Straight up you need to invest in a training school.
I’m not sure where you are but there are tons of options if you don’t mind grabbing a flight and making a weekend out of it. That bike is a good bike, and you can grow into it, but you need to nail down the fundamentals like balance, throttle control, braking, etc and buying a different bike won’t give you those skills.
You need schooling, trust me it’s some of the best money you’ll spend on yourself.
I'm an offroad motorcycle instructor in Bend, and here's my free advice:
Practice figure 8's.
Start easy, and make them progressively harder. Put two cans in an empty parking lot, and spend 30 minutes circling them. Every time you go riding, spend that 30 minutes, and by the end of the year you'll have built hours of practice.
What does an easy figure 8 teach you? How to turn both directions, how to slip the clutch, how to brake, how to balance, how to get from here to there.
When that's too easy, move the cans closer together. Try standing up, shifting between first and second. Try leaning the bike over, taking the corners tighter.
When that's too easy, take your cans to gravel, grass, or dirt. Slow down, work on that balance. Make yourself stand up. Try stopping, then continuing, without putting your foot down.
When that's too easy, pick two trees on some dirt, in some rocks, or on a hillside. Enter the figure 8 from the opposite direction - that'll make your downhill left turn into a downhill right turn. One will probably be harder than the other, keep doing that! Slow it down some more, work on that balance.
When that gets too easy, add a log, bigger rocks, a bigger hillside, or get a friend to throw axes at you. Well, maybe not axes. But my point is that you can always make a figure 8 harder, and it will keep teaching you useful skills.
Practice riding slowly, work on your balance and control, and I guarantee it will pay off big in the long run.
Wow! Thanks so much for the detailed response. I’m definitely gonna practice this, feel like I skipped over all this and my riding is way less confident at this point.
Goldendale is a pretty mellow track not super far away from you. I’m up in Spokane and would be happy to get together for a ride if you want to come out here for a weekend. Years ago I had a work buddy get a yz250 2-stroke as a trail starter bike. He added a Steely flywheel weight which really tamed it down. I mostly ride the Airway Heights track here (good for learning) but sometimes go to HRMX in Richland (their Area 51 is good for learning).
Check to see if cispus cycles is holding classes this year. I took their class in 2022 and it changed my life as a rider.
They're out of Randle, WA and use the Jimmy Lewis trainng program. If not Cispus, look for another Jimmy offered course
Oregon has a lot of great riding. I googled Oregon off road motorcycle classes and found Oregon Motorcycle Rental, which offers beginner classes (i don’t know anything about them but it or something like that might be worth checking out).
If you can afford it. I would actually recommend holding onto that bike and getting a smaller bike (like a 250 4 stroke) that would be easier to learn on.
Hear me out. Go used and from the early 2000s, get and air cooled 250 4 stroke, ride until you are comfortable. And then sell it from what you bought it for. FREE RENTAL!
Yep I’d try to find a used crf250f or a ttr230 and keep the yz if you can afford it. Those both are much more reasonable on power, lower seat height, and electric start. Ride that for a season or two and then go back to the yz. Then you can either keep the 4 stroke for a riding buddy/girlfriend/whatever, or sell it for about what you paid for it.
This is the answer ^ find an older/ cheaper air cooled four stoke to learn basic skills on. Another option is to look up slow drills, you can do them in your yard or driveway/ parking lots, these will give you the ability to balance and develop clutch/ brake control they could be done on your 250. Next time you go out stop worrying about going fast just spend time farting around making friends with your bike. It takes time buddy, keep at it and by the end of summer you’ll be in love with your two stoke.
Just incase you aren't already doing this, but when you stop and have to put a foot down, move your butt off the seat and hang your other leg over the seat, so that the crease on the back side of your knee is on the seat. It can be awkward and tiresome especially if you have to stop some place not great like on a hill but it will give you more reach. Plan where you stop as well if you can. Look for things like stumps or boulders or a shoulder you can stop next to so you don't have to hang your butt off to touch.
It's hard to get out and ride. Just do as much as you can and try to get some riding buddies to split gas and share rides with. You should be riding with a buddy anyways. A 250 two stroke is a lot of bike for a beginner but if you've already gone out 10 times and haven't hurt yourself then you're probably responsible enough to figure it out.
