CRF125F for my 14 yr old grand son

[offroadfx4_imp]

Has anyone seen any deals on one of these? With in a 200-300 mi radius of Indiana.

They evidently made two models, this one has the big front wheel.

Dealers seem to want $3200-$3400.

Hard to trust buying a used one of these, no history, no warranty, etc, but would consider it.

[Banned_imp]

Have you considered the CRF150R?

I realize it's a step up in price and performance but around here that is what most people are buying. The main reason is the inverted forks, teenage boys tend to push their bikes pretty hard and guys were finding the normal forks were collapsing. One guy's son is on his third set.

Anyway, just food for thought.

[Roper_imp]

I think you'll be okay buying a used bike. Those motors are pretty indestructible, unless you run them out of oil. Plus, the 150 is a pretty safe bet, because most youth riders who grew up riding smaller bikes move to a bigger motor along with full size wheels, and to the "R" series for competitive riding.

How tall is your grandson and what are his riding aspirations? If he's into racing, then I'd recommend the "R" series if sticking with Honda. If mostly exploring and trail riding, then the "F" series is perfect.

I have a 14-year-old son. We ride dirt bikes together. He has no interest in racing. It's mostly general riding and trails for us. The CRF230F works brilliantly for that. Good tractable power. Manageable seat height. The air cooled motor is bullet proof. Learning to adjust the carb for riding at different altitudes has surprisingly turned into a bonding activity for us. We bought one new and one used. After the first year, you can't really tell the difference. I wish we would have bought both used and saved money on depreciation, dealer fees, etc.

If you're serious about the 125F, look at the 230F. Close to the same size, and he won't outgrow the power as he becomes more competent/confident with a full sized dirt bike.

[glenncal1_imp]

Offr- you can google to Honda dealers around and look and see if they are having any deals, I think it is probably to early in the summer to get much of a deal on a dirtbike unless you can get previous year left over. I would also check out craigslist and look for a recent vintage bike the hasn't been used much. Good luck with your search

[Roper_imp]

+1 for craigslist. Another good time to buy is October / November. Dealers are starting to run Christmas specials and clearing out old stock for new models. It's the end of the riding season (at least for most), and that dirt bike which was so fun during the summer is now just taking up room in the garage. Way more supply than demand.

May / June is a tough time to get a deal on a dirt bike, because all the kids are out of school and want to ride during the summer.

[Stichill_imp]

My son started around age 9 or 10 on a used 2004 TTR90E (it was very beat-on when we got it), then moved to a clean used 2007 CRF80F, then a clean used 2008 CRF150F. He's big enough now (he's 21 & bigger than me) that he ought to ride my clean used 2009 CRF230F but he still likes the 150. I think the 150 is the perfect all-around trail bike...not too big or too small. We're not into motocross and jumping, just lots of riding on our property and one or two trail rides a year and the 150 has no problems. We like to buy used dirt bikes because one thing's for sure: they'll go sideways more than once and not infrequently.

I've only had two issues out of all of these bikes. The TTR90E needed a new fuel valve because the old one had a slow drip leak. The CRF80F had an unstable idle that I traced to the aftermarket air filter. Once I put in a stock filter, the idle became perfect.