DAMN Riders - No rules, Just ride!

Ideally, I eventually want to tag my replacement dirt bike for street legal, but that's not a complete huge MUST for me.

I've been offered a 2002 YZ250 2 smoke in trade for my KLR250. What are your thoughts? I'm still learning how to ride off-road and I'm going mainly for woods riding.

That yz is essentially the same sort of bike as I use for woods riding. Since you've already got another dual sport for mixed riding I say go for it, assuming the yz looks like a comparable trade.

Seems like you might be coming out on the short end of that one excepting the POs were really good about maintenance. A 13 year old MX bike would be something out of the range that I'd consider. That said, I wouldn't be above looking at the maintenance records before I looked at the bike.

Jed,

A YZ 250 2T can be made into a decent woods bikes but it is going to take quite a bit of work if the bike in still in MX form. The biggest problem for a dirt noob is that in stock form the power band is digital and once flipped on is like lighting off a rocket ship headed to the moon. I would NOT recommend this bike for someone still getting used to off-road riding. There are plenty of 2T bikes out there that are purpose built for enduro riding and would be much more feasible to tag (you can tag a YZ with some parts from an old WR 2T and some DMV magic but that is another looong story)

That said, I paid $1800 for my 04 so your are talking about the same price range you are asking for your KLR; but I then probably sunk another $2K into mine turning it into an enduro bike. The following are the things I have done:
1. Re-valve and re-sprung front forks.
2. Re-built and re-valve the rear shock.
3. Fly wheel weight
4. retard the timing
5. skid-plate
6. Gnarly pipe with Q2 silencer
7. swapped out the 19" to an 18" rear with a trials tire
8. hand guards
9. and the biggest thing that finally made it really ridable was a Reluse EXP core auto-clutch.

Even with all the above, in its sole its still a MX bike and will still try to kill you if you accidently wiskey-throttle it. But, it is also a lot of fun once you come to terms with it and understand its nature, I like trail riding mine a lot...

Let me know if I can help answer any other questions you may have and good luck.

SJ

thetable wrote:Seems like you might be coming out on the short end of that one excepting the POs were really good about maintenance. A 13 year old MX bike would be something out of the range that I'd consider. That said, I wouldn't be above looking at the maintenance records before I looked at the bike.

Fortunately, these things are bone simple. No matter what the PO says I would still want to get into the top end not too long after buying it and also go through and re-grease the head and suspension bearings. After that, ride it like you stole it; its a Yamaha!

I haven't heard back from the guy yet, but I'm guessing that it's probably this one:
http://winchester.craigslist.org/mcy/4783610557.html

Skinny-J wrote:

thetable wrote:Seems like you might be coming out on the short end of that one excepting the POs were really good about maintenance. A 13 year old MX bike would be something out of the range that I'd consider. That said, I wouldn't be above looking at the maintenance records before I looked at the bike.

Fortunately, these things are bone simple. No matter what the PO says I would still want to get into the top end not too long after buying it and also go through and re-grease the head and suspension bearings. After that, ride it like you stole it; its a Yamaha!

True, but when you start adding in the price of replacing all the bearings and suspension internals, the price starts to mount quickly. On top of that, how is parts availability? I don't doubt the engine, it's all the stuff bolted to the engine.

Sell the KLR and then you can buy what you want.

thetable wrote:

Skinny-J wrote:

thetable wrote:Seems like you might be coming out on the short end of that one excepting the POs were really good about maintenance. A 13 year old MX bike would be something out of the range that I'd consider. That said, I wouldn't be above looking at the maintenance records before I looked at the bike.

Fortunately, these things are bone simple. No matter what the PO says I would still want to get into the top end not too long after buying it and also go through and re-grease the head and suspension bearings. After that, ride it like you stole it; its a Yamaha!

True, but when you start adding in the price of replacing all the bearings and suspension internals, the price starts to mount quickly. On top of that, how is parts availability? I don't doubt the engine, it's all the stuff bolted to the engine.

That is pretty much the case with any $1,800 bike....

I'm already assuming I'll have to have the suspension worked on ANY bike I get. A 2 stroke alone isn't making me wary, but the fact that it's also a MX bike and not a enduro makes making it into what I want more difficult.

Of course, I'd rather sell outright, but no one has nibbled yet