good info thanks , after 35 yrs on nothing but Honda's 23 was my first yamaha .after 6 months on the 450 , liked it so much i added a 23 250 to have a little variety ! could not be happier with the 2 bikes!
@@Chrisworksedition totally agree, I'm always looking for them on the bikes I'm going to purchase. Sometimes you may think something is better initially, but end up going back the other way after some time. I also like knowing how well the bikes hold up over time, not all the aftermarket parts I can buy!
I have a 23 and I’m going to try your suggestion to lower forks, go back to stock mapping, get some stomp grip, and check sag around 100mm. I agree coming from a kawi, you can’t beat the motor and suspension. I hardly use the clutch. I’m guessing you’re going to red
@@moto_head-u2t I think you'll like it. It took me a while to figure out what really worked with the suspension. I've never really ran grip tape with a purpose, more for looks, but on this bike it helped a ton!
@@180mxtraining7 I’m a bigger vet guy like you 215 lbs 6’2” and the Yamaha suspension is probably the best stock for a bigger guy. I’ll definitely give a shot. I tried tightening the steering stem a little to get some head shake out of the handlebars.
@@moto_head-u2t I was getting headshake when I had the sag at 105-108 and the forks up. When I ran the tighter sag and forks flush, no more headshake. If you're getting the headshake on initial decel, try stiffening the compression.
I’m torn between a few deals available on 24 models. Ktm 450, Ktm 350, or the yz450f. Any advice? Been on a 21 Ktm 350 for years and I really don’t like the suspension it’s super harsh on acceleration bumps. I haven’t tuned it much though so maybe I need to do that first. I love riding it but I do wish for more power sometimes when I hit the inside lines at the local track. YZ seems to have best stock suspension and power but maybe too much power for arm pump and the clutch issues could cost a lot over time? And people suggest an ECU for smoother bottom end power? Aka more money lol. Then the KTM 450 has plenty of power but still has air forks. I like the 350s flingability but if I ever do race again I almost feel like i would want a 450 for the starts. I feel like with KTM I’ll have to dump money in suspension and the Yamaha I’ll have to dump money into detuning the engine and clutches. Anyways thanks for the vid if you have any advice please let me know! There’s an old video on my channel of me riding casually to give you an idea of my skill level
@@worldwide_wes so, I think you're dead on with the evaluation of the bikes. I had a 24 Ktm and a Yamaha. I dumped a lot of money into the Ktm suspension just for it to be "okay" and not great. Also, a lot of problems with Ktm wiring and electrical. The Yamaha is too much for any mortal man to handle. It was a lot for me at 210 lbs. I was also replacing dampers and clutch plates every 10 hours, which was getting costly and annoying. The suspension is amazing tho. For your skill level, I'd look at a Beta or Kawi. I have had both. The kawi is very smooth and linear, and suspension is pretty good. Only issue is Kawi bolts suck and you'll have to have heli coils on hand. Beta is very similar to kawi power and handling wise. The motor is super super smooth and suspension is right up there with the YZ. Bone stock it will feel a little funky because the spring rates are a little unbalanced. Just put the correct spring and the Beta is fantastic! I may be biased, but the Beta is my favorite out of all those bikes. Very easy to use motor, super stable, and great reliability. After 30 hours, all I've replaced is pipe springs once. I haven't even looked at the clutch yet.
I'm a 6'2" vet but weigh 160lbs. I ride an older yz250f (2017). I would like a bike that is better to grip with legs and find mine doesn't have good grip points for me. I also find the gearing a bit annoying and feel cramped on the bike. I can almost upshift from 2 to 4th and the gears wind out so quick. I would like longer gearing and a bit more linear power delivery with a little less on bottom but more mid to top. I'll put another year on this bike and then decide. Honesty 450 too much for me and I feel it would thrash me around too much. I might try a ktm350 or the the honda crf250r.
The Beta and Kawi 450 have roomier cockpits and with your height you may want to give the steg pegz a go. They also have a much smoother and easier to ride power delivery. The Honda and Yamaha 450 are pretty gnarly with the power delivery and I'd say ktm is middle of the road as far as power.
@@180mxtraining7 I wish I could lower my pegs but lowering is so expensive for like 5 mm lol. It just doesn't seem like a lot. I get like 3 mm for worn out boot soles.
good info thanks , after 35 yrs on nothing but Honda's 23 was my first yamaha .after 6 months on the 450 , liked it so much i added a 23 250 to have a little variety ! could not be happier with the 2 bikes!
Nice video! Longhauls are the reviews that hold the most water.
