The first thing to ask yourself is whether you will be using your dirt bike for recreational use or racing.

Some manufacturers specialize in bikes for one purpose or the other. If your dirt bike riding is going to be strictly a recreational activity, you need to decide if you’ll be riding on tracks, trails, or both.

Some manufacturers offer a wide range of bikes for both trail riding and racing, so you’ll need to find out which manufacturers produce which kinds of bikes. If your interest is in racing, you can attend local races and ask the riders which bikes or manufacturers they prefer, and why.

Age, size, and experience level of the rider are also important factors in deciding which dirt bike to buy. Buying a bike beyond your skill level can be risky. Along with choosing the correct size of your bike, you’ll want to decide on the optimum power level. Rather than trying to look cool on a bike that is too big or powerful for you, it is much safer to be a good rider on a bike that is suited to your experience.

The next question to ask yourself is whether you want a new or a used bike. If you are a new dirt bike rider, and haven’t yet discovered if you really enjoy it or not, buying a used bike will save you a significant amount of money over a new one. The resale value of any new dirt bike plummets as soon as it leaves the store. And if you decide that dirt bike riding is not your thing, you’re not likely to get a good return on your investment if you try to sell it.

On the other hand, if you end up not enjoying it after buying and riding a used bike a few times, you should be able to get pretty much what you paid for it when you decide to sell it right away. You should also keep in mind, though, that used dirt bikes are similar to used cars in that you never know for sure what you’re getting. It would be good to be somewhat mechanically adept in case something goes wrong on your bike soon after purchase, so that you can troubleshoot and repair it yourself.

The advantage of buying a new bike is that it will probably come with a warranty and won’t require much maintenance in the beginning. But if you enjoy the work, it can be very exciting and satisfying to buy a used bike and make it “new” again.

Whether you buy used or new, it’s almost certain that your bike will be completely disassembled and reassembled at some point, either by you or by your mechanic. If you do your own maintenance, problems are much easier to fix on the spot when you’re riding. Something will eventually break, even on the most well-maintained dirt bike! So it’s a good idea to always have some spare parts, like spark plugs, and a good set of tools on hand.

photo credit: Martin Pettitt