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austin_bo
12/1/2018 11:57am
12/1/2018 11:57am
Edited Date/Time
2/25/2019 5:41pm
That's right... another "this bike" or "that bike" thread
I just tipped the 50HR mark on my RM-Z 250. It's been a great bike and I've had a lot of fun with it, but I'm considering selling and hopping on a new 450 in the spring (it's getting cold here in Jersey and I have time to decide). I've narrowed it down to two bikes, the Honda and KTM. None of my friends have either, so I can't readily test ride, but I've had good experiences with both brands in the past. Here on my thoughts/considerations on each:
Reliability
One of the main reasons I'm switching to a 450 is reliability. I'm a casual weekend rider, and with the extra power, I don't expect to be on the rev limiter much at all. I'm a freak when it comes to maintenance, so I'm hoping to get 100 hrs without much issue. Today's 4 strokes all seem to be pretty solid. I've read some complaints about the KTMs, but it seems that they really stand behind their products and fix if there's a premature issue. On the other hand, today's Honda's sound pretty bulletproof. This seems like a fanboy question, but hopefully I can get an unbiased review. What do you guys think?
Power
Really a moot point for me. Coming from a 250 (and a Suzuki for that matter), both bikes will have more than enough power.
Weight
The KTM is substantially lighter than the Honda, though I've read that the Honda feels light and nimble when riding. Any validity to this? Even if that's the case, picking up the 250 lb Honda from a mid moto fall sounds far more exhausting than the KTM (20lbs less) in the same scenario.
Price
The Honda is about $600 less on the showroom floor. However...
Clutch/Exhaust (upgrades)
The KTM comes with a hydraulic clutch, which I would upgrade on the Honda. The Honda is still cheaper at this point, but when I factor in the dual exhausts that I'll eventually buy, the Honda is the more expensive bike.
Quality of components
Some of the nuts and bolts on my Suzuki (and my friends Yamaha) are made of peanut butter. Any advantages for build quality in either bike here?
Aesthetic
Not really that important, but I will say that I think the Honda is the best looking bike in the lineup.
Interested to hear what you guys think. And if you ride Field of Dreams (Millville, NJ) or Raceway Park (E-town) and are willing to let me ride your CRF450 or SXF450, I'd be happy to buy you a beer...
Thanks in advance,
@austin_van_bogh
I just tipped the 50HR mark on my RM-Z 250. It's been a great bike and I've had a lot of fun with it, but I'm considering selling and hopping on a new 450 in the spring (it's getting cold here in Jersey and I have time to decide). I've narrowed it down to two bikes, the Honda and KTM. None of my friends have either, so I can't readily test ride, but I've had good experiences with both brands in the past. Here on my thoughts/considerations on each:
Reliability
One of the main reasons I'm switching to a 450 is reliability. I'm a casual weekend rider, and with the extra power, I don't expect to be on the rev limiter much at all. I'm a freak when it comes to maintenance, so I'm hoping to get 100 hrs without much issue. Today's 4 strokes all seem to be pretty solid. I've read some complaints about the KTMs, but it seems that they really stand behind their products and fix if there's a premature issue. On the other hand, today's Honda's sound pretty bulletproof. This seems like a fanboy question, but hopefully I can get an unbiased review. What do you guys think?
Power
Really a moot point for me. Coming from a 250 (and a Suzuki for that matter), both bikes will have more than enough power.
Weight
The KTM is substantially lighter than the Honda, though I've read that the Honda feels light and nimble when riding. Any validity to this? Even if that's the case, picking up the 250 lb Honda from a mid moto fall sounds far more exhausting than the KTM (20lbs less) in the same scenario.
Price
The Honda is about $600 less on the showroom floor. However...
Clutch/Exhaust (upgrades)
The KTM comes with a hydraulic clutch, which I would upgrade on the Honda. The Honda is still cheaper at this point, but when I factor in the dual exhausts that I'll eventually buy, the Honda is the more expensive bike.
Quality of components
Some of the nuts and bolts on my Suzuki (and my friends Yamaha) are made of peanut butter. Any advantages for build quality in either bike here?
Aesthetic
Not really that important, but I will say that I think the Honda is the best looking bike in the lineup.
Interested to hear what you guys think. And if you ride Field of Dreams (Millville, NJ) or Raceway Park (E-town) and are willing to let me ride your CRF450 or SXF450, I'd be happy to buy you a beer...
Thanks in advance,
@austin_van_bogh
To me hydro clutch alone worth it. When you add the quality of the breaks it makes it an easier decision.
No to dual exhaust due to the cost to replace for crash damage.
Quality both are well built. Id give the nod to ktm though. Front top back, top to bottom they have high end parts and thought into design.
