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I still think the 350F is probably the ideal bike though. Wish the Japanese made them.
The Shop
https://www.dirtrider.com/tests/141_0605_beating_dirt_bike_pro#page-2
Are they easy as fuck to ride? You betcha. Great bikes for slow people with little skill level.
HOWEVER riding a bike to its full absolute potential and just riding a bike are two different things. I can say that I without a doubt can over ride a 125. Can’t on a 450.
Local tracks have become pedestrian because of how easy 450 bikes have made them.
That’s why I ride a 250.
And now a factory 250f is as fast as what the heroes raced in the 80s/90s/00s... And it's odd everyone worked out before the half litre class sucked when the tech got better and the bikes too much.
450s are probably the perfect MX/SX weapon for the 1% who can ride there and not ragdoll themselves to injury... but do we need perfect for great racing? There are lots of arguments to keep them for costs etc but I don't think the racing is being helped by the power of them at all.
Pit Row
When we think of "speed" on a bike it's usually in relation to other riders, but in this case the actual miles-per-hour speed is faster, though not more exciting to watch, so the injuries are obviously more traumatic. Cole Seely's crash didn't even look that scary if I recall, but those are some grisly internal injuries he sustained.
Just a theory, but was the pecking order more rightly established on 2 strokes? Since they weren't as forgiving or easy to go fast on, are more riders who wouldn't have made it into the 1% 20 years ago getting into that echelon now?
Wouldn't that be "full potential" of the machine?
450s allow slow riders to go fast. And of course crash very hard. Put those same riders on a 125 or 250cc two-strokes and see what happens to lap times. Roger DeCoster said smooth tracks allow slow riders to go fast. 450s accomplish the same thing.
There is nothing wrong with being slow. Everyone is slow compared to someone, aside from the upper 1%. I do not claim to be fast regardless of bike. But a back to back comparison had me a 4 seconds a lap faster on a friend's 2012 KX450 than on my 2016 YZ250. And I was being careful on the 450 as to not crash my friend's bike. I do not think I could turn a better lap time on my YZ250 than the 450, regardless of effort/risk/lines, ect. It's just plain easier on the 450 to get around the track. The YZ is more fun. The KX450 is faster.
We need to accept that slow riders are less slow on 450s. Ride what you like, but that 58HP and mile-wide powerband is the reason Joe Schmoe can get around the track at a decent pace. Put Joe on a 250 2-stroke, and all of a sudden lap times increase. Coincidence?
That said, buy what you like, burn some laps, and let's keep this sport alive for future generations. I believe in freedom of choice! If you like a 450 buy one and hope she doesn't grenade. I don't want to charge 2K on the Visa for a rebuild, so I ride a YZ. $250 for a rebuild is some OT at work and paying the gas bill a month late.
I remember riding my 1st 450 (05 CRF) that was bone stock. I found out that they have a 2nd boost of power that kicks in the upper revs. If you don't respect it, it will put you in the ER like it did to me in 07. I haven't fully recovered from that crash 100 %..
I think it is more enjoyable to ride a 250 2-stroke and the challenge of finessing the throttle/clutch/gears is quite a challenge. If I get whiskey throttle or out of control I can yank the leash and get her back in control. My crashes are few, and usually an embarassing tip-over in a corner.
The 450 was like a blackjack to the back of the head in a dark alley. I'd be going pretty good (for me) then without warning I'd be on the ground. And they are more expensive to purchase and operate.
I'd rather date a normal and affordable chick who is a 7 than a szichophrenic supermodel 10 who packs a blade and is willing to use it without warning. Which one is the motocross equivalent?
A 450 for the start and the first half lap and then a 250f for the remaining 3.5 laps, in my opinion that would be perfect.
I've owned (5) other 450's with recently purchasing an 18 CRF & do like them. Unfortunately I learned the hard way to respect the power early on when the 450 was in its developmental stages. lesson learned on my part as I was trying to ride it like my 250 2t & you just can't do that. You have to use the torque it makes to its advantage in the lower to mid revs instead of trying to ride in the higher revs like a 2t..
Glad to hear your still riding. I never got into the debates of 2t vs. 4t since I've owned both & feel like everyone has a choice. It sometimes can come down to personal preference of the 2.
Post a reply to: 450’s too fast, fact or fiction?