Trying to find a cheap trail bike, need help....

[193kyle]

Well. last year I bought a drz400s and decided it was way to big and heavy for what I wanted to do with it(ride singletrack) so I sold it a few months ago. Well now I am getting the itch again and I am trying to find a bike that will work for me. I am fairly vertically challenged, 5'8" 30" inseam, weigh about 170 lbs. I have a $1500 dollar budget. I think I would really like a 250 4 stroke but I can't seem to find anything good in my price range. In the last few days i have looked at a cr125(loved the size/weight, did not like the rev happy motor), a ttr250(seat height was good, kinda heavy, it was beat up and felt totally gutless) and this morning looked at a 94 cr250(liked this one quite a bit, pretty light, a little tall but manageable, plenty of power, just not really sure about an 18 year old bike). Soooo, just looking for some input from all you guys that know way more about this stuff than I do,haha. Will I be happy with a 2 stroke on tight trails? How old is too old for a bike? Thanks

 

[Gravy]

I'm in the same position, (but not as short and not looking to get one right away). So I'll watch this thread

 

[rholbrook]

Two strokes are very inexpensive to maintain. You can change out the pipes to help with power in different rpm ranges as well as add weight to the fly wheel. Two strokes make great trail bikes. I personally would go with a YZ250 just because they have been proven to be a little better for maintenance longevity. There are tons of them out there so you can pick up cylinders, heads, etc cheap. I personally have owned most all the Japanese bikes and any of them would work just fine. I ride with guys that have 15 yr 2 strokes that still run great and handle great. Go find one and have fun.

 

[jeeper]

X2 on the YZ250. I ride a 2000 yz250. I rebuilt this motor last summer, which was the first time I have done ANYTHING to it since 2002. (Ok, I changed the air filter once or twice, literally) I was convinced I needed a 4 stroke for the tight, technical trails I have been doing... But I dropped the front sprocket by 1 tooth from stock and will NEVER change bikes. I absolutely love it now. Bike is 12 years old, I have owned it for 10. Highly recommend one.
You can find them for about $1500 rather often.

 

[jeeper]

However, if you want a 4 stroke, this is a good deal

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=20595743&cat=&lpid=&search=yz250

Good 2 stoke value:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=20684524&cat=&lpid=3&search=yz250

or

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=20822509&cat=&lpid=5&search=yz250

 

[Rot Box]

That 1994 CR would be a good one if it's clean. It has a legendary motor and the steel frame make for a killer trail bike. Gear it down a bit (13/50-51) and loosen up the suspension then slap on a spark arrestor. I would also highly recomend a steahly flywheel weight on any motocross bred 2T. All of the 90's- current 250cc 2T's are extremely reliable and can make great trail bikes with a little tweaking--plus you can pick them up dirt cheap. Look into the RMX, WR and KDX's too they come set up a little better for single track right out of the box.

 

[Greg]

WR250F's are great trail bikes, IMO.

 

[Caleb]

IMO, a 4 stroke is probably a better trail bike...especially if you're a beginner. HOWEVER, I still consider myself a beginner and I absolutely love my two stroke. Although my two stroke is closer to a 4 stroke than a 2 stroke in the way it rides. Couple big benefits to the two strokes are you can usually get in to a newer bike since they are usually cheaper. They are also lighter, which makes for a more relaxing ride (again, IMO). Lastly, maintenance is super easy on the 2T bikes.

With that said I do love 4T bikes. They chug along which makes it very easy for beginners. They are generally more expensive and the maintenance is a lot more stringent. Also, if you do have to do a rebuild, they can get very expensive.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I'm selling my KX100. I built it exactly for what you're talking about. I was asking $1500, dropped to $1350. I'd do $1300 for ya. Come give it a try sometime. I've got $1500 into it, and it only has about 5-10 trips on it.

 

[193kyle]

Thanks for the input guys!
@ Greg-If I could find a wr250f in my budget I would own it! Haha, I rarely see them for sale, and when I do, they are not $1500... I do agree though, I think it would be an excellent bike for me.
@Steve-I really like what you have done with that little bike, it looks like a blast, I just feel like I may grow out of it too fast, still might be worth looking at, I may call you later. Why are you selling it?

 

[sixstringsteve]

@Steve-I really like what you have done with that little bike, it looks like a blast, I just feel like I may grow out of it too fast, still might be worth looking at, I may call you later. Why are you selling it?

3 reasons I'm selling it.

1) I'm about to destroy the resale value by cutting the frame up and stretching it/adding parts from another bike. I figure now is my chance to get at least some of my money back before I kill all resale.

2) I have 2 dirt bikes. I end up riding the trials bike a lot more lately

3) I want to get a pair of Kayaks for me and the wife, and I need to sell something to make that happen. If for nothing else, you should swing by and ride it around the block, it's a blast.

 

[Greg]

@ Greg-If I could find a wr250f in my budget I would own it! Haha, I rarely see them for sale, and when I do, they are not $1500... I do agree though, I think it would be an excellent bike for me.

Keep your eyes peeled, I found an '03 (?) WR250f a couple years ago for $1200. It was beat up and has a lot of miles, but ran great. I rode it for awhile and decided it was too small for me, then sold it for $1500... That bike was amazingly nimble and flickable, had 4 stroke torque but revved to the moon with the big bore kit and 'free' YZF mods and exhaust.

 

[193kyle]

Well, I picked up a 2002 KTM 200MXC this morning, looks a little rough but it runs great and it already has handguards and a Scotts steering stabilizer. I think this should be a great bike, the powerband is really smooth compared to the cr250 I looked at and the size and weight is perfect. It needs a couple little things but I should have it cleaned up and ready to go pretty soon. Does anyone have any recommendations on oil and mix ratio for this thing? Seems like most people run 40:1?

 

[Greg]

Congrats, that is an awesome trail bike! Slap a Pirelli MT43 trials tire on the rear and that thing will tractor up anything!

 

[sixstringsteve]

Congrats Kyle. Let's go riding sometime. I'm thinking of AF Canyon tomorrow night.

 

[193kyle]

Thanks guys! I am excited to get this thing on some trails!
@Steve-I should be ready to go tomorrow night, I just need to get some oil, mix some gas and get a new chain slider for the swingarm.

 

[Rot Box]

Cool! What year is it? That will be a great bike for ya

As for 2t oil i personally like klotz and hate anything bel-ray.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I've got two spare bottles of Klotz, never used. I'll sell 'em to ya for what I paid for 'em kyle.

 

[193kyle]

Well, I picked up a 2002 KTM 200MXC this morning,

 

[Rot Box]

Doh! Haha I thought I had a sweet upper triple clamp for ya but your bike is too new