Which 2-stroke should I get?

I donno about green stickers, prolly cuz i dont use them:p
I do know that 2 strokes require hella maintence and timing. U need to replace the top end every half a season, time the carb, use mix gas, (mix the gas right) and allotta other things im forgetting now. The best is up to u. Personally i would go with a honda cr125. U will need a new piston and u will need a new pipe (as with every 2 smoker) but that about it



Keep it real

Obvioulsy since you voiced concern over the issue of "green sticker" then trail riding will play a big part in your riding. Also, since you are in the market for a used 6-7 year old bike, I would have to say focus on a Honda. Hondas have always been looked upon as the most durable because of the over all quality of material and finish. In terms of trail ridng qualities, most any 250 can be converted to more of a woods machine. You might also consider a KTM EXC series. They offer good quality components, but also most EXC's are purchased by older riders who tend to take better care of their bikes then younger riders.

Obvioulsy that depends on the intensity of riding, not necessaryirly the amount of hours. Big difference between 20 hours plonking around the hills vs racing local circuit for 20 hours. However, I have seen many fast, aggressive trail riders go a whole year on one top end. Say....30-35 hours or more. Now you have to remember sensible maintenance protocols such as clean air filter, good fresh gas, proper jetting, checking the chain for tension,etc. Clean with the bike with garden hose, not 50 cent car wash preassure hose, then a nice spritz of WD-40 to prevent rust from developing on bare, paint free areas. Might be a good idea to inspect the swing arm pivots and liberally apply some molly grease to them. Over all, if trail riding is your main focus, you'll find most any MXer offering hours upon hours of trouble free riding. Hell, I trail ride a 125 and be adhering to the aforementioned regiment, I have enjoyed countless hours of trouble free trail riding.

Apples and oranges really. A 2 stroke, in an MX bike, offers power that is more aburpt, hence the reference to them being light switches: all or nothing. Actaully, thats a misconception since the advent of power valves, but in comparison it would appear that way to someone with no 2 stroke expereince. Especially if your 4 stroke riding has been aboard DR and XR type bikes. A 2 stroke will achieve aits optimum power much more quickly and allow you to recover from loss of momentun more quickly then a heavy, slow revving thumper. But in techincal terrian where there is little traction, the sudden power being transmitted to the wheel can make things precarious. You deal with this problem by either adding a fly wheel weight or short shift the bike. Also, power is controlled more by manipulating the clutch then on a thumper. You might want to scan the riding techiniques forum on this site for more detailed examples on the differences. Haviing ridden both on a track, desert, and woods, I can say that it depends on the terrian as to which is superior. Now some 2 strokes offer a sort of "thumper" like power delivery. KDX 200/220 and some of the big bore KTM's: 300/380 are examples. In essence the power is more linear and electric.