Factors to consider:

-Off the showroom floor, the 450 4 strokes are faster than the 250 2 strokes. That changes with pipes, jetting and reeds..
-Maintenance time is similar
-4 strokes cost more new because they are hip
-Weight is very close now

Personally, I think the best bike to get IF you are just learning is the CRF450. The reason I say that is because the power curve is very linear - no powerband hit - it's like a light switch, on or off. The YZF has a definite hit and so do the 250s.

Another factor is where are you going to ride? MX exclusively? The new 250 4 strokes are excellent track bikes as they are more tossable and have plenty of power to keep an agressive rider competitive. Now if you are planning to take it to the dunes...stick with the big bores. BTW a dirt bike at the dunes is a totally different experience. It requires you to go faster or you wash out but, it is sooo much smoother. All of those whooped out trials? Smooth as budder [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I love both the quads and the bikes. They both have thier strengths and weaknesses.

MX

 

Hey, all I can say is if you haven't ridden a bike in a while, be careful. LIke someone above said, maybe a more linear powerband would be good starting off. I rode a RM250 that was bored out with a pipe. I was putting along part throttle and I was like ok this is cool I guess. I gave it more gas and the damn thing stood straight up in the air 90degrees. I almost crapped in my pants. I Had no clue the powerband felt like that. Anyway, that was my experience. Fun but crazy. Just be careful.

 

I just bought my first dirt bike (KLX-300 Great beginner trail bike ) a couple months ago - been a quad rider for 15 years and never learned how to ride a two-wheeler off road so I figured it was time.....never figured I'd own a Kaw either but that's another story....

IT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. It takes an entire different skill set to ride a bike. It's trivial for a bike guy to go to a quad but it's tough for a quad guy to go to bikes. I've logged about 120 miles so far, dropped it a bunch of times, but it's a lot of fun learning. My overall impression is that you can have much more finesse with a bike and it's is MUCH nicer in the whoops and rough stuff but, It's simply odd in the sand compared to a quad. I'm getting used to that. My biggest bad habit is trying to "steer" the bike instead of leaning and "grooving" into the turns. And, oh yeah, dont grab a handful of front brake.

All my riding buddies ride bikes (and they are quite good) so I'm getting good advise. Tip of the day - weight the outside peg in the turns - it really helps........

 

The only exception I'll take is with the first. My piped CRF450R takes worked 250s all the time. The 4-strokes are the holeshot kings.


But let there be no mistaking the power of the CRF450R. This bike WILL/CAN toss you. It is just like a light switch - turn it on and it's on. PLEASE don't get into the whole "is the YZ450F faster than the CRF450R" thing. It's useless to compare these machines in terms of bottom end. I do like the al frame on the CRF. You can even turn it into a fuel or coolant resi. The CRF450R is a very easy bike to figure out. I won't touch any other bike just cause I'm so in tune with mine, I don't need to "feel" any other.


Without question. And prepare to rule. Slap a pipe on and prepare to be "king of the piped only machines". The only stock machines faster are the 500cc bikes.


Perfect summary.

Anyway HiFlyinRaptorRyder, dirtbikes are fun and one hell of a good workout on the track. I'll tell you this though, if you're gonna ride tracks, prepare for injury. You may not break bones, but you will get jacked up. It's part of the game and hurts. Quads have kept me much closer to the earth. Personally, I'd rather ride quads in the sand and trails and the bike on tracks.

Personally, I'd stick with 4-strokes. They sound "strange" at first but you get used to it - especially with a Thunder Alley pipe. My CRF450R with the TA silencer is the loudest/sweetest "modern" bike I've heard. That may be an issue in CA, but not Utah.

I could go on and on...

selector

 

I'll have no problem with the power, the main reason I want a dirtbike is because I'm getting bored with riding quads, its just way to easy, I want something faster and harder to ride. I just cant see myself buying a dirtbike just to hate it and then have to sell it and make even more money to get a yfz, especially when i wont get any real seat time without buying one.

I will be riding mostly track, few trails.

 

hey FISHER1648....another tip for u....ride with ur knee's not ur hands....
basically. use ur legs to keep u on the bike. ur arms wont get tired nearly as fast, plus it feels more comfertable....and sometimes when i ride sand. i just keep giving it throttle...keeping the front end light...and never slam the front brake in the sand....

 

This post is interesting to me. I'm just the opposite. I want to trade my bike for a quad because it's easier to ride. The only reason I want to keep my bike around for is to beat up on loud mouth (100 mph claimed) quad guys. I'm getting into trail riding and want a quad. Thats all.

 

i must be getting old [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
i sold my 2000 cr 250r because it was to scarry fast. i was in third gear and it came up on a wheelie and i started sliping off twisting the twist throttle to warp speed. manage to stay in control somehow haha.
but the YZ is a faster bike

 

Yup thats what happened to me also i started out with dirtbikes (01 yz 125 ) and the second i got on a quad. DDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD lol it just seemed so much funner to me and then my friends switeched and its history now. lol [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

my bro has a yz250f and that thing is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo god damn loud for a stock pipe........i kept asking him if he took the baffel out...kept saying no, id personally trade my raptor for a yz450f any day........those bikes are just insane in speed and acceleration, but im not sure how they compare to the cr450s....