Looks like my request to go feet up has been approved !!!! and the expenditure needs to be pegged below

315 mont - there's plenty of well looked after ones about and plenty of bits to help them keep going.

Whatever you buy take your time to give it a proper going over. There's some real snotters out there and people who will quite happily sell you one. I bought in haste, now repenting at leisure. Bike looked fine, plenty of bling and newish tyres. 1 ride and I now find the mains have gone, rear wheel bearings, clutch master cylinder, fan not working, worst case of bodged wiring I've ever seen (twisted together and gaffer taped). Rear frame mount, one of the threads needed helicoiling, piston ring gap at the limit, wrong plug and so on.

Stipped the motor apart and thought it was strange I needed an impact wrench to wind the 12x1.25 retainer bolt out the primary drive. Yes, it had been crossed for about 10mm and then taken out, cleaned up and rammed in. Fortunately the crank thread had survived very nicely, a tap sorted that and the bolt, I'll turn a new one up.

Probably cost me

If it was me, it would be mont 315 or 290 sherco, mont would be better for learning on though, lovely to ride.

same guidance as for a 4k bike condition is everything.. think how long it took to make that money and spend an appropriate amount of time checking the bike before you even get on the thing. check the dear stuff more closely , wheelbearings are cheap chains/ sprockets are not. as for which make and model buy something that someone will buy off you eveentually, buy something you can get parts for today fairly locally next day mail order you dont want to be laid up waiting 3 months for a replacement for a worn bike specific bolt..

the mont has a lot to comend it ( bullet proof) fair parts availability, but the Beta evo is much the same mechanically as the rev 3 the lads at silsden have pretty much everything in stock you 'll sell it when the time comes and everyone knows the faults.. so for me rev 3 2002/3 nice and clean by that i mean not necassarily new plastics but round wheels with no rusty nipples unbashed frame and rad, forks with no lumps missing yolks with no crash damage some evidence that someone has loved it or simply not used it for that money it ll be a private sale ebay or tmx but view before you bid and take someone who knows what good looks like or more importantly what C##p looks like!

Bikes this cheap often need a lot of money and time put into them,which you don't get back.I'd wait till I could spend

I bought a 01 Mont 315 for a grand 3 years ago and then spent another

I just bought a 2004 sherco 290 for $3000CDN (but bikes are a bit more expensive over here as trials isn't nearly as popular as across the pond). It is (so far, 4 weeks) an awesome bike for the money. I need new tires soon but the ones it came with hold air and grip enough for a newbie to learn on for a few weeks before I win an event and get a new pair for free

good luck!