Am I the only one who can't ride a 450?

Andy7
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Andy7
Hi guys, after making the switch from a 2012 KX450F to a YZ 250 two stroke I realized how bad the 450 idea was. I mean, the 450 literally seemed unrideable. If I came up short or overjumped stuff, I would feel as if I was literally being stopped to zero, no matter if I landed on the gas. Also, I never was confident on it, altought the 250 "feels faster" (and I know it is not), I feel really in control on it. So the question is, is there something wrong with my riding? Because I can't believe that people affirm how easy to ride a 450 is compared to this hard and demanding 2 strokes. Are new 450 really that much better that I can't even compare them to my old 2012? Just asking out of curiosity and not to start another 2 stroke vs 4 stroke debate.
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 6/9/2019 2:35pm
6/9/2019 2:35pm
That generation is one of the least friendly 450s. I owned a 15 kawi and hated it. Terrible to me. Im on a rmz450 now and its night and day more friendly, usable, feels lighter, handles better, smoother everything the kawi wasn't.
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colvin227
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colvin227 6/9/2019 2:40pm
6/9/2019 2:40pm
Those older 450s were definitely a handful. My brother had a 2015 KX450 and it felt like a rocket ship they used to hit so hard and to me were unrideable also. The newer smoother powerband of today’s 450s are much friendlier. They still have all the power you could want they just don’t hit as hard off the bottom which is a good thing and don’t beat the shit out of you.
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JM485
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JM485 6/9/2019 2:47pm
6/9/2019 2:47pm
Not at all, I hate 450s in the track for that reason, I just never feel like I’m in a good flow. I can still turn quick laps, but I have way more fun on my yz250 feeling like I’m in a flow and throwing it around in the air. I don’t race moto a whole lot so I’m that guy MXA hates that just does practice days, it’s all about fun for me and a 450 on the track just isn’t as fun nor is waiting around all day for a 5 lap moto. I also just feel more confident on the 250, probably because I grew up on two strokes, but I’m also under no illusion that I’m not losing time on more open layout tracks.
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brimx153
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brimx153 6/9/2019 3:49pm
6/9/2019 3:49pm Edited Date/Time 6/9/2019 3:51pm
I love 450 s . I think when someone say s they hate them it normally means the rev the crap out of it . When i look at usa track s i am like you must never be lower than 4 th gear bar the start on them track s . But that does nt seem the way in the US . I hardly ever use 2 nd gear .even on tight tracks .probably why it suits me so much . 3th and 4 th everywhere
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BobPA
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BobPA 6/9/2019 4:46pm
6/9/2019 4:46pm
If you don’t have fun on a 450, you’re doing it wrong.
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Andy7
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Andy7 6/9/2019 4:47pm
6/9/2019 4:47pm
JM485 wrote:
Not at all, I hate 450s in the track for that reason, I just never feel like I’m in a good flow. I can still turn...
Not at all, I hate 450s in the track for that reason, I just never feel like I’m in a good flow. I can still turn quick laps, but I have way more fun on my yz250 feeling like I’m in a flow and throwing it around in the air. I don’t race moto a whole lot so I’m that guy MXA hates that just does practice days, it’s all about fun for me and a 450 on the track just isn’t as fun nor is waiting around all day for a 5 lap moto. I also just feel more confident on the 250, probably because I grew up on two strokes, but I’m also under no illusion that I’m not losing time on more open layout tracks.
Same here, I only ride moto but never race. The first day on the 250 was like "holy crap, I'm going to die", but as I learnt to ride it, I realized is almost the perfect balance between power and weight.
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Dropbear
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Dropbear 6/9/2019 4:48pm
6/9/2019 4:48pm Edited Date/Time 6/9/2019 4:59pm
It’s like when people said the 500 2 strokes were too much.
They weren’t. It’s how you ride them. I wouldn’t like to see 450’s go the same way and racing become 250 4 stroke based as the premier class. I hated it when that happened to the 500’s.