Nothing game changing but they are good. Both are good. I prefer suspension on the honda, prefer clutch, brakes on ktm.
Both handle great.
Both feel light on the track
Ktm less tiring, smoother,
Hondas very very strong amd agressive at all rpms.
The Shop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-qvSDTBnOk&t=2s
It's a bad ass bike. Still lacks a hydro clutch though
The Honda feels better then KTM out of the To me because the suspension is very good! The KTM with a remap and suspension work can feel great also, just more out of pocket cost.
I dont like hydro clutch (if you do thats a plus).
I have owned every model Honda since -09, the Honda clutch is poo, straight poo (and has always been).
Bought a recluse (not cheap) and i still have to change plates after 45 hours.
Im a Honda guy at heart, but somethings are just better on the orange.
Try to get a test ride and then buy the bike thats cheapest, look at resales also, in sweden its almost impossible to sell a used KTM according to my dealer
The honda has a shit clutch, which is unfortunate. So out the box a hinson is recommended to get added clutch life. My experiences with KTM clutches are very impressive. But, that 600 dollar difference could help that on the honda.
Some cool things KTM does:
Sag mark on the fender.
Nm torque specs etched into triple clamp
Duel fastener hardware
Tool less filter change
Map switch buttons and traction control
Stock radiator lovers actually brace
Hardware for bearing interface are very nice and durable (axels, linkage)
One piece swing arm, no welds.
Chain sliders last a LONG time.
Brake pedal routed behind frame
Comes with frame guards
ODI lock on grips
Front brake line routed behind the number plate
I think the honda is a great bike, shit I think they all are, 2019 is definitely a year of pick a color. I do believe I would be happy with any of them.
Only minor disagreement from me is on quality. Seem to be slightly more nuisance problems from the KTM/Husky over the Honda.
I bought a 2018 Honda CRF450 since I thought I wanted the stronger engine/sharp handling. It's great when fresh, but harder to manage while tired. If I buy another 450 next year, it will probably be a Husky.
Also, the money I saved on the Honda went towards suspension revalve and other nice add-ons.
Even though there is a weight difference on the scales the Honda actually feels just as light while riding them. The New gen Honda is very good & feel the 18 has no weakness in the engine, handling, turning & suspension dept's.. I feel you can gas up, set the sag & air in the tires to line up for a race basically off the showroom floor. My advice would be to pay someone to ride each bike before making a decision. IMHO the KTM's are overrated.
The Honda has an amazing fork right out of the box. The KTM's fork is also excellent & I think the AER is a great design that suits more riders -stock- than any other fork on a 450 MX bike. The Moto-masses seem to not share my affection for an air-spring adjustable fork and they/you all seem to want the spring fork. So, there's always that,
Shock? I'm gonna give the nod to...NEITHER! They're BOTH really, really good and VERY adjustable.
Chassis: the Honda is the classic -and WIDER- Aluminum Japanese frame that's waaaaay easier to hold with your legs or between your knees than the KTM. This is also a contributing factor to the heavier/bulkier sensation. The KTM is EXACTLY like a super-hot & slim European Super Model in a slinky dress at a German Night Club: it plays fast & light. It IS lighter and it's almost "Too Skinny"...that is until you develop a way to hang on to it with your legs...some folks have a hard time with this.
The Honda feels and handles more like your RM-Z. Neither one of the bikes screams for a revalve or money spent on the chassis just to "get it right".
Power? They're both more than enough; but, the Honda's settings right out of the box seem a bit more adaptable to more riders. The KTM makes A TON of power...it just seems to take a little more work to get it...it seems to lean more towards the "rev-rider" style of riding and may be easier to use for a 250F rider that's moving up.
Maintanence? You'll have to ask the owners. Both bikes have a reputation of being made from really good stuff. The hydro-clutch is VERY nice. The simplicity of the KTM should not be overlooked. Less IS more when it comes to taking care of hardware. On the other-hand, I've never had any problems with Honda's twin-muffler systems and the only thing I've had wear out on the newer CRF's is the clutch...a little quickly; however, firming up the springs fixes that right up.
Riding either one of these bikes with minimal money spent on parts and modifications will be a draw, to me. They're pretty even on that front.
This is where I'd say you simply need to ride both.
Personally, it seems easier to go faster on the Honda "box stock". If you think I'm saying it's faster than the KTM? Maybe...but...only when we stick to "box stock".
The people suggesting that your dealer support matters are on to something: if you have a great dealer for one of the brands? That would certainly affect my decision.
Pit Row
There's less complexity over-all to the KTMs and Huskies. If you take all these bikes apart and lay all the parts on the floor...you'd swear the Austrian bullt bikes are missing some parts ?
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