Thanks for the vid. I have not rode in years . I just got a 77 xr75- for my kids and now I'm hooked again and looking for my next project. Love the hat
Great video... as someone that also has a wide range of bikes its nice to see someone have good reason for their picks as I do agree alot with this list. I also like the fact you know the differences between years especially since it seems that most folks selling their bike any seem to not know what exact year their bike is they are selling. I see alot around my area of folks trying to pass off like a 98 yz250 as 99+ not realizing the engine changes between those years or like an 03 kx250 and try to pass it off as a 04 or even more different an 05+... love the video and looking forward to more of them.
06-08 CRF450's are magical bikes. When I clicked this topic, I just knew my first pick would be on it and I was right. It wasn't until 2013 that I purchased a 2007 CRF450R. But I could tell it was freaking awesome so over the next several years I bought an 2006, 2008 and another 2007. Yep I had four of them at the same time, a time where I also had new KTM 4 strokes, and my lap times were no better than the Hondas. I still eventually sold three of those Hondas with lots of hours on them. I kept and still ride my 07 more than my 2017 KTM. I raced them in Hare Scrambles, rode lots of MX (don't race that anymore) and even took them to mountain vacation rides. I also did love my 2008 KTM 300 XCW for woods racing. So ya, I agree with a lot of this review. Cheers man!!!
2002 CR 250 was one of my first bikes I love it, I wish I never got rid of mine. I'm just getting back into two strokes they're the most fun to ride. Enjoy your CR ride safe cheers!
I got a 2001 Honda cr250 that I entered into broke 2 built! Right after shooting the after video, the top end blew and when I pulled the cylinder, it had a huge chunk missing out of the wall. It’s currently sitting at millennium technologies right now!
This was very informative... even for me. As someone who lives in an THE center of Tokyo, in an apartment, and can never restore a bike here, lots of great info for the peeps, and when/if I get the chance in Australia to get another bike. (I have my 450 in Australia, and love working on it/riding it the 2 months a year I am in Australia, but being in Tokyo sucks for a dirt bike rider!! haha) Especially the mention of available spare parts etc is very important for many, all over the world. I have long wanted a YZ 250 2-stroke as my second bike for this very reason. Add to that, a YZ with the "updated" plastic kits that keep coming out, you can always have it looking 'cool/modern' if you want. Gotta love the sound of 2 strokes! BRAAAAAP!
I loved my ‘03 CRF450r, had it a few seasons, did regular maintenance including valves and guides with piston changes, cheap insurance. I was also a Honda service tech/manager at the time, so parts were cost, I did the labor. It would have been worth paying for though. Sold it in 2010, and bought my ‘95 CR250r. I still have it, but also picked up a ‘19 CRF250r and couldn’t be happier. Best of both worlds. Now I have to finish my ‘84 CR250r
I’ve got a 1991 cr250 that has out lived a few bikes through the years with good service and quality parts you can get almost any vintage bike to live on forever
Awesome list. I’m currently riding a new Yamaha because I don’t currently have time to build a bike. I’ve owned the 07-08 CRF 450 and an 05 yz 250 and they are awesome bikes. Planning on picking up a 99-04 yz 250 and putting 08-09 yz450f suspension and swing arm on it and doing a full build. Currently work and the kids bikes are taking up all my time so I just need a bike that’s ready to go when I get time to ride.
95 yz250 here. Absolutely rages. Long rod. All the goodies. Faster than alot of modern bikes with ease...and that's not a guess, I've proven it in the woods and on the street lol. Fun bikes.
@@sevenmilewhite1407 i agree I have a built 07 yz250 with all the goodies and rekluse clutch alot comes down to rider and experience and im no pro but my built 250 smokes everything out the gate and on the top i smoked a 97 cr500 no problem I inow its 10 years newer but yz250 all the way i own 2, 86 yz250s,an 87 factory race yz250 the 07 250 and a minty 89 yz125 and a built 420cc banshee....love the tuningforks
Top 5? 84-Cr-500, 85-yz250, 89-kdx-200, 87 and 89 cr-250r, 85 xr 350. Some mo'? 88 rm-250, Last year Pe-175, IT-175 the one with the disc break. Ke-175, fun bike. New bikes are nice and expensive, if you find one of these have fun with it..
Good stuff. I had an 05 Crf450, didn't know about the valve issue but mine always ran great. I bought the bike in 2010 for $2500 and sold it in 2017 for $2200.
150 'race' hours on a top end is HUGE !! wow thats a solid unit right there !! love my ktm 300/380 2stroked woods bikes , so if your OCD on maintenance as i am your likely good or at least far better off no matter what model huh ? great content just come across your channel this is only the 3rd vid ive watched , wont be tha last
My two best deals were an 03 YZ250 FOR $300 It was complete with title and a few aftermarket parts just needed a pieton. Second deal was a 99 CR250 with title tons of gear and tons of brand new aftermarket parts but needed a top and bottom end. I regret selling both but i loved building more than riding.
Talking about parts, had to rebuild my 06 rm250 1 year ago. I've definitely noticed a reduction in availability and 3rd party parts. Not general availability due to COVID but discontinued stuff.
I’ve got an ‘07 RM250. I have found the parts I need since ‘08, but it’s been such a good bike, the only things I’ve HAD to repair, besides top end, are things I’ve wanted to change. Love the way that bike turns. Very confidence inspiring.
The Ti 5 valve yamahas worked very well. Only time failures happened was due to lack of maintenence. My 05 YFZ has the same head as the YZF and WR with the same valves. I do oil every 10 hours and clean my air filter every other ride (i actually have 2 i swap out). I bought it with 30 hours so its about due for a valve adjustment after only putting about 12 hours on it racing this year but she runs like new. Proper maintenence and tuning and theyll run forever
Just a recommendation from me. depending on your budget. If your going 4stroke go for a 2010 or newer yz450. This was my first bike and its been such a stud. I bought it 6 months ago for 2800 bucks. Havent seen any for less than 4k so maybe I just really got lucky!
@@tpghl5225 I currently have one and I love it, I'm currently in the process of converting it into a woods bike. I recently raced a harescramble and loved it, but the bike wasn't set up perfectly for it.
I was so stoked on ur first bike. Thats my bike. 06 honda crf450r. Ive owned it since 08 brand new first owner. Bought it for 3995 off showroom floor. Ive rebuilt top end and valves once. Starts first kick, still runs tits. Great reliable bike!
Hey my friend! I've been a subscriber for a bit, you've really inspired me into rebuilding bikes. I just recently rebuilt a 1998 CR125R as well as a 1999 YZ250 that I just competed in a desert race with! (VCGP). I am more curious about this broke to built competition?
I've got a 97 rm 125 that runs like a champ, got lucky it's been well taken care of, but yeah parts can be hard to come by though since Suzuki stopped making the 2 strokes
@@gqmonster976 i have a 1995 Yamaha RT 100 that I am rebuilding and let me tell ya, it was a pain to find the parts for it. Thankfully I managed to find everything I need. Also probably didn’t help that I am a newbie to this but decided to tear it all the way down to the frame lol.
You are spot on about the 07 CRF450R. But as for the CR250. I think the 1993-1996 as a better bike. The 1997-1999 where good also if you didn't mind the rough ride!
I have a 2005 CRF450 and yes the intake valves did not last BUT I read an article and was told to replace them with the TRX steel valves --also white brothers had some replacement valves way to expensive. I went with the TRX valves and have not had any problem.
I had a 2000 cr250 had to replace the cylinder so I put the 2001 jug on it and it was fantastic with the pwk carb. 01 they went to a mikuni it wasn’t as good but the porting on the 01 jug was better
I got a used set of 00/01 CR250 forks for my 93 CR250R (which was in fact McGrath's favorite CR) I have been looking for a suspension shop to rebuild and revalve it for me and anodize the tubes and sell me a new billet triple clamp to make the combination work. I will give YHM a call. Never heard of them. I have always been. George Quay guy but I am old school guess lol.
I had a very nice original condition 89 suzuki rmx250 and looked for 5 years for a clutch basket and never found one so I sold the bike a few months ago and bought a 97 kawasaki kdx220 because I can buy parts for it,I will not own a 4 smoker dirtbike
I have a 81 YZ 465 I bought off of a family member a while back as a loooooooooong-term project and all of the covid bs is making it even longer term as any money I save for parts gets used on more important things. Like alternate transportation for getting to work or just going for a joy ride so I'm not using my truck all the time. But my bike is in the category of having some things that are easy to find and others HAVE to be gotten from ebay because there is just no new parts. Of course it doesn't help it being a 41 year old dirt bike either. :)
@@sevenmilewhite1407 Oh she'll be worked on alright because I want it drivable at some point. I've priced out a lot of the major stuff I need for it. Funny thing is, if you can't find it under YZ 465 go look under YZ 490. Since the 465 was only made for two years you can't find everything needed. But if you look under YZ 490 you'll find a lot more of what you need since it was made longer. Aside from bore and port timing the 465 and 490 used the same engine. :)
ive taken apart hondas from the early 80s with all stock parts only to replace rings. i dont see how honda could mess up their valves unless they are cutting corners.
