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so does the 08yz450f really turn better than 06-08

By Edge316,
in YZ400F/426F/450F/450FX

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Edge316

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sold my 2007 yz450 and now Im debating what my next bike is going to be.I was thinking about switching back to a 2-stroke,possibly yz250 or maybe a ktm300,but now Im not sure.The main reason I sold my 07450 is because I never could come to terms with the turning,other wise the bike was great.If I stick with a 4-stroke I was thinking of the 08crf .What I want to know is does the 08yz450 really turn better.When I bought the 07 right away I noticed the turning issues,but it didnt seem like to many other people on t.t noticed the turning issues,now it seems like most everyone has an issue with it.I would love to stick with the yz450,but I need to know if the 08 is turns better.Id like to here from guys that have had the 08 for awhile and also owned the 06 or 07.

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Grand Master

adamdf

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okay, i just have to say this, or else someone will ?....so here goes... "But in the Racerx Canada 450 shootout, alot of the riders still said they noticed the bike push in turns and that they couldn't find the same love for the bike that Grant Langston found this summer".. C'mon ya knew it was comin

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motoscotty

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Edge,if you are set on an 08 sad to say but ride the crf if you have the opp. it is an awsome bike that turns on a dime.and has unreal power.i had a chance to ride all the 08 bikes except the suz.even sadder to say coming from a yamaha die hard the ktm was as good as the honda but way more moneyI personally ranked this order

1.hon/ktm

2.kawi.

yam.

sorry for the bad news ,I love yamis. but the other bikes are really good.

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qtrmiler

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A racing friend of mine bought the 08 yz450 after racing an 06 Honda crf450r for past 2 years. Another friend waited and bought the 08 crf450r and let the YZ rider ride it at their local track. YZ rider quote "I bought the wrong bike and now I'll have to live with it''. He felt the CRF stuck the front tire better so he could charge the corners quicker and with the better low to mid transition and quicker acceleration out of the turn his lap times proved it. He then replaced the suspect muffler with a aftermarket FMF 4.1 and felt the change was good and he's happy with the power now. Still not as good in the turns and feels he would be faster on the Honda. My money would be on a stock CRF with the better confidence while entering the turns and the engine needs no mods as it's better than most everyone can use in stock form. Have to be humble to admit you made a mistake after buying a brand new bike and then let others know the Honda works better out of the crate with no additional costs. Not everyone has the same riding needs/fit issues and weight that's why we all can't agree on what's the best single bike. You need to find a friend that has a group of riders that will allow you to spend some time on each of the bikes you narrow your selection down to and you'll find what works best for your needs.

YZ stone reliable easy to get power where you want it still not comfortable in the turns.

RM well known for their carving ability and low to mid range torque output.

KX turns well, roomy for larger riders, great engine and overall power. Feels larger and therefore heavier when pushed.

CRF turns well and also stable with first production stabilizer, good low-mid and top end, local owners finding the only fault with the bike is their ability not as good as the bike.

SXF- quickest to the first turn great power, light feeling turns well, electric start, still suspect rear suspension until the big bore shootouts to measure them against each other and what no kick starter for backup. hmm

CRF, SXF, KXF, YZF, with no rating available yet for RM as it will have EFI and 5 spd.

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qtrmiler

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motoscotty I was writing the message and when I posted read yours and you came up with the same findings on the bikes. I based our group of friends that race locally in the 40, 50 expert class and a 40 master and their personal thoughts on the bikes. Will have to wait a bit longer as the master 40 is selling the kx450f for the RMZ450. Already edited the post 3 times now because of brain being quicker than typing. Curious what other riding groups switching back in forth bikes come up with on their findings. All bikes becoming awesome just need to know what you consider the most important pluses and minuses. ...qtr

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motoscotty

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Hate to say it but yam. blew it on the 08 I have ridden mine probably 4 or 5 times .Need to sell it, not sure what I will get for a new bike ,my 07 is really good but you have to be really aggressive in turns to make it comply.Ilike the ktm cause of the e-start and my right knee is bad but I have 12k in bikes in the garage its gonna be a hard sale to convince the wife I need another 8k bike thats my only complaint about the ktm is the price.Yams. and hon. I can get for around 67-68 out the door ,cant beleive I am writing this I have love for yam. THEY JUST BLEW IT....

