My daughter turns 10 this year and is too tall for her 50sx (son will get this handed down, he's on an older lc pro jr). Budget isn't much, would like to be 1500 or less but could stretch to 2 for something really nice. I have been keeping an eye out on marketplace for months now and there are two bikes in my area that seem suitable. A 14' 65sx about 20 minutes away listed at 1650 and an 08 65sx about an hour away listed at 1300obo. The 14' looks to be in rougher shape from the pictures (number plates crooked, dirty in pictures etc) and appears to be a person who flips bikes (just assuming based on the seller's marketplace history). The 08 looks much cleaner and appears to be a father selling his kids bike (again just looking at the profile).
Bottom line, is the 14 significantly better than an 08 (suspension and power valve come to mind), or are the differences negligible where I should just look at the cleaner bike? Thanks guys and girls.
-Justin
Look for a 17+ KTM. May have to low ball, but you want to be in the newer gen motor
100% agree w this. How far you willing to travel?
I appreciate the advice. I'd say an hour to 1.5 is about what I'm willing to travel. Nothing worse than spending an entire day going to look at a complete pile.
Any major issues you've experienced with the older bikes, or just recommending the 17+ due to updates?
Any 65 older than 5 is high likely to be a pile. Wouldn’t pay over 2k for a 2020. There is a case to be made about looking for a 21+ Austrian because the fork tubes shrank.
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I was in a similar situation awhile back. I chose the yz. Better options in your budget too. Yz shares more parts with the yz85, which to me means over built which means durability. I hate working on stuff to keep them running like i had to do with her ktm 50s. My daughter's 65 was perfect the entire time we owned it. Change oil, clean filter, ride for hours on end. Better brakes, clutch, bottom end than the Austrian bikes. Just a suggestion.
Youd be insane to buy anything but a yz65. Hundreds hours of literally bullet proof reliability. Ive personally owned those bikes with over 300 hours still on the original clutch cable. Mark my words, if you buy a sub 2000 dollar ktm 65, youre going to regret your decision week 1.
Yeah by no means am I stuck on a ktm, frankly I'd prefer a yz if any were available near me even remotely within my budget. I haven't considered a kx simply because of the conventional forks. Whatever bike I go with will likely be handed down to my son at some point as well, so maintenance and longevity is definitely a factor. There isn't much available in the area, and the two bikes I asked about are firmly within the budget and looked to be the best of the bunch. Hoping to make this a birthday present (April) so I do have a little time, but want to give myself a few weeks in case some sweat equity is required.
Post a reply to: Time to get a 65, looking for advice/opinions.