2009 450 MX Shootout

Ryan Orr
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 165 lb
Pro

This year, like I say every year, is the closest race to the top of the Dirt Rider shootout podium ever. It really is. Every bike has its own good, unique motor as well as a good chassis/suspension combo. The main factor that played in my decision for number one was overall comfort.

I chose the Kawi 450 as my number one choice for '09. The KX450F's motor has a great hit off the bottom and good mid. It's a touch flat on top, but the machine has enough torque to pull a higher gear keeping you out of that flat area. The thing that I liked the most is the stability of the bike. The KX-F is very planted, controlled and predictable. The bike tracks well into, through and out of any corner. I felt nothing but comfort and confidence to push harder on this green machine.

Runner-up is the CRF450. It has the most usable low to top-end torque of all the 450s. The bike corners well and is very maneuverable. The front end is a bit twitchy on decel.

Third on the podium is the RM-Z. This bike has a decent bottom and great mid-peak power. The only downfall is some rev-cut up top. The bike feels super light and is nimble through tighter sections as well as in the air, and feels the most balanced of all the machines.

KTM ranked fourth, getting most improved. The KTM motor has the broadest power in the field. This motor is strong and accelerates like nobody's business. I felt that the most improved feature of the KTM is the handling. The bike is more plush, controlled and stable than last year's model. The ergos and controls were a little awkward for my stature, though. The tank is wide and the footpegs felt too far back for my liking.

The Yamaha rounded out the top five. The bike may lack a little in the motor department compared to the rest of the field, but the motor is still smooth and super easy to ride. The YZ-F is the most comfortable bike for me to sit on. The controls, footpegs, seat and bar height are all in line to fit my medium build. The issue I had with the Yamaha is the suspension is a little soft and loose for my liking. I also had issues with the bike standing up in the turns.

Even though the bikes are ranked in order, it was a close race with most bikes just decimal points over the others.

Yamaha (blue)
Suzuki (yellow)
KTM (orange)
Kawasaki (green)
Honda (red)

Human Impression Power
This chart shows where each bike shines in the go department. It's based strictly off of feel to the test riders. You can see where the KX-F makes its impression on riders with a solid smack of power. The Honda builds more ideally and finishes stronger and the KTM is almost a straight line out-stretching them all. The Yamaha is truly the sleepy-feeling ride. But our lap times show it's by no means slow.