Technically, 2 strokes get up on sand and soft dirt better than 4 strokes because they´re lighter and rev really quickly. I would go with any 2 stroke bike except honda, honda 250 2 strokes from year 2002 and up are %!¤; 2000 - 2001 is a good year, though. 2005 and up kawasaki 250´s are good, and yamaha 250´s are always good bikes,no matter what the year. I have a 2001 suzuki 250 and it´s got a really nice mid to top poweband and is really light, and turns on a dime. Good luck choosing!