Considering going to a YZ....

[CanadianWR450]

First, what I got now:

2004 WR 450, all free mods done.

Second, what I know:

Nothing! The 04 is my first dirt bike, and I have nothing to compare it too.

Third, why?

I have it my mind that I will get a brand new bike once fuel injection comes out (or maybe the second year of fuel injection). It will be a Yamaha for sure.

I was in at the dealer, picking some things up for the WR, and sat on a brand new YZ 450. I could NOT believe how much lighter it felt...just sitting on it!

Next - I would not have to do anything to a new YZ at all for "manditory mods" (grey wire, AIS, exhaust....etc..etc...).

Then, there is the fact that I'm 240 pounds, without gear, and again, I would not have to touch the YZ suspension for trail riding. I have to think that the stock YZ suspension is probably better suited to my weight then the stock WR suspension.

I should mention, I only trail ride, no track/racing.

Conditions? All over the map, rock, beaches, mud, dirt, tight stuff, fire roads, secondary dirt roads, everything except baja/desert (I'm in New Brunswick, Canada, on the Atlantic coast.

There does not appear to be any WR's (or CRF-X's for that matter) around here, but lots of YZ's, and CRF-R's on the trails.

E-start, side stand, light, not high on the "must have " list.

Is there anything I don't like about the WR?

No, but, I have nothing to compare it too.

The 2 BIGGEST factors are weight, and absolutly no need to mod.

Do my reasons make sence to you guys?

[mvryder]

Your priorities are pointing you towards the orange brand. You dont ride motocross but you want a motocross bike, wrong tool for the job right there. The brand you like only has one offering in the 450 off road category and it needs work to well.....work.

[Jeff_Steckline]

I have a 07 WR 450 with a YZ suspension. I love the bike but it is heavy. I just rode the KTM 08's 450, 505 and the 530, my buddy own's the KTM dealership in Carson City, NV. They are so worth checking out the 505 is a rocket ship as well as the 450 and the 530 is a great all around bike. I have had a blue bike sence 1976 but my 07 might be the last. Can you say 25 pounds lighter and race ready. Jeff S

[acarter92]

Part of the reason that the new yz is going to be lighter is well... it's new. If it's an 09 then that's five years they had to make the bike lighter. Now naturally the wr is always going to be heavier than the yz, but not by that much if you take off all of the junk.

The main thing that I personally like about my WR is the headlight. I'm 16 so I usually end up riding home in the dark (I ride to where I ride :-). The bigger gas tank is also very nice. Some of my buddies have bikes like the crf and yzf and they'll fill up twice before I even hit my reserve. (also remember that the yz doesn't have a reserve, so when your out your out). The yz is good for what it's made for and that's the track. To be honest it sounds like you might be better off with a wr250, it's going to be lighter and it really doesn't sound like you need the power of the 450.

Austin

[CanadianWR450]

All good points, the WR 250 is out though, I LOVE power...and around here, you can use it....

I looked at KTM's, I'm just a huge fan of the yamaha reliability, and low maintainance

Regardless, my 04 WR isn't going anywhere till fuel injection is out, so....it will be 2010 at the earliest, and they did not have a new 2009 WR there as a fair comparison in the weight difference.

I should also mention that I have no need, or desire to plate a dirt bike.

Keep the opinions coming though, I appreiciate the different views.

[erickdj]

. Can you say 25 pounds lighter and race ready. Jeff S

Really? Which KTM is off-road race ready and 25 pounds lighter than a WR? 450, 505, 530? Don't say the 300, that's a 2-stroke.

[Jeff_Steckline]

Really? Which KTM is off-road race ready and 25 pounds lighter than a WR? 450, 505, 530? Don't say the 300, that's a 2-stroke.

Ok you got me, I was going off memory from Cycle News a few weeks ago. It was the 300,? but the 450 is still 10 pounds less and it's race ready. I love my WR but it took a lot of time and money to get it to level I needed to race. IMHO, peace. Jeff S

[SXP]

Ok you got me, I was going off memory from Cycle News a few weeks ago. It was the 300,? but the 450 is still 10 pounds less and it's race ready. I love my WR but it took a lot of time and money to get it to level I needed to race. IMHO, peace. Jeff S

Jeff - First dibs on the YZ suspension when you do the Judas thing:smirk:

[Ridon]

I had the same year WR450 with you and now i switched to a YZ450 2008.

