Yet another Idahoan, what town are you in? I got my 97 KX250 for $1700. I guess the guy I got it from had had some bad wrecks on it and just wanted rid of it, also it was the end of the season and no one was buying. Youve kind of picked the wrong time to buy, cause prices are going to start going up. I agree that a 500 might be a bit much for a beginer. I rode one when I was shopping for bikes, because thats what I thought I wanted. The power is really more than anybody needs. I would go with a 250 2 stroke or maybe some kind of four stroke. I had an XR600 before I got the KX and it was a real easy to ride bike, but it was heavy, underpowered (compared to a 2stroke), and old.