What to do?

[befastorbelast]

Hey guys first off I'm new here. Second I can't make up my mind on what I should do. I missed last summer because of work and therefor didn't get out on my bike as much as i wanted to. that's changing this summer. anyway I have an 03 RM 250 it needs some work if i had to guess it would be around $1000-2000maxium to get it to where i'm happy with it. but I dont want to do all this work on a bike that is not intended for what i use it for and maybe regret down the road. Ive been looking at a brand new 09 ktm xcw 300 at the dealer here and they want $8000 after everything i thought that was a pretty good price how ever I'm not sure if i should be getting a 2 stroke because 4s are better for faster long distances in my opinion but I dont know much about 450s if i were to brake down i know much more about 2 strokes then 4. For trail riding what would be the better thing to do (in your guys opinions) fix up the 03 RM or buy a new bike. and if new what one?

Thank



1) your physical size.....175lbs 5 10
2) How physical..... 7 out of 10
3) what do you plan to ride.....fast trails sometimes real slow friends and desert
4) Do you have any riding experience?......I rode quads for ten years owned a ltz-400 Suzuki for 5 years then two summers ago bought a 03 rm 250 so i've been riding bikes for 2 years
5) Do you think you will race......No maybe one day in the future race the baja 1000
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)........No 2 stroke a bit more i guess
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?.....yea he carry's Suzuki Kawasaki, Ktm
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike........the least but i want the best bang for my buck
10) Do you live in California...No canada
11) Your age 21
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion

 

[Patman]

Spend a reasonable amount on the RM to get it in good running condition and leave the bling on the shelf. Save that money for the XR650R that you will need for Baja.

 

[jb_dallas]

The majority of the guys I ride with are KTM owners. I know many people who own or have owned the 300 EXC. Every one of of those riders would tell you that the 300 EXC is one of the best trail bikes of all time. They have tons of low, mid, and top end. I have ridden a 300 EXC a few times and was impressed. I have considered buying one, but it seems clean low hour KTMs are expensive if you can find them. This is based off of my personal experiences when shopping for bikes. For the record, I am not a KTM owner. Personally, I wouldnt spend the sort of money you described on a 8 year old RM. I also wouldnt spend $8K on a new 300 EXC...but if you have the bank roll to spend $8K, you wont regret the purchase.