It is a totally differend thing...I race mostly Hare Scrambles and i decided to race motocross also this year. The YZ450 is so light that sometimes makes me feel i'm riding an 125. Plenty of power, better turning, bigger jumps...it's awesome!? Do the transition and you will not be dissapointed, i'll never go back to WR's again that's for sure.

[Jeff_Steckline]

Jeff - First dibs on the YZ suspension when you do the Judas thing:smirk:

I spent this last week testing the new KTM's, I absolutely love my WR and will race it for another season but the KTM's really have come along way. The suspension bone stock was great, and the motors are fast. Over all they are nice bikes.

I still would ride a WR over a YZ for the kind of racing and riding I do. The wide range tranny is great, the lighting set up, speedo and joy button would be hard to give up. How about this the economy gets a lot better, I install more driveways and landscapes and get to have both bikes.? Jeff S

[erickdj]

I love my WR but it took a lot of time and money to get it to level I needed to race. IMHO, peace. Jeff S

To each his own I guess. For me the price difference alone tips the scales towards the WR vs. the ktm. It may take some time to get the WR "race" ready, but I'm pretty sure it can be done for less $$ thank buying a ktm. That's without even going into issues of reliability.

I'll put my WR with yz suspension, yz exhaust, free mods, yz cams, etc.. vs a ktm any day of the week.

[Dube2]

RED stickers legally:busted: prevent you from riding all year round. I too don't like the government telling me where/when to ride, but I'm no law breaker. I have a green sticker bike that has a cal plate and also another green sticker bike that says I could ride the desert all year.

Unless it's private property, no issues. My head light assures me that getting to home/camp after dark is not a must and also alerts other riders of my location. My kick stand tells me that I don't need to look for something to lean my bike on.

My battery lets me install a hard wire kit for my GPS. My stock USFS pipe tels me that I may not get hassled by LEO/BLM at any time. My coolant resvor tells that I can ride a very slow technical course and not overheat. My stock 18" rear wheel will sure help on preventing tire pinch.

My larger oil capacity will help keep the tranny cooler and last but not least, the stock 2.1 tank will give me longer rides between fill ups.

And the biggie, that little magic "E" button:moon: tells me that I don't have to be in just the right position to start my bike.

The mods yer talking about is only a few dollars compared to the what you get for it. Unless you want a motorcross bike?, a WR with a cam, pipe and suspension work will smoke just about any bike out there.

YES, You can buy a WR spend $600 on a suspension job and $1500 on a cam, $350 for USFS pipe and you have a sweet and fast AZZ desert/trail bike. You can get the YZ and add $350 for an 18" wheel/tire, $? E-start(NOT!) a $200 battery and wiring harness for yer GPS, $500 for a aftermarket Stator/Rotor to charge that battery, a $150 coolant resevor kit, $85 for a glide plate, $350 for a USFS pipe and you still have a YZ with a red sticker.

just my $.02 Good luck whatever you get. GO BLUE!

[acarter92]

RED stickers legally:busted: prevent you from riding all year round. I too don't like the government telling me where/when to ride, but I'm no law breaker. I have a green sticker bike that has a cal plate and also another green sticker bike that says I could ride the desert all year.

Unless it's private property, no issues. My head light assures me that getting to home/camp after dark is not a must and also alerts other riders of my location. My kick stand tells me that I don't need to look for something to lean my bike on.

My battery lets me install a hard wire kit for my GPS. My stock USFS pipe tels me that I may not get hassled by LEO/BLM at any time. My coolant resvor tells that I can ride a very slow technical course and not overheat. My stock 18" rear wheel will sure help on preventing tire pinch.

My larger oil capacity will help keep the tranny cooler and last but not least, the stock 2.1 tank will give me longer rides between fill ups.

And the biggie, that little magic "E" button:moon: tells me that I don't have to be in just the right position to start my bike.

The mods yer talking about is only a few dollars compared to the what you get for it. Unless you want a motorcross bike?, a WR with a cam, pipe and suspension work will smoke just about any bike out there.

YES, You can buy a WR spend $600 on a suspension job and $1500 on a cam, $350 for USFS pipe and you have a sweet and fast AZZ desert/trail bike. You can get the YZ and add $350 for an 18" wheel/tire, $? E-start(NOT!) a $200 battery and wiring harness for yer GPS, $500 for a aftermarket Stator/Rotor to charge that battery, a $150 coolant resevor kit, $85 for a glide plate, $350 for a USFS pipe and you still have a YZ with a red sticker.

just my $.02 Good luck whatever you get. GO BLUE!

