Starter Bike

[JrGman]

I had previously posted on here and based on feedback was planning on buying a CRF250X Honda to use for trail riding here in East Tennessee. I had a change to my finances recently which forced me to consider other options. I am trying to find out from dirt riders here if they think that the Honda CRF 230F would be an okay bike.
I have no experience riding on dirt and am 5'11" tall and weigh about 185. I don't know if the CRF230 would be a good starter bike for me or is this bike better suited to teenagers and other smaller folks. These 2 bikes seem like they are really different in their focus but I don't really know enough to know much more than that.
I plan on riding the bike pretty easy since I don't have experience and would prefer to avoid injury. The price difference would be at least $2000 between the bikes but I don't want to buy the 230 if I wind up frustrated by an underpowered bike and outgrow it in several months.
 I am partial to Honda brand based on really good experience with their bikes. Thanks in advance for the free advice

[buls4evr]

 CRF230 is very spindly, underpowered and a real beginners bike. Try an older XR250 or 400 as they are mellow and very reliable and you will not outgrow them as quickly (or ever). You should be able to find a pretty good used one for reasonable money. Parts are still easy to get even though they have not been made in a couple of years . That's the way I would go. You should be able to find one with good STUFF on it too.

[JrGman]

Thanks Jeff, hadn't even considered a used XR model. I have some reservations in buying a used dirt bike as I see quite a few around that look like they really have the heck beat out of them. Is this an unnecessary concern or are there well cared for examples relatively easy to find??

[R.Markus]

The older XR models are pretty much bulletproof. You can find some nice ones if you look around, but even somewhat beat ones shouldn't give you many problems.

[buls4evr]

Agree with RMarcus all the way. You can find really nice ones if you look and they are ultra reliable even if they don't look so great at times . Looks?....So buy some new plastic. Try to get one that an older guy had(that's actually most of them) and that has a maint record, especially oil changes. You want one that was trail ridden NOT one that some teen-aged kid thought was an MX bike. Actually older bikes often have a lot of nice aftermarket parts already on them. These XRs have great valve trains and wet sump motors. Steer clear of any that don't have STOCK engines.....No strokers or goofy carb changes. They will cause you fewer problems than a brand new CRF series bike will.