Which Bike To Get?

[Kimberley Scott]

Just to clarify something for the guy that started this thread. Two stroke generally dont rev much higher than four strokes. They just fire every two strokes as opposed to every four strokes and to the ear they sound like they are revving harder.

Good luck with your choice.

Scotty

[turtle33]

Don't agree at all with what your saying nearly all the shoot outs these days always have at least one or 2 testers who are clubman riders or just plain old trail hacks. They also go to into detail about which bikes would suit certain types of riders. Hence why the award the best bike for different styles of riding not just an overall winner.

It's a fine line between picking a bike that's not going to kill you in the first 5 minutes and something that you won't outgrow in 3 months. my first bike was a WR426, now that was a step learning curve! While my skill level at the time was much more suited to a 250F or XR400, I went with the bigger bike and managed to not kill myself. There were times early on when I though what the hell am I doing but I was pleased I did further down the track when I didn't have to buy another bike as my skills improved.

While a DRZ 400 or XR 400 sound like it would suit wesleytarbuck well they simply won't deliver the excitement of a 450.

I guess you and I will have to disagree, a 250f is like a 125 2t they are possibly the hardest bike to ride really fast in the BUSH. I know a lot of the "clubman" guys that do some of the reviews, mate I can tell you they would be very competitive in c grade and even mid pack b grade. Industy shootouts are written with so much bias it unfukenbelievable. How many times has the KTM wone the comp? heaps, it would have to be in my bottom 3 every single time, sh*t brakes and WTF is the go with the steering? They have fukall bottom end and a aggressive top end. BUT that said it would rate in my top 3 for a comp bike. (yes I have raced a bit in my time) Every time without fail that I go outriding, I would ride almost every KTM with us up one or more hill so I have a good idea suites an intermediate rider. If you really think that you can out ride a xr400 or a DRZ 400 then let me tell you, your a gun. Mate I used to ride cr500's in the big desert races in aust, and in the bush on my 200 t2 (05 GG) im am so much faster than on the cr or even the GG450 and it would have nearly 50 less hp than the cr and 15 less than the GG450 A good rider on a sh*t bike will alway beat a sh*t rider on a good bike. Too many guy ride too far beyond their abilites that its not funny, ive taken 20y/o's to hospital to have limbs removed because thaty brought "THE GUN BIKE" they read about in ADB and it was just way too much. The excitement you talk of is being sh*t scared I take it? While your being "scared/excited I would be long gone with all the traction and smooth cornering that my sub 30hp bike offers and I will still be going flat out after 6 hrs because my bike hasn't worn me out in the first hour from all the "excitement"

[turtle33]

I ride a CR500, torque isnt a problem and would MASH any typical 4stroke. cept maybe a very select few euro bikes...

a KTM EXC300 2stroke would be a great trail/track bike with prety low maintenance!

For a beginner? are you serious?

[NATHOON]

For a beginner? are you serious?

Buy an rxv 550 v twin aprilia I just did http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1rFKJqaPMg listen to this thing

[turtle33]

Buy an rxv 550 v twin aprilia I just did http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1rFKJqaPMg listen to this thing

supermoto

bush way too much bike. Do a search on the atk and see a bike that is just way too much.

[JBomb3000]

I guess you and I will have to disagree, a 250f is like a 125 2t they are possibly the hardest bike to ride really fast in the BUSH. I know a lot of the "clubman" guys that do some of the reviews, mate I can tell you they would be very competitive in c grade and even mid pack b grade. Industy shootouts are written with so much bias it unfukenbelievable. How many times has the KTM wone the comp? heaps, it would have to be in my bottom 3 every single time, sh*t brakes and WTF is the go with the steering? They have fukall bottom end and a aggressive top end. BUT that said it would rate in my top 3 for a comp bike. (yes I have raced a bit in my time) Every time without fail that I go outriding, I would ride almost every KTM with us up one or more hill so I have a good idea suites an intermediate rider. If you really think that you can out ride a xr400 or a DRZ 400 then let me tell you, your a gun. Mate I used to ride cr500's in the big desert races in aust, and in the bush on my 200 t2 (05 GG) im am so much faster than on the cr or even the GG450 and it would have nearly 50 less hp than the cr and 15 less than the GG450 A good rider on a sh*t bike will alway beat a sh*t rider on a good bike. Too many guy ride too far beyond their abilites that its not funny, ive taken 20y/o's to hospital to have limbs removed because thaty brought "THE GUN BIKE" they read about in ADB and it was just way too much. The excitement you talk of is being sh*t scared I take it? While your being "scared/excited I would be long gone with all the traction and smooth cornering that my sub 30hp bike offers and I will still be going flat out after 6 hrs because my bike hasn't worn me out in the first hour from all the "excitement"

I understand what your saying, I have a mate with a DRZ 400 and over my enduro loop which is mainly tight second gear single trail with a few third gear straights I can ride the DRZ faster (and for longer) than the WR around it. As soon as we get on to some more open fire trails the WR takes over. I can't ride a WR450 to it's full potential (and I mean "ride" not hold it flat out in top gear down a straight) and I'm fully aware of this but part of the beauty of it is you don't have to. The new 450's don't need to be ridden on the button all the time as much as smaller capacity bikes do. You can lugg it a bit, run a gear higher here and there, be a bit lazy with the clutch out of corners and you can get away with it. It's horses for courses and in an ideal world I'd have 3 or 4 bikes at home and pick the one that is best suited to the riding I'm planning on doing on that particular day but the current crop of 450's are IMO the best compromise to being all things to all people.

As far as the excitement factor, I just don't get the addrealin rush when I crack the DRZ wide open on a fire trail as I do with the WR and that is a trade off about being slower around the enduro loop and not being able to ride for as long that I'm willing to make. Some aren't and I can appreciate that point of view as well.

At the end of the day the shootouts results come down to exactly what your looking for in a bike and that was the point I was trying to make was that this is emphasized fairly heavily in the mags these day that certain bikes are more suited to certain riders, they don't just say bike X is the best as they used to a few years back.

[JBomb3000]

Buy an rxv 550 v twin aprilia I just did :spoton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1rFKJqaPMg listen to this thing

The V twin certainly has a very distinct note to it, awesome looking bike but I don't think I'd like to be doing the maintenance on one. Having to take the engine out to adjust the valve clearance I'll pass.

[tmac450]

I guess you and I will have to disagree, a 250f is like a 125 2t they are possibly the hardest bike to ride really fast in the BUSH. I know a lot of the "clubman" guys that do some of the reviews, mate I can tell you they would be very competitive in c grade and even mid pack b grade. Industy shootouts are written with so much bias it unfukenbelievable. How many times has the KTM wone the comp? heaps, it would have to be in my bottom 3 every single time, sh*t brakes and WTF is the go with the steering? They have fukall bottom end and a aggressive top end. BUT that said it would rate in my top 3 for a comp bike. (yes I have raced a bit in my time) Every time without fail that I go outriding, I would ride almost every KTM with us up one or more hill so I have a good idea suites an intermediate rider. If you really think that you can out ride a xr400 or a DRZ 400 then let me tell you, your a gun. Mate I used to ride cr500's in the big desert races in aust, and in the bush on my 200 t2 (05 GG) im am so much faster than on the cr or even the GG450 and it would have nearly 50 less hp than the cr and 15 less than the GG450 A good rider on a sh*t bike will alway beat a sh*t rider on a good bike. Too many guy ride too far beyond their abilites that its not funny, ive taken 20y/o's to hospital to have limbs removed because thaty brought "THE GUN BIKE" they read about in ADB and it was just way too much. The excitement you talk of is being sh*t scared I take it? While your being "scared/excited I would be long gone with all the traction and smooth cornering that my sub 30hp bike offers and I will still be going flat out after 6 hrs because my bike hasn't worn me out in the first hour from all the "excitement"

You've blown your credibility out of the window by saying a 250f is harder to ride. You do have to ride them harder, but they are easier to do so on. I can go harder for longer on my 250f than on any 450 Ive had or ridden (my lap times are faster too. They don't wear you out and because of their mild power delivery you can use more of the bike's power.

Your comments on KTM brakes and steering being crap would also indicate you have little knowledge of the brand. All modern bikes have great brakes that work great, but what most people don't notice on the KTMs, Huskies,Bergs, Gas Gas, etc, they have far larger adjustment ranges and any sponginess or snappiness in the brakes can be removed. Also, the KTM steering is widely regarded as one of the sharpest around (I do agree they are competition orientated), but as I said earlier, they are very suceptable to adjustments, and have a much larger range of adjustment than most other bikes on the market. Also, since 2005, the famous KTM head shake at high speed has ben pretty much removed.

I like most bikes on today's market as they can all suit any rider when set up correctly. I just get annoyed when I hear flippant comments. You'll find that the Jap bikes tend to come out with a middle of the road (universal) set up, while the Euro bikes have many more adjustments and need to be set up to suit each rider. And your comments on bottom end??? On the 250f, a quick re-jet fixes that and all 250fs have low bottom ends anyway. On the 450s and 525s, they have about the smoothest, linear and consistant power deliveries in the market. In fact, their top ends are lacking compared to the rest of the market.

With your comments on the rider abilities, you seem to misunderstand that club level clubman and state/national level are completely different. The big flaw in your comments obout the rider's abilities is the inclusion of both main magazine editors. Shannon Warner is most certainly a genuine, club level clubman rider, Andy Wiggan barely even rates as a trail hack.

Overall, I agree that a good rider on a crap bike will flog a crap rider on a good bike anyday and that it is important for riders not to get on a bike they can't handle.

[tmac450]

The V twin certainly has a very distinct note to it, awesome looking bike but I don't think I'd like to be doing the maintenance on one. Having to take the engine out to adjust the valve clearance I'll pass.

The way the motor hangs out exposed to rocks and sh*t with no frame protection, not for me.

[NATHOON]

supermoto

bush way too much bike. Do a search on the atk and see a bike that is just way too much.

I like something I need to tame or its just not fun!. I just put a exhaust ion and it is the fatest dirt bike I have ever herd. they dyno these babys at about 70 hpatw standard with the de-restricters taken out