advice for a newbie off roader???

[RedSoul]

Things like the wr250f are great off-road bikes if you have a trailer and are confident doing your own servicing.

If you are green laning,dont have a trailer or a van i would personally go for a DRZ 400e or similar.

[Davey]

might want to check out the www.ktmforum.co.uk as often have bikes on there for sale and plenty of decent advice. There is wizard on there who sells kit cheap all the time

I've been wizzing about on a KTM 200 and 250 2 stroke - both awesome bikes - my 525 is too much off road for my skills but great up the hills when you can open it up 8-)

[470four]

Get a four-stroke of you can - less costs on oil, easier to ride & less problems with noise (still noisy - but less scowls than a YIIiiIIiIIIing ying two stroke )

Take somebody with you that know what they are looking at - they tend to spend most of their life covered in mud & sh!te so excessive early wear is not unknown?

Main problem being somewhere to ride & getting it there & back?

[Scotty]

Stinkwheels (2-strokes) are light and manageable, and the more modern ones have a decent spread of power, not all top-endy like the days of old. The drawbacks are that they HAVE to run on good expensive 2 stroke oil, the consequences of skimping on that far outweigh the costs of the oil, and being a stroker they need rebuilding more often than a 4 stroke might.
The drawbacks can be a ferocious power to weight ratio - ask Basil what his Honda was like the first time he rode it!

A 4 stroke will be a bit heavier, but have a more docile power delivery, probably easier for a novice to manage. I have a WR250F which is great, but being a pukka Enduro bike (and waaaay better than I am) it requires very frequent oil changes. The WR250R model that Ade had (still has? I don't know) is less extreme and probably a better bet for a beginner, and has more normal service intervals too. I'd advise against getting anything bigger than a 250, they're more than enough for a newbie. A good all-rounder is the Honda XR250 - dead easy to ride, totally manageable, pretty reliable too. It all depends on how much you have to spend...

[Squashed_Fly]

Any bike with Basil on has a high power to weight ratio! ;D

[Ryan]

Get a 4stroke for your first bike i'd say

[Fletch]

seems 4 stroke 250 is the way forward then.
budget isnt really a problem but as im starting out and i suspect i will end up completely wrecking the first bike i dont really want to spend more than around £1500 for the bike itself. i think trawling ebay and the recommended sites people have suggested will be a good start to get me the essentials and if i end up getting really into it then i can always upgrade the bike and gear in due course afterwards.

cheers for the advice guys!

[jonnydangerous]

youll be ok on a good bike, id suggest spending about £2500 on a low mileage well looked after WR250f.
it wont need an engine rebuild (all performance 250's are will require a crank and a piston/barrel replate sooner or later).
dont buy an ex race bike.
go for one thats had some fat old bloke green laning on it, it wont be thrashed.
if theyre treated right they can last a long time (oil and filter change every 600 miles), mines now got about 8000 miles on it and is just coming up to the point where il strip the motor and freshen it up a bit.

dont spend £300 on a helmet, it will get trashed....

best advice above all else.....
stay legal (tax and ticket, insurance and mot) and smile and have fun :-)