I don’t think I ever got over it lol.
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level
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level 6/9/2019 5:07pm
6/9/2019 5:07pm Edited Date/Time 6/9/2019 5:08pm
450 if way easier to ride. I remember riding someone’s 2 stroke after riding a 4 stroke for couple years. Felt like I never ride a bike before. It was crazy.
You are just not used to it.
I came off a 250 2 stroke to a 250f and I was like this is what riding a fucking dirt bike is all about. Sold my 2 stroke a few weeks later. Couldn’t believe how much damn fun and fast the 250f was.
Got a 450 shortly after also since I’m too big for a 250f.
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resetjet
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resetjet 6/9/2019 5:24pm
6/9/2019 5:24pm
Dont matter what you ride. 125-450. Only that you ride it well. To me 450 is easiest bike to ride. Roll up to a big jump, grab a handful and clear it. However 450 is not necessarily the easiest bike to go fast on. I am faster on a 250f as i can ride it hard.
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swtwtwtw
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swtwtwtw 6/9/2019 5:37pm
6/9/2019 5:37pm
I love 450’s, however I cannot stay injury free on them. I settled with 250f’s
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tireguy111
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tireguy111 6/9/2019 5:43pm
6/9/2019 5:43pm
My son has a 2019 Rock Star Husky 450 and doesn’t like it, he wants to go back to a 350. So we have a RS 450 for sale with 4 Motos on it.
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MX558
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MX558 6/9/2019 6:27pm
6/9/2019 6:27pm
I love my 450 , it's so easy to ride it's ridiculousle . A 250 2s is like fun for a while but if only buy one for off road just my opinion as an old guy
PJRAUS
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PJRAUS 6/9/2019 6:33pm
6/9/2019 6:33pm
I cant ride my 450 very good..way faster on my smaller bikes.
I like having a 450...but if I ever get another one...I will go with the ktm, unless Yamaha finds a way to get the weight down to the same as ktm
Motohead279
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Motohead279 6/9/2019 6:36pm
6/9/2019 6:36pm
I’ve ridden/raced 250 4strokes for years. I’ve ricden friends 450s and it feel like I’m riding a tractor and just seemed to much.


I just picked up a 19 KTM 350 this weekend can’t wait to ride it. Seems like the perfect balance

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YAMATHUMP1
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YAMATHUMP1 6/9/2019 6:40pm
6/9/2019 6:40pm
BobPA wrote:
If you don’t have fun on a 450, you’re doing it wrong.
I say that about my 125
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c0ncEpT
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c0ncEpT 6/9/2019 6:48pm
6/9/2019 6:48pm
I'm not a 450 fan either. I feel like I'm riding a Sherman tank. They are way to fast for my skill level as well. I like to feel like I can push the bike a little bit and that gets me in trouble quickly on a 450.
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Minus_2
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Minus_2 6/9/2019 7:52pm
6/9/2019 7:52pm
My dad had a 2012 kx450f that he would bring to the track when he would ride with me. It had explosive power, but felt like a tank compared to the 2006 crf250 that i had. I hated the KX because it just felt like riding a school bus.
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Hammer 663s
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Hammer 663s 6/9/2019 8:01pm
6/9/2019 8:01pm
If you'd said you hated a 2012 RMZ450 I'd say it was you. But the 2012 KX was a piss-poor handling pig with a huge hit. It sucked to ride. Try a late-model RMZ or a newer CRF. Those are all good bikes. Or even better, a 350. That's the sweet spot.

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kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 6/9/2019 8:12pm
6/9/2019 8:12pm
Man a 450 is so easy to ride. Sounds like you were always riding a gear low, and then when you were landing it was dragging it down.
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JM485
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JM485 6/9/2019 8:30pm
6/9/2019 8:30pm
brimx153 wrote:
I love 450 s . I think when someone say s they hate them it normally means the rev the crap out of it . When...
I love 450 s . I think when someone say s they hate them it normally means the rev the crap out of it . When i look at usa track s i am like you must never be lower than 4 th gear bar the start on them track s . But that does nt seem the way in the US . I hardly ever use 2 nd gear .even on tight tracks .probably why it suits me so much . 3th and 4 th everywhere
That's not my issue at all, I'm generally a gear higher than just about everyone in all areas of the track. I've never been one to rev the bike out at all, just doesn't suit my riding style. I can even handle a 500 2t no problem, but for whatever reason I just never feel as comfortable on the big bore four strokes, just something about it that I never got along with. Again though, I know on some tracks I can go faster on the 450, but when it comes to "comfort", I just don't seem to gel with it as much for whatever reason.
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bvm111
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bvm111 6/9/2019 8:33pm
6/9/2019 8:33pm Edited Date/Time 6/9/2019 8:34pm
I love my 2006 KX250... but I prefer to ride my 16 KX450...by a long shot!
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SLAPAHO
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SLAPAHO 6/9/2019 9:08pm
6/9/2019 9:08pm
hopped off of a 250 2smoke and onto a 450 in 2004, felt like i was cheating. the 450 was the easiest bike to race on most any track.., never looked back.

