New old rider need some suggestions

newoldrider
Edited Date/Time 10/21/2017 8:32pm
Hi all,

Sorry in advance for my english.
I'm 35 y.o., and i didn't ride a dirt bike for almost 15 years. now, after a month i got stuck in my house because of an accident (with bike) i got the urge for a dirt bike again.
I have to say that the only dirt bike i owned was TS-X 50cc but i had the chance to ride some higher CC engines.
As for now, i thought to get 250cc 2 strokes to start with again since i love the feel of then 2 strokes better then the 4.
my questions for you guys is:

1. what do you think will be better to start with ? KTM 250EXC or Husqvarna TE250 ?
2. what do you think about getting back riding off-road with 250cc 2 strokes ?
3. Do you recommend a 2nd hand bike or new one ? - i thought to get a brand new because of the new oil pump in the KTM and the Huskvarna that makes life easier, other then this is a new bike.
4. do you have something else you can recommend me ?

Also it's important for me to get the bike with registration to go on the road so i'll be able to drive from my house to the off-road, this is why i thought about one of this two bikes.

on the far other hand, while i checked for prices, one of the retailers recommended me to get back off-road with the Yamaha WR250R, and the only reason i'm getting this up here is the temptation of the price (it's almost half price then the KTM or the Husky).

Any suggestions or comments will be appreciated !

Thanks in advance.
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newoldrider 10/18/2017 10:55pm
10/18/2017 10:55pm
smashingpumpkins167 wrote:
Ditch that 250. Sounds like you're ready for a cr500.
I'm affraid it will be too much for me to start with riding again.
i'm not looking for crazy jumps or racing. i believe most of my rides will be trails, hills (mountains), rivers and stuff like that, even though i know i will go crazy from time to time for sure. so i believe the 250cc will keep me kinda calm.
calcoast
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calcoast 10/18/2017 11:09pm
10/18/2017 11:09pm
I also say go with the WR250R. It comes street legal from the factory and is more than capable on the dirt.
Mr. Ted
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Mr. Ted 10/18/2017 11:14pm
10/18/2017 11:14pm
really not much difference between the KTM and Husky. If you can afford new, go that route as you never really know what you're going to get from a used bike. But if you can find a 1 year old bike substantially cheaper than I'd atbleast consider it. I would factor in maybe an extra $1K for suspension. It will be the best investment you can make. Enjoy and keep the rubber side down!

The Shop

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newoldrider 10/18/2017 11:15pm
10/18/2017 11:15pm
calcoast wrote:
I also say go with the WR250R. It comes street legal from the factory and is more than capable on the dirt.
you think this bike will be enjoyable for a 2 stroke lover ?
newoldrider 10/18/2017 11:20pm
10/18/2017 11:20pm
Mr. Ted wrote:
really not much difference between the KTM and Husky. If you can afford new, go that route as you never really know what you're going to...
really not much difference between the KTM and Husky. If you can afford new, go that route as you never really know what you're going to get from a used bike. But if you can find a 1 year old bike substantially cheaper than I'd atbleast consider it. I would factor in maybe an extra $1K for suspension. It will be the best investment you can make. Enjoy and keep the rubber side down!
the reason i prefer to pay the extra for a new bike instead of 1 year old bike is because of the new oil pump the KTM and the Husqvarna have.
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-MAVERICK- 10/19/2017 1:12am
10/19/2017 1:12am
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it was on a 50cc bike that you owned?

You might be better off with a bicycle and training wheels.

Much ty.

For the record here's the bike the OP is talking about.

newoldrider 10/19/2017 1:54am
10/19/2017 1:54am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it...
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it was on a 50cc bike that you owned?

You might be better off with a bicycle and training wheels.

Much ty.

For the record here's the bike the OP is talking about.

heh. i waited for this comment Smile

like i said, i rode higher cc engines like the KTM 450 2 strokes and some other KTM's, but i never owned one.
i know what i'm going into, and this is why i want to stay in the 250cc area.
I'm not looking to race in tracks or anything like this, but i do love the off-road, and i got plenty of area to ride in where i live (The red mountains - Eilat, Israel).

Harry Backmon 10/19/2017 2:22am
10/19/2017 2:22am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it...
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it was on a 50cc bike that you owned?

You might be better off with a bicycle and training wheels.

Much ty.

For the record here's the bike the OP is talking about.