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Ga426owner

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Hate to say it but yam. blew it on the 08 I have ridden mine probably 4 or 5 times .Need to sell it, not sure what I will get for a new bike ,my 07 is really good but you have to be really aggressive in turns to make it comply.Ilike the ktm cause of the e-start and my right knee is bad but I have 12k in bikes in the garage its gonna be a hard sale to convince the wife I need another 8k bike thats my only complaint about the ktm is the price.Yams. and hon. I can get for around 67-68 out the door ,cant beleive I am writing this I have love for yam. THEY JUST BLEW IT....

specifically what do you hate about it?

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NorCal

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You guys have said it all - the magazines will say the same. I hope Yamaha makes this a priority for next years 450. E-start, better turning and competitive power would get my serious consideration for a comeback.

If Yamaha has E-Start, EFI, and better turning I will get a 2009 YZ450. If not then I'll get a KTM XC450.

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Climber

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It seems that the focus of Yamaha is to build a bike that works well for the average rider. The average rider can hit most jumps, blitz the whoops, whip the bike, etc., but does not focus on the turns. Most people ride at or race at the novice level (which can be fairly fast). But, if you watch the pros ride, you'll notice that they really step it up in the turns, over the average rider that might hang with them everywhere else on the track.

My eyes were opened when I watch how the different bikes were going through a particular corner. The yamahas were consistantly the latest to get on the gas. This was true even when the rider was, overall, turning faster lap times on a yamaha, for everyone from amatures to pros.

Other than the turning, the yamaha and honda are probably the best overall bikes. They do everything very well.

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motoscotty

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specifically what do you hate about it?

The lacking of power is very noticable that is a big complaint of mine on some of the tracks I ride it is a big deal.It has good power but not like some of the others. Someone said the yams. were the latest to get on the power on exit of a turn and that is because it stands up an comes out of the rut if you are on the power to soon UNLESS you are super aggressive on the bike.The hon. and the ktm dont do this and not have to ridden so aggressive.POWER at lake elsinore everyone knows the BIG jump on the main track ok its far really far like 115' far or 110' so being able to keep corner speed up on the ktm or the hon. it is so easy to jump I think being able to corner faster and a lot more low to mid I can click 4th and the bike keeps pulling on mmy yam. it would be fight it through the turn hold it wide open in 3rd seat bounce and pull up as hard as you can to get over this thing.That is what I hate about the 08 any one else feel me on this.IMO It is more work to ride than my 06 or 07 ..

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todds924

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The lacking of power is very noticable that is a big complaint of mine on some of the tracks I ride it is a big deal.It has good power but not like some of the others. Someone said the yams. were the latest to get on the power on exit of a turn and that is because it stands up an comes out of the rut if you are on the power to soon UNLESS you are super aggressive on the bike.The hon. and the ktm dont do this and not have to ridden so aggressive.POWER at lake elsinore everyone knows the BIG jump on the main track ok its far really far like 115' far or 110' so being able to keep corner speed up on the ktm or the hon. it is so easy to jump I think being able to corner faster and a lot more low to mid I can click 4th and the bike keeps pulling on mmy yam. it would be fight it through the turn hold it wide open in 3rd seat bounce and pull up as hard as you can to get over this thing.That is what I hate about the 08 any one else feel me on this.IMO It is more work to ride than my 06 or 07 ..

You riding your 08 stock? I hated mine before I ditched the pipe and jetted it proper. Even at first i thought i was faster on my 06 but the lap times say otherwise. I have only the new 08 KX 450 to compare to. That is the only other 08 450 i have ridden or raced. I like the way the KX turns...good power also. I am happy now with my 08. Have you raced the KTM or the new CRF? Or do you have a CRF also?

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qtrmiler

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Hey Motoscotty if your not racing anymore I'd sure think the Ktm would be more versatile especially the xc. If racing the electric start would be a + for the time you kill it 1-2 positions lost. Level bike, get out of gear and kick start would probably let min. 5 to 10 riders by, depending on the train that came through not allowing you to get going again. Pure serious racing I'd be on my Honda anywhere else the Ktm shines with better gearing and the little red button. I own an 05 crf450r with athena 487 kit and MB1 suspension and the Scott damper. Not needing an upgrade for mx-ing yet but the Ktm xc sure has my attention. Others have mentioned they are faster on the track with the smoother power of the xc than the sx. Also the 5 spd and the kick start option if the battery is dead seems to be a necessity.

Summation:

mx only Honda rocks

mx and play riding I'd be on the XC

nah buy one of each and starve the children

they'll be healthier with less weight.

hope the wife doesn't get wind of this.

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