Ways to save money in Moto

Only way to save money in moto is to not moto. This is not a sport where you can cut corners to save some money. Even buying an electric "Power Wheels", I mean Stark replica from Toys R Us is expensive. My advice is to buy an older 2 stroke which takes some skills to ride fast and are easy to repair. Kickstart, clutch, and the dreamy 2 stroke smell is the way to go.

Doing your own air filters and reusing them. Selling stuff you’ve not used in ages hanging around your garage, I’d like to save I’m good at this but I end up giving everything away to riders in need lol

Sorry, but first thing I remembered seeing this title was quote that ''in motocross you can become a millionaire...''  

Learn how to do your own suspension service and revalving. 

Dont buy stuff you dont need.

Older two strokes are not a way to save money. Older bikes in general are clapped out money pits.

Get a decent bike and leave it close to stock 

Roll offs are cheaper than tear offs or replacing goggle lenses.

Find a racer who replaces their tires after a couple rides and buy them off him cheap or buy Bridgestone x40's, they last forever.

Learn to do your own maintenance. Only thing I send my 2 strokes to a mechanic for a shock servicing and if there is a bottom end issue. My 450 I will send to the mechanic for a top end but the beauty of 450's is they go a long time before they need one.

Buying oil in bulk will save you a couple bucks over buying small bottles.

Moto isn't a cheap sport but these are ways I've found to save a few bucks over the years.

A 450 was the cheapest bike I've ever owned to use.

Talking about my RMZ450 but pretty sure most 450's would be similar, providing you are of an average speed.... 60-80 hours on a top end. 3-5 hours on oil. You don't need to abuse the clutch on a 450 so they last forever. Uses the least amount of fuel and runs great on pump. No need to 'hop up' as 55hp+ stock is plenty. Only needed to spend money on tyres, brakes, chains, air filter/oil (usual stuff that any bike requires). Plus any niceties like suspension tune/graphics (but not really necessary generally).

Practising is cheaper than racing if that's enough to get your fix.

Ride local.

By old stock/last season kit and plain unpainted helmets (£100 ish less on average for shoei/arai for e.g.)

Rotate rear tyres.

Do as much maintenance as you can yourself. Spend to get tooled up initially but then save forever onwards

Lubricants/chemicals available at your local farm supply store are just as good as the stuff available the dealership. 

Buy a kx450 with a 2k rebate . 

Sadly, prices will not be dropping any time soon, if ever. I use gasbuddy.com to find the cheapest gas. I no longer use race fuel (I ride a two stroke with interchangeable domes). I buy local farm store lubricants instead of name brand. I go to Aldi's or other cheaper grocery stores for moto day food, coupons if I remember them. I also stay more local for tracks. I'd love to take off this weekend for Millville, but between hotel, food, gas, entries, etc I'm sadly passing on this option. Now as far as bike parts and upkeep, that's a lose lose situation. lol I make OK money, but it doesn't go as far as it did two-three years ago. 

Buy leftover gear rather than the newest stuff. There are some pretty good deals on 1-2 year old gear.

Clearance gear (my trail riding clothes are actually my old work clothes), don't buy graphics, only replace plastic if it's broken, run steel sprockets and sealed chains, no bling parts, tusk tires, reuse tubes, run a 450F, and do all the work yourself. Oh and straightening OEM radiators is easier than you think!

Go ride trails instead of paying $40 to ride 3 practices 

A few things I do now, but I am still learning as well. Disclaimer - I do not race much, mostly practice days 2-3 times a month if I'm lucky.

Buy spray can fluids from Walmart - brake cleaner, contact cleaner, etc. Heck even motor oil (yes in the past I have used their marine 2 stroke oil and it works FINE for a stock two stroke average joe practicer). It's cheaper and gets the job done. Now that I own a 4 stroke though, I have gone with the Shell Rotella. But I get that huge jug at Walmart to save $.

I wear the same 2-3 sets of gear for years until they rip apart and are unusable. Same with boots.

I don't buy full custom graphics kits. I usually just do number decals from Bike Graphix. $55 shipped to my door in 48 hrs. I kinda like that simple stock look to bikes, idk.

Keep my bikes mostly stock. Again, 95% of my riding is just open practice days enjoying the ride. My skill is the limiting factor in my lap times, not my bike.

I don't race much. I'd rather spend $30-40 to ride all day without pressure than spend $40 per class to ride a muddy C class practice and then get 10 laps over two motos. Or double down and race two classes where my second motos the track is clapped out and I'm sitting around until 5:30 for final motos. But that's just me! I know lots of you are more hardcore racers. There's just no getting around that when you want gate drops. I save races for the couple times a year when I really get the itch or there's a cool event like a featured 2-stroke class or Vet Only day.

Step 1:  Move away from liberal areas.  

$4.25 a gallon sounds like a deal coming from someone in SoCal

My older 2-stroke is a clapped-out non-money pit. Oh yeah, it needs to be fixed, but I don't spend any money on it. 