Mav, you're thinking what I'm thinking.
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-MAVERICK- 10/19/2017 2:24am
10/19/2017 2:24am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it...
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it was on a 50cc bike that you owned?

You might be better off with a bicycle and training wheels.

Much ty.

For the record here's the bike the OP is talking about.

newoldrider wrote:
heh. i waited for this comment :) like i said, i rode higher cc engines like the KTM 450 2 strokes and some other KTM's, but...
heh. i waited for this comment Smile

like i said, i rode higher cc engines like the KTM 450 2 strokes and some other KTM's, but i never owned one.
i know what i'm going into, and this is why i want to stay in the 250cc area.
I'm not looking to race in tracks or anything like this, but i do love the off-road, and i got plenty of area to ride in where i live (The red mountains - Eilat, Israel).

For the type of riding you're looking at doing I'd look into the following bikes. They're both 250 2-strokes and have lights so they're street legal or can be made to be street legal fairly easily.

Husqvarna TE 250i
KTM 250 EXC TPI
-MAVERICK-
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-MAVERICK- 10/19/2017 2:26am
10/19/2017 2:26am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it...
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it was on a 50cc bike that you owned?

You might be better off with a bicycle and training wheels.

Much ty.

For the record here's the bike the OP is talking about.

Harry Backmon wrote:
Mav, you're thinking what I'm thinking.
Tamir is back lol.

How's the house build coming along? Started yet?
Harry Backmon 10/19/2017 2:32am
10/19/2017 2:32am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
Tamir is back lol.

How's the house build coming along? Started yet?
Foundation is almost done! I'm thinking we will be in come January.
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-MAVERICK- 10/19/2017 3:03am
10/19/2017 3:03am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
Tamir is back lol.

How's the house build coming along? Started yet?
Harry Backmon wrote:
Foundation is almost done! I'm thinking we will be in come January.
Really? That's really fast. That's just over 2 months away. Better keep an eye on things to make sure they don't cut corners. I don't think I've ever seen a house get built that fast except on that Extreme Home Makeover show.

Is it normal for houses to go up that quick where you're from? You'd never see that around here except maybe if it was a pre-fab home.
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TJMX947 10/19/2017 5:31am
10/19/2017 5:31am
I don't know how things are on the KTM/Huskies with the oil pump, I assume its high quality but you never know. I had a Suzuki LT80 when I was a kid and we ran the oil injector block off to avoid catastrophic failure. Mixing gas isn't the end of the world.
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Dtat720 10/19/2017 5:51am
10/19/2017 5:51am
Try and find a left over WR at a dealer. One close to me has a brand new 2013 WR250 on the floor still and its marked down to $3900.
newoldrider 10/19/2017 6:25am
10/19/2017 6:25am Edited Date/Time 10/19/2017 6:25am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it...
So let me get this right. The last time you rode a dirt bike was 15 years ago when you were 20 years old and it was on a 50cc bike that you owned?

You might be better off with a bicycle and training wheels.

Much ty.

For the record here's the bike the OP is talking about.

newoldrider wrote:
heh. i waited for this comment :) like i said, i rode higher cc engines like the KTM 450 2 strokes and some other KTM's, but...
heh. i waited for this comment Smile

like i said, i rode higher cc engines like the KTM 450 2 strokes and some other KTM's, but i never owned one.
i know what i'm going into, and this is why i want to stay in the 250cc area.
I'm not looking to race in tracks or anything like this, but i do love the off-road, and i got plenty of area to ride in where i live (The red mountains - Eilat, Israel).

-MAVERICK- wrote:
For the type of riding you're looking at doing I'd look into the following bikes. They're both 250 2-strokes and have lights so they're street legal...
For the type of riding you're looking at doing I'd look into the following bikes. They're both 250 2-strokes and have lights so they're street legal or can be made to be street legal fairly easily.

Husqvarna TE 250i
KTM 250 EXC TPI
This is exactly the 2 models i'm looking at!
i know the Husky come pretty much fully loaded and it's more like the 6 days version of the KTM in cheaper price, but if you had to choose between this two which one will you choose if both of them will stay with factory parts for the begging ? Husky TE 250i or KTM 250 EXC TPI ?

Thanks for your answers.
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-MAVERICK- 10/19/2017 7:12am
10/19/2017 7:12am
newoldrider wrote:
heh. i waited for this comment :) like i said, i rode higher cc engines like the KTM 450 2 strokes and some other KTM's, but...
heh. i waited for this comment Smile

like i said, i rode higher cc engines like the KTM 450 2 strokes and some other KTM's, but i never owned one.
i know what i'm going into, and this is why i want to stay in the 250cc area.
I'm not looking to race in tracks or anything like this, but i do love the off-road, and i got plenty of area to ride in where i live (The red mountains - Eilat, Israel).

