Do we need new bikes every year?

7/22/2025 12:34pm

The best thing about new bikes is the reliability, I hate wasting riding days fixing shitty old bikes in the pits.

4
BoxcarWilly
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7/22/2025 12:53pm

Until 2020 I had my 06 yz125 and yz250's I bought summer of 05. With regular maintenence they lasted a long time. 

I have a 2008 YZ125 that's approaching 700 hours. Two cranks, probably 14 or 15 top ends. I'll be buried with it 😝

7
seth505
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7/22/2025 12:59pm

Only if you're one of those crazies who put 150 hours per year on your bike.

1
1
Kawboy14!
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Georgetown, TX, USA
7/22/2025 1:41pm

Just was at a dealer here in austin Texas, new crf250 and 450’s for $5500-$6500


I was like holy cow that’s cheap

1

The Shop

zippytech
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7/22/2025 3:39pm Edited Date/Time 7/22/2025 3:42pm

Until 2020 I had my 06 yz125 and yz250's I bought summer of 05. With regular maintenence they lasted a long time. 

I have a 2008 YZ125 that's approaching 700 hours. Two cranks, probably 14 or 15 top ends. I'll be buried with it 😝

I have a 98 cr that's on it's 4th crank, after 3rd it got new cases and cyl. but I am sure frame and everything else has 2500 + on it

1
burn1986
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bossier city, LA, USA
7/22/2025 3:46pm Edited Date/Time 7/22/2025 3:47pm
Kawboy14! wrote:

Just was at a dealer here in austin Texas, new crf250 and 450’s for $5500-$6500


I was like holy cow that’s cheap

Holy cow! That’s like dirt cheap. Cheaper than FB marketplace 

Dave v3.0
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7/22/2025 6:19pm

Don't need a new bike if you have decent mechanical skills and stay on top of normal maintenance.  And by decent mechanical skills I mean the ability to split cases and inspect wear parts.  Once upon a time, we all worked on our own stuff so we never paid labor costs other than farming out an occasional bore job or replate and having a crank rebuilt.

The average rider isn't going to be any faster on a 2025 vs a 2008...

4
OriginMX
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MADISON, WI, USA
7/22/2025 6:56pm

Ripped my 1978 yz125 today..  Smile ear to ear.  I’m 59.  Ride what ever makes you laugh. If its not fun give it up. 

2
7/22/2025 8:09pm
OriginMX wrote:

Ripped my 1978 yz125 today..  Smile ear to ear.  I’m 59.  Ride what ever makes you laugh. If its not fun give it up. 

Sounds Awesome I,m having alot of fun riding to. I might hit Dyracuse wed  10 bucks I ride the quick sx track weather permitting. I want to find the sandbowl there & drag the bars too. IMG 3855 0.jpeg?VersionId=X SVmdv8U6xF2KThovF7guPEsupposed to be in the 90,s perfect. Getting ready for fri practice sat, sun race at Xmas .  Doing 125 class & 40b.  I turn 59 Nov 18.  Filters are ready for fun. 

1
pilotdude
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7/22/2025 8:47pm Edited Date/Time 7/22/2025 8:49pm

I bought a 1 year old low hours 2013 CRF450R in 2014.  I've practiced/raced it every year since then including this year.  That's 12 years.  I did a top end rebuild on it 79 hours ago and serviced the suspension in 2022.  Oil changes and filters as recommended.  I won the last race I did on it (Washougal Woods Race in May.)  In January I bought a low hours 2022 CRF450R for $4500 and just finished riding Washougal amateur days on it.  I rode about as fast and finished about as well as on my 2013.  

Truth be known, if I lost 20 lbs, got in better shape, and rode the 2013 I'm so comfortable on, I'd smoke my current self/weight/shape riding the 2022.  

So do we need a new bike every year?  Hell no.  Maybe every 5 years.  Maybe.  But the shiny new everything and push button start is nice.

2
Slowride858
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7/22/2025 10:07pm
mxrudi wrote:

Well if you own a Suzuki, you don't wonder if you would be any faster on new year's model. 

Which is why I ride a 2007 RM and a 2018 RMZ. Good enough for my old slow a$$. 🤣

1
Mick 22
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7/23/2025 9:01am

Back in the days when they cost about $1000, we needed two every year, one to practice, 1 to race.

1
7/23/2025 9:17am
Mick 22 wrote:

Back in the days when they cost about $1000, we needed two every year, one to practice, 1 to race.

