* Not the lightest feeling bike here-that is now the Husaberg, too-the KTM is very close. Its steering is less aggressive and more riders felt comfortable, especially larger riders, with the layout and the handling. The suspension made all the same leaps and bounds in performance as all KTMs this year, and it could easily be the best suspension of the bunch. It is not the most stable bike here-the Husky and KLX are-but you won't find riders complaining about KTM headshake, either. It walks the middle ground with an aggressive side most riders prefer.
* The brakes are insanely strong and with good feel, the clutch takes mad abuse. Our only complaints center around the engine being easier to boil over (since it has no coolant catch tank) and the clutch's pull being a little stiff, but that is splitting hairs. Some riders thought the bike was wide in the tank area.
* We tested our KTM pretty much stock. We rerouted the oil breather out of the intake tract and richened up the needle one clip position. For a bike to need so little and give so much the MSRP starts looking like a great deal.
The Verdict
This is the safe choice for best bike here, especially if you have any racing in your blood. It will trail ride as good as any, considering its performance capabilities, and it does it without any fuss. It is ready to ride and race.
Yamaha WR450F
Solid-san
Traditional Japanese enduro performance is the standard operating procedure of the WR450. It's a retooled motocross chassis, motor and frame with the addition of off-road goodies like headlights, wide-ratio transmission and an 18-incher out back. Traditionally, this has been a valuable workhorse in the American off-road family. Its valve train is legendary in its durability, and the entire component lineup is tried and tested.
The Facts
* There is a great motor inside the WR. The power comes on smooth as silk and spreads like butter into a plentiful top-end. The gear ratios are spot-on and the carburetion on the bike is as close to perfect as brass tapers and holes in metal can get. We removed the smallest insert out of the exhaust and opened up the airbox but left the stock jetting. We also disconnected the gray wire. The biggest complaint was the WR doesn't deliver as much torque feel down low as other bikes. But it is zippy. And really quiet.
* The WR has a bit of a dead feel in its stock suspension that is a jack-of-all-trades setting. But with the Factory Connection revalve on the KYB components, the change is dramatic. Just this fork and shock mod elevated this bike into the top two for many of our testers. It noticeably lightened the feel of the Yamaha and elevated the perceived ground clearance for some. Plusher than stock without getting wallowy and handling the aggressive riding a lot better, a great modification for sure.
* Handling is predictable and stable at higher speeds. Turning issues arise for some testers who like bikes to turn brainlessly. But again, the suspension seemed to be helping greatly over the stocker.
* We traded the stock battery for an E-Batt that dropped a couple of highly placed pounds. It started the bike fine and was totally worth the drop in weight; now we want E-Batts on all our bikes!
* As far as Japanese bikes are concerned, running a high-capacity tank is less obtrusive on the Yamaha than other brands. Stock, we are pleased with the range. Clutch pull gets props as well and the positive engagement is nice.
The Verdict
The WR might have surprised as many testers as the Husaberg. Its suspension modifications were the golden ticket and allowed the bike's potential to really shine. We talk a lot about Yamaha durability and it's because we experience it, especially in the WRs, almost every year. For a comfortable ride you can't go wrong and the versatility is a big plus.