[Leader]

Got my son a bike and am thinking about getting one as well. I haven’t ridden in years but regularly ride 4 wheelers.
I just want one I can ride with him and teach him as we go. I don’t want a rocket but need it to carry my big self:)

6’4” 250, would a CRF 150 fit the bill or a 250 better suit me?

[JimDirt]

Welcome to the site !!

I guess the question is , what experience does your son have ?? ...... I noticed by your other post that he is riding a 110 , if he is a complete beginner and you will just be tooling around the property or a campground or open field type riding , then you do not want something with so much power that when Idling around you will be having to hold the clutch in all the time so you don't ride past him constantly or run him over ........ Your weight/height is going to affect 2 things , the suspension and your overall comfort

For your weight and size a 450 would be a good "fit" but would be completely impractical for the purpose you need , and a 150 I feel would leave you with constant cramps and a sore back and hips and knees as it will be too cramped and the suspension is way inadequate for your size ...... again , the type of riding you will be doing will play a factor , BUT , any bike can be somewhat adapted to specific needs , the issue is , how much effort do you want to put in modifying a bike you may only ride a short time (as your boy's riding improves , your needs will change , possibly quickly depending on how he progresses)

With that said , a 250F (not R or X) is a good bike to ride along with your son power wise , however , the suspension will be waaaay too soft , as well as the bike will feel very cramped for your height , what would be better and more fit your physique would be a older model , a XR250 (they made them from 1979 up to 2004) and you can gear them down or up to suit your needs and it will have enough power to pull you around any trail you choose to ride , it will carry you around just fine (springs would help , but if you don't want to sink a bunch into it and you will just be leisurely riding , you can get by on the stock suspension) and with the correct gearing for the speeds you will be riding , you will be able to ride with your son , and actually enjoy it ...... I think the newer models (250R or X) would be too finicy for slower putting and would be overheating all the time (they need airflow thru the radiators to stay cool , the XR not so much as it is air cooled so not having water getting hotter and boiling out , the air cooled bikes just putt better and are better suited to do so) ...the only real downside to the bike is it is kick start only , but they usually start relatively easily so it should not be a inconvenience .................

I think as your son progresses you will just need to ride in a different gear and be good for a while , so at first , you will be in 1st gear most of the time , then as he progresses you can shift , if the terrain is extremely slow then you can gear the bike down farther by swapping the rear sprocket 1 or 2 teeth either up or down depending on needs (you may have to get a longer chain , and/or have 2 master links to be able to switch to a longer or shorter chain as you need) ..... (a 120 link chain and 2 master links allows you to cut the chain to the length that suits you , then if needed you can add the cut lengths with the extra link and be geared down with the larger rear sprocket)

Again , to me this would be the best bike for your current needs , you can find them on Craigslist and various places for anywhere from $800 - $1200 for a ok shape or older one , to $2500 for a newer/cleaner one ,... either way , as with any used bike , you may or may not need to stick a little into it , whether it be tires/tubes , clean the carb , or replace chain/sprockets (this would be the time to adjust the gearing to suit your needs after testing it out) , you should be able to find one that was not abused and runs well fairly easily , just look it over carefully for abuse/neglect as you would any used vehicle ........ but that is the route I would suggest would best suit your needs over a longer term ,, then if needed you could sell it for most likely what you paid for it and upgrade to a X (250 or 450) when your son is ready to step up to a larger bike OR give him the XR and yourself a X ... and your good to go for a few more years ..... this will keep you riding on somewhat equal equipment and keep the costs down ........