New to dirt biking and want to know if you can afford to get started? Those $10k+ price tags on new bikes are scary, especially if you're young or have a family to feed.
Fortunately, there are many ways to buy your first dirt bike and everything you need to be safe for a reasonable price. This article will show you how, as it covers the simple steps I've learned over the years to get into dirt bike riding.
How much does a dirt bike cost?
There are so many brands, types, and sizes of dirt bikes, so the price range is huge, whether you're buying a new or used dirt bike. For example, one of the lowest price dirt bikes on Amazon is about $700, but one of the most expensive dirt bikes is the KTM 500 EXC-F Six Days, which costs $13,549 MSRP plus freight/fees.
For a better reference, here's the average price for popular name-brand dirt bikes:
| Dirt Bike Type & Size | Average Cost (New MSRP) |
|---|---|
| Kids trail bike | $2800 |
| Kids motocross bike | $5000 |
| Adult trail bike | $4700 |
| Adult enduro bike | $9000 |
| Adult dual sport bike | $5000 |
| Adult motocross bike | $8500 |
For example, a typical dual sport motorcycle that's street legal is around the $5000 price range, but Honda now has the XR150L, which is only $2,971 MSRP. That's a weird number, but it's at least $2000 cheaper than most other dual sport bikes!
How much SHOULD you pay for your first dirt bike?
A common mistake that beginners make (and regret) is spending TOO MUCH money on their first dirt bike. They think they know what they want and buy a bike, hoping that it will last them for 5-10 years.
But they often quickly find out that they either don't enjoy the bike as much as they hoped, whether it's too big, or too powerful, or they end up falling and damaging their nice new bike and reducing its value.
If you were my close friend, I'd recommend spending as little cash as possible on your first dirt bike. That doesn't mean you should buy the cheapest project bike you can find - just look for a nice, clean used bike that's going to be easy to ride and maintain for your first bike, which is generally in the 1000-2500 dollar range.
The step-by-step process to finding the right dirt bike
While finding a dirt bike in your price range is important, you must first choose what kind and size of dirt bike you want if you want to have the most fun WHILE reducing the risk of injury.
What type of dirt bike should you get?
First, you need to figure out what type of riding you want to do.
The 4 main types of dirt bikes are:
- Trail
- Dual sport
- Motocross
- Enduro
If you want a street legal dirt bike, then you'll need a dual sport bike because it's registered to legally ride on the road and off-road. If you're a beginner and just want to ride off-road, a trail motorcycle is your best choice because it's the most affordable to buy and maintain, and it's the easiest and safest to learn on.
What size is right for you?
Kids dirt bikes range from 50cc-250cc, which is a huge gap. That's why I made a step-by-step guide with charts to give you a better starting point that's primarily based on your height.
Being able to touch the ground with one foot is important if you're a beginner or just getting back into riding off-road because you'll be able to balance and have more confidence when you come to a stop.
However, as you grow your skill and overall control, the seat height won't matter as much because you won't need to put a foot down unless you're stopping.
How much money does a GOOD dirt bike cost for you?
In my opinion, you have to buy a name-brand bike if you want a "good quality dirt bike" that's going to be reliable. This means a Japanese or European manufacturer, such as Honda, Yamaha, KTM, and several others.
If you're buying a cheaper used dirt bike, you can usually find one that's in good condition for $2000 or less to start on, but it also depends on your local market - some areas have a higher demand and thus results in higher "asking" prices.
How "Off Brand" dirt bikes any good?
While a generally don't recommend them due to their lower quality, a "cheap Chinese" dirt bike or pit bike can be a good option if you want a brand new dirt bike that's inexpensive to start on.
For example, if you want something that you know the history of (no previous owners) but you're unsure if you want to ride dirt bikes as a long-term hobby, buying an X-PRO 140cc or X-Pro X-Pect street legal motorcycle on Amazon might be a good choice if you don't mind assembling and adjusting things to work right (quality control isn't always perfect)
How much does a beginner dirt bike cost?
