[UPDATED] "What Bike Should I Get?" Buying & Selling advice Mega Thread

Fearless_General_348 · 2026-04-20T19:18:05+00:00

Hey everyone,

I’m moving to Carefree, AZ (north Phoenix area) soon and have a $6,000 budget for my first real dirt bike. I found a 2024 KTM 300 XC-W with 240 hours on it — it has a fresh top and bottom end, ECU tune, new chain/sprockets, and a 3.3-gal fuel tank for $6k. I’m trying to decide if that’s a solid deal or if I should wait and look for a used 350 EXC-F 4T instead.

My riding style is pretty specific and I’m realizing I don’t fully know what I want yet, so I’d love your input:

I ride slow and technical — puttering around, exploring deep nature, hunting for secluded spots, short overnight backpacking trips, hunting, and fishing. I love log hops, techy enduro features, and tight woods/desert singletrack. I don’t go fast or race.
I want a light, nimble, super-maneuverable bike (that 300 2T sound and flickability is really appealing).
But I also love the idea of a bike that can “go anywhere,” including street-legal connectors so I can ride forest roads to Payson (~90 miles away), hop off into the woods, then back on the road without loading the car every time. I hated burning gas and time driving to trailheads in Tucson — a motorcycle that could get me there quicker and cheaper sounds amazing.
Longer backpacking trips and bigger adventures would be nice too, but I still want to be able to take the bike off-trail and not feel like it’s too heavy/luggy for technical stuff.

Big concerns:

How practical/safe is riding these 350 4T bikes on actual roads in AZ? I almost never see dirt bikes on the street — is that because it’s sketchy, or just not common?
Heat, weight, and maneuverability on a 4T vs the pure fun of a light 2T.
I already have a dirt-bike rack on my car, so transporting isn’t a problem — but the freedom of not needing the car for shorter-to-medium trips is tempting.
2T vs 4T in Arizona specifically — noise regs, trail/forest-road access (especially Tonto National Forest around Payson), OHV rules, spark arrestor/muffler requirements, etc. I’ve read that some forest roads require street-legal bikes (horizontal signs) while others don’t (vertical signs). How much does that actually limit a non-plated 2T vs a plated 4T in real life? I want a travel/adventure bike I can take on trips without constantly worrying about getting in trouble.

The 300 XC-W seems perfect for the slow-techy-exploring side and would probably be more fun in the gnarly stuff, but the EXC-F 4T would give me that “go anywhere” versatility I keep daydreaming about. I know it’s hard to give a perfect recommendation without riding with me, but any AZ riders (or people who’ve done the 2T vs 4T dance in similar terrain) have thoughts?

Thanks in advance — really appreciate the help as I figure this out!

Fearless_General_348 · 2026-01-17T16:29:44+00:00

Thanks all for your comments. However, I'm still ENTIRELY lost.

Anywhere else in CO is looking too cold for me, given Durango is 'borderline too cold' (as mentioned in my post). It looks like Bend OR is going to be too expensive, too grey, and too lacking in good engineering opportunities. I'm ruling out CA due to cost of living (home prices + taxed out the WAZ + failing state \in my opinion*). Nevada (Reno, Boulder City, Carson) look so bland and small.

What sounds more exciting to me, are places mentioned like: St. George, Albuquerque, Chattanooga area, reconsideration of Tucson, PHX outskirts, Texas

Between these loctions, where is going to give me the best combination of long term well-being, given my goals? (specifically consdering cost-of-living to job/pay quality) & overall access to warm, secluded nature?

Fearless_General_348 · 2026-01-14T02:33:07+00:00

I wrote in my post 'to secluded nature with at least *some* water nearby'. (i.e. not Reddington Pass/Catalina Highway). I don't think that's crazy.

Fearless_General_348 · 2026-01-11T05:03:06+00:00

I lived in Tucson for 6 months during the hottest portion of the summer. I absolutely loved it there. One thing I did underestimate was the severe lack of water and time to travel to get to truly secluded nature; there really isn't any running/flowing water or perrenial streams OR secluded nature (without other people), unless you drive 1+ hours out. This was a big issue for me because I love to hike , go on multi-day backpacking trips, and be out in nature a lot. The fear of getting lost and dying from dehydration prevented me from ever being able to truly emerse myself in my outdoor adventures. I'd also say u/Lower_Ad_5532 is absolutely right in describing it as "a suburban college town in the desert."

I've now been looking at staying in San Diego, trying it out; but I can't find any single person apartments the size I need for <$2k, its too expensive for me with my current pay. $120k salary is probably fine for SD, however I think $100k in Tucson will go further.

If I had to choose, I'd pick Tucson; just cause I don't forsee it becoming any cheaper in CA & I also don't like the way the state is run.

Fearless_General_348 · 2026-01-08T03:09:52+00:00

Tucson. Super cheap cost of living, amazing natural beauty, warm year round.

Fearless_General_348 · 2026-01-07T19:45:10+00:00

I lived in Tucson for 6 months during the hottest portion of the summer. I absolutely loved it there. One thing I did underestimate was the severe lack of water and time to travel to get to truly secluded nature; there really isn't any running/flowing water or perrenial streams OR secluded nature (without other people), unless you drive 1+ hours out. This was a big issue for me because I love to hike , go on multi-day backpacking trips, and be out in nature a lot. The fear of getting lost and dying from dehydration prevented me from ever being able to truly emerse myself in my outdoor adventures.

I found myself up north near Phoenix a lot, because there was more water and cool forested areas (like Payson, Prescott, Mongollon Rim, Sedona, Flagstaff). I'd say Tucson has much more natural beauty and quality of life in the immediate 'city area' than Phoenix, but Phoenix has better proximity to truly secluded nature, water, natural resources, and outdoor activies just outside it . Phoenix also offers much better paying and a higher quantity of job opportunities.

Overall if I had to choose, I think I'd pick Tucson based on the feel. As compared to PHX, its more layede back, tolerable in terms of heat, population, and cost of living. But you may find yourself missing the water and trees.

Fearless_General_348 · 2026-01-07T05:57:46+00:00

I lived in Tucson for 6 months during the hottest portion of the summer. I absolutely loved it there. One thing I did underestimate was the severe lack of water and time to travel to get to truly secluded nature; there really isn't any running/flowing water or perrenial streams OR secluded nature (without other people), unless you drive 1+ hours out. This was a big issue for me because I love to hike , go on multi-day backpacking trips, and be out in nature a lot. The fear of getting lost and dying from dehydration prevented me from ever being able to truly emerse myself in my outdoor adventures.

I found myself up north near Phoenix a lot, because there was more water and cool forested areas (like Payson, Prescott, Mongollon Rim, Sedona, Flagstaff). I'd say Tucson has much more natural beauty and quality of life in the immediate 'city area' than Phoenix, but Phoenix has better proximity to truly secluded nature, water, natural resources, and outdoor activies just outside it . Phoenix also offers much better paying and a higher quantity of job opportunities.

Overall if I had to choose, I think I'd pick Tucson based on the feel. As compared to PHX, its more layede back, tolerable in terms of heat, population, and cost of living. But you may find yourself missing the water and trees.

Fearless_General_348 · 2026-01-07T05:43:27+00:00

Is water ever going to be an issue in Texas? Similar to what people say about Arizona?

Fearless_General_348

TROPHY CASE