Keep high-hour 450 or get new one?

If you like the ergos of yours I would just spend a few hundred bucks and throw a top end in it and run it. 90 hours really isn't all that much for a 450. With the economy continuing to tank, I think if you hold off on a new one for another year or so there will be some deals to be had on new bikes (even more so than right now).

Throw a piston and a cam chain in and run it for another 100 hours. 

Unless your winding the crap out of it do a piston soon and ride it for another 90 hours before worrying about it. 

Ive put 200 hours on 350 pistons and much more than that on bottom ends that are still going. 

2-stroke...

i would upgrade to the new bike.  At 90 hours stupid little shit starts to break.  The new chassis is awesome and it's worth the upgrade

If you aren't revving the piss out of it....90 hours is nothing.

YMMV and this is the internet so of course somebody will say I'm wrong but.....a modern 450 will go a couple hundred hours easily without cracking the motor open.

If you like it, I'd keep riding that sucker!

When it comes to 450s i tell people to keep them as long as their happy with them now a days. If your riding, racin every weekend, Vet A, hammerin on bikes i would say go for a freshie. But 90 hours and on an aluminum frame isnt much. I put 50-90 on a 250f in a year and have no issues.   

As long as you have no issues keep throwcsome money into it and rebuild it. Homestly 90hrs on a 450 depending on how fast you are might not even need anything. Id only buy a new bike if you already knew you'd  liked it better. 

Get a Stark Varg

I just sold a 19 kx450 with 300+ hours in it. Only changes the top end once and it really didn’t need it. Im not a pro but im definitely not slow. Don’t get me wrong she was clapped at the end but made it. 

Point being the 450s can go a LONG time. And by that I mean very long if you do the routine maintenance. 

Throw in a top end in yourself for less than $500 and put another 90 hours on it.  Buy a service manual.  It ain’t all that hard.

Did you buy it new?  90 hrs in 6 years?  I would say that’s extremely low hours which could be deduced to riding style/abuse.  For shits and giggles you could just do a piston and rings and if you want to make it nearly new again do a cam chain as well, but given what you shared you are good for another 6 years it seems. 

Keep it !

JE piston

Cometic gasket kit

Prox cam chain is about $279

I’d offer my labor free of charge if you end up keeping it

Edit:

Oem kit without cam chain is $115.99 plus tax on eBay from Honda East Toledo 

Oem Cam chain $45ish

With that many hours I get more concerned about bearings than the motor.  How often do you repack the linkage,etc?

Thats my current plan. 250 then sell. 

Depends on what kind of deal you can get on a leftover 2024. It's rebate season and I'm not sure about Yamaha but I was seeing Kawis stupid cheap and even KTM/Husqvarna have some pretty deep discounts on right now. I'd guess Yamaha is going to do at least a thousand bucks on 450s + whatever your dealer does. You're fine to keep what you have but at a certain price maybe getting a freshie makes sense. Doesn't seem like you're in a rush so keep an eye on those rebates.

New bike - nothing better if you can afford it.

I just did frequent oil changes and air filter and coolant but the biggest thing people over look is good gas. I would find some sort of a very trustworthy and reliable fuel and stick with it. 

 

Internal bearings are subject to a constant oil bath. They will last hundreds and hundreds of hours if the oil is changed consistently. 

I have a '19 YZ450 with ~450 hours.

I got it used around 370 hours, looked like the engine was apart before but no idea of maintenance history. It needed a lot of stuff but still started and ran fine.
Clutch, Fork and shock rebuild, linkage bearings, headset bearings, seat, foot pegs, both brake systems, both wheels,sprockets, chain, handlebar mounts, cables, muffler packing, 1 radiator was bent.

~375 hours: Top & Bottom engine rebuild (Valves were out of spec (really loose), still started and ran fine
~385 hours starter clutch
~395 hours fuel pump, new forks (developed rebound knock, stiction in upper stroke, noticed anodizing was wearing from the internals)

 ~450 new shock (lost some damping, worse after rebuild, going to try heavier oil but will probably buy a used low hour replacement)

Do you have the money for a new one? Do you already have your eye on one? If you do, is it at a dealership? If so, what would they give you fur a trade in?

For me....i live about 1-2 hours from the tracks in my area.  Getting the newer bike will help ensure that a ride day won't get cancelled due to bike issues. 

High hour? at 90?  I had a 2019 KTM 450 sxf I put 190 hours on before selling it.  As long as your taking care of it, there's alot more life left.  

yeah, but I didn't mention internal bearings, I said linkage and others exposed to water and dirt.  

My mistake, I thought you were referring to being worried about engine bearings. 

Yamaha makes OEM service kits of the linkage, swing arm etc. that are pretty sweet. Makes it easy to go through them all regularly to keep the bike feeling tight. 

I’m in the same boat kinda. 90 hrs on my 21 fc350 it’s been the perfect bike  and I’ve got tons of spare parts for her that won’t work on the new model. I always sold my bikes around 80-90 hrs but have decided I’m keeping this girl for another 100

This is what I do. All depends on your cash levels, and the amount of time you have to spend in the garage. Also I’m a sucker for the latest and greatest bikes. 

I have a 2003 cr250r that works perfect, but have been considering a 1996...