-MAVERICK- wrote:
For the type of riding you're looking at doing I'd look into the following bikes. They're both 250 2-strokes and have lights so they're street legal...
For the type of riding you're looking at doing I'd look into the following bikes. They're both 250 2-strokes and have lights so they're street legal or can be made to be street legal fairly easily.

Husqvarna TE 250i
KTM 250 EXC TPI
newoldrider wrote:
This is exactly the 2 models i'm looking at! i know the Husky come pretty much fully loaded and it's more like the 6 days version...
This is exactly the 2 models i'm looking at!
i know the Husky come pretty much fully loaded and it's more like the 6 days version of the KTM in cheaper price, but if you had to choose between this two which one will you choose if both of them will stay with factory parts for the begging ? Husky TE 250i or KTM 250 EXC TPI ?

Thanks for your answers.
It makes no difference to me. Both are great bikes. I say pick the color you like best or flip a coin. Can't go wrong with either one of them.

Or simply get the one you can get the better deal on. Saving a bit of money is always good.

Pit Row

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newoldrider 10/19/2017 8:13am
10/19/2017 8:13am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
It makes no difference to me. Both are great bikes. I say pick the color you like best or flip a coin. Can't go wrong with...
It makes no difference to me. Both are great bikes. I say pick the color you like best or flip a coin. Can't go wrong with either one of them.

Or simply get the one you can get the better deal on. Saving a bit of money is always good.
i can get both the Husky TE 250i or the KTM 250 EXC TPI for the same price of 16,700$ in Israel (expensive i know) and the 250 EXC Six days for around 18,000$.
But i know the Husqvarna parts is a bit cheaper (around 30% less) then the KTM so the total maintenance cost should be less. - correct me if i'm wrong please.
and just to fix your ears, this prices is not including street licence costs and minimum of 1200$ for insurance Smile
It's pretty expensive in Israel and this is the only reason why the Yamaha WR250R got my attention, The WR250R price tag in Israel is around the 10,000$ that is almost half of the Husky or the KTM prices.
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-MAVERICK- 10/19/2017 8:26am
10/19/2017 8:26am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
It makes no difference to me. Both are great bikes. I say pick the color you like best or flip a coin. Can't go wrong with...
It makes no difference to me. Both are great bikes. I say pick the color you like best or flip a coin. Can't go wrong with either one of them.

Or simply get the one you can get the better deal on. Saving a bit of money is always good.
newoldrider wrote:
i can get both the Husky TE 250i or the KTM 250 EXC TPI for the same price of 16,700$ in Israel (expensive i know) and...
i can get both the Husky TE 250i or the KTM 250 EXC TPI for the same price of 16,700$ in Israel (expensive i know) and the 250 EXC Six days for around 18,000$.
But i know the Husqvarna parts is a bit cheaper (around 30% less) then the KTM so the total maintenance cost should be less. - correct me if i'm wrong please.
and just to fix your ears, this prices is not including street licence costs and minimum of 1200$ for insurance Smile
It's pretty expensive in Israel and this is the only reason why the Yamaha WR250R got my attention, The WR250R price tag in Israel is around the 10,000$ that is almost half of the Husky or the KTM prices.
Not sure how the price of parts for the Husqvarna can be 30% less than KTM parts when they're practically identical. If that's the case where you're from you're getting screwed big time so go with the Husqvarna.

If you want a 2 stroke go with the Husky TE 250i and if you want a 4 stroke go with the Yamaha WR 250R and save some money.

If all else fails including the bicycle with training wheels get yourself a nice pet rock.

Much ty.
newoldrider 10/19/2017 8:56am
10/19/2017 8:56am
-MAVERICK- wrote:
Not sure how the price of parts for the Husqvarna can be 30% less than KTM parts when they're practically identical. If that's the case where...
Not sure how the price of parts for the Husqvarna can be 30% less than KTM parts when they're practically identical. If that's the case where you're from you're getting screwed big time so go with the Husqvarna.

If you want a 2 stroke go with the Husky TE 250i and if you want a 4 stroke go with the Yamaha WR 250R and save some money.

If all else fails including the bicycle with training wheels get yourself a nice pet rock.