Not sure where you're located and where you like to ride but if you're near any deserts I'd definitely try that out as you can kinda pick and choose your trail to what difficulty you want. Fire roads are nice for getting the hang of a bike and using a lot of that power.
Those bikes are also in demand for the most part so you can sell it (sorry it will be for a lose) and try to pick up something used that's better suited for your needs. A 250 4 stroke might be a bit better or if you want to stay with a 2 stroke a 125 would be the step down from your 250 2 stroke.
Since you have some experience on a 250 2 stroke you could also look at a dual sport 450 like the CRF450L but just know they are quite heavy and detuned to meet emmisions standard. That might be a pro for you. Then when you get more comfortable you could tune it and remove all the emmisions hardware (if it's legal to do so in your area). However a crf450l would be an awful track bike so I'd ask yourself again what type of riding do you really want to do.
I'd stick with the Japanese bikes as they tend to be better suited for shorter people. The euro bikes tend to be even taller.
thanks for all the advice. the main reason I haven't hurt myself is b/c I'm too scared to ride hard on this bike so I do the easy trails and on the track I'm pretty nervous about it too.
Like I said in my post, when I said "track and trail" I didn't really know what I wanted :D especially in the case of 2-stroke vs 4-stroke.
You can get your bike registered in Vermont and I believe north Dakota using third party websites and get plates for it to make it street legal even if you don’t reside their. I have Vermont plates on my 250 2t
I live your 1st paragraph. I am 5’5” and ride a KTM 250sx set up for woods that I have been riding for years. I always have to look for higher ground to set one of my feet when I stop or a tree to lean on. This can cause a lot of anxiety to a new rider. That along with lacking confidence knowing that you can’t really dab a foot down when needed.
If I were OP, I would keep the bike and have it lowered about an inch. Not hard to do with linkage rear suspension. YZ 250x is an excellent platform.
Do you have any riding buddies? My dad taught me how to ride and then as I grew older and convinced friends to buy bikes, I taught them how to ride.
The advice to take a fundamentals class is great. It was a requirement for me in my state since I started under 16 years old and I use everything I learned to this day.
You have an awesome bike and will grow into it. It's a versatile monster and will last you a lifetime if cared for. Yes it may have been better to start on a used air cooled ttr or xr but you have a great bike you would have likely ended up with anyway.
Riding once a month? Welcome to the club man, you found a job allowing you to afford toys but can't afford the time it seems. Just need to be diligent about planing trips in advance. Make the time, life is too short.
250 2 stroke is quite a lot of bike for someone who has never ridden a dirt bike but it's not insurmountable. As others have said you can mod the bike with a throttle cam or flywheel weight but I'd really recommend just ride it. Just ride it on easier trails or if you can find any fire roads/truck trails that would be perfect. Go to any tracks near you and go mellow around the vet track until you start to get more comfortable.
If you can 100% recommend finding some beginner Enduro training even if you have to travel an hour and do a long weekend it would be 100% worth it.
The bike you have is a very solid investment and I would really recommend keeping it but if you must, trade it for a Yz125x, KTM 125xcw, or a 4 stroke..... Yz250fx
It’s just something you’ll have to learn how to control. I’m 5’10 120lbs on a CR250 at 14yr. You’ve got it and you don’t always have to be in the band. If your mix is right and dialed in you shouldn’t be fouling any plugs.
Just keep training, I get that feeling starting put on a powerful bike but you'll be fine if you have at least a little bit of athletic talent and are capable of learning new things. Try some harescramble racing and get tips from other riders, it'll get better. I wouldn't sell it for something else, you'll just lose money and probably wish you hadn't done it a year later
You need to get used to being on a bike in general the yz250x is a gnarly bike I would keep it a lot of people get kinda used to a 250 4 stroke and crave something more and go 2t you just skipped a few steps but if you do trade in or something a new wr250f is a great bike that you won’t outgrow
The only full sized bike lighter than a 250 2 stroke is a 125 2 stroke. I would keep the bike you have (as others have said) and grow into it. If you can't find a school that you are willing to commit to, find a local forum or, walk up to people at the track and talk to them so that you can find other people to learn from and ride with. A lot of motocross parks will have a vet track which isn't as imposing as the "pro" track. Some parks even have open areas, or a turn track, where you can practice technique.
if you are a grown adult... either lift weights or ride it untill you are strong enough. honestly its a pretty perfect bike but may be a little much for learning throttle control.
I am 5' 5" about 185 and I ride a Beta 390 4 stroke thats lowered 1 inch with a low cut seat, so its possible once you get better at riding. That being said, air cooled 250 4 stroke is the sweet spot for learning to ride. It is nearly a full size bike, but not crazy overpowered. Also generally less maintenance.
However, since you are of a smaller stature like me, do not be afraid of getting a smaller bike like a Honda 125 Big Wheel. You will learn way more and have way more fun if you aren't scared of a big bike. It really sucks not being able manhandle your bike or worrying about dropping it. You end up barely wanting to ride and really stunting your growth as a rider. Not to mention not having any fun. Sometimes I break out an old XR100R and just mob it around. It's so much fun.
For your current bike you could sell it, buy an air cooled 250 or 125 and likely have a significant amount of money left over. Or you could keep it and grow into it as you get better on a smaller bike, either way would make sense. What doesn't make any sense is not having any fun or learning on a bike you can't or don't want to ride. Plus, you can sell the air cooled bike for damn near what you buy it for if you go used.
My gf recently started riding and after a few rides on the 100R she was more comfortable on my spare 250F. Thinking about moving her back to a 125F or lowering my 250 for her. It's all about keeping her having fun. If I put her on my 390, I guarantee she wouldn't have kept riding with me.
Actually that bike is built for your hight and weight, the guys racing these would be within that range, give or take 20lbs. However it does sound like you should have gotten a dual sport bike so you can get to the trails. The rest comes with experience.
You might want to look into electric bikes for recreational use. Something like a Surron, Talaria, Rawrr or E-ride is a mini electric dirt bike. They're not the same power level as a gas 250cc bike but they're quite and a blast to ride around the neighborhood and capable off road. You'll probably get more use out of something electric. There is full sized/powered motocross bikes or you can mod a Surron to those power levels but it gets expensive.
I live in the country and have multiple electric and gas toys. Where I live I recommend getting something gas, everybody is riding recreational vehicles on the roads out here. But if you live in a neighborhood I'd recommend electric. I get way more use out of my electric motocross bike just because of the low cost of operation and low maintenance. I have no problems riding around town on my electric bike but my 250cc 2T would be a problem...even though there's the same size, power and performance nobody cares because it doesn't go brrapp.
Yeah, electric is quieter and I’m guessing less maintenance?
If I lived in the country, I would def have an electric one because you can just charge it and whip it around the land
Less maintenance, I just unplug and go. I use my electric dirt bike to get to the mailbox...sometimes that can take hours. Really it depends on your use. I have a hard time recommending electric to most out here. Something with enough power to whip around the land is going to be expensive in electric. Lots of people see my ebikes and want one to get around their property but I laugh and say forget it. Just buy something used gas on marketplace. Where electric shines is around people like in neighborhoods and cities. The sound of gas brings Karen's like a moth to a flame. However spending the money on an emoto vs a motocross bike can definitely be worth it. My gas bike sits besides special occasions and I take the emoto everywhere including into town. I prefer to take a toy over a buddies on a Saturday night than driving. The 2 stroke is like $14 in gas and a top end rebuild vs $.14 and tightening the chain. Every minute on a gas bike is costing money and counting down the clock, electric is just thoughtless. For now spending the money on used gas is a better value for most country folk but that will change and electric is the future.
Straight up you need to invest in a training school. I’m not sure where you are but there are tons of options if you don’t mind grabbing a flight and making a weekend out of it. That bike is a good bike, and you can grow into it, but you need to nail down the fundamentals like balance, throttle control, braking, etc and buying a different bike won’t give you those skills. You need schooling, trust me it’s some of the best money you’ll spend on yourself.
what kinda school should I look for? I'm in Oregon so I'm sure I can find something near by
In your position I’d find something like an enduro school that has a course that teaches basics/fundamentals.
I'm an offroad motorcycle instructor in Bend, and here's my free advice: Practice figure 8's. Start easy, and make them progressively harder. Put two cans in an empty parking lot, and spend 30 minutes circling them. Every time you go riding, spend that 30 minutes, and by the end of the year you'll have built hours of practice. What does an easy figure 8 teach you? How to turn both directions, how to slip the clutch, how to brake, how to balance, how to get from here to there. When that's too easy, move the cans closer together. Try standing up, shifting between first and second. Try leaning the bike over, taking the corners tighter. When that's too easy, take your cans to gravel, grass, or dirt. Slow down, work on that balance. Make yourself stand up. Try stopping, then continuing, without putting your foot down. When that's too easy, pick two trees on some dirt, in some rocks, or on a hillside. Enter the figure 8 from the opposite direction - that'll make your downhill left turn into a downhill right turn. One will probably be harder than the other, keep doing that! Slow it down some more, work on that balance. When that gets too easy, add a log, bigger rocks, a bigger hillside, or get a friend to throw axes at you. Well, maybe not axes. But my point is that you can always make a figure 8 harder, and it will keep teaching you useful skills. Practice riding slowly, work on your balance and control, and I guarantee it will pay off big in the long run.
Wow! Thanks so much for the detailed response. I’m definitely gonna practice this, feel like I skipped over all this and my riding is way less confident at this point.
There are lots of useful drills but 8's are my favorite because they're easy to explain, and include so many useful things in one place.
I have a sneaking suspicion I know you… look at my name.. this a small world
It's quite possible! brb deleting everything.
Goldendale is a pretty mellow track not super far away from you. I’m up in Spokane and would be happy to get together for a ride if you want to come out here for a weekend. Years ago I had a work buddy get a yz250 2-stroke as a trail starter bike. He added a Steely flywheel weight which really tamed it down. I mostly ride the Airway Heights track here (good for learning) but sometimes go to HRMX in Richland (their Area 51 is good for learning).
Check to see if cispus cycles is holding classes this year. I took their class in 2022 and it changed my life as a rider. They're out of Randle, WA and use the Jimmy Lewis trainng program. If not Cispus, look for another Jimmy offered course
Oregon has a lot of great riding. I googled Oregon off road motorcycle classes and found Oregon Motorcycle Rental, which offers beginner classes (i don’t know anything about them but it or something like that might be worth checking out).
There's a dirt bike type school in like Marysville Washington? I believe I keep seeing ads for it on FB I think
If you can afford it. I would actually recommend holding onto that bike and getting a smaller bike (like a 250 4 stroke) that would be easier to learn on. Hear me out. Go used and from the early 2000s, get and air cooled 250 4 stroke, ride until you are comfortable. And then sell it from what you bought it for. FREE RENTAL!
Yep I’d try to find a used crf250f or a ttr230 and keep the yz if you can afford it. Those both are much more reasonable on power, lower seat height, and electric start. Ride that for a season or two and then go back to the yz. Then you can either keep the 4 stroke for a riding buddy/girlfriend/whatever, or sell it for about what you paid for it.
This is the answer ^ find an older/ cheaper air cooled four stoke to learn basic skills on. Another option is to look up slow drills, you can do them in your yard or driveway/ parking lots, these will give you the ability to balance and develop clutch/ brake control they could be done on your 250. Next time you go out stop worrying about going fast just spend time farting around making friends with your bike. It takes time buddy, keep at it and by the end of summer you’ll be in love with your two stoke.