Very well said!

Austin

[Just_a_trail_rider]

Really? Which KTM is off-road race ready and 25 pounds lighter than a WR? 450, 505, 530? Don't say the 300, that's a 2-stroke.

But that's the KTM he should be considering. The 300 is expensive, but its hard to find any flaws with it.

My wr450 was my first dirtbike and I've learned some good and painful lessons on it?

But I got myself a yz250 smoker (they are cheap) and I now understand the fanatical obsession with the two strokes. They are more fun than the 450's and are so light, weight becomes a non-issue. Even the 6-8 yr old smokers are a blast and are super reliable.

I like my wr and I still ride it all the time. But I now race the yz250 smoker in the desert.

So... don't go from a yamaha 450 to a ktm 450.

Go from a 4 stroke to a 2 stroke.

[CanadianWR450]

RED stickers legally:busted: prevent you from riding all year round. I too don't like the government telling me where/when to ride, but I'm no law breaker. I have a green sticker bike that has a cal plate and also another green sticker bike that says I could ride the desert all year.

Unless it's private property, no issues. My head light assures me that getting to home/camp after dark is not a must and also alerts other riders of my location. My kick stand tells me that I don't need to look for something to lean my bike on.

My battery lets me install a hard wire kit for my GPS. My stock USFS pipe tels me that I may not get hassled by LEO/BLM at any time. My coolant resvor tells that I can ride a very slow technical course and not overheat. My stock 18" rear wheel will sure help on preventing tire pinch.

My larger oil capacity will help keep the tranny cooler and last but not least, the stock 2.1 tank will give me longer rides between fill ups.

And the biggie, that little magic "E" button:moon: tells me that I don't have to be in just the right position to start my bike.

The mods yer talking about is only a few dollars compared to the what you get for it. Unless you want a motorcross bike?, a WR with a cam, pipe and suspension work will smoke just about any bike out there.

YES, You can buy a WR spend $600 on a suspension job and $1500 on a cam, $350 for USFS pipe and you have a sweet and fast AZZ desert/trail bike. You can get the YZ and add $350 for an 18" wheel/tire, $? E-start(NOT!) a $200 battery and wiring harness for yer GPS, $500 for a aftermarket Stator/Rotor to charge that battery, a $150 coolant resevor kit, $85 for a glide plate, $350 for a USFS pipe and you still have a YZ with a red sticker.

just my $.02 Good luck whatever you get. GO BLUE!

You got to remember where I am though. There is no such thing as red/green stickers, or emissions /noise police where I am......?

[Dube2]

You got to remember where I am though. There is no such thing as red/green stickers, or emissions /noise police where I am......

I've been stupid before:bonk: ........ forgive my obsesive thread:banghead: . Just didn't pay much attension to your location. Whatever you do? just stay blue........?

[Blackmax]

I love K.T.M. bikes except maybe the orange. But, Yamaha has lots of dealers for parts, my valves have not needed an adjustment, and of course I got the bike $3000.oo less than than the 530. At 51 years old I can't outride this bke anyway. Yamaha is #1,?

[WGP]

God I hate the Orange color too! Seriously!

Blue looks much better or even the white!

[nickae595]

You should take a look at the yz250 smoker or a ktm smoker if your riding the woods.I have a 06 wr450 and just picked up a 06 300xc.The 300 puts my wr to shame on the trails.

[CanadianWR450]

man, I love this place for tons of good input....

Between here, and my post in the YZ forum I'm now down to it will either be a WR 450, or a KTM 300XC-W.

As for where I ride, there is EVERYTHING. Wide open fire roads, tight woods, sand, mud, gravel, rock, technical, non technical...and....also...no tracks

I need a bike good at everything, except for the track..

My 04 WR is getting a fresh top end, and a FMF 4.1 slip on (Already have all other free mods), and I'll be keeping it fo the upcoming season for sure and the KTM dealer at the show here offerd me a new 300 XC-W Demo this spring to try out....and my Yamaha sales man that I bought my WR from was also there and made the same offer to me for a new WR 450 demo to try out...lol...figure I'll make my choice then...?

Oh as a FYI...simply based on sticker price, on the floor, the 300 XC-W is almost $1,000 cheaper then the WR!