YZ450F OR KX450F VS. CR500

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CR500PHIL
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YZ450F OR KX450F VS. CR500

Post by CR500PHIL »

I am considering getting a new YZ450F or a KX450F and I was wondering what people think of them? Anyone own one out there - have any problems with it? I have never rode one and none of my friends have one. What is the power delivery like as compared to the CR500? Would I be bored on it coming from a CR500? Thanks! :lol:
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Kuma
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Post by Kuma »

http://www.thumpertalk.com/

This is where you can get opinions on 4 jokes.
a good running 450 will run with the CR but it just aint the same.
Also consider what it cost for a top end compared to the 2T
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Rhino89523
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Post by Rhino89523 »

I'm getting old, I was never all that great at riding motorcycles and I am certainly not getting much better. I have always just ridden for fun knowing it would never amount to anything other than that. So it really comes down to smiles per mile. The CR puts as big a grin on my face as anything I have ever touched.....the low cost of maintenance keeps me and my wife smileing.
O.ne B.ig A.ss M.istake A.merica
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dannygraves
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Post by dannygraves »

I know I might be biased, but if you do decide to make the move, I would pick the KX over the YZ. I have a friend with the new YZ and the power delivery sucks, its is hard to ride and I don't like the handling. the only downside to the KX is turning... it turns well fast, but if taking it slow it feels a little unstable and wants to go back up or strait down. I have gotten used to that. The KX is the same motor design from '06 to now with the addition of a 5th gear in like '08 and fuel injection in '09 and minor tweaks since so availability on parts specifically top end parts should be easy. My '09 is still running strong with plenty of battle scars.
'09 kx450f 4-Poke
Gen-4 trail bike --SOLD--
Gen-3 badass trail/mx bike --SOLD--
Gen-1 built dunes bike --SOLD--
'05 klx110 --SOLD--
'95 pw80
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dannygraves
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Post by dannygraves »

you need to find one to ride before pulling the trigger. I love mine, but other 500 riders have hopped on one and yawned at the lack of tire shredding, roost producing, low rpm torque.
'09 kx450f 4-Poke
Gen-4 trail bike --SOLD--
Gen-3 badass trail/mx bike --SOLD--
Gen-1 built dunes bike --SOLD--
'05 klx110 --SOLD--
'95 pw80
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CR500PHIL
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4T

Post by CR500PHIL »

Thanks guys - I am tempted to wait until the spring, keep the 500 and get a new one as well. I do need to find one to ride though. My bike got an 1985 engine with a CR250 ignition and I love the arm wrenching power it has and I too only ride for the fun of it when I get time. The thought of keeping my CR500 and getting a KTM500exc crossed my mind as well. Where I live there is just one 2013 left - a YZ450F - no KX's at all until 2014. They have an awesome deal on both for 2013 but I cannot find a KX.
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Rhino89523
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Post by Rhino89523 »

Everyone around here that I ride with is pretty much rolling on the latest version of the big KTM 4 stroke. They work really well and I must give KTM credit for their hard parts catalog, man they make everything you could ever want for those things. They seem to hold up pretty well, most the guys I know buy a new one about every other year, sell theirs for about half what they paid and beat the crap out of the next one for 2 years.
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Nodge
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Post by Nodge »

I hate to admit it, but my KTM excr 530 sees way more use than my CR, and its street legal, so I can ride it to the grocery store. Great bike, big torque curve.
Yah, I'm from Saskatchetoon!

MRE 02 250/500 conversion, pulse injector, twirp porting, coolhead, MRE ignition, blah blah blah blah... www.millarengines.com
CR500PHIL
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Re: 4T

Post by CR500PHIL »

CR500PHIL wrote:Thanks guys - I am tempted to wait until the spring, keep the 500 and get a new one as well. I do need to find one to ride though. My bike got an 1985 engine with a CR250 ignition and I love the arm wrenching power it has and I too only ride for the fun of it when I get time. The thought of keeping my CR500 and getting a KTM500exc crossed my mind as well. Where I live there is just one 2013 left - a YZ450F - no KX's at all until 2014. They have an awesome deal on both for 2013 but I cannot find a KX.
I found 2 KXs within 6 hours drive - oh the dillema. LOL
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CR500PHIL
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Post by CR500PHIL »

Nodge wrote:I hate to admit it, but my KTM excr 530 sees way more use than my CR, and its street legal, so I can ride it to the grocery store. Great bike, big torque curve.
How is the reliability - have you had any problems with it?
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Nodge
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Post by Nodge »

Reliability is good, but they are different than owning a Honda, for sure. The only trouble I've had is with a leaky cam chain tensioner. I swapped it out for a manual adjuster and had no problems. Oil must be changed on both engine and tranny side every couple hours, or it shifts badly, and starts to burn oil on the engine side. I believe it's less than 1liter per side, and I wish it held more oil. In general, I'd say its just more "finicky" than a Honda, but once you are used to the odd ball fasteners and such, you'll get used to owning a KTM.

If you just want to ride, and not mess with anything, go with a Honda. The KTM just seems to require a little more attention in some areas.
Yah, I'm from Saskatchetoon!

MRE 02 250/500 conversion, pulse injector, twirp porting, coolhead, MRE ignition, blah blah blah blah... www.millarengines.com
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dannygraves
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Post by dannygraves »

I love the katooms and have really thought about a 525sx especially for the dunes, but the one thing that gets me is parts. They are great to buy new and replace every few years, but I almost bought a 450sx a few years back and it was going for super cheap because it needed a crank. Before I pulled the trigger I went online and found that they only made that crank design for one year, only KTM makes it and it cost nearly $700 for just the crank. I would be stupid to not do a top end at the same time and I was finding the same situation with the top end parts. I would stick with the jap 4 if you want to have it for a while. If you want a great bike that will be some one else's problem when you wear it out, absolutely go with the ktm.
'09 kx450f 4-Poke
Gen-4 trail bike --SOLD--
Gen-3 badass trail/mx bike --SOLD--
Gen-1 built dunes bike --SOLD--
'05 klx110 --SOLD--
'95 pw80
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dannygraves
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Post by dannygraves »

If you get either the KX or YZ, absolutely invest in a stabilizer. They both get a little shakey in the washed out stuff and with a stabilizer and pushing the forks down a little in the triples I was able to get rid of all the headshake and improve the midrange turning without sacrificing much of the fast turning ability. The KX springs stock are perfect for a 180-200lb rider which was great for me at 190 as I didn't have to respring. Stock my backend would swap a little in the whoops and raising the rebound and lowering the compression made that go away. They have changed the suspension around since '09 and in fact in '10 they added a new rear shock link that fixed pretty much everything I dislike about mine. I got it so well setup now that that I never bothered to buy the new link.
The KX is geared super tall in the gearbox so they put 13/50 gears on it stock. For nasty ST I put a 52 on the rear and in kept me out of the clutch and gave me more control. Even running 13/52 that 5th gear is nasty, easily 80-85 MPH, my helmet barely stays on my head.
'09 kx450f 4-Poke
Gen-4 trail bike --SOLD--
Gen-3 badass trail/mx bike --SOLD--
Gen-1 built dunes bike --SOLD--
'05 klx110 --SOLD--
'95 pw80
Image
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Rhino89523
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Post by Rhino89523 »

My buddies who ride the KTM's have zero problems but like I said they only keep them 2 years and then they turn into someone elses problem. My friends seem to be close enough on ideal weight and all that and can get them to work pretty dam well right out of the box....2 years get the next one. Reasonable returns on the 2 year old model.
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Nodge
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Post by Nodge »

My KTM is an 08, and has around 50 hours on the stock engine. Has a recalled camshaft still in it (auto decompressor doesn't work) this bike is harder to kick than a CR500 but luckily it has an easy button! (Which is why I have never bothered to switch out the cam shaft.)
Yah, I'm from Saskatchetoon!

MRE 02 250/500 conversion, pulse injector, twirp porting, coolhead, MRE ignition, blah blah blah blah... www.millarengines.com
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