Who's got the balls to do a 09 ?

[hoofarted]

I even got the full bailey kit for the gen-3

Dick - awesome deal off of CL u bastage. I wish they made one for the Gen2

so she is getting some major porting treatment

Thought this is supposed to be your "trail" bike, not a light switch like the Gen1....

[high velocity]

I have to disagree with the gen 4 bad handling.I have an 06 450500 and this bike handles great at high speed or the tight stuff.I do not run a steering dampner, but it has 22 offset clamps.It does not headshake.I can pass baja set up xr 650s like they are parked in the sand washes.Maybe you need to pay more attention to your suspension setup!

[AJ]

oldslow fart-
for the record i dint mean to come off so damn defensive. lol


basically ive an opinion like any other rider,,
its worth no more or no less..
i likely ride a bit more than most folks.
but in the end its just a personal opinion and preference.

heck i really dont enjoy riding 125's , or 250's ,and some guys really like them!!
while i'm the right size to be a 125 pilot..
i love 500's , just how it is for me.
and like that engine size prefrence, ,i have chassis preferences as well...


its funny because i like most any bike,, heck i race my poor xr100 in full on hare scrambles and enduro races and put it thru helll
good times!

i still have a gen 3 500AF ,and ride it often, so its not like i dislike them.
but when compared back to back..in a full range of situations
i'll take A GEN 4 crf250 based 500af .evertytime, no doubt at all.. and that includes desert.(but then the desert i do seldom ride ,, and then its trighter single track style)

Ive ridden most all the gens back to back in places like jawbone,dove canyon, red mountain, big bear, kennedy meadows, keysville/lake isaballa glamis, gorman ,and countless so cal or mid west mx tracks and trail systems.
for me personlly it is that both are good bikes ,
but one diffinantly stands out !!
and is easier (for me) to ride the gen 4 (250/500) both in short mx style races and all day rides in rough terrian.
if i dint compare them often back to back the same day,
i think my opinion wouldnt be so strong, since both on any given ride do a fantastic job.


as far as the 09 450,, i dont find it any better handling than an 08 crf250..

i lot of bling, not much substance over a good 08 450..

just my opinion.. everyone has one, or maybe two..

[dannygraves]

that '09 450 looks like a real PITA to convert too. they left LESS ROOM for the motor and less room for the pipe. I wouldn't be surprised if it was impossible to convert without major mods like a whole new cradle and custom tank, custom pipe, etc.
I think the gen-3s convert like butter with no need for tank or airbox mods, minimal rad mods and the ability to keep the lower mounts and and have a proper engine angle. I won't do another gen-4 conversion, even if someone offered to pay me. I don't care how pro-fabricator-tastic you are a gen-4 can't convert as clean as a gen-3.

[dannygraves]

I even got the full bailey kit for the gen-3

Dick - awesome deal off of CL u bastage. I wish they made one for the Gen2

so she is getting some major porting treatment

Thought this is supposed to be your "trail" bike, not a light switch like the Gen1....

I'm gonna get a thumper for a trail bike. chances are I will like the gen-3 more and keep it as a dunes bike and sell the built gen-1 to some lucky bastard who likes to haul ass!

[hoofarted]

I'm gonna get a thumper for a trail bike.

[dannygraves]

STFU, I ride trails with guys on 450s and to be honest, they can ride longer without getting tired, have more controlable power deliver which helps with riding through the nasty's and they can pin in through the whoops and lose my ass. If I pin it in those nasty whoops, I'll get wheel spin, hookup and loop the bike, I have scars on my chin, face and legs to prove it
plus I wannt get something brand new

[lewisclan]

I love my thumper as my trail bike xr650r

[hoofarted]

STFU, I ride trails with guys on 450s and to be honest, they can ride longer without getting tires, have more controlable power deliver which helps with riding through the nasty's and they can pin in through the whoops and lose my ass. If I pin it in those nasty whoops, I'll get wheel spin, hookup and loop the bike, I have scars on my chin, face and legs to prove it
plus I wannt get something brand new

Oohhh - waaa! Deal with the tires, you pussy. And if you had mellow porting, that would be a non-issue with that light switch motor of yurs.

