Cost of riding question

Cheapest way to ride would be a rmz250 or 450 since they sell them the cheapest, generally can pick one up with 3-5 rides on them for about half of what retail is or less with some looking.

from there they are very reliable, don’t make them live on the rev limiter, keep the air filter clean, change the oil every 5-10 hours, and you won’t spend hardly anything to keep them running

in the us the pricing would work out like this

Find one with 5 rides on it for 4500 - ride it for 1-2 seasons, do exactly the basic maintenance, oil filters, tires, brake pads when needed, chain etc, but nothing like engine work, maybe fork seals and fork oil at the most. After 1-2 seasons sell it for 35-3900 ish.  Then repeat find another very clean low hours.

when you’re on a budget it’s most important to take your time looking for a low hour clean example and waiting for a good deal, that way you minimize your loss when you sell, and by making sure it’s clean low hours you minimize your chance for it being problematic and costing 100-1000s just to get going. Can’t stress that step enough.

i wouldn’t get a 125 unless your under 190 lbs. 

dunno about Europe but some tracks in the U.S have got up to $40 USD for entry fee 

A modern two stroke or low hour rmz can be had for a reasonable cost these days, and last a long time. YZ133 pretty much nailed it with related cost (at least as they are here in the US). My problem related to the cost of riding isn’t with the bikes themselves though… it’s my lack of self control when it comes to buying gear. “Damn that Moto-10 looks sweet, damn those new Tech-10s are nice, damn that new line of Alpinestars gear looks awesome, etc.” Then I try to justify it to myself by saying that I need to protect my head, ankles, etc or stay cool in the summer. It’s my toxic trait that I have learned to accept lol. If you can stay disciplined, you should get by fine on your proposed budget. 

You won’t need to do anything to the four stroke if you do it as I say on the time table laid out.

you’ll sell it before it needs anything past oil changes.

I spend under $400 per month and that's with a small monthly payment on a modern 250f. 

I think a big factor would be how much you pay to ride. Most open practice days around me are $50. If you do that 6 times a month it can really add up. 

We are lucky enough to have access to some really good woods tracks and I also belong to a private motocross track facility that cost me only $375 per year. 

A 2 stroke for sure will save you money.  Keep it stock, stay away from aftermarket products.  For sure you can have some great fun for very little money.  I will go 100 days of riding on a rear chain, 25-30 days on a rear tire, yes it is pretty worn by then, but I am just riding for fun, so who cares.  50 hours on an oem piston.  You can do the whole piston/top end for about $100 on the Honda.  Honda parts seem to be the least expensive.  KTM has the most expensive parts.  Race gas is certainly not needed, pump gas works great.  Have fun!

I would stay away from used 4 strokes unless you are very confident of it’s history, as one major issue will put you out of riding.

I would look for a low use Austrian carb 250 2 stroke, 2017 - 2022. Wind the power valve spring in a few turns & use the low end power to your advantage riding a gear high where possible. If it’s still too much still the green power valve spring in & it will be tame enough.

it’s hard to justify the risk of a modern 4 stroke imo. Sure it can be done but I’d you can’t afford to rebuild it is it worth the risk. 

Get a 04 cr125 they handle Great , suspension is great & plush, shift on the mid or rev it out.  A couple bolt ons & the bike improves. Stock pipe with a shorty. 1 of the only bikes that you can log countless hrs on & it still feels like new. I didn’t ride for 12+ yrs , bikes were stolen. 1st lap I jumped everything without walking the track. They jump perfectly on their own.  And cheap to buy . Still in the port town of Charleston Sc. Waiting to ld steel coils . Practice bike with probably 900 hrs maybe . I usually run the stock pipe. Pic with the Fmf is for the intimidation factor. Lol

I'm a big advocate for the old 125 if you aren't too heavy and you're relatively fit.
The 125 is harder to go fast on and you'll be forced to use technique.
If you go with a brand new 125, the Yamaha is the easiest to ride and OE parts are cheaper than the Austrian brands.


If you just want to be able to sit down and ride around with lower effort and risk, an inexpensive 250F is a great choice.
If you're buying new, you'd be savvy to consider the suggestions for the RMZ250.