I paid 3,200 for a 5 hr 04 with extras, 3,200 for all oem including chain, in 2021 .  3,800 last Dec from a Phonix pro aprox 1,500 in new stuff pc carbon , wc clutch adjustment, rebuilt suspension, etc.  I,m selling one bike soon they sell for around 3,800 to 4k now. These bikes last forever so I think it’s a good deal .  There’s also 6,500 to 13k cr125,s like new or new.  I just found out a guy in a near by town has a ton of new cr s in the crate. He’s not selling tho

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Falcon
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7/23/2025 9:25am
sh274s wrote:
I really enjoy having a new bike. It makes me more excited to ride and I love walking into the garage and seeing a sick bike...

I really enjoy having a new bike. It makes me more excited to ride and I love walking into the garage and seeing a sick bike. That's it. I don't need it, I can't really tell a performance difference. 

snillum wrote:

This is the correct answer.  

Yep. If it makes you happy and you can afford it, go buy it! 

mumbles
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Perry, GA, USA
7/23/2025 1:08pm

I think it comes down to two things:

1) How often do you ride?

2) Can you afford a new one?

If you ride a lot and can afford a new bike every year, go for it. Do I think anybody other than a pro level needs a new bike every year no.

I've been riding for 60 years now. During that time period I have only had two brand new bikes from a dealer (82 CR250, 87 KX500). Most of my real MX bikes have been a year old low hour bikes fro somebody else. Heck my current MX bike is a 2012 SXF350. I got from a older guy four years ago. It had 173hrs on it. He just had the engine gone through and he had the paperwork to prove it. The bike is a really good, fast lightweight bike that has hydro clutch and electric start. What else do I need at 68.

6C0FC8A8-B9AE-409E-BA43-F9D77A5CC9C9 1 105 c

 

3
kawasa84
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7/23/2025 1:14pm
mx 219 wrote:
78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.You know why trucks and bike cost as much as they do? Because people buy stuff they can't afford, if...

78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

You know why trucks and bike cost as much as they do? Because people buy stuff they can't afford, if people weren't buying 60-80k trucks Ford, Chevy, and Toyota wouldn't price  that high. Profits on vehicles has to be up fairly big since 2019-2020.

I bought both of my boys lightly used PW 50's. Not exactly sure what I am buying next, but probably lightly used E-5's. My bike is a unicorn, a 2019 RMZ 250 that runs great. I would like a YZ 250F and I have the cash to buy 2 of them, but I don't need one.

While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes in my years and I've paid cash for all 6. I've been smart when I was ready, and have never financed a dirt bike.

Alex814
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7/23/2025 1:22pm
mx 219 wrote:
78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.You know why trucks and bike cost as much as they do? Because people buy stuff they can't afford, if...

78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

You know why trucks and bike cost as much as they do? Because people buy stuff they can't afford, if people weren't buying 60-80k trucks Ford, Chevy, and Toyota wouldn't price  that high. Profits on vehicles has to be up fairly big since 2019-2020.

I bought both of my boys lightly used PW 50's. Not exactly sure what I am buying next, but probably lightly used E-5's. My bike is a unicorn, a 2019 RMZ 250 that runs great. I would like a YZ 250F and I have the cash to buy 2 of them, but I don't need one.

kawasa84 wrote:
While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes...

While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes in my years and I've paid cash for all 6. I've been smart when I was ready, and have never financed a dirt bike.

You must be over the age of 40. The economy simply does not support this type of logic as  a norm anymore unless you have some sort of external help. 

2
Chuck_Nice
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7/23/2025 1:29pm Edited Date/Time 7/23/2025 1:36pm

With Rock River Yamaha saying that the new 2026 YZ 250F is going to cost $1500 more due to no rebate and the tariffs added to the price. We will  see a lot of older bikes on the track in 26. Maybe the tariffs will slow down the new bike releases?

Kindasmoky
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7/23/2025 7:01pm

For me, I can get about 100 hours out of a bike confidently before I feel it needs a major overhaul. I take excellent care of my machines, but shit wears out. Every bike I've ever bought used needed a bunch of shit to be proper.

1
mx 219
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7/23/2025 7:36pm
mx 219 wrote:
78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.You know why trucks and bike cost as much as they do? Because people buy stuff they can't afford, if...