Much ty.
Thanks.
I'll update you i believe next month what i got at the end, and i got a feeling it will be the Husqvarna TE250i.
I need to be patience and wait for my leg to heal so i'll be able to drive to the north to test drive this tools.

Many thanks everybody for your help and suggestion. of course you can keep throwing your thought over here (i'll be more then glad to hear more opinions), but as for now i got the feeling that i'm on the right way with the KTM or Husky 250cc 2 stroke to start riding off road again.
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PFitzG38 10/20/2017 8:00am
10/20/2017 8:00am
Whatever you decide, it'll be the best decision you ever made. I took a 20 yr layoff due to injury and it was the biggest mistake of my life. Welcome back!
newoldrider 10/20/2017 4:03pm
10/20/2017 4:03pm
PFitzG38 wrote:
Whatever you decide, it'll be the best decision you ever made. I took a 20 yr layoff due to injury and it was the biggest mistake...
Whatever you decide, it'll be the best decision you ever made. I took a 20 yr layoff due to injury and it was the biggest mistake of my life. Welcome back!
I can't wait to heal from my injury and start back with the dirt riding. Thanks.
newoldrider 10/20/2017 8:55pm
10/20/2017 8:55pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Husqvarna TE 150
There is no new TE 150, only TE250i & TE300i.
Now they have the TX125, but it's different bike then the TE as i understand.
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TeamGreen 10/20/2017 9:13pm
10/20/2017 9:13pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Husqvarna TE 150
newoldrider wrote:
There is no new TE 150, only TE250i & TE300i.
Now they have the TX125, but it's different bike then the TE as i understand.
There is a new TE 150; but, I'm guessing it's not in your market? Check the Husqvarna site & see where you can get one. They're that good.
newoldrider 10/20/2017 9:40pm
10/20/2017 9:40pm Edited Date/Time 10/21/2017 3:10am
TeamGreen wrote:
Husqvarna TE 150
newoldrider wrote:
There is no new TE 150, only TE250i & TE300i.
Now they have the TX125, but it's different bike then the TE as i understand.
TeamGreen wrote:
There is a new TE 150; but, I'm guessing it's not in your market? Check the Husqvarna site & see where you can get one. They're...
There is a new TE 150; but, I'm guessing it's not in your market? Check the Husqvarna site & see where you can get one. They're that good.
As far as i can see (and only after you mentioned it) the TE 150 is only on the Australian and US version websites of Husqvarna.

It could be an option for sure only if it was available in Israel, but same as many other models this one is missing in Israel as well.
APLMAN99
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APLMAN99 10/21/2017 7:02am
10/21/2017 7:02am
Find an older and cheaper one of these to ride for a while before dropping some big coin on the latest and greatest. You'll find out how much you really want to ride again, and when you sell it for a new one you'll likely get most of your money back. Or save it to take friends out to introduce them to riding.



newoldrider 10/21/2017 4:16pm
10/21/2017 4:16pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
Find an older and cheaper one of these to ride for a while before dropping some big coin on the latest and greatest. You'll find out...
Find an older and cheaper one of these to ride for a while before dropping some big coin on the latest and greatest. You'll find out how much you really want to ride again, and when you sell it for a new one you'll likely get most of your money back. Or save it to take friends out to introduce them to riding.



This is what the logic says, but i'm afraid to buy a used one that most of the chances had or have some problems, and to spend most of my time fixing problems of the bike instead of spending my time off-road having fun.
I'm not a mechanic and it's hard to find someone who understand that can go with you to check every bike (specially for me living in the southernmost part of Israel and it take 3 hours drive to the nearest city). also, because i live far from any place it's hard for me to trust mechanics that i don't know in different city.
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APLMAN99 10/21/2017 5:41pm
10/21/2017 5:41pm
newoldrider wrote:
This is what the logic says, but i'm afraid to buy a used one that most of the chances had or have some problems, and to...
This is what the logic says, but i'm afraid to buy a used one that most of the chances had or have some problems, and to spend most of my time fixing problems of the bike instead of spending my time off-road having fun.
I'm not a mechanic and it's hard to find someone who understand that can go with you to check every bike (specially for me living in the southernmost part of Israel and it take 3 hours drive to the nearest city). also, because i live far from any place it's hard for me to trust mechanics that i don't know in different city.
Those old XR engines are probably the most bullet proof, maintenance free engines of all time. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one that isn't rattling and looks even moderately maintained.

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