My wife currently rides my old 2003 WR250F bike with all the free mods. It has great power and suspension and has done us well, but my wife really does not like the weight or the height and thinks it's feels too big, Her first bike was a crf150, but she outgrew it within a year and I think a crf230 will also be too underpowered for her, espicially after riding the 250 for a few years; plus I'd like to get something with a headlight again so I can ride it at night since my bike does not have a light She has ridin a 230 and did like the height and weight, but also stated it felt underpowered.

I'm thinking of trying to trade or sell the wr250f for a crf250x, due to it being a "lighter feeling" bike, especially with the more narrow gas tank, I think it will be more comfortable for her and give her some confidence back (she tore her ACL on the WR and since has not ridin that much).

I think the main downside of the crf250f is that it may feel a bit tall her, although I don't know if it is really shorter or taller than the WR.

Do you all feel the crf250x will feel like a smaller, lighter bike due to its alum frame, more narrow tank, etc?

What year would you recommend? I'm on a budget so it will have to be a used bike.

I'm familier with Hondas as I ride a CRF450 and plan on putting in SS valves, but would would be some good, lower cost mods to make this bike feel shorter, lighter, maybe add a few extra ponies?

I dont know if there is huge difference between the WR and the CRF. Both are excellent bikes. I dont know how much the WR weighs but the X is no light weight. I am not bashing the X in anyway. I love my CRF and it is a good bike for a female as well as a male. While riding the X you do not feel the weight.

As far as using the headlight to ride at night. It has been my experience that the light does not produce enough light to ride safely at night.

You could lower the seat height and put a lowering link on either of the bikes. If lighter is what you really need you could go with a CRF250R or YZ250F. You would lose the electric start though and you still would have to lower it. KTM makes an electric start 250 motocross bike. You could look into that. I would probably keep the WR and lower it and maybe cut the seat to make it more comfortable.

My girlfrriend started on a used CRF230F. It was a great, inexpensive starter bike with a low seat height that got her comfortable riding in difficult terrain because she could get her feet down and it was a difficult motor to stall and it has e-start.

After a year, she started riding my steel frame WR250F and she won't go back to the 230F because the suspension and handling of the 230F is so inferior to a modern 250F.

She's ridden a steel frame 2006 WR250F, an alum frame 2007 WR250F, and a 2005 CRF250X. She prefers the CRF250X. Even though there is little or no difference in weight, the X feels lighter and turns quicker when she was riding them. We're now actively looking for a used one for her.

The seat heights are tall on all 250Fs. It's not a good starter bike because most women will have difficulty getting their feet down and feel unstable with it. But it makes a great second bike for a women when her skills exceed the capabilities of the "starter" class of bikes. Also, the e-start is far more important to make the ride enjoyable for her than losing a few lbs and having to kick start a 250F. For her to be able to just hit the button after falling and flooding the bike is golden.

Owned them both. 250X for sure feels thinner, lighter, and more nimble.

What about a CRF150RB, great power and suspension with a low seat height. You do lose the electric start though! As for lighting, Trailtech makes some nice kits! A Rekluse can do wonders for stalling issues as well as when she tips over!

Diamond DG, on 03 February 2012 - 09:15 PM, said:

100% agree. In addition, is where the bike carries its weight. The CRF is extremely well balanced and carries its weight substantially lower than the WR (especially the older ones). My last woods bike was a KTM 200 and I really do not feel that the 250X feels noticeably wider or heavier.