[Stonecase]

I am VERY new to riding dirt bikes...couple years. My son started on a CRF50 4 years ago and i just bought him a used CRF80. I have been chasing him around the farm on a '96 XR200 and I want to upgrade...its my father in laws bike. We live in western PA, I have zero interest in going to a track but i love trail riding and hope to get him and his brother (also VERY much beginners) interested in it.

Any opinions on whether I should buy a 10-15 year old used 250X or a new 250F for what I plan to do??

[JimDirt]

Welcome to the site !!

I guess the issue would be , what are your plans as far as riding goes ??? , that XR is a solid bike , they last forever and would rarely leave you stranded anywhere ....That said ... Depending on your specific needs either of the 2 mentioned would be a good choice ..... if you are planning on just simple trail rides and fire roads , the 250F will be fine ..... the 250X will give you more power when needed , but still offer the ability to creep along at a snail's pace when wanted when following the kids around , you can gear either to do what you are explaining as riding type ..... however , you did not mention your weight or height ..... depending on that would determine what or even if you would need to do anything to the bike to make it fit you , such as respring the bike for your weight .... the 250F is made for lighter riders in the 120 to 140 lbs range and the 250X would be set well for someone in the 140 to 160 lbs range , so that is something to consider , as one of the first things you would need to do is set up the suspension for your weight depending on weight , etc. , which would mean at the very least , buying fork and shock springs if you are out of the weight range of either bike ...

If you want a bike the kids can transfer to soon and the needs would be simple trail and fire roads , the F would be a good choice as something to pass down in the future as a step up without being overkill .... on the same token , if the X were used and your kids upgraded to larger or faster bikes , the X would still have no issues keeping up with their growth , so basically , the bike you choose needs to have those concerns in mind

I am guessing you mention a 10-15 year old bike due to budget ?? , in which case either can be had for decent prices , and depending on your budget , but the X would require a bit more maintenance than the F but would be a better trail specific bike , so that needs to be taken into consideration .... the F is actually a updated/modern version of that XR you are riding , so what you are on , is basically what you would get with the addition of the newer features of the F , they are a simple "entry level" bike that was meant to replace the old XR's with longevity in mind , the XR might actually have better suspension than the F

So basically , the choice is more of what will suit your needs and plans best ... either bike will do the job you are asking , but each also has specific purposes in their design ...............Don't know if I helped any , but the choice is just that , it is a choice , either bike will do what you want , but the F is basically going to be a newer version of what you are currently riding .....The X is going to be a different bike with different maintenance requirements but also with more versatility , longevity wise , the F will probable run longer with less maintenance cost , but the X will have many more options available such as racks and tires for specific terrain , and more adjustable ergonomics , if the X is too tall it can be lowered fairly easily ... if the F is to low , it really can't be raised .....

[Stonecase]

Great Info! Thank you!

I'm about 5'10" - 175 so i'm guessing the X would be better suited suspension wise. And you are correct its about budget. A guy in OH has a 2005 250X he is selling for 2450... said he'd take 2100.. being it a 2005 and i hear everyone talk about "maintenance" on the X i guess im wondering what exactly im getting myself into??

I'll say I'm "mechanically inclined" with the basics... keeping my parents cars running growing up I learned a good bit but I'm NO mechanic. and I genuinely don't know anything about dirt bikes. Is "maintenance" on an X mean I have to dump money into every year doing valves and top ends and whatever? All i do with the XR is change oil, clean the filter and ride it.

[JimDirt]

Yea for your size the X would be a better fit , especially for the long run as far as size goes , as far as "maintenance" goes , standard oil change , lubing , greasing bearings , normal dirt bike stuff .... for the valves , what most of us do is when the time comes and the valves zero out , then the best bet is to swap to Stainless , its basically a 1 time cost and you can ride without worrying about them again , for the rest of the time you ride .... example: , I put stainless intakes in my 06 450X in 06 ... I have not had to do a valve adjustment since .... though the valves do wear (the stock Titanium) what mainly kills them is dirt getting past the air filter ...(part of regular maintenance) so keeping a clean well oiled air filter is critical to extended valve life ....

If the old owner has any maintenance records , it would be beneficial for you , so you know what you are getting into , as far as what has been done in the past and if there was anything extensive done .... my 06 450X (results may vary) is still on the original piston , clutch , etc, , the only thing that was "needed" was the new intake valves , and that was my ignorance for not keeping a eye on the airbox to see if dirt got past the filter , well it did , lots of it , so my valves went , lesson learned ... but other than that and adding a HotCams Stage 1 for trail riding (all bottom end and mid power delivery ..... my choice)

I have basically only done "regular" maintenance , which as mentioned is seasonal bearing repacking , for swingarm linkage , swingarm pivot point , wheel bearings , and steering head bearings .... oil changes depending on conditions , the dustier the more frequent the changes , just like any other vehicle , same goes for the air filter .... if you don't rev the crap out of it , and keep it relatively maintained , I do not see any reason why you can't get a decade out of that bike without a major malfunction ... I am at 15 years and counting , on my 06 450X on original parts , including the brake and clutch levers .... My 02 450R has over 400 hours on the current piston 400 hours , think about how much actual riding that is ... and that is track/mx riding , it is also still on the original clutch , I have had that bike since 08 and paid $1,650 for it , the only major things was a piston , just because I felt it was time (this was over 400 hours ago mind you) and the intake valves just like my X , same scenario , dirt past the filter (this was not me as much as a issue with the 02 specifically , changing the airbox/filter to a 03 solved the issue along with the new valves)

What I am getting at is any bike can be a maintenance nightmare , as well as they can be almost trouble free ... there is no guarantee , but if you do what the Owners Manual says (minus the 20 hours for a piston stuff) and just keep up on stuff and don't abuse the bike , there is no reason you won't enjoy that bike for a long time to come ...... the same goes for most bikes out there , whatever the brand ....

One other thing .... basically when buying a used bike , do the same as you would for a used car , maintenance records are helpful , as is looking the bike over closely for excessive wear or abuse ..... the clutch cover is a good indicator , if the owner says it only has a few hours on it and the coating is completely worn off the cover , chances are its been ridden more than claimed , if the bike is on a stand (not the kickstand but a lift stand) grab the rear wheel and try to move it side to side , or up/down , if it slops up/down , that is a indication it needs shock or linkage bearings , or both .... look for leaky fork seals , just another maintenance item , but the more you need to do at the beginning , the more the bike is costing you initially , replacing them later down the road is part of maintenance , but needing it just to ride it , means you just paid more for the bike then you expected , so you need to consider that , and if the list of bad is too high , maybe keep looking for a better deal ....

[Stonecase]

I bought the used 250x and I LOVE IT. Thanks for the advice.

[JimDirt]

No problem ... Glad to help ....