Posts
756
Joined
11/3/2014
Location
Chantilly, VA, USA
Edited Date/Time
9/21/2015 9:00am
I know this forum is the old school forum, but I am very much old school and want to get some insight from other old school guys who own 4 strokes about the pros and cons in buying a 450F vs buying a 250F. The bike will be a new 2016 and while I favor bigger bikes (250 & 480 2 strokes), I have ridden at least two 450Fs (a CRF & a KTM SXF). The Honda was a few years ago (I think it was a 2004 or so). The power seems very leaner to me. The KTM 450F was just stupid fast with all kinds of headshake at speed (i think it was an 06). I did not favor the KTM. I would also consider a KTM 350F or buying a 250F & putting a 270 big bore kit on it. If anyone owns either of these two bikes I want to hear from you. I am so used to taking suspension off bikes before I even get them to the track (to have the suspension set up for me), but as I understand it these newer 4 strokes only required minor adjustments. I weight right at 180lbs. Also, how hours do the motors last? I have a 98 RM265 big bore that was built back in 2007 (I have only rode it a hand full of times), but I recently had the power valve cleaned and the top end was still within spec (barly used) so I'm hoping I can get similar results from a 4 stroke. I have avoided 4 strokes all these years because the engine braking was a huge advantage that you just don't get with a 2 stroke (it was like cheating to me). Anyway, I think its time to buy one to play around with and I would love to hear from some of you on this topic. Thanks, Mike
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
my favorite bike ever is any year yz 250, i just got off my 99 yz an hour ago
i had 03,04,06,08 crf 450
had one rmz450
and two yz450s
my favorite 4 stroke is my 08 crf 450 , i ran it to 100 hrs without ever checkig the valves , just oil changes, its got 125 on it now but had a complete clutch, and top end at 100hrs
you can ride a honda, yamaha, or ktm/husky four stroke for an easy 75 hrs with out ever checking the valves
i currently have a 15 husky 450, its had a FC revalve,and its wicked fast
i have this to say about all 450 s they are like ridding a bulldozer, they feel huge and you guide them around the track there is no forcing a 450 to do what you want
you can pretty much clear any jump you want from just about a dead stop on one
they sound like a honda civic with a fart can on it
today after ridding my old yz i deciced im done with boring four strokes and the husky is for sale (27 hrs on it if anyone wants it)
if i want to be lazy ill pull out the 08crf and fart my way over a couple obtsicles
i dont need any one on here to tell me im not going to be faster on a new two stroke , i know that im 52 , i have one speed ill be no faster on anything new or old im sure the 99 yz i rode today is all i need , but i like new stuff
i would recomend you get yourself one and try it the make lazy riders good and good riders better
im done typing i got to call a guy on a 91 Yamaha WR500
And Pete, did you get the WR500?
Last January my friend let me take his new Husky 350 for the day. I hadnt ridden in years. Mike, in the first 20 seconds I knew I was going to love this stupid 4 stroke.I hadnt felt this comfortable cornering since my 94 CR125. I was riding with 3 other old A woods guys and no one dropped me the entire day. I even actually was pushing the pace at times. Did I mention I hadnt ridden in a long time? Im humbled. Been MFing 4 strokes forever and I ate crow. This Husky was the best thing Ive ever ridden . I wouldnt change a thing. Not even the air pressure in the tires. It did everything right. It didnt feel like a mass of metal spinning under me like my WR did, Or kick of a wave of heat when I sat still for 5 seconds.To me the my Yamahas felt so hot all the time. I wont be happy until I own a new Husky/KTM
Buy Petes 450. Id love to have his bike an tu rn it into a big PW50 by installing a Rekluse
Dont worry about adjusting valves. You dont get enough time free to ride the 23 bikes you own anyway. Im telling you. it was the best bike ever.And Im normally most happy wringing a 125 tight.
Bought new in '09 with the view of changing it 2 years down the line, and I can't bring myself to part with it.
Just like a big-bore 125 with some bottom end really.
Mine will pull from just above walking pace in 3rd cleanly in the woods, and will happily scream it's guts out on an mx track.
The '08 on bikes are totally different to the mx-style motor of the old 200's.
Bottom end's like a 350, but doesn't have the big midrange shove of a 4-stroke.
Nothing compares to a big 450 though for thundering out of turns. Your bike choice will be based on wether you want to go for motor or chassis.
A lot of guys over here buy them and fit an 08> 200 EXC motor for racing hare and hounds.
Basically, the 150's a big bore 125, and the 200's a 150 with a stroker crank.
Its tough enough to buy a new bike. I would have a really hard time buying a new bike and then buying a complete engine to put in it. Id probably deal with a 150. KTM makes 72 (jk) models of off road bikes. You would think they would make a bike that would suit a guy wanting a moto oriented 200
I like that 200 Mike. Its a shame you couldnt come to terms with the rear suspension. But you werent alone in that problem
+1
The 200SX has got to be one of KTM's better ideas. The no-link suspension had potential for offroad use (I have an '06 XC-W I converted to SX specs, Jeez the pipe was NOT cheap) and it's a lot of fun. But I think the demands of moto just were too much for the PDS system.
That being said, maybe someday suspension technology will advance to allow for no-link. It could save a lot of weight and maintenance issues if it could be made to work.
You can't go wrong with any of the orange koolaid.
Pit Row
http://youtu.be/iKICiTJJTDo
You can see a couple of the hard routes from 16:15 onwards.
I only ride clubman class, but this gives you an idea of what we ride over here.
I usually take easy options for the first lap unless I'm stuck in traffic.
Fall once on an opening lap, and you End up fighting your way back through a lot of bikes to get back where you were.
They're my favourite event. A good mental game maintaining a moderately quick, yet energy efficient pace for 3 hours. Kinda like running a marathon.
One of my favourites bikes ever was when I went to the Isle of Man in '02. Guy parked next to me on the ferry had an RC30 that was held together with zip ties, gaffa tape and lockwire.
It had been tracked, raced, ridden to work, and seen most of Europe.
I'm sure if bikes could tell a story it would keep you captivated for hours.
This is my old girl.
Also the previous owner had 50 hours on it before it got a piston. Probably didn't need it that soon but he was pretty obsessive about his maintenance.
The only bike more fun than my RZ350 KR bike is my Canadian spec. RZ500.... Crazy fast machines with that race fuel and caster bean smell. If it gets any better than that I have yet yo find it....
It's been a great bike and I know the new ones are even better. My friends want me to ride their newer bikes but I refuse as I know I would want one.
Thanks for your honesty and enlightenment. Frankly, all that work you just stated you did scares the hell out of me…why? Here’s the maintenance I performed on my 1998 Suzuki RM265 (big bore 2 stroke). I bought the bike in 2007 with a fresh motor/top end. I then rode the hell out of at an expert level for the first 2 years. Got lazy the last 6 years and only rode it a handful of times (but hard when I did). I cleaned the air filter every ride, changed the transmission oil like twice. I removed the top end (crank and piston still in spec…piston didn’t even have a coat of burned oil on the top). Sent the top end off to Eric Gorr earlier this year, rebuilt it myself and it runs like a champ. Total maintenance costs (about $120.00 over 8 years). Just when I was getting a warm fuzzy about 4 strokes I end up with a dose of maintenance reality…thanks buddy, I really do appreciate your input as it helps aid in my decisions making.
Back when I used to run a 4-stroke I had to put in a new cam chain twice a year, and a crank every Christmas.
Oil changes were every two rides.
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