Should you buy a 450 dirt bike? In some cases, yes. In most cases, probably no. The key question
is there really an advantage to buying a big four stroke? Or do you have horsepower-induced brain
freeze, and you think that ridiculous amounts of power will turn you into Ricky Carmichael?
Or do you have very small genitals and you are looking for excessive power as a substitute?
Unless you a very experienced rider, you will take longer to improve your skills on a big thumper,
make more mistakes, and be more likely to hurt yourself. Why? You might think it's cool to dig a
trench and spray roost everywhere, but a key skill is learning how to get power to the ground without
excessive wheelspin. You will be approaching corners faster,
so you will probably hit the brakes too early and actually be slower. I've seen this again
and again on dirt bikes and road bikes when the bike's power overwhelms the rider's skill.
450s are usually a few kg heavier, but there's the rotational mass
as well. You can flick the bike around as easily in corners, so again you will learn
faster on a smaller bike. A common expression is anything more than 20 hp is just wheelspin.
And while it's not true in every situation, it is a good rule of thumb. We were stunned
at the lap times Megs Braap was cutting on various bikes with one third the power of a 450.
And Shane Watts is a big believer in small is beautiful. He deliberately entered the
gruelling ISDE on a 125 and won the championship, just to show that it's not about outright power.
I did some timed laps on a 125, 300 and 350 and was amazed how much quicker I was on the 125.
So if you are a beginner, definitely don't buy a 450, unless you are looking for a really fun
way to kill yourself. And why not go all the way and get Suzuki's DR1800?
If you are reasonably experienced, it might be an option. But again, if you are serious about
becoming a good rider you will learn faster on a 250 four stroke. And live to tell the tale.
There's a reason motocross riders start in the 250 class. Can you tame down the power of a big
four stroke then grow into it? Yes, within limits. One of the best mods is a G2 Throttle Tamer which
makes the initial throttle reponse very soft. If you have a mapping switch, put it on low.
Bikes like the Yamaha WR450F can be remapped with a device to tune it from mild to wild.
Going one tooth bigger on the front sprocket can soften the power hit,
and you can also put a quiet tip in the exhaust to try and restrict the power a little.
Of course these mods only soften power delivery, and won't make the bike lighter
or easier to throw around. So when should you buy a 450 dirt bike? Some riders are
less concerned about becoming good riders, and are adrenalin junkies ready to accept the risks.
If so, buy a 450 and knock yourself out. Literally. The kind of terrain is important.
If you ride a lot of soft sand a 450 will not have to work as hard.
If you ride a lot of desert or wide open trails in top gear then you will
be revving less with the 450. Ditto if you plan to ride to the trails on road.
Some riders adapt big thumpers into light weight adventure bikes and it makes a lot of sense to
have the low revs and fewer maintenance intervals. And ditto if you buy a set of motard wheels to
embarrass sports bike riders in the twisties. Some riders in cooler climates change their dirt bikes
into snow bikes for the winter, and you definitely need at least a 450 for snow riding.
And finally there are guys who love low down grunt, and I'm in that category. I'm not into
fast riding or revving bikes, but I'm a fan of grunt. I even started our cross training
on a Husaberg 570 for this reason. If you love grunt instead of revs, and ride open trails then
the 450 could be a great choice. Of course there might be reasons to not buy a four stroke at all,
but we've covered those in another vid. Remember too we have a great choice nowadays. It used to
be either a four stroke 250 or a 450 but now we have all these other capacities,
each with their own characteristics... 300s, 350s, 390s, 430s and 500s. Enjoy!