Question for those that have gone to the dark side.

[don46]

Now I'm sure Im going to catch some crap from some one for this but this is my OPINION.You can't go wrong with a new kx450 or crf450. These bikes share the same showa suspension and is arguably the best stock suspension to ever come on any perduction dirt bike ever and is probably better then a lot of after market suspension from the past.

Sorry, Brian, the 450 Kawi uses KYB components the 250f uses Showa. The 07 450 is pretty radical, kawi tamed the 08 to remove some of the hit. I have a 250f and a 450f, personally I like the 250f for trail riding, it doesn't tire you out. Beware, 4t are wayyyy more work to maintain, as BDI says you either pay now or pay later, do the oil changes, valve adjustments and other necessary PM work and you'll love it

[BDI]

Oops my bad either way the suspension is going to be sweet especially if you take the time to dial it in for your weight. I think It's the Suzuki 450 that has the showa stuff like honda oops. Any way If you want a new bike you should go get one. I still recommend geting one with electric start so you can do like I did call baja designes and get an HID light for It.

[tlrbandit]

I'm getting answers that kind of match my thinking so I guess that's good.  I have ridden quite a bit with riders on new 450's and never had trouble keeping up, especially in the desert and mountains where big power comes into play.  Tight trails and real technical stuff though it always looked like the guys on 450's were working less, even though I was faster most of the time.  I don't think I will be selling me 500 just yet, but I do think I need to give a little more consideration to buying a new 450 though.     The suspension is really better huh?

[redlined_KX500]

I'm spending my re-enlistment bonus on a sweet brand new KX500AF from service Honda with all the goodies.

I'll keep my 97 mint for play days and the AF for MX business.

I'll never see the dark side.

check out www.servicehonda and look at their KX5AF.

[don46]

Is the suspension better, oh yeah, its a night and day difference, even if you've had your 500 revalved, there's no comparision.

The new KYB stuff is very similar to the Showa stuff, it works good. The 07 kawi is kind of 500 ish, relly quick but tractable, since we're not all James Stewart Kawi mellowed the 08 to make it more user friendly, it's down 3 hp over the 07

[TheGDog]

I am 40 years old and have owned my 1995 KX 500 since new.  The only real modifications made were revalved and resprung suspension.  I had a bit of an accident on it last year that involved some injuries, but I am now ready to start riding again.  My 500 has seen desert races, motocross races and has been the best play bike I could ask for.  It's a first kick (okay, maybe 2 kicks when cold), never fouled a plug dirt bike that I have loved.  Now that I able to start riding again I find that I am really liking the new KX450F and/or the CRF450r.  Here is what I am struggling with and my question to those riders that have crossed over to the four stroke world.  Is it a good change?  Are the four strokes good enough to replace the KX500?  I don't have any experience riding the new four strokes so I don't really know what they are like.  I know my 500 is faster because I have raced them.  I am more concerned with the quality of power and especially the newer designed chassis.  Depending on feedback before I either buy a new bike or dump a bunch of money into my 500.  Thanks in advance for your help.

Hey man... a little bit ago I had to liquidate a 2001 KTM450MXC (with Cali Plates and e-Start added).  After the need for a cash buffer subsided... I wanted to get another bike.  I didn't want a dualsport converted bike since in Cali you end up paying for both the street registration AND the off-road registration.

Before that I'd had a DRZ450S (stripped to essentials for dirt riding, re-sprung).

I finally came across a '96 KX500.  I'd always contemplated having one... and especially now since the Enviro-Nazi's are trying to clamp-down.

The DRZ450 is a Heavy bike... skip it altogether.

the KTM450MXC was pretty darn cool.  But now that I've ridden the K5... I could never go back to it.

Really the only thing the newer bikes are gonna have is a narrower slimmer feel... and they'll be a bit easier to stuff into super-cross style uber-tight turns. 

That being said... the seats on the newer bikes suck majorly.  They are ALL rock-hard grip mats basically... nothing else, no padding to speak of.  I suffered way more monkey-butt on the KTM than this KX.  And that's with sporting padded chamois racing underpants too.

There is NOTHING wrong with the suspension on my KX500.  In fact, the previous owner happened to have had it re-valved and re-sprung by the same tuner (CLEAN Racing) that worked on my KTM suspension.  Both of them are equally awesome in my eyes.  And Whoooooo Man!!!!  I can blitz across the desert floor and gnarly sand-whoops faster on the K5 than on any other bike I've ever owned.  Even faster than on the '97 RM250 I had owned.

In some rare instances I'll get some headshake on the K5... but that's only because with that unholy devil of a sexy engine I find myself blasting through things soo much faster with it than with that KTM.

I'd have to say the the newer 4-strokes are probably a touch easier for the masses at-large to go faster on, since you don't have the same kind of "hit" that the 2-strokes due however... I think that given the same pro-level rider on a well setup K5... he'd smoke'em in an embarassingly bad way. 

Mind you... because of the strength of the power of the k5 beast... I believe that same pro-level rider would most likely also finish whatever type of racing it is a bit more tired than his newer 4Stroke competitors.

But so what? right?  Who cares how tired ya are after you've just got finished handing them back they're asses at the finish line!

[5dracing]

Everyone has talked about the 450's. Whats the word on the bigger 4st like the KTM 525/505. I know of two guys near me that have ridden and raced the 525's and have not had much in the way of maintenace issues. One guy had a problem with the hyd clutch leaking, some tranny bearing issues but nothing that you could'nt have with a 2st.

Another kid that rides the 450's rode an entire season without even one valve adjustment on a yz 450. He did it becuse he wanted a project for when he went to MMI. The bike ran flawlessly. He was a good rider too, he qualified for the Areanacross in vegas 2 yrs in a row, plus was a top rider in the C class in the outdoor stuff. Also he raced nearly every weekend from march to november.

I guess my question is what's the talk of this higher maintenance? Am I missing something? My son has the CRF250r and yes I check the valves about every 10hrs or so and adjust the cam chain which takes about 1 1/2 hrs for every 10. On top of that you have the normal maintenance that is done to every bike 2 or 4 stroke.

I must be used to the high maintenance of the 50-85 cc bikes. Now theres equipment thats maintenance hungry. I never had to do so much mainteance on a bike as I did with the 50's.

Help me clear my head on this guys. I'm looking at getting a 450 for me that I can pass to the son in a year or two.

[KXcam22]

I've had my KX500 since 92.  Been a stellar workhorse and stone reliable.  I recently picked up a new CRF450R.  Yes I think that the new CRF is going to be more work but I am not worried about it.  I think that as long as you keep on top of it there will be no reliability issues.  I doubt a new 4 stroke could handle abuse like the KX.  I am looking forward to the improved suspension and handling traits of the latest chassis designs.  Hopefully I will be happy with the power. Ergos are nice but so is my KX.  What I will miss is not being different, the individual green wolf, and instead I join the everyday pack of red sheep. Cam.