If you are just play riding the XR200 and CRF230 are great bikes. They run forever with minimal maintenance and can be modded easy. But everyone wants $2-3k for them and that's almost what they cost new 20 years ago. If you can find one cheap they are great, but at $3k just spend the extra 2k and get a new crf250f.
I have an 09 KTM 250 XCW, I picked it up for $2700 and I absolutely love it. I do wish I got the 300 with electric start head light and tail light though
Have an 01 kx250 with maybe 5 rides on it,has been sitting idle since Nov 2001 for no particular reason, just always had 3 or 4 others to ride and this one was brand new at the time so i let it sit off to the side. Fair to say it is still pretty minty minus a couple of dings not even worth mentioning, and it's dusty lol😂 Got it from a good friend that bought it new behind his wife's (at the time) back and she caught a bill in the mailbox from Kawasaki and he was busted cold. Paid him half of what he paid for it,he divorced her a year later and went nuts at a ktm dealership and bought a 525exc,a 450 and a 250 2 stroke all in the same day lol!!😂 Well that's my story🤷♂️ I appreciate the channel👍
I have a 96 CR250 that I need to find a great restoration company to get it right. I got too many other things to do to work on it. Had one back in the day and picked up one that’s beat up recently. Best bike I’ve ever ridden when it’s dialed. Let me know if you have any suggestions!
What are your thoughts on the 2002 YZ250F? Got one in a trade deal. What parts should I change out and expect to go out on me? Looking to do some trail riding with it.
So glad you mentioned the YZ250. I have a 2018 and it’s arguably the best bike I’ve ever had. It’s reliable, easy to work on, and I’m not sure what Yamaha did with their YPVS powervalve, but these two strokes have come a long way with having more bottom end power. I can also attest to the fact that the 06-08 CRF450Rs were unbelievable bikes, great content 👍🏼
This made me feel good! You listed all 4 of my bikes. Now here’s another thing going on and pisses me off. I spoke to people who deal with metal and metal after 2018 is just garbage. It’s recycled and missed with other metals and has a high failure rate and not just in dirt bikes but in every thing from auto to oil field equipment. It’s a quality control issue and it needs to change and quick. Hate to say it but dirt bikes is not high on the list of priority metals
Would you say that the 07 CRF 250R is a good buy for 1500 in todays market? The one I am looking at the guy said it has compression just hard to kick. What are your thoughts? P.s Love the channel.
Pushing 80 years old. Been riding dirt bikes for 60+ years. Have owned everything from a Triumph club to a KX 500. Currently have a 01 Yamaha YZ 250 F and a 81 Yamaha XT 500. Both are like new and run great. My KX 450 made me mad when it broke my neck, So I sold it.🤣
For the CR250 they were 97-9) which was first of the aluminum ftame but goody geometry and ugly back number olates. 00-02 they charged the frame. 03-07 are the best and most desirable
08-10 brother. 04-07 is the old style They are going anywhere from 3500-4500 here in NC. Also those were the first years for e start if they worked right. My 08 is great
I literally LOL whenever I see someone trying to sell an older DRZ400SM for $7,000+ on Craigslist Um, your "3 x 3 mod, aftermark exhaust and tail tidy" ain't worth that.
Found a CR250 near me for sale but scared of parts availability after trying to find parts in the US for my Husaberg 350 and learning support is not there for old bikes unless you do it yourself.
So I am coming from 15 years of street bikes, and I want to get into dirt bikes both trail and track riding, but mainly trail probably. Any recommendations for someone like me? 5'8 154 lbs if that matters. Thanks for any input.
What do you think of the 2000 KTM 300 EXC and the 2006 KDX 200 bikes? It's December 2023 and I paid $1000 for the KTM that Needs a motor rebuild and tires sprockets and chain.$1800 for the KDX needs tires chain sprockets.
I had a 2000 cr250 I had for about 4 years I just recently sold it. It was a Total money pit lmao and was such a turd. But to be fair ever since I bought it. It had a hole in the case and was told it’s basically impossible to fix. Ended up selling it for $2k and parts where kind of hard to find
Great information and thank you for this I have 07 crf 450 R raced two season never had to adjust the valves still runs Awesome, in fact if I am going to race moto.... I will still race that bike. I have a 2002 YZ250 chromoly frame needs rebuild, I have 00 and 01 cr250 r need restoration on 01 the 00 get ridden but not hard still on original top end. We take of our bikes. Can you recommend anyone for restorations on my three two strokes? Thank you. From Oklahoma....don't mind shipping them.... I am vet rider....
Well it sounds good to say everyone is asking me questions and you are overwhelmed it's always funny to me that most likely you just want to talk about it . Might as well just say u want to talk about it because it helps your channel and comments that get written on your page.
