Very well said! I'm kind of going through this same problem now. I have never owned a dirt bike, but I've owned a sport quad, ridden tons of friends dirt bikes, and have a street bike currently. I know that sooner or later I'm going to end up racing once I catch on to dirt biking more. I just can't figure out which bike to get, trail or MX. I love the reliability and minimal maintenance of the trail bike but I know I couldn't race MX on it. On the other hand I'm pretty sure I'll pick up on dirt biking quickly and wanna start racing in a few months.
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"Completely different animal. The 400 is a old style engine design with a different valve train and piston design. It also holds more oil and is air cooled. It uses an old style frame with limited suspension.
The CRF250 is a race-bred engine with titanium valves and a piston that is shorter than the bus that took Pred to school when he was a kid. They rev to the moon and are water cooled. They are designed to race, not for longevity.
If you are a serious racer, the CRF would be your choice. If you are a weekend warrior or trail rider and not into maintainance, the XR400 would be the best choice.
Just my $ .02"