What helps you decide on a bike?

I choose a bike based on a dealer. Had a great dealer that was into moto and off road big time. Good bike prices and good prices on parts, usually 20%. It helped that they sold HUs/Kaw/Yam/Hon. Knowledgeable counter guys, dealer would lut on free ride days at Glen Helen. They went out of business when new owners felt the business model was unsustainable.
I have another pretty good dealer but they are basically a Yamaha only dealer.

That whole money thing

I mostly focus on whether it's a Yamaha or not

Shootout in MXA

I always choose the “Under Powered” 450 in the shootouts. I have still yet to find the under powered they all seem to talk about.

Really sucks you can't test ride bikes unless you have a buddy with one. My buds all ride 450's or 250 smokers, so I've always had to be the guinea pig with 250fs. I usually try to watch / read shoot outs, but even then they aren't always gonna be the best fit for each rider. When I got back from my deployment I bought a 19 YZ250F based on all the rave reviews and did not jive with that bike at all, same with my 16 150SX, took a bit of a loss selling them and moved back to my Honda. I rode YZ250Fs from 2012-2016 and just thought based on reliability and reviews that was the best choice, but after branching out to my CRF, I wish I had tried one sooner. Good luck man.

I will consider anything orange that’s built in Austria.

Same here, has worked for me since October 1996.

I usually go for whatever is consistently described as having the best turning chassis.

1. Dealer support (and knowledge), that is the most important thing for me.
2. Testing the potential bikes before purchase and making sure that i like the bike

I bleed green.... choice is always easy for me!

I use to be brand loyal. Those days are gone. I shop the sales. When i feel like i have found a good deal, i pull the trigger.

The number of strokes,I prefer 2

The TM 300 might just be my dream bike

My first bike was a 250F. I asked a bunch of guys that i know that ride what they suggested for me. They all said that a 4 stroke would be easier for a beginner due to the power delivery compared to a 2-stroke. Since i'm 6'3, 210 some suggested that i needed the power of a 450. I test rode a 350, and quickly realised that a 450 would be way to much to handle for a beginner. So i settled for a 250F.

I picked a KTM, with main reason being that i wanted to have a dealer nearby. I also wanted to buy used, since i didnt want to spend that much money on a new bike in a new 'hobby'.

3 years later i had my 2nd engine failure and decided not to do another costly engine repair but ditch it.
In the period in between i had bought a 2000 husky 125cc for $250 as a restoration project, which was completed (together with nephew, he would ride it). I had used it a few times and really liked the feeling of a light 125cc, so after the 250f failure i decided to buy a 125cc. Not really interested in a 250cc 2 stroke because of the number of entrys in 250cc 2 stroke races compared to the 125cc class over here.

This time decided to buy a new bike, a leftover 2018 husqvarna. Based on the magazine tests i was mainly interested in a KTM or husqvarna, but tm or yamaha was not out of the question. This time it was simply pricing that made me buy the husqvarna. Must say i love it.

I picked up a beta xtrainer in August.

Absolutely love it. Light and low end power for days.

I did delete the oi very quickly as I had a few issues and didn’t trust it.

Prior to this I always was on a Yamaha or Honda.

This is also my first two stroke which I had a ton of concerns about. Very happy with my decision overall.

This purchase was fairly spur of the moment. Found a great deal on a new one and reviews overall seemed great outside of suspension.

Suspension is actually the best I’ve had on any bike.

Instinct. Have ridden some of the mx articles bike shootouts top picks & don't always agree with them. Reliability & handling would also be at the top of my decisions picking bikes in the past.

I focus on what i have had a good experience with in the past, parts availability, and my knowledge of that particular bike. Things like my experience directly with the company at demo days or a dealership matter too. Having good programs for racing are also attractive and i feel good supporting that. Reliability also. To me if its not green i dont look at it unless theres something really special. Like a ktm superduke 1290r.

Dealer. It helps that I like the bikes he sells. But a small local shop where you're friends with everyone there makes for a great experience. No inept kids uncrating and putting together bikes. And it's nice to know the mechanic and to trust him to do a good job if he works on your bike. Also, the owner is a mechanic himself and has actually helped me out at the track with some small things on my bike. He's lent me a bike so I could go riding with my kid when parts were taking long for one of my bikes. Great people to deal with, so I have no reason to go anywhere else.

One thing that steered me away from the boutique brand was the lack of aftermarket. But, Betas are now getting popular enough that companies make things like skid plates, plastics, linkage guards, pipe guards, etc. I go on RMATV and the amount of parts available for my 300 XC can make your head spin. If you are getting a 300, make sure it has a counter balancer...they really are a game changer.

I look at the quality of the welds, the build. The machined parts. The ergonomics. How it feels to sit on....then weigh the cost and price.....

It's all about the feel. The feeling in your gut when you look at it, the feeling you get when sitting on it, and the feeling you get once you've found the right deal.

Lots of things but build quality and resale is important.

A quality dealer that is into moto and off-road.

I buy the bike that has the traits that I want in a bike..........I bought a KTM because it handled well..... had smooth power.... was lighter than the rest.....Liked past KTMs that I had......I feel they are built better....like the looks....and it seems that they are worth more used........

I'am not losing or winning any races because I bought a KTM......... I bought it because I thought it was a great race bike and after lots of due diligence, I feel great about my purchase.....

Almost got a honda though.......KTM's lightness sold me.........

Im not fast enough to care about the motor. Suspension/handling is my #1 priority

Quality, reliability and spring forks

If I was Going to Buy a Brand New bike
I think i would Go with KTM or Husky because of weight,
But every time i sit on Brand new Bikes which i usually do every year Just checking out the New years offerings
And every Year for quite a few Years i Have felt the most comfortable ergonomically on The Kawasaki's
Everything just feels cozy and perfect to me on them
So it would be a 3 way battle for me.

It has to have oil mixed with the gas.