The 2 strokes are cool, but they can be tempremental and they are slowly become extinct. I like the mid to late 90's era I-4 bikes as starter/track/race bikes due to less power, but many still having decent suspension with spring preload adjusters and compression and rebound damping adjusters as well. As long as the wheel size on any bike your looking at is made for the current generation of tires I would say go for it. Some of the older bikes had narrower wheels which would possibly still accept a current common size tire, but it will change the profile of the tire if not mounted on the suggested rim width. The weight shouldn't really be an issue, that's more for wanting to be the fastest by having a lower power to weight ratio.
As far as the crash situation goes, look for dent's or repairs anywhere on the frame and swingarm. Also look at any covers on the engine to see if they are scratched or if they have been replaced or repainted, handlebar end weights may possibly be scratched on the ends as well if the bike has been dropped. If you REALLY want to be sure you can have the frames geometry checked by a place like GMD Computrac (there are others, they are just the one that pops into my head), they use a very accurate coordinate measuring machine to check the bike to what it should be, they can also make adjustments for you or tell you what needs to be done (this may costs you several hundred dollars - call and find out for yourself. Spending this money is alot cheaper than buying what turns out to be a bike that's good for nothing more than a boat anchor!).
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