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Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Good deal on an 04 yz250
Also, it's not always easy to spot a bike that's barely been ridden. Guys will buff, shine, change plastic, put on new tires, add new spockets, and even paint worn parts to fool you.
It's even harder to tell if it's been maintained correctly. Mr. trail guy's bike might look like it only has twenty hours on it, but the same oil was probably run in it up until the day he put it up for sale
Unless you know the guy, a good looking bike is no guarantee that the internals match what the externals proclaim.
"Wally" bikes are no better, whatever a "wally" bike is.
I would take a bike from a guy that understood bikes anyday
I think that the "Wally" bike is the perfect example, a guy buys the bike new, rides it a few times a year (maybe) then stores it correctly between rides. It is in new pristine condition if you look at all the areas I mentioned and more. That is the bike I would take over any bike that was a real race bike, hell I maintain my race bikes and they rarely have a problem even with over 200 hrs but would I buy one of my old bikes instead of a "Wally" bike? No.
You have to have the knowledge to know what to look for in a used bike and if you do and you find that pristine original bike, buy it!
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When looking for a 1973-74 CR250M or a 1974-75 CR125M look at the footpegs. If they aren't drooping, get it.
73-74 CR250M, unless it is brand new it will need shift forks and 2nd and 3rd gearsets.
Going racing with a 74-75 CR125, make sure you have a couple spare top ends ready to go.
I am not sure how to say it any more plainly but lets put it this way, If a person bought a bike and rode it 5-10 times and another person bought a bike that he raced for years but rebuilt it, then 5 years later you set them side by side would you be able to tell the difference?
I can tell.. and I would never ever take the raced bike no matter how much paint and elbow grease went into it because one bike is beat, stressed in the frame, tranny, cases etc etc etc. I'm telling you I can see those things and tell the difference, really I could. And I don't have to know the guy to see which one is like new and which one is new.
Picture looks like it has never been ridden.
Also, I never mentioned someone should buy a race bike over a trail bike.
Btw It's *you're and *It's. Also, when referring to yourself, an "I" needs to be capitalized.
My best mate and I fall into Peely's OCD category. Our bikes are maintained at any expense. However I just purchased a 2008 YZ250 which is a great bike but man had it been neglected. The guy raced it but his idea of cleaning was hosing off water dirt he could and then leaving it until the next ride. And as for maintenance? Pfft, wasn't even in the bloke's vocabulary.
So it's up to each individual owner, regardless of whether they're a racer or not. A keen eye will be able to detect whther it's been maintained or not.
And as for which bike, you can't go wrong with a 2006 or later YZ250 2 stroke. No mods necessary unless you are fast. Get the cleanest one you can find
My point is that I cannot be fooled because I do have experience and knowledge when it comes to mechanical things and that knowledge applies to bikes or washing machines, some have an eye for things and some don't. I think that the OP is looking for the best bang for the buck and IMO the bike that is was rarely ridden is just what he's looking for. I am not sure if the OP is mechanically inclined or how much real world experience he has but I posted only to try to help him decide.
I think Newman gets what I'm saying, he seems to have that "eye" for whats painted up and whats never been touched and rarely ridden. I don't know what you mean about never mentioning buying a race bike over a trail bike, I'm talking about any bike, any piece of equipment at all that's used and how to reasonably tell its condition without tearing it completely apart before purchasing it. Its not about correcting anyone's thinking its about explaining my point so its more understandable to everyone by using examples.
Pit Row
A "very good idea" isn't an absolute verification of how the thing's been run. We're saying the same thing.
When buying a used machine, I'm of the opinion that no matter how much one knows through experience and inspection, there is no way (short of complete disassembly) to be absolutely certain of what you're getting. Because of that, I disagree that you or anyone else "cannot be fooled." If what you're talking about when you say you cannot be fooled concerns only the external parts and the internal parts you can inspect then I agree, you cannot be fooled. If you're saying you absolutely cannot be fooled I disagree, because the internals are "internal". Even if you buy a new bike you can be fooled. New bikes are recalled because a customer didn't get what was promised by the manufacturer.
I agree that knowing what to look for will increase one's success rate in finding a nice bike.
n 2004 we went to Sand Mountain for Halloween, and it ended up snowing like 8-10 inches or something like that. was pretty crazy riding in snow on top of sand
2005 YZ 250
http://wausau.craigslist.org/mcy/2544621359.html
2005 CRF 450
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/mcy/2596510501.html
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