Why Is Dirt Rider Slamming on 03 450F?

[HareAndHound98]

Why is Dirt Rider slammin on the bike that got all of this four stroke stuff started. 6399$ for the WR 450F out the door. 7200$ for the KTM 450EXC. Hmmmm, what could you do with a Yamaha for a thousand bucks. Maybe make it whop the crap out of a KTM??? I don't mean to bash on the KTM. They truly are a great mount. However I belive the Yamaha to be a better buy. For someone who is dedicated to riding.

And why are pro riders complaing about "too much power."

It's like they want the manufactures to tone down the motor?

I know the KTM 450 is a torquey bike, but I did not expect to hear complaints from pro's about 450 F's bottom end.

[TexasThumper]

I recently spent time on my buds new WR450, I didn't really think that it had too much power, but I did notice it does not come on as smoothly as it could. Sometimes in really tight situations it can be helpful to have the power be REALLY linear. The KTM 520 has more, but no hit. Overall I liked the power and was impressed with the WR, It doesn't feel as light as I was hoping it would. My KTM feels slightly lighter but I wish they both felt as light as the YZ250F ? I could be happy with either bike, but neither is perfect.

[wr250rr]

Motorcycle mags will promote any product that will compensate them. Bikes, Pipes, gear, tires ect...

I'm not talking about advertisements. Its a corprate world out there.

[Jonesy920]

If you read the rider coments they all say something completely opposite, "feels light", "feels top heavy","nice power","too much hit".. I think it just goes to show it is rider preference. I'm sure I wouldn't be happy on an XR400 but my buddie can't handle my WR450... So unless you know the tester and their style the reviews are somewhat suspect..

[glenm]

Maybe I'm thick skinned (or denser) but I just didn't feel insulted or that the article was overly critical of the WR450.

I agree 100% with their power assessment of the XR400. I bought one last year after not riding since the mid 1980's. The power was a disappointment, even with some mods. I mean it was ok but not very exciting. I just bought a WR450 to kick it up a notch. My last bike before the XR was a 1983 CR250!

p.s. The 2002 XR400 is posted for sale on TT, make an offer!

[Jim_bo]

I think the issue of linear power is in the engine setup/jetting. My WR has tons of low end... that's what I love about it... I am a low end junkie! I love being in 3rd gear just barely rolling and twist the throttle just to have my arms straightened out! On my WR, I think the power curve is very linear and predictable. The engine is killer. I just wish the seat height wasn't so tall.

Jimbo

[MN_Kevin]

You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but NEVER ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.

Bikes are like underware: There is always someone who is all bound up about a particular brand. ?

If YOU like your WR, that is all that counts!!

[ThumperWR450F]

personaly i think the people who did the article on the WR450 owned the "OTHER" bikes. they are just bashing the WR cause they are affraid to admit that there's a bike out there that's better than the one they wasted there money on. i like the WR's power i actualy wish it had a little more hit to it than it does but it's good enough for me. this is one awesome bike. i've ridden the XR400,DR350 w/big bore 435 kit,and DRZ400 and i'd have to say that the WR flat out beats them all.

[dp400]

Just don't try a KTM 450 - you will be vary unhappy with yourself ! ?

DP

Fryboy made me do it

[Fryboy]

You over hear causing problems again DP400???? LOL I have to agree your bike is nice... if only I could get over the puky color

Then again, I haven't had a chance to ride it since you bored the engine. I am guessing you had the engine bored, to resemble the WR power ?

Fryboy

[Lon13]

Because it's a hunk of crap! I hate it! I wish I'd never laid eyes on it! JUNK,JUNK,JUNK, Damn you Yamahaaaaaa!!!! I hope you DIIIEEEEEEE!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! ?

[Lon13]

?

[Lon13]

Who cares? RIDE WHAT YOU LIIIYYYYKE! ?

[live_to_ride]

?

[PMAUST]

These are the same Yahoo's who said that my WR400 would not be a good woods bike! Man, were they wrong! It did take a little setup but so did it take a little setup for my KTM. I gave my WR to my son. Everytime I see it I want to ride it. I can't wait to try the WR450.

?

Paul

[Fugazi]

Yuppers I tried the KtM 450 and I was unhappy but not for Me but for YOU ! ! ....Muhah-ah-ahhhh I can't believe I just said that cause honestly I don't really give a rats a$$ what people say about this bike or that bike or why my bike aint like this bike and that bike is not as good as that bike and this bike is faster than that bike and this bike is lighter than. (You get the picture) we all buy the bikes we own for our own personal preferances and not because of what the motorcycle mags tell us we should like and buy.Blue is my favourite color and thats the reason I bought the Yamaha.I own Kawasaki ZX750 and I bought it because I like the way it looked and also the badge of having the Ninja imprint on it was cool to me.But as a performer it was a bag of crap but as a bike that got over 100,000 klicks on it, it was sure a hella lotta fun putting them there.I think we all need to just get a long with one another and enjoy riden are bikes together. ?

[RCannon]

There was no way Yamaha could win in the press. If they had made the motor smooth and soft, the editors would be bitching about it not being as powerful as the YZ.

Personally, I appreciated the fact that dirt rider offered an opinion. That is rare for that magazine.

[Merfman]

>There was no way Yamaha could win in the press. If they had made the motor smooth and soft, the editors would be bitching about it not being as powerful as the YZ.

Uh, isn't that what they did? Well, it's smoother and softer than the YZ anyway...

> Personally, I appreciated the fact that dirt rider offered an opinion. That is rare for that magazine.

I agree 100%. I don't care what any rag says about any bike I intend to buy, BUT, I've

read way too many "reviews" that had nothing but good things to say about any bike.

Some of these bikes I've ridden and personally considered them to be a pile.

I'd much rather they be too hard on a bike than make it sound like a polished turd.

Merf

[RCannon]

Merf, that is funny. I cannot tell you exactly what they said, but reading it told me the power was abrupt and the bike was way too choked down in stock form.

I think MXA had the best review so far on the bike. The article where they turned it into an MX'er has fairly decent info.

I think Yamaha built a hell of a good bike in the WR.

[Merfman]

> but reading it told me the power was abrupt and the bike was

> way too choked down in stock form.

I rode Endurodog's new WR450 in Texas last weekend. The WR

is a little less "abrupt" than my current 2001 YZ426. I thought the power was pretty linear. I didn't get a chance to really thrash it, but I will in time... ?

Merf