HELP!PLEASE! Which model to buy? 450SXF?

[canucklehead]

Sorry as I'm sure this type of question has been posted a million times. Unfortunately, my son has someone coming today to try and trade him for a 450SXF and I urgently need input/feedback. THANK YOU for any help.

My son has a KTM 525 ATV. He has ridden dirtbike in the past, but has been on the 525 quad for awhile. Suddenly he and his riding pal want to get Honda 450 dirtbikes. I told him to look at KTM.

I called our older cousin who has tons of riding experience. He cringed at the 450s indicating they are valved different, higher maintenance, more finicky, etc.. He suggested the 250 is awesome, and the 300 2-stroke model is great..says you can lug it and not have to scream it, even tho it's a 2-stroke.

We live in BC with lots of mountains, trails. Sometimes rocky or muddy. My son says they like riding fast on logging roads and also want the hill climb ability. I know for a fact he was the ultimate 4x4 trail rider on his quad and loved proving the 4x4 guys wrong that they could take their sport quads wherever the 4x4s went. And they did, so i know he'll end up in trails at times, and won't just be flat out racing. There will be steep, tree'd trails too, where i think you'll need to be able to go kinda slow at times.

Somebody is coming today with a 2007 SXF 450 that wants to trade for his 525 quad. It is a 4-speed. The engine was recently rebuilt because of some valve issue. The seller says he raced it twice. He has upgraded to some type of top end suspension (R3?). I'm worried that this is a motocross bike and only good for screaming/racing and will not be good for trails or slow. The guy told my son 1st gear is ultra low.

Anything we should check over extra careful, or weak points on these 450s?

So is this a good idea? If we find we don't like it, will it be hard to re-sell? I think my son is already convinced and it's a done deal for him. I'm very warey.

What do you think is the perfect model for the kind of riding I described? Don't all KTMs at 250cc ++ have gobs of speed and power anyways, good for hill climbs? I was thinking the 250 or 300. Should we be afraid of the 450?

thanks!!

[bajadog]

Sorry I missed your post yesterday.

I'd shy away from an SX for trail riding, especially anything technical or single
track.

300(two stroke) EXC or 400(f) EXC would be my choices.

Just my two cents.

[ktmpegger]

I have a 2011 450SX-F and ride desert. Other than the soft front forks it's been the best out of the box bike I've ever purchased. I can't speak for older model SXF's but mine is well suited for off-road after the usual upgrades that don't come with the SX models such as a full skid plate. I feel that it is a worthy off-road bike.

My only concern would be your son coming off of a quad to a big bore dirt bike. Two completely different worlds. The dirt bike IMO is much more versatile and will get you to more places much quicker than a quad but there is a trade off. It requires more skill and discipline to stay on top of one. That being said I believe two wheels is much more rewarding!

Good luck on whatever you and your son decide!

[canucklehead]

thanks for the feedback. how do I convince a teenager of this? You've sold me.

[bajadog]

Originally Posted by canucklehead

thanks for the feedback. how do I convince a teenager of this? You've sold me.

Let him sit on one.....

[canucklehead]

Originally Posted by bajadog

Let him sit on one.....

well, seller came by tonight. my son sat on it, rode it.... loved it. really not a big test ride, but he liked the first 2 gears. he had his mind made up forever on this. so now he has a 450 dirtbike with RG3 forks, and we don't have an Outlaw 525 anymore.

are these batteries very strong, or will they only give you a few cranks before they're too weak?

AND... can you convert the '07 model to have kickstart aswell?

I'm hoping he finds it a bit too crazy and opts for something a bit saner. right now, I'm not really out anything,as this was a swap.

[bajadog]

Originally Posted by canucklehead

are these batteries very strong, or will they only give you a few cranks before they're too weak?

AND... can you convert the '07 model to have kickstart aswell?

Those batteries are very reliable, as long as they are kept charged.

Get one of these:
http://www.ktmforums.com/forums/ride...e-systems.html


And as of now there is no kick start kit for the SXF, remember it is
designed as a closed course motocross type bike (where you would have access to cables). Most track bikes are getting ride of kickstarts to save
a few pounds.


How about some pix?

[canucklehead]

sure, i'll post some pics, but my photo hosting skills are lacking so it may take awhile.

I always laugh at the efforts to reduce weight on a bike. maybe in competitive racing everyone is light and nimble and built like a jockey, but we're packing more spare tire around the waists, than they'll ever remove from the bike!!

[bajadog]

Originally Posted by canucklehead

but we're packing more spare tire around the waists, than they'll ever remove from the bike!!

Amen!!!