2014 Kawasaki kx250f...?

[axial 4x4 crawler]

Hey guys,
Haven't been on here in a while but I need to talk about this bike. I am new to dirt bikes and have done some serious research on many models over the years (4 to be exact) and next month I am getting a brand new bike. I was wondering if this bike is good for me. I am 5'8 and weigh 140 lbs. I know there is the crf250x that's a great trail bike but I can't find one, nor the WR250f. I contacted my dealer and they are still looking around for a crf250x..last year of those were made is 2013. I will be doing trail riding and open field riding. Many say that this bike is to big but I can touch the ground and that was last year so I should be good to go. This bike is much lighter than a crf250x and has much more grunt.

What would you guys say???? I am really excited for this and I think I can handle this bike, I won't be driving it like a bat out of hell, even though it's a race bike. I already know about rebuilding and all of that, I am very mechanically inclined so rebuilding it should be somewhat easy. Please share your insight, I am a begginer and have been riding atvs for the last three years. So I think this bike is the one for me. (Please do NOT suggest KTM or suzuki..I refuse to buy those for reasons). Thanks in advance.

 

[b00st3d-vr6]

I have owned 3 wr250f a crf250x and now my current bike (which is for sale) a 2006 yz250f, i love my yz but i think my fav so far was my 06wr250 due to the weighted flywheel. only reason im selling my yz is to buy a 2014 yz 250.

 

[axial 4x4 crawler]

I have owned 3 wr250f a crf250x and now my current bike (which is for sale) a 2006 yz250f, i love my yz but i think my fav so far was my 06wr250 due to the weighted flywheel. only reason im selling my yz is to buy a 2014 yz 250.

I gotcha, that's cool man8) Yeah I thought about both the wr250f and the crf250x..both sounds great but I'm just getting the kx250f. I also thought about getting the yz250f.

Do you have a thing against kawasaki? Just curious

 

[2500hdon37s]

I say Honda or Yamaha, or if you've got the cash KTM(seriously, they're great bikes and much better engineered.)

If you want a reliable bike just to put around on and beat on every now and then you cant go wrong with a Honda, and it wont nickle and dime you for little stuff.

We've had nothing but terrible luck with anything Kawasucki.Had a mule, bayou 250, mower engine (JD mower). Every single one of them has multiple problems that I could write a book on about all problems. drive lines, switches go out, oil pumps, you name it they've done everything short of actually melting down. Not to mention my buddy's kx450 just lost all gears but 2nd yesterday. I rode a Honda shadow for two years almost everyday and it never left me on the side of the road in 19,000mi.

 

[b00st3d-vr6]

I don't personally have anything against kawasaki. I work as a service manager, previously a tech for many years at a Honda,yamaha,Polaris,victory,Suzuki dealer but have always been partial to yamaha and have never had any major breakage.


Sent from the drivers seat of scx10

 

[axial 4x4 crawler]

I say Honda or Yamaha, or if you've got the cash KTM(seriously, they're great bikes and much better engineered.)

If you want a reliable bike just to put around on and beat on every now and then you cant go wrong with a Honda, and it wont nickle and dime you for little stuff.

We've had nothing but terrible luck with anything Kawasucki.Had a mule, bayou 250, mower engine (JD mower). Every single one of them has multiple problems that I could write a book on about all problems. drive lines, switches go out, oil pumps, you name it they've done everything short of actually melting down. Not to mention my buddy's kx450 just lost all gears but 2nd yesterday. I rode a Honda shadow for two years almost everyday and it never left me on the side of the road in 19,000mi.

Well, yes the KTM's are great bikes but..the new 250sxf requires you to be on the throttle to be satisified. No other bike has low end power as the kawasaki and the Honda might but it is the weakest in it's class (magazine dyno tested) it only has 35 hp..sounds good but not nearly as much as a ktm or kawasaki. Now of course you could upgrade for more horsepower but why not get a bike that can lay the power out. Honestly, ktms have old school characteristics...only high rpm to be satisfied. Honda's love to eat valves for sure and many of them blow the bottom end before 50 hours. (From what I've read).

Then why is Kawasaki winning AMA awards for the past 4 some odd years? Personally, my neighbor has been riding kawasaki for a very long time and has never had a problem, I think it's just personal preference. The bikes I refuse to buy is:
- Suzuki
- KTM (expensive)

I may consider the yz250f but the kawasaki has many things that the yz doesn't, like the special thing at the bottom end which allows more oil to the bottom end, etc. Idk, I really think the kawasaki is better. Mostly everyone has a different opinion about bikes, but you were aying that you've had nothing but problems with kawasaki?? Well I'm sure there are many guys out there that have had nothing but problems with yamaha..it really depends on how you take care of it, etc. But thanks for your insight, I guess I haven't fully decided between the yz250f or the kx250f..both really great bikes though.

 

[b00st3d-vr6]

Then why is Kawasaki winning AMA awards for the past 4 some odd years? Personally, my neighbor has been riding kawasaki for a very long time and has never had a problem, I think it's just personal preference. The bikes I refuse to buy is:
- Suzuki
- KTM (expensive)

look at which bike took the ama motocross championship this year in the 250 class. also took 3rd i believe

 

[axial 4x4 crawler]

I don't personally have anything against kawasaki. I work as a service manager, previously a tech for many years at a Honda,yamaha,Polaris,victory,Suzuki dealer but have always been partial to yamaha and have never had any major breakage.


Sent from the drivers seat of scx10

Hmm, okay. You got me thinking now. Here's the main guestion for me..
should I buy the yz250f or the kx250f...?

My neighbor would say right off the bat, the kawasaki. But you know, I'd like to see what both bikes can do. I'll be doing only trails and maybe some tracks but nothing pro sized. Do you guys think the yamaha can handle trails?

I know that the kawasaki could,simply because it has low end power. The new yz250f is a nice bike and it has fuel injection. Btw, I've seen many hondas with motor issues (mainly the 250r's). Ahh...it's between yamaha and kawasaki now lol.

 

[b00st3d-vr6]

i use my yz250f as a strictly trail/harescramble/gncc bike. works great, i added a trailtech voyager gps for southern kentucky and tennesee mountain riding as well as an oversize tank and a steering stabilizer.

 

[b00st3d-vr6]

Sent from the drivers seat of scx10

 

[axial 4x4 crawler]

Thank you so much for the pictures, I will really think about this and after seeing what you said..I'll probably get the yz250f. So what year is your yz250f?

 

[axial 4x4 crawler]

BTW, are the clutch's good on the yamahas? I'll be upgrading to a FMF exhaust right away, I just like the sound they put out lol.

 

[b00st3d-vr6]

my current bike is an 06, just replaced the oem clutch last week, still had life but i upgraded to a hinson basket and pressure plate. not one time in my years of yamaha (since 1992) havi i had a clutch failure that wasnt due to age/hours on the bike and i ride my bikes fairly hard. i guess a test of yamaha clutches is i bought my 2005 r6 new in 05 and has been a stunt bike since day one, now has 23k stunt miles on it and still grabs like new with no chatter or slip.

 

[b00st3d-vr6]

if i recall reading somewhere correctly, the 2015 yz250f are now making more peak hp than the ~08 yz450f were.

 

[Pdog7]

Just to clarify..
2014 Yamaha 250 YZF MSRP= $7490
2104 KTM 250 XCF-W MSRP $8599

That's not much price difference when your considering the new YZF. I've been riding a YZF250 for 10 years and it's a really dependable and powerful bike. I had it all tricked out with Scotts stabilizer, FMF power bomb header and Q-pipe and a bunch more stuff I won't bore you with. I thought it was the shizz...until I rode a buddies KTM.

I now have the 14' 250 XCF-W and it is a woods weapon for sure. The geometry is optimized for woods riding whereas the YZ geometry is optimized for track riding. Much more flickable in the tight stuff and the power is much improved for 2014 since it has a new engine. I got the JD Tuner for the EFI and I can easily change the power delivery throughout the revs from mild to WOW! The hydraulic clutch sure is easy to pull which will save you from the dreaded "arm pump" when riding all day. I know you said you specifically didn't want the KTM, but wasn't sure you had priced them lately. The YZF sure has gotten pricer since I bought my last one. :shock: You can't go wrong with either bike. Have fun out there"thumbsup"

 

[b00st3d-vr6]

early spring trip to kentucky with some friends, one has a 2014 xcf-w and it was not happy with the cold weather at all, dont know if it had to do with viscosity of oil used by dealer when he had its first service done or what but in neutral, it acted like it was in gear (tire wouldn't roll even with the clutch pulled in) we ended up push starting it, in neutral, and after about 2 min idling around the trail head it finally let go and was fine for the rest of the trip. i did ride it for a bit and i don't have anything bad to say about it but i was glad to switch back to my yami (mostly because i have it setup the way i want it) i ride with plenty of ktm guys being in the offroad world and they all love them to death, most of them switched from hondas the past few years.

 

[axial 4x4 crawler]

So guys this is my main concern and question. I am a biginner to dirt bikes and have never riden one before. I went to my dealer today to just sit on the different bikes and man..my feet are barely touching the ground (now of course the rear shock can be adjusted). I also sat on a WR-250f..feels good but man are those heavy and big. I couldn't sit on the yz250f for the simple fact that they had a stupid manican zip-tied to it lmao. Do you guys think that a 250 mx is to much for me as a beginner?

I weigh 142 lbs and I am 5'8. (I have very good upper body stregnth and core stregth because I workout every single day). I am a bit worried that I'm to lite for the 250f. Would you guys suggest the WR250f over the yz250f for me? Remember that they stopped making the wr250f's in 2013 and I saw one at my dealer, probably the last I'll see if I don't make up my mind soon.

How long on average does a yz250f go before needing a rebuild? Top-end I'm assuming is about 50 hours and bottem end maybe 70 or so. I am just worried that the yz250f will scare the hell out of me, especially on trails. I won't get a 230, to heavy and underpowered. I also called a honda dealer and the could not get a 250x in..so all in all the trail bikes are starting to fade away. I saw many videos of the yz250f making it through trails and the only down fall is that it has a kick start vs a electric start..ugh, I'm not lazy but if I'm going up a hill and it stalls then I'm screwed with a kick start were as a electric start is just the button.

Do you guys personally think I can handle the yz250f for my first bike? If so then I'm getting it but please let me know, this is a serious thing so I don't hurt or kill myself.

 

[axial 4x4 crawler]

Just to clarify..
2014 Yamaha 250 YZF MSRP= $7490
2104 KTM 250 XCF-W MSRP $8599

That's not much price difference when your considering the new YZF. I've been riding a YZF250 for 10 years and it's a really dependable and powerful bike. I had it all tricked out with Scotts stabilizer, FMF power bomb header and Q-pipe and a bunch more stuff I won't bore you with. I thought it was the shizz...until I rode a buddies KTM.

I now have the 14' 250 XCF-W and it is a woods weapon for sure. The geometry is optimized for woods riding whereas the YZ geometry is optimized for track riding. Much more flickable in the tight stuff and the power is much improved for 2014 since it has a new engine. I got the JD Tuner for the EFI and I can easily change the power delivery throughout the revs from mild to WOW! The hydraulic clutch sure is easy to pull which will save you from the dreaded "arm pump" when riding all day. I know you said you specifically didn't want the KTM, but wasn't sure you had priced them lately. The YZF sure has gotten pricer since I bought my last one. :shock: You can't go wrong with either bike. Have fun out there"thumbsup"

The new KTM's is what I'm avoiding, they have great power and brakes..very good bikes but their only satisified at high rpm and constant throttle which I'm not that crazy to haveing it nearly pinned. I think the KTM is a bad beginner bike, it doesn't have much low end torque vs a yz250f or even a wr250f.

 

[1tonscout]

I've got a stock 08' KTM 300XCW two stroke with a rekluse clutch. It's by far the best bike I've ever ridden"thumbsup"

 

[lunatick]

Buy a 2nd hand 125 2 stroke for your 1st bike
And buy the best safety gear you can afford"thumbsup"