Im 16, and ive never ridden a 2 stroke in my life and im thinking of getting a yz/sx 125 for trail riding. ive never been able to afford a modern 4 stroke so ive been riding a crf230 and a 1980 tt500 yam. im woundering what are the maintenance issues on 2 smokers and would it cost too much more to maintain a simple sohc 4 stroke. i am on limited funds and dont want to buy a nice new bike and not be able to maintain it. thanks

I would suggest a 250 2-stroke or a 4-stroke. Lots of power, lots of pull and the motor would likely last you for years. I've raced both the 125 and the 250 2-stroke at the pro-am level (A-class) and the difference in engine life is tremendous. I would re-ring a 125 every week (running 26:1), while with a 250 I could go for 2-3 months or more without doing the top end while running 32:1.

A YZ 125 will definately be a bit of maintenance - primarily because it has a single ring and the ring doesn't last long. A pro or semi-pro racer would re-ring every race (when the 2-stroke was popular) - some races I would re-ring in between motos. I know you won't be racing, but I would still imagine you would want to freshen up the top end at least every other month at the most. Granted - you can re-ring a 125 in about 45 minutes for a cost of about $18 if you know how and it costs a LOT more for a 4-stroke and is more of a job.

Other than the ring, the rest of the maintenance will be about the same between a 2-stroke and a 4-stroke. You'll still have to do your air filter every ride and your engine oil (tranny oil in a 2-stroke) every other ride. Tires, spokes, sprockets, clutches, chains, brakes - all pretty equal maintenance between the two. Lots of variables, of course.

The difference will be keeping the motor fresh and for that, the 4-stroke will beat the 125 2-stroke. Not the 250 2-stroke, though - these motors last as long or longer than the 4-stroke and are a LOT cheaper to maintain/rebuild.

This is MY experience and my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Scott

2 strokes are great motors and cheap to maintain i have a ts 250 savage to replace the top end meaning rings piston delivered to my door for 100.00 and 1 hrs. and its up and running it costs twice as much for a 4 stroke

so all in all 2 strokes are cheaper to run and maintain

My yamaha pw 80 kickstart wont work