Yeah it is hard to compare the 250R to much. Although I am considering a YFZ450. I am think about going back to 4 stroke. I have ridden both the 450R and the YFZ and prefer the YFZ which is hard to believe since I have been a loyal Honda rider. So I will soon have a very nice 250R for sale soon. Anyone interested can PM me.

 

Probably what a used banshee goes for... The zuki 250R was only made 2 years or so more than the honda, yet prices for the honda are typically higher for bikes in similar shape.

 

250R's always go for more than QuadRacers because of perceived quality. It's not a supply and demand issue as I have read that there were 4x as many 250R's sold between the years of 86-89 as QuadRacer 250's sold from 85-92. That's 4 years to 8. Remeber Honda was still selling everybody's favorite 3 wheeler, the ATC250R in 86 so the TRX250R was loosing sales to it's own sibling. Of course there were 3x as many Honda dealers also, many of them solo points. Suzuki is usually paired with other brands; Kawasaki, Yamaha or both.

Also, you can buy 96% of a 250R in the aftermarket and Honda still makes most parts for it as they make money on the parts. I am not sure if Suzuki still makes every part for all the QuadRacers [it was updated numerous times in it's product cycle] but just the fact that I don't know makes the 250R more valuable and the QuadRacer worth less. That is simple economics. Confidence in purchase drives up value.
I used to like Tecate4's but wouldn't buy one now unless it was a restoration project for a collection.
We as a buying group have become spoiled with ATV's that start EVERY time. I used to have a lot of downtime with my 2 strokes [250R, QuadRacer and Tecate4, they all let me down on numerous occasions] When riding is your hobby that you get to do for 6-8 hours a couple of times a month, dependability and durability mean alot. Remeber, these are 15-20 year old machines that were purchased to abuse. Things wear out and most people do not keep up with maintenence & replacement.

I have only owned a couple of 2 strokes since the fall of 98 when I bought a 400ex. They were both ATC250R's for the dunes. I had to spend more money than I paid to make them dependable enough to risk going out in the middle of the dunes. One of the trikes, an 84 250R is very hard to find parts for as it is the last year for the air coolers.

This also goes true for dirtbikes. Compare 125 or 250 MX bikes, year for year, and the Hondas are more expensive 90% of the time. If I was looking to spend $1200 - $1500 for a used 250, I would not hesitate to buy a never raced 96 CR250 [pre-alluminum frame] . I wouldn't spend over a thousand for any other brand.

I work for Trader Publishing so I have looked at every Cycle Trader west of the Rocky's for the last 5 years and every midwestern Cycle Trader for the 6 years prior to that. It's just what I have observed firsthand.