I am 15 years old and I am looking for a bigger bike. I can’t decide between a KX250F and a YZ250F, but the deciding factor is reliability. I was just wondering which one you guys think would be more reliable and not break down as much.
In this day and age, Michael, bikes don’t exactly “break down” all that much so long as you take proper care of them, and the differences in reliability are inconsequential if the maintenance scheduled is kept up. We’ve seen modern four-strokes grenade before they’re even a year old, and it’s always the result of someone not checking the valves, not changing the oil or not doing things correctly. Riding it on the rev-limiter really amplifies this! On the flip side, we’ve torn down our Long Haul bikes after 200-plus hours only to find barely worn engine components and transmissions that look brand-new. But to answer your question directly, I will say this: We ran a 2009 KX250F through the Long Haul wringer last year, and the bike came through pretty well other than a battered transmission, which Kawasaki has apparently fixed for 2010. Similarly, our 2009 YZ250F was ridden consistently all year, and the thing still railed when we returned it to Yamaha. Some brands have better reliability records than others, and our experience has shown Hondas, Yamahas and KTMs to be at the top. However, if you stay on top of the maintenance and don’t hammer the bike too hard, you shouldn’t have any problems no matter what color you pick. —Chris Denison