Aight Im plannin on buying a used dirt bike soon just for playin around purposes. For those out there with dirtbikes or even without and have a valid point on the topic, which is the best maintenance wise? Two or four stroke. Ive found a 01 CR and a couple CRFs and need some advice on which one is better for maint. and also around the way riding.

 

anything above 2001 should be good with low hours. I personally (dont hate me) like the yz's.

 

Four strokes have more torque then two strokes. Two storkes you always have to be in the high RPMs to be in the powerband. Its harder to foul a plug on a four stroke. In the trails I like my four stroke because you dont have to ride so aggressive if you get tired. I think it was 05 when they made changes to the motor on the CRFs. And the two strokes have not changed much in a long time. I hear from people all the time thatthere is not much to the two strokes in the line of maintenance.AllI do is change oil, filters and all the little things. Im not ready to open things up to adjust valves and other internalstuff.

 

My opinion? Take it from a father that maintained8 MX bikes over the course of 5 years. We raced, played, and practiced all of the time.
If you want to play, and are not worried about bringing home the trophy? - then a good ol two smoker is a blast!
After my oldest left for college, we sold the whole team. Since then, i now have my own 2007 CR-125 and I love it. (yes he rides it when he is home..DAM*^T)
It is plenty fast, still makes that beautiful sound, SMOKES, and is really nimble.
Cost? Not much. I prefer to replace a top-end every 10 - 20 hours of hard riding anyday. Try paying for a valve job on a 4-stroke!
We raced them both, all Honda's. In my opinion...unless you can run a 2-stroke to it's max capacity and need a 4-stroke, then stick with the smoker! Parts are easy to get, it is easy to maintain yourself, and it is just plain fun!
We owned (2) 2001 CR-125's and a 2001 250. Those bikes were bulletproof! Just keep up with the tranny fluid changes ($5) and keep the topend fresh ($100) and your in there.All a Honda needs is a good water hose from time to time to ensure everything is functional.
Now...we also had a 2005 CRF-250. It was a rocket! Loved the bike but was lost when it came to the maintenance. Shop or good freinds had to help with all of the major motor work. That equals dollars!
Ok...I have rambled. PM me if you want more advice...if not I will keep my 125 smokin!

 

Preciate it guys from what Ive gathered here probly just gonna get the 2 stroke deal. I like to trail ride but Im just really lookin at the maint end of things.dont have much time to work on it all the time nor do i wanna drop alot of money into a toy

 

Why not go for an old xr250 or crf230, each one of those bikes will make you as happy as a motorcross bikeandyou'll only have to do like 1/10 the maintance. Their just as fast on the top end and aren't that much heavier only problem i could see you having is the suspension if your an agressive trail rider or like to hit jumps from time to time.

 

found a couple cr250s in my area so ima check those out. About how often do you have to do the top end on the two strokes?

 

The manual will tell you between 10 - 20 hours. I have found that the 250 will last longer than a 125. We would change the rings every other time on the 250 where as we always changed the piston on the 125.

If looking at a used 250, PLEASE save yourself some headache and;
* Check for grease! A good lubed bike means the bearings should be also. Lift up on the rear fender slightly while you listen to the shock link. I light "click" is fine, but if you feel any rubbing or sticking then the bike has not been greased lately.
*Don't be afraid of a bike that has been raced. I hear people all of the time say "that bike has been raced, I don't want it". Fact of the matter is, most racers, especially fast ones, tend to take care of their bikes. The ones to watch for are the guys that ride from time to time so they feel they do not need to perform maintenance on it.
* Look at the exhaustpipe, make that the silencer. Is it black? If so...good. Rather have a rich one than a lean condition.
* Pull the plug.....again, look for a brown or even black reading. Grey is ok...but if white...way to lean and your looking at a top end change at best.
* Look at the fork seals...check for leaks.
* Place the bike on a stand and check the steering head free play. Again, are the bearings good and lubed?
* Pull the seat and check the air filter. I clean airbox and filter will tell you a lot about the maintenance performedon the bike. (we changed ours after every ride)

OK...enough for now. Back to the peanut gallery.
Good luck!

 

Thanks BIGPOP. Im leavin to go overseas for bout two weeks this friday but when I get back Ima use that info to aggrevate the hell out of some sellers. lol Nah they might get mad im taking their bike apart but not if they want to sell it right. once again thanks