78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

You know why trucks and bike cost as much as they do? Because people buy stuff they can't afford, if people weren't buying 60-80k trucks Ford, Chevy, and Toyota wouldn't price  that high. Profits on vehicles has to be up fairly big since 2019-2020.

I bought both of my boys lightly used PW 50's. Not exactly sure what I am buying next, but probably lightly used E-5's. My bike is a unicorn, a 2019 RMZ 250 that runs great. I would like a YZ 250F and I have the cash to buy 2 of them, but I don't need one.

kawasa84 wrote:
While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes...

While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes in my years and I've paid cash for all 6. I've been smart when I was ready, and have never financed a dirt bike.

Alex814 wrote:
You must be over the age of 40. The economy simply does not support this type of logic as  a norm anymore unless you have some...

You must be over the age of 40. The economy simply does not support this type of logic as  a norm anymore unless you have some sort of external help. 

Kawasa84 - that's awesome. Yes, if you are smart you can easily fund a bike with cash. My goal is to buy a new bike every 2-3 years, but I'm not there yet. I probably could be now, but other things are more important at the moment, like my kids and their interests. 

At Alex814, that's not true. I'm mid-30's, I make an average salary, so does my wife, and we now have 3 kids. We are doing fairly well financially because we have made good decisions and sacrifices and I got a little lucky with being forced to invest when I got my first job. If you aren't where you want to be then 1. I'm a financial coach - hit me up 2. It's more than likely you could have made different decisions (sacrifices) that could have helped you get further ahead financially.

1
2
Shenzi
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SWFL, FL, USA
7/23/2025 8:31pm
One of the tough things about our sport is it’s expensive and if you don’t buy a new bike each year then you are on “outdated...

One of the tough things about our sport is it’s expensive and if you don’t buy a new bike each year then you are on “outdated equipment”

This is very much a mindset thing and I believe it makes our sport daunting from a price point. I know it’s unrealistic but if the bikes changed every few years all together, I think it would make the sport more more appealing.

It still blows my mind when you go to a socal track and you see the mini dad with a bunch of new bikes for their kids, the amount of money they must be spending is insane.

When I was younger and racing more, the cost was always real tough on me and the pressure to feel like you need to buy new bikes each year killed me..

Ken won on the dinousaur Suzuki, and I believe I would be just as fast (slow) on a 10 year old bike, but how do we make it so the sport is more accepting of this and affordable to the common man?

you and I don't need new bikes every year but the manufacturers do; they need to keep researching, developing, improving and displaying their technology. That's what racing is for. 

7/23/2025 9:30pm
mx 219 wrote:
78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.You know why trucks and bike cost as much as they do? Because people buy stuff they can't afford, if...

78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

You know why trucks and bike cost as much as they do? Because people buy stuff they can't afford, if people weren't buying 60-80k trucks Ford, Chevy, and Toyota wouldn't price  that high. Profits on vehicles has to be up fairly big since 2019-2020.

I bought both of my boys lightly used PW 50's. Not exactly sure what I am buying next, but probably lightly used E-5's. My bike is a unicorn, a 2019 RMZ 250 that runs great. I would like a YZ 250F and I have the cash to buy 2 of them, but I don't need one.

kawasa84 wrote:
While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes...

While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes in my years and I've paid cash for all 6. I've been smart when I was ready, and have never financed a dirt bike.

Alex814 wrote:
You must be over the age of 40. The economy simply does not support this type of logic as  a norm anymore unless you have some...

You must be over the age of 40. The economy simply does not support this type of logic as  a norm anymore unless you have some sort of external help. 

The economy is tanked bad I talked to a 40 yr exp broker pal last week. He said it’s worse than the last  3 yrs . I bought all my bikes & parts in 21 except for 1 bike because I was selling one.  Feb 2021 the boom was ovr I job hopped to other 1099 co.s that paid at least .80 & had a Elog cheat  system .  The last 2 yrs I can make more money racing a 21 yr old dirt bike .  A mega carrier is firing a high # of office people lately.   I saw 209.00 for payments ona crf450  that seems low don’t it . Peg to seat it’s much smaller than my 04 , yzf250 feels funky along with kxf450 .  

1
7/23/2025 10:44pm

Sure bikes keep getting easier.

I’m 23 and rode some bikes in the years…

KX85, YZ125, few KXF 250’s (11/15/19/21/23), a 19 SX 250 and now a 24 MC 250.

