Posts
15
Joined
3/3/2019
Location
Eaton Rapids, MI
US
Edited Date/Time
4/23/2019 10:35am
Just like everyone here, I'm a big kid getting ready to fully commit to an impulsive, yet satisfying decision. I was, and still am obsessed with the freedom that comes from riding, no cell phones, no computer screens, no text messages, just physical abuse, and pure adrenaline. I rode around the family farm growing up, and in my teen years was a district 14 AMA local 250C class hero. By hero I mean finishing mid pack with my fair share of DNF, and DNS in the mix, as I was funding my own journey. After riding a while, I did actually get a sponsor, and I turned in my old 1999 KX 250 for a brand new GAS GAS 250, that I raced for a company, and was maintained by them. One day at Dutch Sport park, MI, I had the unfortunate situation of landing short / casing the big one, and was on the balls of my feed, and felt the snap as my tibia broke. good news I never crashed, but calmly rod to the pits, and off to the ER. after that, marriage, mortgage, and you get the rest....
NOW, Father of a 10 year old boy, who is very much into riding, I am upgrading him to a YZ 65 or KTM 65, and am using this as the best excuse ever to have a grand return to riding. The plan that I am fully committing to now as a responsible adult (sometimes) with the proper level of disposable income to sink into this, is to regain a membership at my local motocross / hair scramble track, spend this summer with regular practice and conditioning, with a return to competition in 2020.
when I raced I was 240 LBS with all gear, but am now 260 LBS dry..... I know very well the importance of proper suspension setup, so that is not the point, the point is the bike / motor. I see a lot of forums with people saying "Dont get a 450" . I never raced a thumper, so I cannot say on way or another,
HERE is the point and sorry for the long post. I fully intent to race the 30+ class this year or next, and the bikes I am stuck between are the 2019 KTM 450 SX or the 2019 KTM 300 XC TPI. Looking for opinions / experience from other guys with similar situations.
You don't stop riding because you get old and fat, you get old and fat because you stop riding.
NOW, Father of a 10 year old boy, who is very much into riding, I am upgrading him to a YZ 65 or KTM 65, and am using this as the best excuse ever to have a grand return to riding. The plan that I am fully committing to now as a responsible adult (sometimes) with the proper level of disposable income to sink into this, is to regain a membership at my local motocross / hair scramble track, spend this summer with regular practice and conditioning, with a return to competition in 2020.
when I raced I was 240 LBS with all gear, but am now 260 LBS dry..... I know very well the importance of proper suspension setup, so that is not the point, the point is the bike / motor. I see a lot of forums with people saying "Dont get a 450" . I never raced a thumper, so I cannot say on way or another,
HERE is the point and sorry for the long post. I fully intent to race the 30+ class this year or next, and the bikes I am stuck between are the 2019 KTM 450 SX or the 2019 KTM 300 XC TPI. Looking for opinions / experience from other guys with similar situations.
You don't stop riding because you get old and fat, you get old and fat because you stop riding.
As a midpack C rider, you should be putting at *least* 100 hours on a top end on a 450.
The Shop
My neighbor has a 17 KTM 300, I’m going to get check it out this afternoon to add to the mix. Thanks again, from the sounds of it I doubt I’ll be disappointed either way.
Honestly id look at a 350. A 450 will still slap a 300lb guy down faster than you can snap your fingers.
Moto? Or off road?
The 450 you are talking about is a motocross bike, the 300 is a off road bike!
The the bike that’s designed for the type of riding you plan on doing
I really like all the input and feedback. now I'm between the KTM 350, 450, KX 450, and Husky 300. Very excited to get back in the saddle.
Tore It down at 80 hours to do a top in and it looked great. Didn't need it but while it was down I did it anyways.
Original clutches were good at 80 hours too.
Pit Row
The post did not include anything regarding budget for a reason, I want to purchase based on all the other criteria, knowing I will keep and ride this bike for a long while.
I am 29 years old @ 265lbs and ride a 2013 ktm 250sx and I love it. Fully converted it to offroad (left engine stock minus a flywheelweight).
ANYWAYS, my thoughts on why a yz250f(x) for u is:
1. Throw the 450 idea out.
Pick a 250 four stroke, 250 2 stroke or a 300 2 stroke. For the 1 or 2 perks you'll get from a 450, it's just too much for most people and you won't nearly have as much fun.
Many of my avg Joe friends who have 450s are tired faster and go slower laptimes than they would on a smaller bike. The perfect example was a demo day when 3 of my friends with yz450f's and a kawi 450 hopped on the KTM 250XC at our local track. We timed each other in the woods and the track they were beating their personal best times pretty quickly it was quite funny. The most shock to them being they were faster on the moto track with an XC model kitted with a larger gas tank and kickstand to boot haha. That being said you can always upgrade to a 450 whenever you like. I know you said you'll keep this bike for a while but it's easy to sell and buy another.
2. 4 stroke wise The yz250f (motocross) or yz250fx (offroad pkg w/ kickstand yo) has an almost 450 snap of the throttle power than any recent 250cc 4 stroke bike. (I've tried them all) while having a lot of power I do not see you needing much more for a while. Great stock suspension and reliable. The offroad pkg is great in moto. You could probably buy both Yamaha bikes for a little more than just 1 ktm450 depending on how well you shop around.
I'm picking this over a ktm250 for less maintenance and a more desirable 250 motor. But it's a very very close runner up because it does have a couple more features.
3. 2 stroke wise all choices from Yamaha to KTM/Husqy is a great idea.
An added option with ktm/husqy is the dual purpose 300cc so u can take quick road trips either to the trail or a corner store.
For reliability and consistency with great performance go Yamaha. (They still have problems too ofcourse)
Imo you need to really look at the YZ450.
Good luck, and welcome back.
You don't sound that old. I race 30+ and I'm looking forward to another 20 or so years of racing.
Also, you can not be fat if you want to. No judgement, just info share. I used to be. Great thread in NonMoto right now: https://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Non-Moto,21/Keto,1354243?page=1
On the bikes: lots of good suggestions already.
If you like 2 strokes and can spring for new, then the Husky TX300 would be hard to beat for versatility. I have a TC250 that I have tried out a 300 kit on and it made for a great engine for lower RPM riding, or being more competitive with 450s on track. All jumps were easier, line selection not as critical, etc. But, it was not quite as 2stoke like as I wanted. For budget constraints, YZ250 all day everyday.
Also think a 350 or a 450 could be the right way to go depending on your riding style. More of a revver then go for the 350. More of a lugger go for the 450. The power spread on the KTM/Husky 450 is very manageable. Can also get offroad capable versions (XCF/FX).
Also as said, if buying new then I'd absolutely haggle for a package deal on the 65 and whatever you buy.
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