Are Huskys any good? I have a feeling that is it stupid to ask seeing as it is a Euro bike and 95% of people prefer them to Jap. There is a 2004 Husky WR250 looks stock, very good shape, doesn't say anything about the engine though. Not much to the post except some pictures, a number to call, and a few things he put on. Tires, and "extras". He is asking 1950. Not sure if that's a good place to start haggling...I also found a WR360 and the guy wants 1150 for it. Must be some kid though because it was his first bike and claims it's a little too much...wonder why? The price is also OBO so I could probably get for under a grand. Don't know if the 360 would be overkill. Those two and about one more are the only Huskys in my general area. I'm going to keep looking for either a MX bike that fits the bill or if a trail 2 stroke pops up I might jump on it. There is plenty of KTMs around which people seem to like alot on here. I just have no experience on or around them . Almost everyone I know has one of the core 4. Keep the opinions coming. It's helping out a lot.Thanks everyone.

Husky is pretty decent, but I would still rate GasGas and KTM above them. Husky has'nt updated their 2 strokes as much as other manufactures but since your looking at older ones anyways it wouldnt matter much. Id go for the 250 over a 360(not sure what year that would even be) and who knows how hard it is to get parts for.

CDBiker220, on 30 March 2012 - 11:09 AM, said:

The 360 is a 1999. I would like a bike either 2000 or newer. I didn't think about parts, but I know KTM and the core 4 are easy to get. It was a thought. There is a 2001 KTM MXC250 for $1600. He has no picture though, which I hate when people put an ad up and don't include a picture. Makes it seem un-legit.

DMC707, on 30 March 2012 - 09:51 AM, said:

On wide open trails you don't need al that, but on tehnical stuff it helps a lot.
With a juice clutch you have a better fine feel and control + no arm pump.
On roots and rocks a MX tire slips like crazy, a soft enduro tire has grip - you can get such a tire only on a 18"
WR tranny ??? - best mod for a YZ: great torque in the 1-3 and great speed in 4-5.

KTM has stock this goodies.

dmikel, on 30 March 2012 - 11:32 AM, said:

So your pushing me towards a KTM also? I would take one anyday..for the right price. Just gotta keep looking and waiting.

screnshaw400, on 29 March 2012 - 05:35 PM, said:

I share your pain and loss in the wallet .... recently found a used 2012 ktm 250 xc that was race ready and couldn't be happier ....coming off a yz 250 that I thought was great  (it is pretty damned good and has been bulletproof)  until I started riding some friends ktm's that were designed for the offroad.

thankfully my brain has blocked out my ability to remember  how much time /money spend on yz mods ....it's like how my mind has totally blocked out all memories of all the diapers I changed over the years with 4 kids

You changed DIAPERS??  Thats what SHE is supposed to do while YOU are riding.

motoxvet, on 30 March 2012 - 03:25 PM, said:

That's how I thought it was supposed to go.

d_mac, on 31 March 2012 - 07:13 AM, said:

I have actually seen many of these videos. I saw this one with the KTM puking everywhere. I am thinking about a RM250 right now I'll get back on here and update.

dmikel, on 30 March 2012 - 09:04 AM, said:

Why would you port a Japanese MX bike for woods? Just use less throttle. If anything, you'll need to port the anemic KTM to respond to rapid throttle oscillations. Stock tuning on the XC-W is slow compared to MX bike.

Edited by shrubitup, 01 April 2012 - 09:31 PM.

Porting a mx bike for wider smoother powerband and more low to mid-range like the KTM has, not for more power.

