KTM/Gasgas 450 4 speed?

I know in Europe they were 4-speeds. I haven’t heard that they changed.

No surprise. On a 450...you'd think 4-speeds are plenty, if not overkill! I mean, seriously...when will you ever use 1st or 5th gear? Haven't most factory bikes been without a gear or two vs. the stock gearbox without exception?

Reality is most of us only need a 2-speed- 2nd and 3rd gear.

So you're saying I have to shift even less when I get tired on the track haha sign me up

Four gears sounds good to me, what’s 5th for again?

Salt flat runs.

I found the old 4spd Yamahas to work well. Never missed the extra gear.

I had a 05 RMZ450 4 speed back in the day. Loved it. 2nd gear 90% of the time

Euro 450 sxf is 4 speed since a long time. The most recent ones are quite short geared, so you need 4th especially to make it run smoother. 2nd gear is for tightest turns, we have some on small tracks. 1st is just for cruising in he pits.

Let's break it down wheelie boy style and you will understand why 5 gears are needed in the States

1st gets you out of the driveway, 2nd gets you rolling down the street so everyone can see you riding dirty, 3rd gets you popping wheelies for miles, 4th, OH SHIT 5 0 coming, 5th, FUCK IT, I'm out of here. Meanwhile back in the hood, thug 1 "OH, where's Wheelie" Thug 2 "the dumb shit got a Euro bike and only had 4 gears" Thug 1, "ok, let's go get him out of county lock up"

Now, you all should understand 4th and 5th are usable gears when ridden incorrectly. So, keep it pinned in 3rd and all will be good.

My 125 has 6 gears.

MXGP 250'S have frequently been run as 3 speeds.
Anstie's 2015 Dixon Cosworth Kawasaki had the most holeshots with 3 speeds. 6000 to 16000 rpm power range.
GP CCM four strokes, raced successfully with 3 gears.