Here it is: The full test of the 2009 Yamaha YZ450F. We've dropped 10 hours on our test bike in three ride days and this is what we've found out about Yamaha's newest motocross bike.

(Note to dirtrider.com users: This is the first of our web exclusive First Tests. These will go live on www.dirtrider.com as soon as we have tested the new bikes enough to give you the full report, just like the first test in the magazine. Only close to three months sooner! If you like these tests, we'll know and they will keep getting posted up here. And you'll be able to comment and get quick responses through our member forums, likely linked to a thread at the end of each test.)

What's New:
--The biggest change for 2009 is the swingarm. Its hydro-formed shape is altered to give the bike a claimed improvement in cornering and traction by reducing the rigidity in twisting motion and in vertical stiffness. It is stiffer horizontally, or in loads placed from the side as well as being 350 grams lighter. The linkage is also all new but keeps the same rate and activates the exact same shock as the 2008 model. Also playing to the handling game by way of rider comfort is the top triple clamp. It is now four-position adjustable in 10mm increments at the bar mounts, one back from stock and two more forward. You can also use YZ250F bar mounts for a 4mm lower bar position as well. The rear hub is lighter, and uses three bearings and a larger 25mm axle. The clutch perch is all new and even more adjustable (lever position) with a shorter lever.

--Inside the engine is one significant update. It is the use of longer shift fork bars which allows the bar to have more shaft surface area inside the cases which makes it harder for the forks to bind during shifts, especially between second and third. There is a small update to the ignition stator plate where it received a fourth mounting point and the color of the valve cover now matches the side covers in black.

What's Hot:
--Last year we raved about the Yamaha's suspension and some riders seemed to fight with the turning. We raised issues with the power but at the same time turned the fastest lap times and never go outgunned down a straight. This year is going to be more of the same, only we are way more confident in what we are doing on the 2009 YZ450F.This is a bike that almost every rider just hopped on and felt at home aboard within a few laps. The biggest thing you notice on the bike is the very smooth and easy-to-use power. It is so easy to use most riders feel they wanted more. It does not snap very hard off the bottom, and since riders were not losing traction or control in corners they wanted more. A typical 450 experience involves fighting to control the power, not being at one with it. And because the suspension is working so good on the YZ, it is very plush and takes a lot of the ripples out of the ground, you don't think or worry about it too much. You just push to ride faster and the YZ is a very good companion at that. So with the suspension working so good the rider's focus seems to turn to thinking he wants more power.

--The power is smooth, deliberate and very linear through the throttle. That means when you twist the throttle you get what you ask for. Never more and rarely less. It is an engaging setup that pulls from very low with a fair amount of torque but not much snap. It goes through the revs quick and really sings up on top. It takes a long time to get into the rev limiter.

Though you can race the bike like a 250F and just sing the motor, most riders quickly learned to run the YZ a gear high in the turns and go big on the throttle, letting the bike pull them around with less shifting. It sounds kind of funny since the bike is certainly quieter than others and the sound just doesn't fit with how fast the bike is pulling. But it pulls just fine, we could tell by how far it jumped out of tight turns and when we pulled up and drag raced other bikes. It is not slow and if anything the YZ is finding better traction all the time.

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--The handling on the YZ seems to come under scrutiny for its turning. We have had turning issues with our bike as well. They were easily remedied by playing with the ride height. First by getting the sag setting dialed for the rider, typically between 100-105mm, then on some circumstances by playing with the fork height in the tripleclamp. That is why these bikes are adjustable, you know. There is not one magical setting that everyone settled on but we seemed pretty happy for riders in the 170-190 pound range with closer to 105mm of sag and the stock fork position at all of the tracks we rode. The whole time we were within one click of stock on all the clickers. After that we rarely fiddled with the bike, track-to-track.

--The suspension has a very plush feel and really good control of its stroke. It bottoms only when you'd expect it to and even pro riders were able to push pretty hard on the stock setup. Smaller and lighter riders seemed happiest with less compression damping and more rebound damping to settle the bike and definitely had to play with it more to get happy with the turning. This is one bike that definitely has a zone where it really shines when you dial in your setting. Luckily for most of our riders, that zone is really close to stock.

What's Not:
--Honestly there is very little to complain about outright on this Yamaha. To go straight to the coating wearing off the clutch side cover would tell you how dialed everything else is, so we'll start there. The coating wears off the clutch cover on the first muddy ride!

--Some riders were still able to get less-than-smooth shifting to rear its head. Though definitely better than last year, a few of our testers got a long shift, or a slight reluctance between second and third gear and the overall action is definitely not the best ever when compared to other bikes.

--The muffler is tuned into the package of the bike. Yes, you change that muffler and you are opening a new can of worms and we are pretty sure that a fair amount of the turning issues you hear about with YZ450s comes from the bike having an aggressive low end snap. (Also, the majority of turning complaints come from riders who do not know what setting the sag means.) Yamaha has tuned the bike to run strong with a mechanically restrictive muffler. If you take that off (and we have played with other mufflers and exhaust systems), you will also have to play with your chassis setup, guaranteed. Not to mention the jetting on some of the more free flowing systems. In the past we've had the best luck with the quieter offerings from the aftermarket.

--Since the YZ is so willing to go a gear high, and as a rider you get used to riding it like this, sometimes you can get some hesitation at big throttle openings and low-low RPM. Why do we notice this? Because before there was not a real solution to this, now there is Fuel Injection and you can get away with this kind of throttle wackiness on FI bikes. On the carbureted Yamaha, you notice this slight stumble. Answer: Slip a little clutch or downshift, maybe you are truthfully a gear too high.

What it is:
The 2009 Yamaha YZ450F is a great motocross bike. It is ready to race for all levels of riders and it is doing it with a sensible sound output to help keep tracks with sound issues out of trouble. To top it off the power is easy to use and the bike gets great traction. Matched with excellent suspension, riders savvy with setup can get the bike to do whatever they want it to do, adding the adjustable tripleclamp makes it even more versatile. