Dirt Bike FAQ

It needs to go through a DMV inspection and the inspector will tell you what needs to be done, if anything, before it can be used on the roads It usually does not take that long.

Exhaust from the dirt bikes exits and the heavier partials, unburned oil partials, fall into the dirt. The rubber tires have a reaction with the oil making them slightly blue. So the answer is the oil in the dirt.

Usually, dirt bikes have fenders high above the tires, tires are knobby, most don't have lights.
Street bikes have fenders close to the tires, tires are smoother, and have headlight, taillight, turn signals, horn, and mirrors.

If your first qualification is used, that will depend on the bikes available for sale in your area. Couple of general points, though. At 5-11 you will need a bike with a full size frame. Tiny won't cut it, 125-250cc, but check it first, even at those displacements have seen 3/4 size frames .(kind for kids). Have you ever ridden before? If no, lightest bike you can find, you'll be picking it up a lot. Can't even tell you the number of times I've fallen! Check where you will be riding. Some sites have specific equipment rules. Don't spend everything you have, you will need some equipment. Minimum: Helmet, Gloves, Boots. Ever caught a lace in the foot peg in 5th gear so you could not shift? (not a lot of fun) Worry about weight, not displacement. You always have one piece of equipment that will keep you from getting in trouble by going too fast. (Hint, it's the place between your ears.) On Bike condition: does chain shift a lot side to side? Do tires show "age cracks"? Shake steering head, do top of forks rattle back and forth? On rear sprocket, are holes even or"dished" on side? All signs of wear, going to be medium to very expensive. If the bike won't start when you goto look at it, something is very(!) wrong. Get a mechanical friend to go with you to look at bikes to begin with. Ask what he is looking for, so you can do the same later. Best wishes, dirt down and sky up!

Lowsy dirt bike due to street legal tires. Lowsy street bike due to the dirt bike set up…other than that I don't know…I just heard that they are not real good for a dirt machine and not real good for a street machine either…

The first thing I'd try is to do a google search for the type of bike you're talking about. There's got to be someone out there that carries what you're looking for. If that doesn't help any then I'd agree with the suggestion of ebay.

www.dirtytires.com/forums

I love seeing some of the answers people come up with.
You did not say 250F so there are no valves to adjust, If you forgot to say F then there are valves that require adjusting, but since its a Yam it would have to have a tremendous amount of time on it to see valves out of adjustment.

Two strokes require top end replacement at regular time intervals, not 4 years unless you only ride it twice a year. If you do not ride it hard you should replace the top end as outlined in the manual, You can stretch it out a bit longer.

Lube and adjust the chain every ride it may not need the adjustment but it will need the lube, Clean the air filter after every ride, and use filter oil.

Since fork seals were mentioned 90% of the time a fork seal leaks it has a small piece of grit stuck in it .you can easily clean the seal by using a piece of film and sliding it up in to the seal, do not do this if its not leaking. Seal savers help if you fold them back and clean them out also. Always put your bike on a stand with the weight off the suspension, never leave it sinched down.

Check Tires, Loose bolts, depending on your ability clutches may at some point need replacing. Tires need changing, your terrain has a big part in that. Spark plug etc.
Good Luck hope this helped

Just keep it washed, look it over, and maintain it and it will last for a very long time.

First thing I'd do is a full cleaning, almost taking the bike apart. Its easier to work on something when it's clean. Buy a silencer plug (Pro Grip makes a good one) before washing, keeps water out of the silencer. Before you go out riding, Air pressure (14 lbs) in the tires is good and check the air filter if its dirty (if you see dirt… its dirty). Also Lube the chain w/ a chain lube, NOT WD40 (explanation later) After ride is more important. Clean it again, after washing bike spray the engine, pipe, radiators, plastic, under the fenders, wheels, linkage, swingarm and chain with WD40 (the WD stands for Water Dispersal) then towel off the plastic as best as you can letting the mechanicals dry. After everything is dry, lube the chain (links, not rollers) then spray the engine again w/ WD40 and the plastic and tires and wheels w/ Armorall then wipe it down (it not only makes it look good, but dirt, mud and water come off easier the next time you clean). There should be grease zerks on the KDX so you should probably grease them every other ride or right after you get back from a really muddy/watery ride to blow out any water. Clean air filter every 2 to 3 rides. I would go to your local Kawasaki shop and get a Clymer repair manual for your bike.

http://www.frpoffroad.com/ is probably the best site for KDX products, Jeff Fredette has be racing KDX's for 20+ yrs and should have the parts you would ever want for it.

PS: Never WD40 or Armorall the brakes or seat… you won't like the results

There are a variety of good options for you. I would recommend a 4-stroke for trail riding for the wide powerband, the low end torque allows them to just keep on chugging. Though there are some perfectly capable 2-strokes out there for trails.
For trail riding, I would recommend against a moto-x or "racing" style bike. The gears are too close and the lowest ones are often too high for real technical trail stuff.
Some of the ones I am familiar with (through ownership) are the
WR-250 and the XR-250.
I moved up to the XR-250 from an XR-200 and it is a WORLD of difference. It surprised me greatly, so make sure you start carefully moving up from an 80. The engine is vastly superior, and it can do 3rd gear wheelies without popping the clutch :P. It's among the best off road machines I've ever ridden, the powerband is perfect. It also has disk brakes on both tires (unlike the 200), which you definitely want.

The racing derived bikes, like the WR (based off the YZ), is basically a racing bike with different gearing and a few trail oriented changes. Usually they keep the same high-output high-compression racing motors, which can be finicky. Some of them even recommend a rebuild after every racing season (or more frequent!), though trail riding doesn't put as much strain on it. The XR has an air cooled engine, which I've noticed can get VERY HOT in the summer when your not able to move very fast for a while. The racing derived bikes tend to be liquid cooled, but are a tad more high-strung. I've had issues with both bikes with hot starting, especially after being dropped (the XR not as bad, but sometimes it can be stubborn). If you get a bike that uses a decompress to help start (WR does, XR has one but doesn't need it), it helps if you can get one with an auto-decompress exhaust cam (greatly eases starting), or electric start (though I personally won't ride a bike that ONLY has an electric start). The WR I believe has come with a decompress standard for quite some time now (and I think electric start now too), but I had to retrofit my older model with the cam. 2-strokes do tend to start easier, I will concede that to them ;).

Things you want in a trail bike:
tons of low-end torque
disc brakes, front and back
lower, wide ratio, trail gearing
comfortable (enough) seat
probably more I'm forgetting…

almost all bike manufacturer's make a good trail bike around that displacement class. Hit up the bike forums and reviews and see what people have to say about the bikes your looking at.

best of luck on your decision and have a blast!

edit: forgot to mention, if you like the Honda CRF250, check out the CRF250X model, it is the Honda equivalent to the WR, with the different gearing, etc. from the full out racing bike.

Headlight, turn signals, brake lights, horn, mirror.

If your vehicle isn't registered, then you need to register it with your DMV and put on the license plate, and pay registration fees every year.

Your off-road tires may or may not be legal. There's probably a "dual sport" tire in the right size that'd be better for street riding.