the reason that hondas cost more is because the engines hold up better

remember that you are buying a 2 stroke engine and that these bikes require EXTREME amounts of work to be properly maintained

the price range for a decent used 250 IMO STARTS at 2500, anything less than that is going to cost you more down the line with work

make sure any bike you have has strong compression (the kickstarter chould not be too easy to push) otherwise you are looking at a few hundred bucks right off the bat

hondas are the way to go used though man, look for a 99 or so