now i do love me some 125 tho.
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Adam43
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Adam43 6/9/2019 9:35pm
6/9/2019 9:35pm
All you guys hating on the 12-15 KX450s need to pump the brakes, that is one of the best motorcycles of all time.
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 6/9/2019 9:41pm
6/9/2019 9:41pm Edited Date/Time 6/9/2019 10:02pm
Adam43 wrote:
All you guys hating on the 12-15 KX450s need to pump the brakes, that is one of the best motorcycles of all time.
I hated mine like i said. I even dropped 1k on the suspension and still hated it. Thing was a dump truck handling wise, hit way too hard off the bottom, signed off early, tiring, no confidence, no flow, literally the worst bike for me ive had. Someone mentioned riding it a gear higher, it didnt matter for me. I tried being 3rd everywhere at minimum and still just didnt work for me.

Someone else mentioned 500s also. Ive owned a couple cr500s and they were much much more rideable to me then the 15 kawi. They came on smoother and pulled over a broader window to me. The kawi hit hard, abruptly and signed off shortly after.

My 18 rmz is so much smoother and mellower. Incredibly easy to ride, effortlessly pulls around the track at low rpm and low throttle inputs.
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Phantom 661
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Phantom 661 6/9/2019 9:59pm
6/9/2019 9:59pm
Dropbear wrote:
It’s like when people said the 500 2 strokes were too much. They weren’t. It’s how you ride them. I wouldn’t like to see 450’s go...
It’s like when people said the 500 2 strokes were too much.
They weren’t. It’s how you ride them. I wouldn’t like to see 450’s go the same way and racing become 250 4 stroke based as the premier class. I hated it when that happened to the 500’s.

I don’t think I ever got over it lol.
True. I went from a 125 YZ to a CR 500 and while I loved all the extra crazy power it could also be gentle if you wanted. I had no problems making the transition.... except for one very unexpected loopout in the first 20 min. Ha. Ha. Totally my fault.
Goon126
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Goon126 6/10/2019 12:48am
6/10/2019 12:48am
In my 20s the 250f was so much fun. Now in my 30s I’m a bit lazy and not all about constantly shifting and trying to get all I can from the bike. Got a 450 and solved that problem. 450 much easier to ride for me. Ive ridden older 450s (2010 yz450) and was not comfy at all. Got an 18 and it’s night n day
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aaryn #234
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aaryn #234 6/10/2019 1:31am
6/10/2019 1:31am
I prefer riding a 250F over a 450, but would take a 450 over a 250 two stroke, all based on racing.

450F I am fine as long as I am riding at least weekly, not all that often these days so just find the 250F easier to jump on and ride at a reasonable level.

Spent 2017 on a 250 two stroke, so much fun to ride on practice days or fun riding, but struggle when it came to race day on it.

Actually thinking I might race a 125 two stroke next year, about the only bike I have never spent a year on racing.
WW444
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WW444 6/10/2019 5:54am
6/10/2019 5:54am
I own a 19 KX450, 18 kx250f and a fire breathing 04 kx125. I love all 3 and I all 3 serve a different riding style and purpose. I do ride 450s most but on tighter stuff I love my 250. I had an 09 kx450,16 kx450 and now a 19. The 09 was my favorite bike of all time. It had the smoothest power and I could put that bike anywhere. I haven't gotten enough seat time to really break in my 19 yet but it seems to hit pretty hard similar to my 16. But this 19 is soooo much better than the 16 was.

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