Help with bike selection

305Moto
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1
Joined
7/14/2017
Location
Miami, FL, USA
Edited Date/Time 5/10/2026 4:54pm

Getting back to riding after 7 years off. Been watching the test videos and shootouts trying to decide on a bike and also considering what’s available in my local used market. I should add that having a better chassis and handling with great suspension is a little bit more important to me than just horsepower. 

I’ll probably be a vet C rider once I get back into the swing of things with hopes to continue improving towards B. My goal for now is to have fun on the weekends building my skills and eventually do well in my class/division at the local races. 

Assuming price is nearly equal for all of these bikes, which do you recommend and why? 

25-26 CRF250R- Bone stock 

24-26 YZ250F- Bone stock 

2025 RMZ250 with suspension already sprung and valved by REP for my weight, full TI exhaust, and a bunch of other smaller mods (holeshot device, guts seat cover, and other random odds and ends). 

All bikes have very low hours and are like-new. 

I never liked feel and power delivery of the Austrian bikes in the past so please don’t recommend those. 

2
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5/10/2026 4:19pm

I am gonna go with the Yamaha, due to the suspension and motor.

3
1
ACBailey89
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Bend, OR, USA
5/10/2026 4:21pm

Any of them will work just fine for ya champ.

1
OwenJakes
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sebree, KY, USA
5/10/2026 4:28pm

RM-Z. Without a doubt. I am not biased😂

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The Shop

dbaker521
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Kingwood, TX, USA
5/10/2026 5:05pm

Just pick which color you like most.

30minmotos
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Rising Sun, MD, USA
5/10/2026 5:15pm

Honestly the rmz being set up for you is worth $1000 or so plus the down time so that’s kind of sick.


I’d go Honda or zook, not a fan of the newer Yamahas personally.

3strokemx
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5/11/2026 5:33am

Stark Varg

3
Nairb#70
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Ivoryton, CT, USA
5/11/2026 5:58am Edited Date/Time 5/11/2026 5:59am
ACBailey89 wrote:

Any of them will work just fine for ya champ.

Sage advice, more of a factor is you. all bikes are good.

5/11/2026 7:48am

If I had to choose between those 3 and those 3 only, I would pick the RMZ. They handle great, are very reliable, and the extra's on it are nice. The only real downfall to the  RMZ imo is when you go to sell it.

TeamGreen
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11/25/2008
Location
Thru-out, CA, USA
5/11/2026 7:51am

You’re saying the Zook will be suspended by REP to your needs…?

DONE DEAL!

Go get that yellow bike and enjoy the laps. 

2
5/11/2026 8:15am

Zook!!! or Yamaha would be close second.

Zook because suspension already setup for your weight and other stuff on it. 

1
Kevin852
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9/27/2018
Location
Apple Valley, CA, USA
Fantasy
5/11/2026 8:33am

The RMZ for the same reasons above. Having a bike set up for you is more important than having the bike that was the "best" in a shootout. Especially as a Vet C racer. Handling and your fitness will be the biggest factors on how well you do over how fast a bike is. The only down side is resale of Zooks is rough. But hasn't stopped me from buying them HAHA  

EAmato88
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1/23/2019
Location
Egg Harbor City, NJ, USA
5/11/2026 10:16am Edited Date/Time 5/11/2026 10:16am

I have recently switched to the 25 crf250r and i havent had this much fun riding my dirt bike many years. This is easily my favorite bike yet. Before this i had a 24 kx450, and before that a 21 yz250f. 

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