So looking back through the Japanese, Austrian, and Swedish bike brands from about 1980 to 2025, I looked at how often a motor and or frame combination was used for consecutive years. Minor changes allowed, but not coming out with either a completely revised frame, motor or a combination of both. Seeing the RMZ450 using the same configuration for so many years, it may be the winningest combination MX/SX bike ever made.
Ricky had a minimum of 41 wins on the bike including at least 3 MXON wins.
JS7 had at least 11 wins on the bike.
Roczen (including 2015-2016) has at least 20 wins including 3 MXON wins.
I didn't bother to count the total podiums from just these 3riders, but it has to be at least 40 more podiums.
Is the RMZ450 the best motocross bike ever built used in professional racing?
If I had to bet, it would be the Honda CR250, from the 80s to mid 2000s you had RC, The King, JMB, Ricky Johnson, David Bailey and many others abroad the CR250...
In the 4 stroke era, the RMZ450 would be very high in the list, but doing a bit of mental work, the KTM 450 could be the winningest bike in the 450 era? 3 SX titles with Dungey, 2 with Cooper, MX titles with Dungey, Roczen and Sexton, and if you consider the Husqvarna and GasGas the same bike, add Anderson SX title and ZachO MX title...
CR250 has to have a ton of wins. Interesting question
But didn't the "combination" of the big KTM go through a major frame reconfiguration during that timeframe? So, it wouldn't qualify as the same bike configuration as I was describing above.
8 wins for Reed
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Dunno, Chassis looks different to me in every generation of the RMZ....
Dungey must have a bunch too
Well, that kind of blows this up doesn't it? Shit. Well, ok, a combination of that bike sure has won a lot and podiumed a lot. Hows that?
Neither does the rmz according to that.
Why does everyone think it’s the same bike since 05 lol
Yeah I forgot about how many Dunge would have on it. if he hadn't run out of gas at the Wortham, TX round, he'd have another win on that bike
Agree. There are clear visual similarities between all three chassis, and also some clear differences, like all makes from the same time period, aside from Yamaha's radical departure from the 2010 YZ-F
Well the kickstarter is in the same place on those pics
Damn good looking bikes!!
Maybe. Definitely makes a good case for incremental improvements and low prices vs big changes for the sake of change.
It definitely makes me laugh when they'd talk about the difficulties with the new 25 Honda while the ancient yellow bike has the points lead. Maybe a decade of development is better than an all new design?
Great point.
I think actually the Kawi 450 has the most titles in the era since it debuted Suzuki is 3rd I think.
Quick finger math
Kawi - 12 titles (2 stew, 6 RV, 4 Tomac)
Austrian - 10 (1 Ken, 5 Dunge, 2 coop, 1 ando, 1 wacko)
Suzuki - 8 (4 RC, 1 Chad, 1 Ken 2 Dunge)
Yamaha - 6 (1 GL, 1 Chad 1 James, 1 Dylan, 2 Tomac)
Honda - 4 (1 RC, 1 Chase, 2 Jett)
Missed Chase 2024 MX
Good call, they could pass Kawi this year. Or go into 2025 MX tied and battle Prado for it all!
Ricky Carmichael!
Pit Row
I was always under the impression that the fuel "boiled", and it vapor locked the fuel system.
I don't know, but I remember how hot it was.
You forgot Dunge
Was it Dungey that had to forfeit a SX win because of a penalty for something like jumping with the Red Cross flag out?
The kx125 might belong in the conversation as well. Ricky and Stew won a lot. Who knows who else. Ward, pc dudes RR.
Too many people look at the shape of fenders and immediately say “nothing changed”!
But it did.
05-07 was one chassis
08-12 (I think it was 2012) was a different chassis
13-17 was a different chassis
18-25 is a different chassis.
Suzuki actually did a chassis update for 15-16 as well. I remember Stew and Alessi ran the 12 frames in 13 and 14 as they didn’t like the update and then they fixed whatever the issue was in 15.
Off the top of my head if we’re talking model years that won titles the 92-96 CR250 won 7 titles.
12-15 kx450f won 5 titles
08-12 RMZ450 won 4 titles
Race win and a championship, if we are playing what ifs
Sadly, that's true. That is a big what if from that season
2010-2017 was the same chassis I think.
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