Should I Build or Buy a New Dirt Bike? Which is Right for You

The biggest deliberation you probably had when deciding to spend your money on dirt bikes is whether to build a dirt bike or buy a new one because this can gets people confused and I personally understand because this happened to me too when I wanted to purchase my first dirt bike.

In addition, there are so many things to put into consideration, like budget, quality level, durability and so much more, so you have to take this into account and decide for yourself the one that better suits you.

Should I build a dirt bike or get a new one? New dirt bikes will suit for those who are ready to pay the full amount of money for dirt bikes and not willing to compromise. Will building dirt bikes from scratch fit more for a limited budget people who know more about building a dirt bike or for people who just want to design their own bike so as to make it a perfect fit for their requirements or for those that love to assemble and build things?

If you are still confused about this, I have all the answers prepared for you; just continue reading until you find your answer and I assure you that if you continue reading, you will know what exactly is right. So, let’s get started.

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Building dirt bikes from scratch

Building a dirt bike from scratch is definitely a lot of fun and there are lots of people who choose to build and not buy a new bike because it has lots of benefits especially if you are the type that knows about how to build a dirt bike from scratch or even if you have a friend that knows because it can help you. I personally recommend building a dirt bike from scratch if you have all the knowledge it requires.

In addition, many people think that building a dirt bike themselves can save them thousands of dollars, but the truth is that it is not so in reality because you will have a lot of expenses that you didn’t account for. You can even run into debt, so you will need to get help from experienced professionals to help you calculate the total cost.

So, building a dirt bike can be done in two ways:

Building from scratch (the hard way).
Buying a new dirt bike that is very cheap and then upgrade by adding some parts (the easy way).

This is the 2 popular methods for building a dirt bike but it is important to note that each of these ways takes a long time, especially if you are really building everything from scratch which can take you even a few months to complete. Nonetheless, it all depends on how much time and energy you spend on it.

Advantages of building dirt bikes from scratch

You will know every part of your dirt bike – The biggest benefit in my opinion of building from scratch is that you learn while building everything into your dirt bike which will help you fix problems much easier, and in general, it is always good to know what parts you have in your bike.

You choose which components you want – A very big advantage of building a bike from scratch is that you can choose which components you want which means you can precisely choose what power you want on the bike and you can also control the financial expense by doing this. And the best thing is that you can choose the overall design of your bike. What I am sure that is important to a lot of people is that they want what will make their dirt bike different and special from others.

You design your bike – I personally really like the fact that you can design your dirt bike the way you want when building from scratch which makes your bike very special and different from others and I highly recommend you use a designer to help you design the frame so that it can look perfect.

Cheaper (in some cases) – Building from scratch can save you a lot of money by just calculating the total amount all parts will cost you because the more high-quality parts you use, the more likely your bike be more expensive, and it also depends on which way you build. If you want to build your dirt bike from scratch because you want to save money, I recommend that you consult someone who understands everything about dirt bike building business to help you calculate the final cost.

Fun and Satisfaction – When it comes to enjoying construction, it varies naturally between people because some people like to build dirt bikes from scratch mainly because they enjoy doing so and there are those who do not like to build and have no idea about it, so it is important that you look first if you enjoy construction and only after that, you are ready to begin this process.

Disadvantages of building dirt bikes from scratch

The number of hours you have to spend – The biggest downside in my opinion when building from scratch is the fact that you have to spend hours in finding the best parts and of course, building the dirt bike can take several months especially if you have no idea about building bikes from scratch. It will take you longer than ever without any help from friends or professionals, so you have to take this into account.

The risk of making a mistake in the building structure – A drawback that can hurt you in the pocket is the risk of accidentally putting one of the parts in the wrong place, which can in some cases, ruin some parts of the bike and can cost you a lot of money. In general, this is very annoying because think about it when you finish building the dirt bike and you discover after a few days that there is a problem with the parts you did not assemble in the right place and you will need to dismantle the dirt bike and start building again to rectify the problem. So, it is very important that you get help from professionals to avoid such a mistake.

Work accidents – Building a dirt bike requires some sharp and dangerous tools which means you have the risk of having an accident while working and can get hurt. I have seen many cases of work accidents because of the fact that the builder did not follow all the safety measures, so it is important to be very careful while building a dirt bike.

