250 or 450 for 30 something (update)

buck nutty
Edited Date/Time 4/9/2016 4:29pm
Hey guys, first off sorry if this is posted in the wrong area and I'm sure there are many threads regarding this subject but I wanted to get your opinions based on my past experience.

Anyways, I started riding when I was 7 and rode dirt bikes until I was 17. My last bike was a 99 cr 125. I never raced but was fortunate enough to have a field and bush behind my house with a quasi track that had a couple jumps.
I ended up getting really bored of the 125, eventually became used to the power and didnt find it exciting anymore. I was only 150ish pounds and found my friends cr 250 to be fun to mess around on but too much bike to hammer down on. Since then I have ridden cruiser and sport bikes. I would borrow a friend's vtr1000 and had a blast hammering down on that thing.

I'm 31 now and really want to get a 450. I have heard that the power is more manageable than the 2 strokes and I worry that I would get bored with the 250f like I did the 125. I'm not a big dude, 6ft and 170lbs. I don't want to race, but I do want to ride tracks and trails and just have fun like I did as a boy.

So what are your thoughts?




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hillbilly
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hillbilly 3/14/2016 6:12pm
3/14/2016 6:12pm
The 250f has way more power than the 125, but not enuff to flat out kill you.

The 450 has enuff power to flat out kill you.

I'd pick the 450 ever time.

The Shop

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buck nutty 3/14/2016 7:05pm
3/14/2016 7:05pm
I appreciate all the replies so far. Maybe I should mention that I have been wanting a Kawasaki and a local ish shop has new 2014 kx 250f and 450f and I was thinking I could potentially get a deal on one of those.
I don't know much about the ktms and the closest dealer is 3 hours away from me. I don't really want to spend the money on a brand new current model year bike and from what I have read a lot of people are weary about picking up used 4 strokes
Moto520
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Moto520 3/14/2016 7:08pm
3/14/2016 7:08pm
250f all the way. They are so much fun to ride
Rdubs19
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Rdubs19 3/14/2016 8:08pm
3/14/2016 8:08pm
From your own criteria, a 250F is the obvious choice. You said that a 125 was way too slow but a 250 two-stroke was "too much". You also sound like you like to ride fairly aggressively. A 450 would need to be mostly lugged around in trails and you would have to really watch whacking open the throttle. Shit can get out of control real, real quick. You would probably rarely get to use anywhere near all the power, and it wouldn't corner as good as a 250F. It sounds like you haven't ridden off road in a long time and I know in my experience I went from a very powerful street bike (FZ-09) that I felt extremely comfortable wringing the hell out, to a 250F when I got back on dirt, and it was plenty of power. And still is.
BTW if it seems like I have an axe to grind with 450s, I don't at all. Just being totally objective.


loftyair
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loftyair 3/14/2016 9:31pm
3/14/2016 9:31pm
Depends on how aggressive you are with motor, and how much money you don't mind spending. If you are not that aggressive, 250 is ok, but if you ride hard, a 450 will last longer.
macz400
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macz400 3/14/2016 9:35pm
3/14/2016 9:35pm Edited Date/Time 3/14/2016 9:36pm
I'm 33 and ride a couple times a month if I'm lucky. I recently sold my 450 and bought a 14 kx250f and don't regret it one bit. The 250Fs are a lot funner to ride and the Kawi has an awesome motor. I'd go the 250f route!
The Rock
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The Rock 3/14/2016 10:18pm
3/14/2016 10:18pm
300cc two stroke or 350 four stroke
BobPA
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BobPA 3/14/2016 10:35pm
3/14/2016 10:35pm
The Rock wrote:
300cc two stroke or 350 four stroke
shanes wrote:
this
This

A 250cc two stroke is also great
buck nutty 3/15/2016 8:11am
3/15/2016 8:11am
Thanks again for the feedback. I was pretty convinced on getting a 450 but definitely thinking a 250 may suit my needs better.
Now I just need to convince my girlfriend of 8 years that I need a bike more than she needs a ring...
shanes
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shanes 3/15/2016 8:43am
3/15/2016 8:43am
Forgiveness is a lot easier to get than permission , so buy the bike bell fore you say anything
Schipwreck
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Schipwreck 3/15/2016 10:52am
3/15/2016 10:52am
Some different advice here.. Over the years iv'e owned and ridden everything you can think of from 125's to built 450's on everything from mx tracks to the nastiest single track out there. One thing iv'e learned choosing between a 250f and a 450 is the 450 is much cheaper to tame down than a 250 is to make faster. Also the 450 will give an intermediate rider almost double the piston/ valve train life. If you can handle a 1000 on the street you can handle a 450. You said no racing so im guessing mostly trail riding, the first 3rd or 4th gear hill you hit you will regret the 250..if you dont ride mountains i guess that doesnt matter. If it were me i would get the 450 and slap a big flywheel weight and a heavy steel clutch basket in it de-tune if possible and go get as much seat time as possible.
brimx153
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brimx153 3/15/2016 10:57am
3/15/2016 10:57am
Schipwreck wrote:
Some different advice here.. Over the years iv'e owned and ridden everything you can think of from 125's to built 450's on everything from mx tracks...
Some different advice here.. Over the years iv'e owned and ridden everything you can think of from 125's to built 450's on everything from mx tracks to the nastiest single track out there. One thing iv'e learned choosing between a 250f and a 450 is the 450 is much cheaper to tame down than a 250 is to make faster. Also the 450 will give an intermediate rider almost double the piston/ valve train life. If you can handle a 1000 on the street you can handle a 450. You said no racing so im guessing mostly trail riding, the first 3rd or 4th gear hill you hit you will regret the 250..if you dont ride mountains i guess that doesnt matter. If it were me i would get the 450 and slap a big flywheel weight and a heavy steel clutch basket in it de-tune if possible and go get as much seat time as possible.
this

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cslacker
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cslacker 3/15/2016 12:21pm
3/15/2016 12:21pm
And more different advice.... Some key things I took from what you said were that you will not be racing and you got bored previously which is part of why you stopped riding. I personally find a 450, especially a tuned down 450, to be the most boring ride possible. Does it go fast? Absolutely... and it would definitely be my choice if I was serious into moto racing. But just for play riding and having fun they are booooooorrrrrring.

