Do You Really Need a 450 Dirt Bike? - Episode 109



Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/dirtbikechannel It's an honest question. By default, everyone thinks they need the most power available. We think we need the biggest motor with the most horse power, and the fastest possible top speed. Is this the correct line of thinking? Would many of us (including me) be better of with less power? A good rider can squeeze more potential out of a smaller bike than an average rider can squeeze out of a 450. Guess who's going to be faster overall? The point of this video is to get some of my viewers thinking about dropping down in displacement and then focusing on fundamentals to become better riders. I know that some of my riding buddies and I have been thinking about this for some time now. I'm on the lookout for a good 250 four stroke to do some testing on. This summer, I tested two different 250 4 stroke dirt bikes. I had only ever ridden 450 4 strokes. Guess that I learned. I learned that 250 4 stroke bikes are more fun to ride! They have the same frames, same suspension, same tires, same components, and the same trimmings. They are pretty much identical in every way except for the motors. The great thing about riding a 250 is that it inspires confidence. You can grab a fist full of throttle when coming out of corners without worrying about getting tossed on your backside, and the result is forward motion and shear joy! You end up coming in to corners harder and leaving them with more speed most of the time. Guys will tell you that a 250 wears our faster than a 450 because you are “riding it harder”, but I’m honestly not sure that is true. I think it’s just something that people speculate on, but there may not be data to actually back that up. Even IF it is true, knowing what I know now, I’d take less time between motor work on the 250 because I’m having more fun the entire time. The 350 motor may be the best fit for most guys though. It’s not as light and nimble as the 250, but doesn’t feel as heavy and lumbering as the 450. If I could only have one bike and it HAD to be a 4 stroke, it would be hard for me to choose between the 250 XC-F and the 350 XC-F, because I have more fun on the 250, but the 350 is probably more versatile. http://www.dirtbikechannel.com/parts/ Want to help support Dirt Bike Channel? Using this link to buy your parts won't cost you any more than you'd otherwise pay. Thank you for using this link to help us bring you more great content! http://www.dirtbikechannel.com/parts/

Comments

  1. I'll admit I'm 25 and riding a 450 and a 250 and the 450 is a lot but it's fun
  2. your comparing a stock 450 to a full blown 250 supercross bike
  3. think about it.... there 250 dirt bikes are no where near stock... they got tons​ of motor upgrades all the bells and whistles..... not including the suspension work and etc etc
  4. dude there's a reason they a monster to keep pussys like you off of em
  5. i had a 02 honda 450 and done at least 1000hours easy i rode that for years raced bush when i sold it it was puffing a little smoke my rmz is around 350 now
  6. if i had money id own a 250 but reliability comes into it ...fact im raceing with a 450 and its hard to thrash it so im not burning it out i never change piston never do anything other than religiously change oil and filter every 6 hrs cheap reliable fun can i get that with a 250 ...ive been thrashing my 450 now for years 2 race years in over 35years old mid pack so i have to stick with 450 mabee id go faster on a fully worked 250 with a pocket of money yea
  7. I have that same helmet sitting behind him
  8. Yes my Uncle Alfie has a 4 stroke
  9. this was super helpful for my first purchase. thx man.
  10. I used to ride a 450 and now have a 2017 250f, that I'm loving but there is times more Mumbo would be handy.
    I really think a 350 could be the magic displacement for many riders.
    A good mate has a 350f and he laid the first spanner on the motor at 180hrs.
    Thats more reliable than my 250f and more than most two strokes .
  11. oh thank god you made a video about this cause its never been talked about before.
  12. Do I really need a gf when I have my hand?
  13. I started riding on a 70 when I was 4. Moved to a 100 when I was 9, raced local motocross and moved to a 250 when I was 15 until 17 or so and sold the bike for a four wheeler. I miss having a dirtbike :( but I went to buy a 250 and it just felt soooo slow. I'm a very experienced rider and all of the trails here are high speed. I've topped out my old 250 on the trails here because they're so straight and smooth. I'm thinking I want to move to a 450 4 stroke. I think after all these years of motorcycle experience (I've put 400 hours on a single dirtbike) I think the 450 is the way to go, plus the 450's are way easier to sell if I decide it's too much bike. But I agree, 450 is way to much bike for majority of the people I see riding. I've seen my fair share of 125's and 150's dominating people with huge 450's and old Honda 650's. Power vs skill. On the trails here though, it's mostly about top speed and acceleration since there's not many corners :)
  14. Hi!!! Im really struggling with my buying decision for my first dirt bike. im between the beta 390 or the Yamaha WR250F, im going to be only enduro. I'd never been on a dirt bike, but I have plenty experience on motorcycle (currently I own a Ducati monster 821) any suggestions????? im 5'10 and 160lbs. thanks a lot!!!!!
  15. im 16 and using about 90% of the power of my 125, i need a 250
  16. I'm 5' 8", 240 lbs (dedicated body builder for the last few years), last time I rode a bike was 5 years ago (TTR-125). I have about 4 years of deprecated trail and novice enduro riding experience. Should I just go for a 450 (i.e. YZ 450 FX), or would a 250 be enough to haul my ass around with some zip?
  17. are you faster than a 125xc ? no you are not
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFcLAb8Suqw
  18. I'm looking for my first dual sport. I was looking into the WR250R, but I'm 6'4" tall and 220lbs and dwarf a lot of bikes. So I started looking into the WR450 to make street legal. Your thoughts being my size?
  19. 450 or you have small balls.
  20. short answer yes long answer fuck yes. everybody needs a 450


Additional Information:

Visibility: 241849

Duration: 11m 17s

Rating: 2066