The jump FI has done is incredible. Bikes are getting better, not really need to upgrade every year, new bike is always cool but you can have fun/go fast anyway. 
As soon as the bike is holding up well i try to keep mine to 100/120 hours before the full rebuild, so about 2/3 years. 3 years is usually new model release so the upgrade may be worth it.

 

jaun
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MX
7/23/2025 11:37pm
Its the wear & tear and the cost to fix it that becomes a factor. The price for parts and labor has gone up significantly.  Something...

Its the wear & tear and the cost to fix it that becomes a factor. The price for parts and labor has gone up significantly.  Something I hear from customers all the time is that they didnt realize that a used bike would cost as much or more then a new bike when you factor in maintenance.  So do you need a new bike every year?  Depends how much you ride it, but eventually its going to hit that point where you are working on it more then you are riding it.

Yep, certainly I don't need a new bike every year but my kid does, racing MX at a high level puts a lot of strain on a bike with a motor on the limit.

After 40-50hrs the bike looks beat, all the leavers are loose and it everything rattles.

7/24/2025 12:22am

I have 2019 Husqvarna FC 250 which I've bought when it was one year old with 40 hours on it. Now it has 167 hours if I'm correct. It still runs great but a big maintenance is ahead of me soon. I would love to change the bike more often but obviously I can't afford that. Still it's one of the fresher bikes in where I live. 

I do think that general user would like more lifespan of his motorcycle than lightweight and performance (let's be honest - we're not using everything those bikes have) but design is driven by testriders and racers who are really fast and are pushing those bikest to the limit.


Working in manufacturing, I think that 4 years life cycle of a model generation is raising the cost of bikes those days but those companies (beside Suzuki) are in constant chase of development and sometimes marketing bullshit that I'm affraid that it won't change.
What pisses me more than bikes changing every 4 years and their price, is riding gear (pants, jerseys) changing every year which makes them ridiculusly expensive. I don't think that we need new colorways every year.  

oceantrav
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Tarpon Springs, FL, USA
7/24/2025 12:43am

Depends on how often you ride, average person doesn’t need a new one every year 



I’m the moto dad now though that has 5 2025 85’s for my kid. Need a lot to keep multiple ready for training and racing constantly 

mx 219
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South Central, PA, USA
7/24/2025 7:06am
kawasa84 wrote:
While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes...

While that may be accurate, some are smart with the money they earn even though they aren't high earners. I purchased at least 6 new bikes in my years and I've paid cash for all 6. I've been smart when I was ready, and have never financed a dirt bike.

Alex814 wrote:
You must be over the age of 40. The economy simply does not support this type of logic as  a norm anymore unless you have some...

You must be over the age of 40. The economy simply does not support this type of logic as  a norm anymore unless you have some sort of external help. 

The economy is tanked bad I talked to a 40 yr exp broker pal last week. He said it’s worse than the last  3 yrs...

The economy is tanked bad I talked to a 40 yr exp broker pal last week. He said it’s worse than the last  3 yrs . I bought all my bikes & parts in 21 except for 1 bike because I was selling one.  Feb 2021 the boom was ovr I job hopped to other 1099 co.s that paid at least .80 & had a Elog cheat  system .  The last 2 yrs I can make more money racing a 21 yr old dirt bike .  A mega carrier is firing a high # of office people lately.   I saw 209.00 for payments ona crf450  that seems low don’t it . Peg to seat it’s much smaller than my 04 , yzf250 feels funky along with kxf450 .  

It's pretty simple Pro...start looking at different jobs! If trucking ain't paying the bills look for something else.

 

2
GPrider
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7/24/2025 7:16am
Kawboy14! wrote:

Just was at a dealer here in austin Texas, new crf250 and 450’s for $5500-$6500


I was like holy cow that’s cheap

can you share what dealer? I googled all of them and don't see any deals?

 

BoxcarWilly
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Thunder Bay, ON, CA
7/24/2025 7:19am
mx 219 wrote:

It's pretty simple Pro...start looking at different jobs! If trucking ain't paying the bills look for something else.

 

You're so out of touch. Maybe Pro can apply to be a financial advisor? 

7/24/2025 7:20am
Kawboy14! wrote:

Just was at a dealer here in austin Texas, new crf250 and 450’s for $5500-$6500


I was like holy cow that’s cheap

GPrider wrote:

can you share what dealer? I googled all of them and don't see any deals?

 

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