Just my opinion but while I have remained riding all of these years, many other riders who used to be out with me every weekend got bored riding their 450s and found Bed Bath and Beyond with their wives a better way to spend their weekends.
1
Highsider
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Highsider 3/15/2016 12:25pm
3/15/2016 12:25pm Edited Date/Time 3/15/2016 12:25pm
At your age, buy whatever you want and race it for five years.
Then, get the 450.
The 450 is a perfect "lazy vet's bike"! Cool

I am 63 and am saving up for another 450 in '17.
NotCore
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NotCore 3/15/2016 1:55pm
3/15/2016 1:55pm
In the mid 2ks I bought 250f and would tune them with pipes and cams, etc to get the bottom end power I needed. In 2011, I bought a ktm350sx. To me it powers off the bottom like a 250f with a low end cam but has unlimited top end. Perfect for me. As I understand the newer ones have significant more bottom end than mine.
resetjet
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resetjet 3/15/2016 2:12pm
3/15/2016 2:12pm
Modern 250f. Get the 16 yamaha yz250f. So fun to ride. Feels like a mountain bike.

450 too much power for an intermediate rider. Mainly low end. The bike will be riding you not the opposite.
Flatliner
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Flatliner 3/15/2016 2:58pm
3/15/2016 2:58pm
I'm 230 right now on a 250f. It's enough bike for me.
CrGuy2T
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CrGuy2T 3/15/2016 5:04pm
3/15/2016 5:04pm Edited Date/Time 3/15/2016 5:35pm
125cc on an Mx track. Nothing boring about it. I'm 6'0 190 I wish I could get back down to about 180. I have the most fun on a 125 32yrs old. I guess a lot of it depends on skill level.
nascarnate326 3/15/2016 6:03pm
3/15/2016 6:03pm
Any newer 250 would be plenty. I got a 450 and regret it. Mostly because it's way too fast and heavy. A 250 two stroke would be about perfect but a 4 stroke lets you be lazy.
buck nutty 3/15/2016 6:20pm
3/15/2016 6:20pm
So as it stands right now there are 5 votes for the 450f and 7 for the 250f. What I am taking from this is to each their own and to truly decide I'm going to have to ride each before I make a decision.

I was thinking I wanted a 450 because I thought it would allow me to take less speed into a jump and be able to throttle through the face to clear it. Am I wrong in thinking that? Does thinking that mean that maybe I have mellowed out and I'm a potentially lazy rider?
cwtoyota
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cwtoyota 3/15/2016 6:26pm
3/15/2016 6:26pm
buck nutty wrote:
Hey guys, first off sorry if this is posted in the wrong area and I'm sure there are many threads regarding this subject but I wanted...
Hey guys, first off sorry if this is posted in the wrong area and I'm sure there are many threads regarding this subject but I wanted to get your opinions based on my past experience.

Anyways, I started riding when I was 7 and rode dirt bikes until I was 17. My last bike was a 99 cr 125. I never raced but was fortunate enough to have a field and bush behind my house with a quasi track that had a couple jumps.
I ended up getting really bored of the 125, eventually became used to the power and didnt find it exciting anymore. I was only 150ish pounds and found my friends cr 250 to be fun to mess around on but too much bike to hammer down on. Since then I have ridden cruiser and sport bikes. I would borrow a friend's vtr1000 and had a blast hammering down on that thing.

I'm 31 now and really want to get a 450. I have heard that the power is more manageable than the 2 strokes and I worry that I would get bored with the 250f like I did the 125. I'm not a big dude, 6ft and 170lbs. I don't want to race, but I do want to ride tracks and trails and just have fun like I did as a boy.

So what are your thoughts?




You need to decide which kind of rider you are.
1) Smooth and/or low effort rider
2) You prefer to hang it out and ride hard

If you want to just feel relaxed and roll around the track with minimal effort and blip the throttle to get over any jump, pick the 450F.

If you want to feel like you are at 100% all the time, holding the throttle wide open and you have to rail that corner just perfect to have enough speed for the larger jumps, pick up a smaller lighter bike.

If you aren't racing, you don't need the 450F to get a good start, so I would choose a 250F or 350F, but I ride a smaller bike most of the time and actually have my 450F up for sale... So that's my biased opinion. If you can ride them both, do it. I have ridden and raced everything... I think the KTM 350SXF is the best bike on the planet for the weekend racer or 30+ crowd under 200 lbs. I just can't get my head around owning a KTM yet.


Kx125rider 3/15/2016 6:33pm
3/15/2016 6:33pm
Go get a 250 2 stroke and if you find it too violent throw a flywheel weight on it
Highsider
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Highsider 3/15/2016 7:30pm
3/15/2016 7:30pm
nascarnate326 wrote:
Any newer 250 would be plenty. I got a 450 and regret it. Mostly because it's way too fast and heavy. A 250 two stroke would...
Any newer 250 would be plenty. I got a 450 and regret it. Mostly because it's way too fast and heavy. A 250 two stroke would be about perfect but a 4 stroke lets you be lazy.
You ride Red Bud? That horsepower sucker needs a 450!

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