The risk of regretting and being disappointed – There is always a risk that things did not turn out the way you want and the dirt bike just did not match your expectations which can make you disappointed and regret, and the worst thing about all this is that you have invested time and money into something you regret, so it is important to take that risk into account before you decide to build dirt bikes from scratch.

There are no responsibility- Know that every hit you had on a dirt bike, you have no responsibility elsewhere than to cover for it which means that every time you had a certain riding problem, you would have to go and repair it from your money. As a rule, building from scratch will be less for you.

biker making a stunt and jumps in the air

For who build dirt bikes from scratch is recommended

I will personally tell you the truth that I do not really prefer building a dirt bike from scratch, especially because it is very hard and there are so many risks involved that can lead to loss of money and regret. I personally know a lot of people who tried to build from scratch and it all ended in vain. So, I will recommend that you get a cheap dirt bike and upgrade it the way you want. This will not only save you a lot of time but will also save you a lot of money; however, everyone has their preferences, so it all depends on what you want.

In general, if you are the type that is willing to invest time in building a new bike and wants every item to be in the way you want, then building a dirt bike from scratch may be a good idea for you. However, if you do want to have your dirt bike in a certain way but you don’t want to spend much time at all, the best option for you is to buy a cheap used model and upgrade it.

Tip – In addition to my advice, if you want to build dirt bikes from scratch and you have no idea about building a bike, I would recommend you to pay a professional bike builder you know in your area to build and design the dirt bike for you which is an amazing idea in my opinion.

In general, below are some reasons for building dirt bikes:

You want a customized design
You want to save money
You love to build a bike
You accept that you had no responsibility
You are willing to spend all hours working
You know about building dirt bikes

Also, you are required to possess all the skills listed below. If you or your professionals don’t have all these skills, it means that building a dirt bike from scratch will not suit you:

Project management skills
Research skills
Workshop equipment skills
Electrical skills
Benchwork skills
Metal shaping skills (advanced)
Welding skills (advanced)
Design skills

Buying new dirt bikes

Buying new dirt bikes is the safest and easiest because you have no risks involved. The components that arrive with the bike are unequivocally quality and there is no chance that you will have any particular problem, and the best thing is that every time you do damage to the bike, the responsibility can cover for the flaw.

In addition, buying new dirt bikes is a very convenient option because you get exactly what you paid for and there are no risks involved which is a huge advantage in my opinion, and if you ask me, I would much rather recommend you buy new dirt bikes than building from scratch.

Advantages of Buying new dirt bikes

100% assurance that all parts fit and work together – The best thing about buying new dirt bikes, in my opinion, is that you have no risk of having problems with certain parts and you are 100% assured that all parts will work perfectly with no glitches which is definitely a huge advantage.

You start riding immediately – The added benefit is that by buying new dirt bikes, you don’t have to wait too much than to just pick it up from the store and start riding. This compared to building dirt bikes from scratch where you have to spend tons of time and hours to create the bike without even knowing if you will love the bike.

Chance to test the bike – I personally love the fact that you will be given a chance to test the dirt bike and you will be sure of what you want to buy, but this is not so in building dirt bikes where you don’t even know if you will like the end result.

Marketability – When it comes to new dirt bikes, people prefer to buy a new one than a model you created yourself, so this is another huge advantage of buying new dirt bikes.

Disadvantages of Buying new dirt bikes

More expensive in most cases – In most cases, building a dirt bike cost less than buying a new one.

You don’t have a choice of components – When you buy new dirt bikes, you don’t have the choice of wanting some particular components in the bike as opposed to building a bike from scratch where you can choose all the parts and components, so the best thing is to build dirt bikes if you want some particular components and performance.

For who new dirt bikes recommended

New dirt bikes would mostly be recommended for people who want a bike made by a particular company and have a big budget. As I have said earlier, I personally would much recommend you buy new bikes because of all the benefits that it has, especially if you are the type that doesn’t like to build because it’s really hard to do.

In addition, I would not recommend building dirt bikes for beginners but rather for advanced riders who already know what is right for them. So, if you are a beginner, it will be better to buy new or even used dirt bikes for a low price than building a dirt bike.

In general, always remember to buy new dirt bikes just because of the following reasons:

You don’t know how to build dirt bikes
You are beginner rider
You have no power to build
You want a specific model
You prefer the benefits of buying new dirt bikes

Summary

In summary, I have shown you in detail all the things you should know about building or buying dirt bikes and I am sure that by now you will know exactly what you prefer.