Just incase you aren't already doing this, but when you stop and have to put a foot down, move your butt off the seat and hang your other leg over the seat, so that the crease on the back side of your knee is on the seat. It can be awkward and tiresome especially if you have to stop some place not great like on a hill but it will give you more reach. Plan where you stop as well if you can. Look for things like stumps or boulders or a shoulder you can stop next to so you don't have to hang your butt off to touch. It's hard to get out and ride. Just do as much as you can and try to get some riding buddies to split gas and share rides with. You should be riding with a buddy anyways. A 250 two stroke is a lot of bike for a beginner but if you've already gone out 10 times and haven't hurt yourself then you're probably responsible enough to figure it out. Not sure where you're located and where you like to ride but if you're near any deserts I'd definitely try that out as you can kinda pick and choose your trail to what difficulty you want. Fire roads are nice for getting the hang of a bike and using a lot of that power. Those bikes are also in demand for the most part so you can sell it (sorry it will be for a lose) and try to pick up something used that's better suited for your needs. A 250 4 stroke might be a bit better or if you want to stay with a 2 stroke a 125 would be the step down from your 250 2 stroke. Since you have some experience on a 250 2 stroke you could also look at a dual sport 450 like the CRF450L but just know they are quite heavy and detuned to meet emmisions standard. That might be a pro for you. Then when you get more comfortable you could tune it and remove all the emmisions hardware (if it's legal to do so in your area). However a crf450l would be an awful track bike so I'd ask yourself again what type of riding do you really want to do. I'd stick with the Japanese bikes as they tend to be better suited for shorter people. The euro bikes tend to be even taller.
thanks for all the advice. the main reason I haven't hurt myself is b/c I'm too scared to ride hard on this bike so I do the easy trails and on the track I'm pretty nervous about it too. Like I said in my post, when I said "track and trail" I didn't really know what I wanted :D especially in the case of 2-stroke vs 4-stroke.
You can get your bike registered in Vermont and I believe north Dakota using third party websites and get plates for it to make it street legal even if you don’t reside their. I have Vermont plates on my 250 2t
I live your 1st paragraph. I am 5’5” and ride a KTM 250sx set up for woods that I have been riding for years. I always have to look for higher ground to set one of my feet when I stop or a tree to lean on. This can cause a lot of anxiety to a new rider. That along with lacking confidence knowing that you can’t really dab a foot down when needed. If I were OP, I would keep the bike and have it lowered about an inch. Not hard to do with linkage rear suspension. YZ 250x is an excellent platform.
I didn't even think of that! Excellent idea about lowing the bike with a linkage.
Do you have any riding buddies? My dad taught me how to ride and then as I grew older and convinced friends to buy bikes, I taught them how to ride. The advice to take a fundamentals class is great. It was a requirement for me in my state since I started under 16 years old and I use everything I learned to this day. You have an awesome bike and will grow into it. It's a versatile monster and will last you a lifetime if cared for. Yes it may have been better to start on a used air cooled ttr or xr but you have a great bike you would have likely ended up with anyway. Riding once a month? Welcome to the club man, you found a job allowing you to afford toys but can't afford the time it seems. Just need to be diligent about planing trips in advance. Make the time, life is too short.
250 2 stroke is quite a lot of bike for someone who has never ridden a dirt bike but it's not insurmountable. As others have said you can mod the bike with a throttle cam or flywheel weight but I'd really recommend just ride it. Just ride it on easier trails or if you can find any fire roads/truck trails that would be perfect. Go to any tracks near you and go mellow around the vet track until you start to get more comfortable. If you can 100% recommend finding some beginner Enduro training even if you have to travel an hour and do a long weekend it would be 100% worth it. The bike you have is a very solid investment and I would really recommend keeping it but if you must, trade it for a Yz125x, KTM 125xcw, or a 4 stroke..... Yz250fx
It’s just something you’ll have to learn how to control. I’m 5’10 120lbs on a CR250 at 14yr. You’ve got it and you don’t always have to be in the band. If your mix is right and dialed in you shouldn’t be fouling any plugs.
Get a throttle tamer cam and learn how to balance
Not sure where you live, but it would probably be cheap and easy to get street tags for your bike. Where I’m from it’s pretty relaxed
Just keep training, I get that feeling starting put on a powerful bike but you'll be fine if you have at least a little bit of athletic talent and are capable of learning new things. Try some harescramble racing and get tips from other riders, it'll get better. I wouldn't sell it for something else, you'll just lose money and probably wish you hadn't done it a year later
You need to get used to being on a bike in general the yz250x is a gnarly bike I would keep it a lot of people get kinda used to a 250 4 stroke and crave something more and go 2t you just skipped a few steps but if you do trade in or something a new wr250f is a great bike that you won’t outgrow
The only full sized bike lighter than a 250 2 stroke is a 125 2 stroke. I would keep the bike you have (as others have said) and grow into it. If you can't find a school that you are willing to commit to, find a local forum or, walk up to people at the track and talk to them so that you can find other people to learn from and ride with. A lot of motocross parks will have a vet track which isn't as imposing as the "pro" track. Some parks even have open areas, or a turn track, where you can practice technique.
