 and the XR was not as much, but had plenty of power. There is another user on here that has the same XR and can tell you about it as well. It is a good trail bike and very reliable. It is a bit heavy though, the only draw back. From what I have read the newer CRFXs are high maintainence which makes me question them.

 

[jb_dallas]

I own a 2001 XR400. Comparing the XR400 to a CRF is comparing apples and oranges. The XR is a mild mannered, low maintenance trail bike. The CRF is a high performance, high maintenance engine design. To answer your question, you can "mod" anything. You cant just build a modified CRF250 and ride it without frequent and expensive maintenance. You can change the oil in the XR and just ride it. It would help if you filled out the questionnaire in this forum.

 

[m4i2k2e2]

thanks guys, i edited in the questionare. i didnt realize the
crf X models would be high maintenence.