I've been running a riding/racing budget while raising kids for 17 years. It's not like the old days, when I had a new bike every year and three sets of riding gear each season. Here's what my life has been like:
-Same 2006 YZ250 that I bought new in '06.
-I buy parts from connections I have. Find some, get sponsored, get a job at a dealer, buy from ebay, whatever. Parts are expensive! It helps if you don't crash very often.
-Only three helmets in that same time period. Fortunately, I haven't hit my head in any of them so I can run them 5 years or so.
-Fewer than one new set of riding gear each year. I get it when I have a few extra bucks and ride in last year's stuff quite often. Thankfully, I like worn-in boots. I rock the same pair for years at a time. Many years! 
-Bike is jetted for pump gas.
-I run my tires until they're rounded off pretty badly, then turn them around. Then run 'em until they're worn out. Then cry. Then keep running them. Then cry some more. Then, finally replace them when I can afford it. It's not as often as I would like, but it is what it is.
-I don't enter series races anymore. I race when I can. (Haven't done so in a long while now - since 2021 - but when I do, it's a one-day event.) 
-I was joking about not spending any money on my bike. I stay on the little maintenance so I don't have to go big with repairs. I did have a bad seizure last year that required a resleeving of my cylinder. That took a big chunk out of my riding budget for a long time. 
-I wash and reuse my air filters, like God intended.

Most of all, I came to terms with the fact that since I am not an aspiring pro, I don't need the latest and greatest of everything. Just ride what you can, where and when you can, and enjoy. 

Support your local track, help them with weed eating, cleaning up, track markers.  BAM you suddenly have a free place to ride. 

I’m at 65 hours on my 250F  Same top end  I’m not revving it out all the time but I’m also no lugged either 

The last 450 I had sucked fuel like it was going out of style! 18 Rmz450. I swear it was a gas hog 

I’ve been able to ride fairly cheap for the past 10 years almost. I have friends who are mechanics/riders on teams. So I usually get parts and tires free or super cheap. Haven’t payed for gear in years. Obviously comes off snooty but there is ways to do it cheap haha 

Beer isnt needed🍺

Vote!  Inflation has a cause...

I thought getting into moto would be significantly more expensive than my MTB habit but IDK if it actually is much more expensive. 

For me, the direct cross over of moto to MTB is riding DH at the bike park. So you end up going through tires, bearings, suspension wear, brake pads and other parts quickly. You still have the long drives and pass fee (similar or more than most track days cost), and other associated fees. 

Best ways to save in either sport is to do all of your own maintenance, carpool, season passes if available, and preventative maintenance. Way cheaper than waiting for something expensive to break. 

Get a 500. Top ends last forever. 

Make friends with a shop, they'll give you good "Take-offs".

I'd love to find a place where the cost of gas, groceries, utilities, insurance and local taxes hasn't gone through the roof. It's not Texas.

You can get a 5 quart bottle of synthetic oil from WalMart for $17-25 (depending on brand). 
You can find alternatives to chain lube…etc…as pointed out by MudPup(that stuff works).
You can buy gear, helmets, boots, goggles on blow-out on the web and even at your local shop. 
You can save money by buying the MUCH better part for a few dollars more that lasts MUCH longer…like a good chain, for example (many stock chains simply destroy your sprockets quickly)

Something I’ve noticed while riding a 350 over these last 10 years…the “wear items” last longer on them (versus a 450). From chains to tires…things just last a bit longer than they do on a 450. 

A lot of good advice one here, but one thing that no one has mentioned is simply be easy on your bike. I see kids revving (four strokes) to the limiter while sitting behind the fence waiting to go out for PRACTICE… it’s useless wear and tear, the plug isn’t going to foul, it would be “warmed up” if you let it idle. At no point is a burnout worth it. Even on the starting gate, not even to warm up your tire or prep your rut. You aren’t racing for money.

Buy the real thick vinyl in clear and put it over your plastics where your boots and knee braces rub. This will extend your plastics life some. 
Make a burner email account and sign up for all of your favorite online shopping accounts and look for coupons and discounts especially around Black Friday and cyber Monday.

Cycle gear usually has left overs and clearance sections. $35 fly goggles are fine compared to $100 Oakley airframes.
 
Black or  white plain gear is sometimes cheaper. Use your girls cricut machine if you want cheap graphics for your helmet. I went to a local car wrap company and got some scrap left over 3M car wrap vinyl for free and wrapped my helmet. Looked hideous but I DNGAF it was better than plain. 

Like a post above said, buy your Oil/Chain lube from Walmart. Start riding trails or mixing it up with motocross and trails. Most trails are cost close to nothing to get out and ride if available. Motocross tracks in my area are all $40 to ride for the day so if I can limit it to one day a week, I'll take it. I personally have been staying away from racing motocross lately, the amount of time spent and riding you get for (2) 4-5 lap moto's isn't worth it in my eyes.

-Leave your bike stock

-Learn to do your own basic maintenance 

-Costco/Walmart Rotella Oil

-Good tires with tread are cheaper than ER bills

-Your gear is fine, most lasts 4-5 seasons

-Carpool with buddies to cut down on gas

-Bring your lunch to the track

-Preventive maintenance is cheaper than things breaking

-LEAVE YOUR BIKE STOCK

Not true at all. A competitive DH bike is well over 10k and racing mountain bikes isn’t cheap.