Posts
438
Joined
3/13/2017
Location
Avon, IN
US
Edited Date/Time
7/28/2017 6:40am
Alright bros, financial situation is semi sorted out and ill be looking to pay cash for a used bike here soon. I just wanted to pick some of your brains.
Bikes i loved in the past 07 yz450f and my 11 yz250f.
Rode a buddies 12 rmz450 and felt amazing right off the bat. Cant decide whether i want a 250.
Anyway, all smartass opinions and financial advice welcome
Bikes i loved in the past 07 yz450f and my 11 yz250f.
Rode a buddies 12 rmz450 and felt amazing right off the bat. Cant decide whether i want a 250.
Anyway, all smartass opinions and financial advice welcome
It's not a Yamaha or a Zook but it might be the best of both worlds for you. Light and high revving like a 250 with the power (ish) of a 450.
Otherwise...go with the Zook. If you meshed with it right off the bat, this might be your next bike.
The Shop
However, a good used 2012 350XC will still sell in the high 4's.
Like buying a diesel truck....you might pay 8k more upfront but it will always be worth 8k more than a gasser.
Sounds like you (or your son) have had some rotten luck with diesels. Perhaps that wasn't the best comparison.
Fortunately I've had great luck with diesel trucks and can afford to own one.
I certainly would not be jazzed footing the bill for my kids janked up one though
I had 2 2012 KTMs, they were good, but the suspension needs work for sure.
The early FI Kawis are fast and racey, if you get one of these put some real time and effort into your suspension tuning. When you get it right it's a rewarding chassis, when you get it wrong it will put you on the ground. Much sharper and easier turn in that the yamaha, so tune for improved stability at high speed. Kind of the opposite of the yamaha.
The 06-08 honda, which seems to have gone up in a value lately, is a very easy to learn bike. I view that bike as the norm to which all other bikes are compared, it's very neutral in terms of handling, suspension, and power delivery. That being said, I never want to have a carb again if I can avoid it and it's going to be hard to find a low hour example these days. I had one of these run for 200 hours without opening up the motor, although I certainly wouldn't claim that as typical.
Pit Row
In reality im probably just salty that i cant afford one.
But seriously, if i had a dollar for every diesel truck my friends bought and then they were later dropping a few grand in it, id have like $4.
I hate the handling of kawis. Had a 14 kx250f it was a powerhouse with a vague front end and harsh suspension that i cant say worked well anywhere.
I havent reqlly had much experience with honda 4 strokes, and i mostly loved my yamahas. I really prefer a bike that hooks up and corners precise, the rest can be forgiven.
http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/If-you-have-kids-teach-th…
If your a serious racer, or make 6 figures i can see buying new. But at my pace and skill level the difference between a 07 and a 17 isnt worth $4000 difference
Since you ruled out 2-strokes, Kawasakis, and want cornering ability, I would look for a Suzuki RMZ450.
I say ride whatever you want. I had an 08 YZ450 that I put springs on and went with it for 5 seasons and only had one problem that was due to a stupid mistake on my part. Thing had to have had around 250 hours on it when it floated a valve. I had grown to love that bike too. My opinion based on my experience is to find an 08 or 09 low hour Yamaha 450 and go with that.
The day i made my mind up is when we went to a place that was as hard pack as concrete and it had just rained. Nobody was having a fantastic time but i may as well have been on ice with hoosier drag radials on that yz.
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