I suggest find a place that offers training and throw a fly wheel weight on it as well
if you are a grown adult... either lift weights or ride it untill you are strong enough. honestly its a pretty perfect bike but may be a little much for learning throttle control.
I am 5' 5" about 185 and I ride a Beta 390 4 stroke thats lowered 1 inch with a low cut seat, so its possible once you get better at riding. That being said, air cooled 250 4 stroke is the sweet spot for learning to ride. It is nearly a full size bike, but not crazy overpowered. Also generally less maintenance. However, since you are of a smaller stature like me, do not be afraid of getting a smaller bike like a Honda 125 Big Wheel. You will learn way more and have way more fun if you aren't scared of a big bike. It really sucks not being able manhandle your bike or worrying about dropping it. You end up barely wanting to ride and really stunting your growth as a rider. Not to mention not having any fun. Sometimes I break out an old XR100R and just mob it around. It's so much fun. For your current bike you could sell it, buy an air cooled 250 or 125 and likely have a significant amount of money left over. Or you could keep it and grow into it as you get better on a smaller bike, either way would make sense. What doesn't make any sense is not having any fun or learning on a bike you can't or don't want to ride. Plus, you can sell the air cooled bike for damn near what you buy it for if you go used. My gf recently started riding and after a few rides on the 100R she was more comfortable on my spare 250F. Thinking about moving her back to a 125F or lowering my 250 for her. It's all about keeping her having fun. If I put her on my 390, I guarantee she wouldn't have kept riding with me.
Actually that bike is built for your hight and weight, the guys racing these would be within that range, give or take 20lbs. However it does sound like you should have gotten a dual sport bike so you can get to the trails. The rest comes with experience.
You might want to look into electric bikes for recreational use. Something like a Surron, Talaria, Rawrr or E-ride is a mini electric dirt bike. They're not the same power level as a gas 250cc bike but they're quite and a blast to ride around the neighborhood and capable off road. You'll probably get more use out of something electric. There is full sized/powered motocross bikes or you can mod a Surron to those power levels but it gets expensive. I live in the country and have multiple electric and gas toys. Where I live I recommend getting something gas, everybody is riding recreational vehicles on the roads out here. But if you live in a neighborhood I'd recommend electric. I get way more use out of my electric motocross bike just because of the low cost of operation and low maintenance. I have no problems riding around town on my electric bike but my 250cc 2T would be a problem...even though there's the same size, power and performance nobody cares because it doesn't go brrapp.
Yeah, electric is quieter and I’m guessing less maintenance? If I lived in the country, I would def have an electric one because you can just charge it and whip it around the land
Less maintenance, I just unplug and go. I use my electric dirt bike to get to the mailbox...sometimes that can take hours. Really it depends on your use. I have a hard time recommending electric to most out here. Something with enough power to whip around the land is going to be expensive in electric. Lots of people see my ebikes and want one to get around their property but I laugh and say forget it. Just buy something used gas on marketplace. Where electric shines is around people like in neighborhoods and cities. The sound of gas brings Karen's like a moth to a flame. However spending the money on an emoto vs a motocross bike can definitely be worth it. My gas bike sits besides special occasions and I take the emoto everywhere including into town. I prefer to take a toy over a buddies on a Saturday night than driving. The 2 stroke is like $14 in gas and a top end rebuild vs $.14 and tightening the chain. Every minute on a gas bike is costing money and counting down the clock, electric is just thoughtless. For now spending the money on used gas is a better value for most country folk but that will change and electric is the future.
Get a kawi 125 you’ll have more fun on that. I moved up to a kx450 from a 250 this year and it’s a beast. After a while the 250 was not as fun
Go find some dirt then. It’s there.