There's not really a huge maintenance cost savings in riding a 125 after the initial purchase (unless you are paying a shop to do the labor).
If you go with a new bike, the 250F will last you at least a year or two with just basic oil changes, filters, air filters.
If you do the 125, you'll have to do a few top ends in that time.

Buy close out gear don't be concerned with the latest styles. You will save a lot of money this way. 

I'd go with a used 125 over a used 250f 

assuming you are looking at a used late model bike, good condition, expect to pay about $4K give or take.

cost per track ride:  will probably average out to around $100, including track fees, gas, replacement parts, and what ever you spend getting to and from the track.

When I was a broke highschooler/college student and racing my budget was pretty similar to that. I was bumming rides to the track, bumming used tires off friends that were still usable, and literally learned how to service/rebuild every component on my bike myself. It was tough to do and super frustrating at times, but even just a few years later I’m glad I did it. Kinda burned me out on “racing” for now, but I love a good day of riding or a productive Sunday in the garage more than anything now. 
 

Find yourself the newest/cleanest YZ125 you can afford and get after it. 

Agree you can never go wrong with a YZ 125.

As far as the cost of riding moto, it's the cheapest motorsport by an insane margin, so you can't really knock it.

You can't go wrong with a 250F or a 125 if it's in good mechanical condition.

I'm 165lbs, age 43 and while I have other bikes I still ride and race my 2011 YZ125 often.
 

A 125 will have plenty of pep for you at that weight. I’d steer clear of any four strokes on your budget, if shit were to hit the fan on one you’d be out of riding for a while. A two stroke 125 will be much easier and simple for you to work on and maintain, they’re a great leap into learning the mechanics of an engine. 

All the stay away from 4 strokes and get a 2 stroke stuff just doesn’t make sense.

yes stay clear of a 40+ hour used 250f from a Loretta’s racer kid.

but a low hour like new still with the original grips, tires, no strip worn onto the rim like 5-10hr bike is what I’m suggesting and was very specific to suggest an rmz as they are rock solid.
 

a 125 in my experience is a good option but a clean like new rmz is an absolute safe route.

Everyone gave good advice above. My advice is to not buy a cheap bike that is/turns into a project bike. I'm 46 and about to get back into riding. I bought a project bike and ended up dumping more into building it than a brand new bike would cost. But, it has kept me busy and was fun to do.

Get a yz125 there’s a lot of used ones. The older version 2019 I think is a good bike also. Better low to mid & cheaper because everyone wants the new version. 144 lbs you,ll fly on the 125. The 125 is touchy about wt. my regular wt was always 172 for 35 yrs. But I can b 168 pretty quick. I got down to 162 doing speed sit ups while doing 9 weeks of back, neck, etc injections. The lighter wt really makes a difference.  

Save up and pay cash. Should never have a payment. I was your age when someone shared Dave Ramsey with me and it changed my life. No more credit cards, car payments, debt of any kind. I watch the Ramsey show highlights every day on YouTube to keep me sharp. Not just Dave, but Ken Coleman, John Delaney, George kamel etc 

That upside down half waffle gets me every time. 

The left grip ? That’s from my 1st ride last yr . I was ripping a left up hill sweeper & went to cut in on the edge. It was deep powder the frontend spun down the hill thd rear end up the hill. I pulled my groin bad remember the black & blue pic ?  I was waiting for injections , I thought I,m all mangled , 2 fractions in my wrist too. Why not , i  ride. There 04 cr grips real sticky . I need that my elbow nerve  surgery killed my pinky and next finger all numb & threw my hand into wrist. Budd adjustable clutch with a Honda ez pull lever 

Haha, isn’t that the way it goes 😎

The problem with Honda 2-strokes is you're going to be looking at 20 year-old bikes that Honda no longer makes parts for. While they're great bikes (got an '03 250 and '06 125) they probably aren't practical if it's going to be your only bike and you plan to use it all the time.

The YZs make more sense because of the parts availability, not to mention their overall performance. Plus, that KYB suspension doesn't exactly suck. You can get either of them in the X model if you're favoring off-road and save the cost of reworking the suspension, etc.

Good luck.