Maintenance & Technical > KX450F / KX250F
KX450F vs. KX500
GDubb:
That is exactly what has kept me out of the 4 choke market. My girlfriend is getting ready to buy her first bike ever (after I took her for a ride on my K5 she was hooked!). The salesmen at the local Kawi dealership and at the Honda dealership were both pushing the new fourstrokes. I told them they had got to be kidding if they thought I was gonna buy a bike that was gonna cost half of what I paid for it just to rebuild it when the time came. Honda didnt have anything to offer except a CR85 for a 2 stroke, and Kawi was pushing the KLX140L. But she is a smart cookie, and is set on the KX100.
One good thing about the fourstroke 450f and 250f is that in the future there should be plenty of rolling chasis' on the market for pretty cheap and if I can ever afford it, it will be K5 swap city for me.
-G
Uzi9mm:
:x My buddy recently got a CRF450X. I guess the valves must be adjusted at certain intervals. The first adjustment cost him about 500$. Then the bike was makin some funny noises, it cost him 400$ and change. Somthing about the compression release. He was looking at aftermarket exhausts too. But decided against it. An after market Pro-Circuit setup is around 7 or 800$. NO Thanks, I stay with the KX500! 8-)
Texas Champ.:
The valves are a constant adjustment problem. The compression release works of of the exaust valves and has to be adjusted as well then you've got the cam chain , even if you have an auto adjuster..you still have to check it. The cost of a 4 stk. exaust will get your 2 stk a pipe ,and suspension set up nice, unbreakable levers and aftermarket replacement reeds....lay them over in a corner during a race and see which one starts first...the NGK plug for a CR450f msrp right at $16.00 ......Kerry
BDI:
I just had to put a head on a yamaha yfz 450. Unloaded head $425.00, valves $80.00 X 5, cams $300.00, springs $1.25 X5 . I was able to use the the retainers and seats. These are the best prices I could find on line and and did not include piston, cylinder and gaskets this was for an 04 quad.I still feal bad for fixing the bike for the guy I tried to talk him in to parting it out and buying a new one.
don46:
--- Quote from: Texas Champ. on April 26, 2008, 03:12:53 AM ---I race the Houston area, You wouldn't believe the number of racers that have "Had It" with 4 strokes....You'r first comprehensive over haul will cost you 1/2 of what the bikes original cost is and this will happen from 35 to 70 hrs. on the engine . I'm not sure the 4 stroke is going to work well . many families can't afford the higher 4 stk. cost as opposed to what they used to pay to run a 2 stk....If you fall they dont restart well , finicky jetting is very sensitive to temp. and altiutde changes...and the Fuel injected Suzi's are a constant maintenance item..(maybe down the line they'll get better)..The AMA has restructured the classes to benifit the 2 stk this year...The new YZ 250 Has a 4 stk like powerband to help lure riders back...2 Strokes aren't dead yet...with the encomomy in a pinch, look for 2 strokes to sell very well this year...and of course manufactures will notice ..they don't like to build bikes that won't sell.....Kerry
--- End quote ---
We've had riders go back as well, but then most aren't the most mechanically apt anyways and it wouldn't matter whether they rode 2 or 4 stroke. I don't know where you got the 35-70 hrs. number or the 1/2 the cost of new, but I would have to call BULL, I've had 5 250f's and 1 450f and haven't had problem 1 on either, these are Race/Practice bikes. Oil and air filters are changed diligently, valves are checked frequently, rarely have I had to adjust them, the 450 is on it's second season, I've cleaned the scavenger screen, changed the piston, checked the valves (they haven't moved since new) it runs like a watch. In my opinion, most people that have problems can be traced back to them, and it doesn't matter the brand. Oil and air are number one, then stay off the rev limiter all the time, can't tell you how many times I've listened to some of the local racers riding them like a 125, hammering the rev limiter, and low and behold they are the ones with the crappy bike that blows up, and right next to them is the same brand with no troubles.
Admittedly they are more labor intensive and cost more if they do blow up, but out on the track a 250 2t doesn't stand a chance, if they did you'd see more at the races. I read an article in DR today, there was a kid that was trying to qualify a 250 RM, couldn't make it, then went out on a 450he'd never been on before and beat his lap times by 7 sec. If a person was only doing cross country or trail rideing a 250 2t would be a fine play bike, but if you want serious MX you have to go 4t.
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