I have scars on my chin, face and legs

That was from the sheep you were chasing with Brit.

[dannygraves]

I meant to say "tired" and I'm talking about my gen-4 with the non-ported motor.

[Balaclava]

i don't get it danny? the first day i jumped on my AF it was like heaven...the ass end is alot more bouncy then my 450 but in the trails i was impossible to catch...i was smoking 250's and 450's like they were nothing and i was riding with like 6 guys...even in the tight stuff...hey danny i've got a very nice 06 450 i would have no problem parting up and shipping your way!...i'm building my gen 3 and one of my af's is most likely going on the road, and the other is my dirt bike for all occasions...after riding my 500 i got on my 450 to see how the white bros pipe i just put on performed and in all honesty it felt like i was riding an xr200...they are smooth but super boring...

[MICK]

I don't know if you've heard of one, but word is the KTM 300 is a pretty good trail bike...

Lord knows there are better two stroke choices out there for trails than a 500. I'm kind of partial to the 200cc class bikes myself. My '93 KX125 / KDX200 conversion I had was an incredible trail bike, and obviously a great moto bike as well. I sold it trying to buy a new CR500 in 2000...I was an idiot

[Exnav]

I've been thinking that the 300 would make a nice hare scramble bike, which was my original intention to ride when I got back into bikes.

[ShanMan]

honestly, my '07 300 XC-W was the best bike I have ever ridden.....bar none. In fact, I am officially the world's biggest DB for selling it...about two days after that picture was taken in fact. I paid $6800...rode it for almost a year, prolly put $1200 into it and sold it for $6300....not to shabby.

[arleybeer40]

I wish i would have bought one of those instead of my 450, but i could'nt resist $5,600 otd.

[MICK]

The 300 KTMs I think are such a neat bike. A good friend of mine trades his for a new one every year. Doesn't touch a thing on them. Rides and races them for one season bone stock then gets the next year's model. It's been a pleasure to ride every one of them. I'm excited to ride the '09 model

A guy can get anybike he wants, two or fourstroke, his decision needs no explanation. It's your money. But man I wouldn't pass a 300 up as a trail bike for a four stroke any sooner than I'd shower in gasoline and strike a match to my face.

[ShanMan]

imo...the new KTM XC-W 300 with the button might be the greatest trail specific invention since the knobby! I will own one at some point. My 300 ripped in the dunes too, but........when I rode AlisoBob's 500 at Jawbone, I realized maybe for the first time what a properly running 500 really felt like (his ran better than any of the three I owned). I can only imagine how good one must be in the dunes....except for the overheating issue. A 300 can be absolutely FLOGGED in any terrain and it will never overheat, simple as that. The clutch on a 500 is the real culprit. I always said a 500 with a Rekluse might be one seriously nasty-good trailbike.

[AJ]

The rekluse is a great option for sure for a *trailed* 500
i love the newer full disengament style pro models..
good stuff.(worth every penny for that type of riding )

and i also like the KTM300's ,, simply great bikes.


as a fun ptroject bike ,
ive got a KX250F right now with a new KX250 engine in it,, was thinking of
doing a 300 or 310 big bore kit on ..
should be a good all around scoot?

[Ported&Polished]

I think a cr250 with a 370 kit would be an awesome trail bike. Just expensive with the jug costing alot, but it is power valved so it could be faster than a stock cr500 engine.

[teemtrubble]

KTM300

[dannygraves]

hhhhhmmmmmmm
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/mcy/835203723.html

[ShanMan]

I think you would be better served t ogo 2007 or newer Danny. KTM really got thsat bike mechanically dialed for the 2007 model year. there were a few small "issues" with older models...not deal breakers mind you, but things to be aware of.

[dannygraves]

I think you would be better served t ogo 2007 or newer Danny. KTM really got thsat bike mechanically dialed for the 2007 model year. there were a few small "issues" with older models...not deal breakers mind you, but things to be aware of.

care to elaborate??

[teemtrubble]

Let's just say find something wrong with the 08 KTM300!

[britincali]

Let's just say find something wrong with the 08 KTM300!

Its orange......