DAMN Riders - No rules, Just ride!

juddspaintballs wrote:I hope I can scrounge up a real dirt bike before spring.

Old 250 mx bikes work fine with some set up, are cheap, and have LOTS of parts availability... Just saying. ;)

Such as?? I mean I think an older WR250F, YZ250F, or CRF250X/R is pretty cheap, but are there cheaper bikes than that worth throwing money at?

Really any jap bike from 2001-ish to now is pretty decent. The yamaha yz/wr 250's are pretty reliable. The CRF-r/x tends to not be kind to valves from what I understand.


Avoid the 2004-2006 Suzuki rmz-250/kawasaki kx250f like the plague (same bike, just different plastics). They are THE worst modern bike made


Are you only interested in 4-strokes?

I actually didn't mean the 4 strokes as they are more work than I'd personally want to get into, especially when talking about an older bike where I'd consider some level of motor rebuild a really good idea. My 2 stroke kx250 is a 2000 model (this particular generation ran from 99-02 but even the previous generation isn't too much different). The motor is dead simple and there's really not a whole lot to the thing in terms of complication. It's "easy" to find jap 2 strokes from this era for under $1500 in good condition.

I've got a front master cylinder from a 2004-2006 Suzuki rmz-250/kawasaki kx250f on my kx250. They do have some decent parts on them and those parts are crazy cheap. ;)

Other than knowing that 2 strokes are dead simple to rebuild, I don't know much about them. My overall goal is to keep a bike with a tag on it for connecting roads to trails, and I know I can turn a CRF or WR into a taggable dirt bike with just a couple of quick mods.

I'm not against 2 strokes, I just don't know much about them and I'm used to engine braking from riding on the road so long.

I do know that the CRF250's did have valve issues, namely the titanium valves wearing out quickly and ruining the valve seats too. Apparently the fix for them is stainless valves and having the valve seats reamed for them to the tune of about $400 for a one-time permanent fix.

I'm not in a place to be spending any money on a bike right now. I'd have to let my baby KLR go first, and that's not likely to happen unless I know I can get a taggable 4 stroke with the funds and maybe a little more money added in. Maybe I am better off getting something without a tag for now, though.

The big thing I want is a DAMN starter button. I still wreck a lot and kicking a stalled bike SUCKS.

juddspaintballs wrote:Other than knowing that 2 strokes are dead simple to rebuild, I don't know much about them. My overall goal is to keep a bike with a tag on it for connecting roads to trails, and I know I can turn a CRF or WR into a taggable dirt bike with just a couple of quick mods.

I'm not against 2 strokes, I just don't know much about them and I'm used to engine braking from riding on the road so long.

I do know that the CRF250's did have valve issues, namely the titanium valves wearing out quickly and ruining the valve seats too. Apparently the fix for them is stainless valves and having the valve seats reamed for them to the tune of about $400 for a one-time permanent fix.

I'm not in a place to be spending any money on a bike right now. I'd have to let my baby KLR go first, and that's not likely to happen unless I know I can get a taggable 4 stroke with the funds and maybe a little more money added in. Maybe I am better off getting something without a tag for now, though.

The big thing I want is a DAMN starter button. I still wreck a lot and kicking a stalled bike SUCKS.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3678

If you want a woods bike then buy a woods bike.
If the bike has an auto clutch then the e-start is not such a big deal because stalling doesn't happen.
Bucho....sorry for adding to butchering your thread, just wanted to throw out my $.02 on this subject.

Yeah, sorry for the hijack.

I'll see if I can make a spring ride work. Kid #4 arrives in January and my oldest will only be 5...
My wife always lets me go for about a week in May for a trip I do with the V4 Honda guys. In June we go on another trip with the SabMag people. Getting the time off of work isn't hard, and getting a kitchen pass isn't difficult, though it would probably be in my best interest to *not* go even though I'm "allowed." We shall see, however.