Dirtbikes...

[AZRedhawk44]

I'm interested in gittin' one for myself.

I want to do it on the cheap though, as I have more pressing financial concerns but I have an itch to have some fun.  I'm searching craigslist for used ~250cc dirtbikes and I want to get one that can be street legal so I can use it on forest roads.

What's a good resource for checking out a used bike?  Pitfalls to avoid?

What's registration gonna cost for such a creature, and how much will it cost me to add headlight/taillight/etc?

I don't plan on riding it in town or anything unless my truck decides to poop on the driveway and leave me high and dry... but street legal and street safe would be nice.  What's the top speed of a 250cc dirt bike?

[bmitchell]

I'd suggest looking for an "enduro" or "dual sport" which sounds like what you want.

Also, when buying, if it's new enough to need a title/certificate of manufacture, please please check to make sure that the numbers match and the number on the title is long enough, e.g. NOT missing the last digit altogether.

Registration varies by state.

Ben

[MillCreek]

If you can find a good to excellent condition Kawasaki Super Sherpa or Yamaha XT225 for a good price, snatch it up.  You can rarely do better than one of these excellent models and these are street-legal as is.  If I knew your weight and height, I might have different recommendations for you.  Figure on a top speed on the flat of the upper 60's to maybe the low 70's at best.

[AZRedhawk44]

I'm 6'3", 190 pounds.

[MillCreek]

In that case, you are tall enough to consider some other potential candidates:

Kawasaki KLX250
Suzuki DRZ 400
Suzuki DZ 350

All of these are readily available on the used market.  The two Suzukis are a little larger displacement and are perhaps more practical than a 250cc model.  The Yamaha WR250R is the bees knees, with a modern engine and fuel injection.  I have heard of people having it up to 90 on the highway, which is phenomenal for a 250cc bike.  But it is on the market only as of the last two years, so I think there are very few available used models and they are pretty pricy.  The Yamaha XT250 is also new on the market, but the XT225s outnumber them available used by a wide margin. 

The final option is buying a straight dirt bike and then adding a street kit from Baja Designs, but many states are cracking down on this, and will no longer issue a street title or license plate to such a bike.  You are only given offroad tags and they are not legal to ride on the street.

If I was buying such a bike primarily for dirt, and only to have enough streetability to drive from one trail to another, I would get the KLX250. 

[Tuco]

It's been a while since I've ridden, but I'd vote on larger displacement.
Riding a 250 at 60 mph (street) gets real old after only 5 minutes.

The fat bottomed torque curve generally present on larger displacement bike makes an enjoyable trail ride, with minimal clutch fanning and reactionary shifting.
There is something to be said for rolling on the throttle to get out of the sand versus flapping the clutch and toeing down two gears looking for the powerband.

Having said that, I haven't ridden in 20 years (250 and Open), so today's mid sized bikes (four strokes, I assume) in 250cc may be just the ticket.

[Zed]

Best used 4 Stroke on the Market, Yamaha WRF 450
Best Used 2 Stroke on the Market, Honda CR250 (They don't make CR's Anymore btw)

[Tuco]

I knew a guy.....

 

said the mid 90's CR250s were the fastest thing on 2 wheels.

[Tuco]

This reminds me of the list I rattle off to my six year old daughter whenver the topic of horse comes up.

"Why a dirtbike is better than a horse"

1.  When a dirtbike breaks, just wheel it into the garage and leave it there until you want to deal with it.  Horse breaks, take it to the vet.

2.  Feed a horse several times each day.  Feed dirt bike ONLY when you ride it.

3.  Horses poop.

etc.


You get the idea. 
I wish the kid did.