When I was a young man...
The most fun I ever had on dirt was a Suzuki RM-125. So light weight it was very quick handling. The lower power of the small motor kept you plenty busy searching the 6 gears for the right one. A very involved in the process type of bike, great fun! To old and to fat for that kind of bike now, but ah the memories...
Sometimes, smaller is better, I like this picture as an example.