okay! lol watch out though i am a speed demon lol

Just put it on auto pilot and hop into the back seat!!

okay!

You can make a peanut butter and bannanna sandwich for me while you are back there!!

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A 250 is actually an easier bike to ride until you become really good at it. It is lighter and the power is a lot more predictable. The 450 explodes with power. Usually a dual sport is much heavier than a motocross bike. You can ride it on the road and trail but it will not be able to keep up with the guys on the motocrossers because they can out perform dual-sport.
If you are just doing light woods riding..it will be ok but I already went through that when I bought a DT-400 Yamaha and traded it on an IT-400 because I could not stay with the other guys on the dirt only bikes. I got tired of lifting that big heavey bike over fallen trees while the dirt bikes just hop over them. One step down from a motocrosser is the best for woods riding because it is set up for slower speeds with better low end torque for hill climbing and negotiating tree areas at slower speeds. I stay off the road also because people don't see motorcycles sometimes and pull out in front of you leaving you with no where to go!!
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Gothca.
I'm a big guy so obviously I am considering the biggest dirtbike I can afford, and I appreciate the advice. For a novice offroad rider with street experience, who would ride mostly on small trails, would you recommend a 250 or a bigger bike?

Motorcycling is extremely dangerous and I believe that the #1 skill any motorcyclist can possess is not physical skill or confidence, but rather a "6th sense" of what drivers will do. So far, knock on wood, I have been lucky enough to encounter situations that I have good control over. As you probably know, every single day is full of dozens of potentially life-threatening situations you must escape from.

HAHA

A 250 will be plenty for what you are describing. You say you are a big guy. How big could make a difference. If you are not going to be doing a lot of serious hill climbing like on power lines and such the 250 should be fine. If you are 300 lbs. you might consider the next step up to a 350 or a 400. I have always like having more power than I need so that it is there when you need it. You can tone a bike down by dropping one tooth on the front sprocket. That will give you less speed and better low end power and make it slower when plonking around in the rocks and in slow but steep situations. Ialways liked my 400 because I could go slower at the bottom of a hill climb and just hit the throttle and it would carry me over it with no problem. The smaller bikes would require a running start to clear the same hill.

Go to your Honda dealer and see what they have. hey are the best and most dependable machines out there right now. I was just talking with a mechanic that was a Kawasaki and Suzuki employee for many years. He always had an engine to repair. He changed and went to Honda and all he ever did was change oils!!
He became a salesman for the dealership through boredome! Look for a used Honda in the paper and have some fun!!

Comma, everyone. Can I come????????????? My scooter is black w/ silver crome. I can wear a shirt that says, "BADA$$."