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If you were looking for a new “used” bike- 4stroke 250. What would be your hours you would be looking for, assuming you are looking for a bike that is a couple years old? Is 40 hours without anything other than standard maintenance a lot? Is it even worth buying a 2024 with 40-80 hours on it for 5-6 grand when you can get a new one for 8-9?
Hours are only part of the story, it largely depends on how it was ridden and the maintenance performed.
Vet owned is what you want.
It’s hard for me. Because I’ve had a bike(250f) go over 100 hours with meticulous maintenance. Never opened up the engine once. I changed oil frequently, air filter every single ride or throughout the day depending on conditions, etc. I was anal. I sold the bike years ago and who knows, it could still be running on a stock motor if they maintained it. Probably a couple HP’s down by now..
That being said, I wouldn’t touch a bike with even 15 hours if they only changed the oil 3 times. Those people usually don’t change the air filter on time either.
It really really depends on how it was maintained and unfortunately it’s so hard to know for sure when buying used.
I would say, at least for me, yes 40 hours is a lot. If your patient you can probably find a sub 10 hour bike that some old dude never rode, or got scared of. For 6k, yeah go buy a new one. But I am also someone who won't ride a bike past 100 hours.
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Don't put to much stock in hours, these are dirt bikes, it depends on the owner and how well it was taken care of. Dirt bikes need constant maintenance regardless of hours. Talk to the owner, ask him about maintenance history, look at his shop does he have the tools to be able to work on a bike properly. The biggest "bad sign" for me has always been when the seller doesn't have a dirt bike stand... How have you done any work to this thing?
I'm not touching a used 250 with 80 hours on it I dont care the price but especially $6,000? Hell no. If its had a recent top end by a reputable shop/dealer then maybe. Even 40 you are going to have to do a top end in your ownership. Yes I know there are trail riders on here with 1000 hours on a stock top end that have only put gas in it and no issues etc etc.
You can filter out a lot of the duds by asking if they have a service manual.
Thanks for the well explained answers guys.
There is a saying for a reason, if you’re going to buy a used Porsche, don’t buy it from anyone under 40.
Hours wouldn't really bother me. My current 21 has 290 hours and still looks good. I care more about the biking looking like it was taken care of and the price being asked for it. Anything used I assume going in the engine, suspension, and bearings all need complete rebuilds.
Yep, if they need a service manual they don’t know what they are doing
How do you find specs for bolt torque and valve clearances?
You ugga dugga it. That's the correct answer. You ugga dugga it. 🤷♂️
this. I bought a 1 year old 22 yz450 with ~35 hours on it a few years ago for only 5500. All things considered it was a solid deal and the bike gave me no issues, but there was some serious rock damage/pitting on the forks and gashes all over the bottom of the frame and swing arm that I completely missed when I was checking it out at time of purchase. Even when I was a slower intermediate my bikes didn’t look half that bad with 150-200 hours on them
I would vouch for the opposite. I would buy a bike off of a serious racer, someone who is on the gate religiously. At least for myself ive got a mental checklist I perform between races, ie filter clean each ride, gear oil every other, pulling apart linkages/triples for grease every 4-5 races...etc. Someone who is on the gate a lot is keen to be anal about maintenance and service intervals.
Right on here. Great tip. If they can't show you what maintenance has been done, walk. I just flat out don't trust most people to take care of their stuff.
I just hit 120hrs on my 350F. Meticulous maintenance records. Spreadsheets tracking what is due when, and how long until the next service. Made cheat sheets/diagrams posted in my shop with torque settings for everything. Heck, changed the shock oil last night. With that said, I know nobody's ever going to want to buy my bike with that many hours even though it's in fantastic shape.
I've seen Vet ridden bikes that were better than new at 100 hours. I've seen a fast guy wear a bike out in 50 hours. Any 250 over 50 hours is a hard no for me.
The team came up with mod spec for the pv after blueprint ing it. I do actually love Honda manuals . Brings me back to assembling model cars together as a kid.
Pit Row
3 oil changes at 15 hours is not a problem at all. My 18 kx450 called for oil changes at like 15 hours (I did oil and oil filter every 3-5). I just won't buy a used 250 because you have no idea what that bike has been through.
Wouldn’t buy a used bike with more than 30-40 hours. Way too many with under 20 if you are patient
How many ugga Dugga’s for the head bolts on a yz250?
Asking for a friend
Depends more on who was riding it and how. A bike that lives on the rev limited doing mx? A bike racing offroad by an A rider or a bike ridden by me would be your best choice.
lol that caught me too. I change my oil at 5 hours on the dot and it’s still gold every time. Manual recommends 15 hours and even though I do it 3x as often I’m absolutely sure 15 hours would cause no issues.
Some people may get away with 5 hour intervals but that seems crazy to me. Especially on a 250f. A 450 probably isn’t as hard on oil because you’re not revving as much.
I’m just saying if I went longer than an hour on oil it would be black and viscosity likely compromised.
Your manual may state 15 hours but It probably has another recommendation for race conditions.
My manual calls for only 6 hours or 3 races. And 3 races puts like 1.5 hours on my bike.
Most can probably get away with the hourly interval if you’re not racing.
I sent my used oil to Blackstone Laboratories several times for used oil analysis and was surprised at the findings.
Basically, the oil can go a lot longer than I had previously thought before needing to be changed.
I'd recommend anyone that's even remotely interested in this topic to send their's off once or twice to Blackstone. It's relatively cheap and the oil report that you receive back is very detailed.
Oh come on now - this is VITAL! There is no place for data-based decision making and/or logic here. You have to smell and taste your oil to really know. Or change it every break between motos. Air filters every 15 minutes even if you need to do a pit stop mid-moto. Get with the program!
If your oil is toasted in 1 hour then you're using shitty oil or your bike is wayyyy tf too hot. I have never seen oil break down that fast. Maybe if you're constantly banging the limited ala Barcia on a 250, but even then this seems like a stretch.
Idk man, better to be cautious in my eyes. Why push the limit of your oil and risk the engine? And oil is oil
Buy a bike from the slowest rider you know.
The only thing wrong with changing your oil at the frequency you recommend is your time and money invested in doing it. If you have the time and money, then by all means go for it. Oil isn't oil though, whatever you use needs to be approved for wet clutch use. Straight 10w-40 Penzoil off the Wal-Mart shelf isn't going to be good for your motor.
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