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3
Joined
10/1/2023
Location
US
Edited Date/Time
10/3/2023 9:04pm
I am in the market for a 450 and i cant decide between the two bikes. I ride trails on the weekend with some friends so performance isn't a big factor as whatever id get, id probably leave as is. My main thing is reliability. i plan on keeping the bike for at-least two years and favor reliability over anything. Obviously i can find a rmz a little cheaper than i could a kx but should i just pay that little more for the better bike or is the suzuki just fine for normal weekend riding? I do prefer the look of the kx and electric start would be nice but i wouldn't mind kicking the rmz especially if its more "reliable" and id be saving money. Any input is appreciated
Why a 2019? 2023 Kawis are dirt cheap at dealers from the rebates they have going on. Suzuki your still getting the same bike, but I saw a dealer around here have a 2023 450 for like 5800 OTD. For me if i want reliability its definitely buying new. That way I know the bike hasn't been messed with.
I agree reliability is in a new bike but there's some dealerships around me with some low hours 2019's at really good price. I mainly wanted to know the differences between the bikes regardless of the year
RMZ for reliability.
RMZ
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If you are trail riding a 450, don't worry about longevity... one advantage of the kawi is electric start when you are stuck on the side of a hill or precarious situation.
Not ridden a kawi, maybe its hydro clutch is lighter and more suited to the trails also
Rmz is a great bike, is it heavier than kawi?? Again, a lighter bike is good in the trails.
KX
Trails, electric starter wins hands down.
wouldnt go for a 450 mx bike if you only ride singel track style of tracks. I dont know but your trails might be wide and fast and if thats the case a 450 would work but if it is tight trails I would go for a 350.
Got a KX450 -23 and would not like to ride it on our trails wich is pritty narrow and tight. Super happy with it on mx track tho.
Got a KTM 450 and 350 EXC-F and they are very nice on enduro/trails/singel track or whatever u call it. Much smoother and easier to ride on tight stuff compared to the KX. But if it is wide, fast and sandy the KX eat them for breakfast.
Kawi a no brainier for me
It doesn’t matter other than price, just get the best deal. Any 450 you get will be great! All the bikes are reliable., I don’t even think that’s an issue. I’ve had Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, husqavarna all in the last 5 years all 450s and haven’t had an issue with any of them. I ride 4-5 days a week about 3 hrs at the track . Pick the bike you like at a price you can afford.
I have a 08 250f with 1000 hrs on it. It's literally the loaner bike. Still kicking with basic maintenance. Any 450 you get is gonna be fine. Get either the best priced bike or get the bike with the most for what you want to spend. If your mostly trail riding the button is nice if there's a good chance of you stalling it in odd positions.
Current KX has won or come in second in most shootouts for the past 4 years. While shootouts aren’t everything, it’s still impressive. I’ve not heard of reliability issues beyond the chain guard. Plus it’s lighter and has estart. Seems like a no brainer, particularly with the deals you can get now on them.
A 450 motocross bike for trail riding would be less than ideal.
Look for a KX450x.
In the exact same predicament as you OP, I think I’m leaning more towards the 2023 KX. With the current rebates the dealership near me has about 10 leftover 23 KX450’s for 5500, almost got a leftover 22 RMZ for 6k but the e-start and lower price is much more appealing for me.
Aside from a KLX110 I have never owned a big bike that’s not a Honda. Really disappointing that leftover 22 and 23 Hondas are still about the same price as a brand new 2024.
Honestly neither bike is really meant for trails... no fans, smaller radiators, no lights, close ratio gear box, stuff like that make them not ideal for trail riding. You could change all that, but then why not buy the trail version in the first place? Also with a used MX bike, you have to assume it has been ridden hard and raced, after all thats why most people buy these bikes.
As for the KX450 vs RMZ450, biggest difference is the electric start on the KX450, and the last few new KX450s that I have ridden I really liked. However I have seen some really good deals on new RMZs, so worth a look.
I did the Beta demo recently, they have a model called the Xtrainer, trail bike, 300cc 2 stroke, electric start, oil injected. I was impressed, very good trail bike, easy to ride, and cheap too. Certainly worth a look if you are in the market for a trail bike.
YZ250F, lots of good used ones out there. Way better for trails and easy to ride on any Mx track.
What dealer had a 23 450 for 5800 OTD ??
Pit Row
what dealer in pa or nearby is showing 5500?
Cernics in Johnstown
wow that's a really good deal OTD but i cant find a deal like that around my area. From what i read i cant go wrong with either bike but if i find a good deal, i think ill go with the kawi for e-start and lighter feel.
$7894 out the door
Just curious, did you happen to call or see it listed as that somewhere? I just called to have a salesman run my credit for the hell of it, he said 5500 but I know there has to be some additional fees.
I called sales and asked for out the door price for pa resident. He told me $7894. So some nice fees stacked in that cost. However that seems pretty consistent out the door price with other places I’ve asked when buying in state.
Keep hearing about these cheap KX450s... called several dealers and they are all around 82/8300 OTD.
I have heard several people claim to get new RMZ450s under $6000 OTD, there was a thread on here not to long ago where people were posting about it. Now I am sure its not going to be the dealer closest to you, but its easy to buy a bike in another state (bought one in west virginia and another in california just this year)
The only way you’re going to get close to $6k-ish out the door on an RMZ is if you find a dealer with a new 2022. Suzuki has a $2500 rebate on them so that nocks the retail price to around $6300. Figure dealer cost is $800 under that and you’re looking at a dealer offloading their old inventory for no profit. There’s the standard doc and freight fees plus sales tax even on out of state purchases for states like Wisconsin and Indiana. The best I’ve seen is $5,500 plus $499 freight/setup, plus 5% sales tax for a 2022. A 2023 is $500 more because there’s only a $2k rebate.
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