Starting out on a beginner friendly dirt bike is a wise choice because you'll gain confidence quicker and be less likely to crash. Beginner bikes tend to be cheaper because they're lower performance than a motocross bike, but what exactly is a beginner dirt bike?
When I start new riders on a bike to teach them how to ride, it's a smaller dirt bike that has smooth, predictable power and is easy to ride. This is usually an air-cooled 4 stroke trail bike.
The cheapest beginner dirt bike for adults costs around $3400 new (TTR125LE), while a bigger model (KLX300R) costs $5900 MSRP.
How much does a motocross bike cost?
A motocross bike is designed for one thing: racing on an MX or supercross track. They are not good for beginners, so stay away from them if you're new to riding. They're harder to ride because the power is abrupt and the suspension is stiff.
A new YZ125 mx bike is $6600 MSRP, while a KTM 450 SXF is $11,100 MSRP.
There's a large difference in price due to the technology, but motocross bikes are almost always more expensive than trail bikes.
How much does a dirt bike for kids cost?
It really depends on what size and model kids dirt bike you buy. For a 4-6 year old, A Honda CRF50F is $1600 MSRP, but for a 10-12 year old a CRF125FB is $3600 retail cost.
There are cheap gas dirt bikes available for $500 or less that are made in China which may be appealing. My suggestion? Those Chinese-made dirt bikes or pit bikes can work, but the quality of the parts and build are generally very low.
If you expect your kid to put a lot of hours on a bike, I recommend going with one of the name-brand bikes from Japan or Europe. They'll break down less and they hold their value much longer.
How much does dirt bike riding gear cost?
Dirt bike gear is another category that can make dirt biking expensive. That is unless you know what you need, how to find deals, or how to find good used riding gear.
Let’s compare buying new to buying used (these are estimated average prices that you can expect to pay):
| Gear Item | Est. New Price | Est. Used Price |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet | $300 | $50 |
| Riding Boots | $250 | $50 |
| Gloves | $25 | $5 |
| Goggles | $40 | $10 |
| Pants | $80 | Free (Solid pair of jeans) |
| Jersey | $40 | Free (Any long-sleeve) |
| Elbow/Knee Guards | $80 | $20 |
| Total | $815 | $135 |
So, as you can see, just getting started with bare essentials for riding gear, you can start safely riding a dirt bike for just over $100.
New vs Used dirt bike for starting out
Looking to buy your first dirt bike? I highly recommend buying a used bike first. Not only is it going to be hundreds (more like thousands) cheaper than a new bike, but you’re going to get it all scratched up anyway.
The second you take a new dirt bike off the showroom floor, the value goes down by hundreds, if not thousands simply because it has been owned by someone.
Choosing a used bike has other great advantages, such as:
- It may come with desirable mods already on it
- It's already broken in
- You don't have to worry about getting it dirty or scratched
- You can usually get your money back if you decide to sell and upgrade within a year
Should you take out a loan for a dirt bike?
Considering taking out a loan for a new dirt bike? If you're on a budget or money is tight, please don't go any further.
Not only will you have to pay the full amount for the new bikes but you'll probably be making payments on it for months or years to come, even if you sell it after a couple of seasons!
How to make dirt biking more affordable for new riders
As you can see, there are many ways how I've learned to make dirt biking cheaper and more affordable.
To recap:
- Buy a used dirt bike
- Maintain it for reliability
- Only buy tools/gear that you need
- The most expensive gear isn't always the best/necessary
- Use whatever vehicle you have to haul your bike (truck/van/trailer/hitch hauler)
What you need to know to start dirt biking
To break it all down, here's what you need to know if you're doing this all yourself.
You need to:
- Figure out what type of dirt bike/riding you want to do
- Choose a beginner friendly bike to start on
- Buy proper fitting riding gear
- Make a simple tool kit so you can basic repair & maintenance
- Learn how to safely ride to build your confidence
How to ride safely with confidence & control
Not only is the right bike and proper riding gear important to be safe, but learning proper riding techniques and having the right mindset will give you the confidence needed to become a skilled rider.
Want to learn how to do that, step by step? Click here to learn how to ride with control using the actual techniques you need.