@@Chrisworksedition totally agree, I'm always looking for them on the bikes I'm going to purchase. Sometimes you may think something is better initially, but end up going back the other way after some time. I also like knowing how well the bikes hold up over time, not all the aftermarket parts I can buy!
Thanks for posting. Appreciate your opinions and advice
@@JAMIE_ATKINS thank you! 🙏
Solid insight and good advice 👏 Appreciate it ✌️😉
@@Kawiboy thank you!
I have a 23 and I’m going to try your suggestion to lower forks, go back to stock mapping, get some stomp grip, and check sag around 100mm. I agree coming from a kawi, you can’t beat the motor and suspension. I hardly use the clutch. I’m guessing you’re going to red
@@moto_head-u2t I think you'll like it. It took me a while to figure out what really worked with the suspension. I've never really ran grip tape with a purpose, more for looks, but on this bike it helped a ton!
@@180mxtraining7 I’m a bigger vet guy like you 215 lbs 6’2” and the Yamaha suspension is probably the best stock for a bigger guy. I’ll definitely give a shot. I tried tightening the steering stem a little to get some head shake out of the handlebars.
@@moto_head-u2t I was getting headshake when I had the sag at 105-108 and the forks up. When I ran the tighter sag and forks flush, no more headshake.
If you're getting the headshake on initial decel, try stiffening the compression.
I’m torn between a few deals available on 24 models. Ktm 450, Ktm 350, or the yz450f. Any advice?
Been on a 21 Ktm 350 for years and I really don’t like the suspension it’s super harsh on acceleration bumps. I haven’t tuned it much though so maybe I need to do that first. I love riding it but I do wish for more power sometimes when I hit the inside lines at the local track.
YZ seems to have best stock suspension and power but maybe too much power for arm pump and the clutch issues could cost a lot over time? And people suggest an ECU for smoother bottom end power? Aka more money lol.
Then the KTM 450 has plenty of power but still has air forks. I like the 350s flingability but if I ever do race again I almost feel like i would want a 450 for the starts.
I feel like with KTM I’ll have to dump money in suspension and the Yamaha I’ll have to dump money into detuning the engine and clutches.
Anyways thanks for the vid if you have any advice please let me know! There’s an old video on my channel of me riding casually to give you an idea of my skill level
@@worldwide_wes so, I think you're dead on with the evaluation of the bikes. I had a 24 Ktm and a Yamaha. I dumped a lot of money into the Ktm suspension just for it to be "okay" and not great. Also, a lot of problems with Ktm wiring and electrical.
The Yamaha is too much for any mortal man to handle. It was a lot for me at 210 lbs. I was also replacing dampers and clutch plates every 10 hours, which was getting costly and annoying. The suspension is amazing tho.
For your skill level, I'd look at a Beta or Kawi. I have had both. The kawi is very smooth and linear, and suspension is pretty good. Only issue is Kawi bolts suck and you'll have to have heli coils on hand.
Beta is very similar to kawi power and handling wise. The motor is super super smooth and suspension is right up there with the YZ. Bone stock it will feel a little funky because the spring rates are a little unbalanced. Just put the correct spring and the Beta is fantastic!
I may be biased, but the Beta is my favorite out of all those bikes. Very easy to use motor, super stable, and great reliability. After 30 hours, all I've replaced is pipe springs once. I haven't even looked at the clutch yet.
@@180mxtraining7 thanks for the feedback! I’ll look into them
I'm a 6'2" vet but weigh 160lbs. I ride an older yz250f (2017). I would like a bike that is better to grip with legs and find mine doesn't have good grip points for me. I also find the gearing a bit annoying and feel cramped on the bike. I can almost upshift from 2 to 4th and the gears wind out so quick. I would like longer gearing and a bit more linear power delivery with a little less on bottom but more mid to top. I'll put another year on this bike and then decide. Honesty 450 too much for me and I feel it would thrash me around too much. I might try a ktm350 or the the honda crf250r.
The Beta and Kawi 450 have roomier cockpits and with your height you may want to give the steg pegz a go. They also have a much smoother and easier to ride power delivery. The Honda and Yamaha 450 are pretty gnarly with the power delivery and I'd say ktm is middle of the road as far as power.
@@180mxtraining7 I wish I could lower my pegs but lowering is so expensive for like 5 mm lol. It just doesn't seem like a lot. I get like 3 mm for worn out boot soles.
@@JimG1964 I've messed with it on the Yamaha. I honestly don't even notice it
@@180mxtraining7 That's good to know and what I was thinking too. 5 mm didn't seem like enough to actually do much.
going back to HRC hmmm ....
@@eatnpooter1634 😆