Important question

Maccapacca

Maccapacca

Maccapacca

Tea Drinker
Don
Joined
13 Apr 2010
Posts
18,455
Location
Sunny Sussex
Important question, I'm paralysed by indecision

All around £5-6k couple of years old, I'm 6'3" so needs to suit, I'm no motocross rider going to be tabletopping or sliding round corners, green laning and maybe an enduro day or two.

All 4 stroke, various models available, road legal with MOT etc

Yamaha WR 450
Husquvana FE 450
Honda CRF 450
 
Take the Husky off the table straight away, the lack of parts availabilty and dealerships with good mechanics will make that a PITA. Buying a "boutique" brand in the middle of the supply chain crisis we're in would be silly.

The Yamaha will be faster and lighter at the cost of sturdiness, the Honda will be the opposite: a bit less hooligan but will last you forever.

Go ride both and see what you think, but don't underestimate the capabilities of something like a Tenere 700 too, that'll be a much better all-round bike for your needs.
 
Diddums said:
Take the Husky off the table straight away, the lack of parts availabilty and dealerships with good mechanics will make that a PITA. Buying a "boutique" brand in the middle of the supply chain crisis we're in would be silly.

The Yamaha will be faster and lighter at the cost of sturdiness, the Honda will be the opposite: a bit less hooligan but will last you forever.

Go ride both and see what you think, but don't underestimate the capabilities of something like a Tenere 700 too, that'll be a much better all-round bike for your needs.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I've just sold my 1250 GS so not thinking about anything that big for a while, mates have CRF 350s and happily green laning. I've ridden the Yamaha and Husquvana on enduro days, the WR was an animal whilst the FE rode like clockwork. Think the answer is the Honda really :D
 
So the Honda is in 3 liveries

L road version not suitable for off road
R motocross not many road registered
RX road going version of the R with different wheel sizes, slightly different gearing, bigger fuel tank, electric start

What is a concern is the service intervals of the RX, piston and ring every 15 hours Jesus. New chain every 7.5 hours
 
Maccapacca said:
So the Honda is in 3 liveries

L road version not suitable for off road
R motocross not many road registered
RX road going version of the R with different wheel sizes, slightly different gearing, bigger fuel tank, electric start

What is a concern is the service intervals of the RX, piston and ring every 15 hours Jesus. New chain every 7.5 hours
Click to expand...

May as well go the whole hog and get a smoker then, if you're gonna suffer that kind of maintenance regime you may as well get a ridiculous powerband to go with it!
 
Bloody hell :eek:

klDheeT.png



Still better than my old mopeds though, we were lucky to get three hours out of a piston before it went pop, usually a billion miles from home :D
 
Diddums said:
May as well go the whole hog and get a smoker then, if you're gonna suffer that kind of maintenance regime you may as well get a ridiculous powerband to go with it!
Click to expand...


Just started watching a video about changing the piston, 3 minutes in I turned it off. I have easier things to ruin
 
Maccapacca said:
Just started watching a video about changing the piston, 3 minutes in I turned it off. I have easier things to ruin
Click to expand...

Changing a whole top end on a decent 2 stroke takes less than 30 mins.

This may or may not be related to the fact that we did it at least once weekly and had all the tools needed under our seats, YMMV :p
 
Honestly if you want to do this properly, then buy a bike trailer for a grand, stick a Kawa KX450 on it and take it with you. Riding to and from your green lanes on a bike designed for bundu bashing will kill you, the tyre noise on asphalt alone will make you cry, let alone the fact that it's like riding with a rampant rabbit shoved up your arse.

As an added bonus, you can occasionally take MinaMacca with you on his little bike too.

For some context, I had an old XT600 years ago which was for this exact purpose, and I ended up getting shot not because of the thumping single under my butt which a) wanted to shake my skeleton out of my skin and b) got hotter than a jack Russell in heat, but because of the tyres. Nobblies on asphalt are just a massive nope, there's a reason supermotos became so popular. Oh and the gearing. 80mph is kindasorta top speed on a 450, with the engine pegged at 9k RPM. Not a pleasant experience, trust me.
 
Asked them to add the Akrapovic slip on, something I’ll always want so may as well from the off.

Doubt I’ll be in need of more power ha
 
It's the problem with dirt bikes.

125's are just too slow for road use really. The bigger bikes as above, the road legal ones are bit heavy, bit slow, so your basically comprising performance both on road and off, because it can do both.

The full on off road bikes can be relatively easily converted to be road legal yourself, and are then great both on and off road, but then you have the stupid service intervals. To be fair, the 15 hour interval is probably...a lot more than that if you are not ragging the **** out of it, but even so........

So you can't win either way.
 
I really wish i would borrow one the new KTM 2 strokes (250 or 300) for a weekend or so :D:D:D
KTM 300 EXC TPI 2022 - LEGENDARY ENDURO - KTM

One my most fun bikes i have ever owned was a Honda MTX200 back in mid 80's and that was also my last 2 stroke bike i have ever rode or owned :(..
Edit: tell a lie i just remembered that i did own and rode an OR50 (with 70cc kit) & KM100 a few years later for a while when i lost my car & bigger bike licences for 3 months & 6 months.
 
Last edited:
For closure FE450 just running it in then a service to meet the warranty and they are upping the springs for a heavier rider then some acf and get on those green lanes.

Just rode it for an hour, feels like I’ve been in a tumble dryer

gjxMcq3.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom