dirt bikes, which model?

[-ammo-]

I have been wanting another motorcycle for some time in some form:). Wife hasnt been all that receptive to a crotch rocket..and today I had a blast on a buddy's TT 225. I want a dirt bike, but am I am unsure of which make and model. Whn I was younger I owned a RM 125 that would absolutely scream. But folks are telling me to stay away from the two stroke for the kind of trail riding I want to do.

so, two or four sttroke? Honda, suzuki, yamaha..whats your vote?

[ZeroPing]

uhh i had a suzuki(spelling?) 4 stroke 125.. well i didnt but my friends brother did but they had to give it away cus he ran over his cat with it :\ so i took it and just mess around with it

[senna]

.

[Chairboy]

You can't beat a classic:  Yamaha YZ-250.  

Powerful, lightweight, and reliable.

[Swoop]

Ammo,

I'm usually the last person to say this but, forget Japanese toejame.  Off road you want one of these:

http://www.husqvarnausa.com/

But be prepared for some abuse......they also make sowing machines.

[DrDea]

Hmmm....whats Ricky Carmichael ride?I want one of those.Make my Shadow Ace Tourer jelous  

[-ammo-]

swoop, they make really good chainsaws too:)  I had not considered husky, hmmm...

[weazel]

I believe this is the '02 model 300cc Enduro.

KTM 4 strokes produce awesome torque and horsepower considering their displacement, IIRC I watched one win a Supercross  race last year.

[Thorns]

Had a few dirt bikes in my time.  The best ever was a Bultaco Pursang 250cc.  That bike was a pure tiger!  Them Spaniards did something right.

Thorns

[Creamo]

If you want to trail ride, a good dual purpose 4 stroke would be handy. It will have a smooth power band, and you can find locals to tour back country with and not have to worry about going on the road for short runs because it's street legal. Kawasaki makes a monster 650 that seems almost too much, and the XT250? by Yamaha looks nice.

Any hard core dirt rider will laugh at those, but for smooth fun trails, that's the deal. They even have electric starts which on a 4 stroke you'll appreciate.

I had a KX250 2 stroke until a few months ago. It was really too much, and thoughts of laying hurt in the desert outweighed the fun factor. If your in shape and have people to ride with, you might be able to handle one.  Take a ride one of those dual purpose bikes though. I'd like to have one myself.

[Blue Mako]

For a pure MotoX experience you can't beat a Honda CR250.

Of course, my wife let me get a Honda CBR 919 RR so I don't have to resort to dirt bikes.

[paintmaw]

I'm 48 yrs old , bought a 1998 250 YZ Yamahammer to do a 500 mile desert race I always wanted to do .
They quit that race 5 years ago (bend to burns Oregon )
This bike has twice the Hp my old 1974 250 mx used to have , If you want to just putt around you might want to buy a 4 stroke (Honda 400 is a good one).
These new 2 strokers are full bore or not at all , if you don't run em all out they foul plugs . I may be selling mine just because it IS SOO DAMN FAST LOL , but probably not:)
Yamaha has a new 629cc 4 stroke that kicks bellybutton but is hard to start in a pinch .

My bones are old and brittle , they break these days and don't bend like a 20 yr old , If I were in my 20's again ??  I'd go for the 629 yamaha or the YZ stuff . Come race day I tend to forget my age ... see ya in the recovery room
I paid  $2,800.00

[sparkzz]

Be sure to look at the Suzuki DRZ 400 (especially if you are over 6 feet tall).  Its a four stroke, comes with electric start, very reasonably priced and a great trail bike.

  Huska's are nice bikes, but hard to find and even harder to get parts for (plus very expensive).

KTMs are good bikes.  The 300 and 400 are a little shallow on power though.  I guess it depends on how much power you want though.  They have a lot more power than you friends TT 225.  If you want pure power the 520 is the perfect.  Its heavy with sluggish suspension, but with 50 hp its hard to get the smile off your face after you ride it.  Downside though, the KTMs are the most expensive of the major manufacturers.

Honda doesnt make a good trail bike in my opinion.  The XRs are just too heavy.  They are great for open desert rides, but just pigs on tight trails.

Yamaha is the best ( I only say that because I ride a YZ400f)  
The WRs are good trail bikes and pretty good price wise.  If you dont want tons of power it would be hard to beat the WR250.  Its light, great power for a 250 fourstroke, and nimble with great off-the-shelf suspension.  The WR 426 has a lot more power, but is quite a bit more heavy.  

Kawasaki..  hmm.. I can't even think of a Kawa trail bike.

Suzuki has the new DRZ 400s.  But have been plagued with a bad reputation for dependability because of their 2strokers.   Most riders will scuff at a Suzuki, but of the 2 Suzukis my friends own..  the DRZ400 hasnt had a single problem in 2 years.. and a RM 125 that lasted for 8 years with normal maint. and 2 top end rebuilds.  The RM 125 was retired for a YZ250F though.   Suzuki's are the least expensive of the group as well.

No matter which way you go.. they are all good bikes.  4strokes are the way to go for trails.  The 2strokes are a dying breed (still the best for racing though) and too fussy to be worth it with all the new 4 strokers on the market now.

So good luck.. and post what you get..  and invest in good health insurance:D

[RMrider]

I havent gotten off my 2-stroke for 4 years now, Hence the name i ride Suzuki's.

Honestly though if you are looking for some trail riding i would recommend the RMZ - 250. Great beast. Nice power, good handling, and certainly good for trails since its a 4-stroke.

Orr... you could be a man.  and Get yourself a beastly 2-stroke and rip out in the woods, just keep your RPMs up. In that case, RM 125-250, they Will give you a helluva ride. 

[Tec]

LOL RM, while I'm sure your input is appreciated if he hasn't picked a bike by now I doubt he ever will.