advice before I go 'BIG BIKE'

[syko]

hi,
I'm seriously considering a crf450 for next year. i've never ridden a 450f or a 250-2 smoke so the bigger bikes are all new to me.
I know that 250-2 smokers are like wild animals but 450's are much smoother and user friendly?

So, after coming off a 250f what can i expect from a 450f. whats the ride like, weight, handling, powerband etc.

i just need some advice on how these big bikes handle and what they are like to ride.


just in case it makes any difference, i'd be going for an 06 CRF450, i'm 190cm's tall and weigh about 175 lbs.

thanks in advance.

 

[tyesai]

hi,
I'm seriously considering a crf450 for next year. i've never ridden a 450f or a 250-2 smoke so the bigger bikes are all new to me.
I know that 250-2 smokers are like wild animals but 450's are much smoother

O.K. whatever. I have yet to ride a 450, but I have taken some laps on a friends YZ400. The nice thing about it is that you can ride it in 3rd all day long. The part about it being smooth is maybe true but the thing still runs like a scalded ape. I have a 250 2 stroke and I wouldn't consider it a wild animal, just different. The 400 is scary fast, the 250 is scary fast also just in a different way. I really can't say his 400 is much smoother, I will say that the way it delivers power is a little more linear but you can definetly feel the weight of the bike. Even he will tell you that the 2 stroke feels lighter in the handling department but the power delivery is way way different. Oh yeah, IMHO even 4 bangers have a "power band"

 

[syko]

thanks for the advice.

Most people who i've spoken to always say that although 450's are fast and you can really feel the power it is a very usable power. which i guess is why a lot of 'older' riders here in the UK opt for 450's.

the appeal for me is that ability to just twist the throttle and having that power right there. don't get me wrong I enjoy the effort involved in getting a 250f/125 around a track, shifting through the gears to keep it in the power but I would like to try the power of a 450. when I watch the 450's I just love seeing them pull out of a corner, coming up to a tabletop and just twisting the throttle right at the base of the jump and just clearing the thing effortlessly.

sorry, getting carried away there.