Ok I tried to post another topic in the "what bike should I buy", but after 75 views nobody seems to know. I am looking at a 1997 RM250 this weekend. The bikes background is this. The previous owner blew it up in the fall of 2011. The current owner bought it off of him and completely rebuilt the whole engine. Bearings, cylinder, piston, outside plastics, EVERYTHING. Some might say not to believe him on this, but he actually has a full forum under Suzuki 2 Stroke showing the whole rebuild, so I believe him. I also found another bike yesterday. I found a 1999 CR250 around my area also. This bike looks to be raced, but is in MINT condition. The guy did the whole "top end" rebuild. It's very nice and shines like crazy. Now I love the look of USD forks which the CR has, but the RM looks like it does, but they are the normal. I can't remember the mm I think 46 or something close to that. I don't know about any other work done on it because I contacted the owner with no success. I have spoken to the RM owner and made plans for the weekend. Should I take a look at the RM and wait for the owner of the CR? Or take the RM this weekend if it looks to be a good one? As I may have said I have no experience on a 2 stroke and have no clue which brand is better for each year. I know Hondas are the "most reliable" some say. I just like the look of this Suzuki more. I have rampaged through the CR forums and only came across a few things for that year. I then looked on this "Georgia Offroad" site I found on Google. People leave their opinions and feedback on certain year bikes. Almost everything between the bikes is the same. I know the suspension for the RM was one of the best they made around that time. Some were saying the CR wasn't great in the handling department, but the RM was. Then the brakes went to the CR and the RMs were close behind. I'm stuck. I am not stuck on a brand at all. Both bikes would cost me the same so there isn't a money problem.

Those early generation cr250 frames sucked, too rigid, no flex, will beat the hell out of you in the woods. The RM will handle much better and the conventional forks it comes with are considered some of the best for off road. Many claim the 98 RM conventional forks as the greatest offroad forks of all time.

I had an RM125 in 96 and 97 -- the conventional forks were the best part of the whole bike !  --- (and the rest of the bike was pretty darn good too) ---  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but i think the Suzooks still look nice even today and not overly dated  -----

I love the way the Suzuki's handle . The price would have to be right to consider a 97 model,  but if it is -- go with your heart i guess.    There were a few years after that in the early 2000's  where Suzuki performance almost re-gressed and thats when i went blue -- but that generation Suzuki was a nice motorcycle for its time if you valued good handling and a midrange motor

If a post doesn't use paragraphs I won't read it. Selfish that way.

shrubitup, on 02 April 2012 - 12:04 PM, said:

Ok that's cool bro. Not hurting over here.

tribalbc, on 02 April 2012 - 11:41 AM, said:

These are all things I have heard. I am really pushing towards the RM.

DMC707, on 02 April 2012 - 11:49 AM, said:

I really want something that handles good for the trails because I ride everything from sand/mud/hills/open areas/hard packed I need something that can hold up to those. The price is just over or under $1000.

dmikel, on 30 March 2012 - 09:04 AM, said:

You dont NEED most of that stuff.  I've trail ridden stock 250 2 stroke mx bikes since I was tall enough to ride one with just a skid plate & a 3 gallon tank.

The best thing you can do is ride your friends bikes to see what you like or don't like & go from there. If you're lacking in dirtbike buddies, start hanging out at your local hare scramble events & shake some hands. You'll have all the test rides you want if your people are anything like the racers in VA.
I like the KTM's better than a modded mx'er due to smoother power delivery. Then again, I like my KDX better than the KTM's.... but that's just me. I have a lot of mods & money into it (for a kdx) and (so far) I don't race. Even with my mods I still haven't spent as much as I would have on a nice used KTM. $1450 for the bike with lot's of upgrades already on it such as IMS tank, FMF pipe, FMF muffler, bark busters, fresh Wiseco top end, etc. Autoclutch, engine mods and KX front end added by me for about 7 bills. All of my friends say they wouldn't hesitate to race it, even if they are biased towards orange. Best part of it for me is the low maintenance & high reliability that a KDX motor delivers in spades.
Whatever you decide to do, don't jump on the first thing that comes along just because that tax refund is burning a hole in your pocket. Patience yields rewards if you watch craigslist long enough. A clean, low mileage stocker is less valuable to me than a modded bike that's obviously been ridden but well taken care of. Just my 2 cents.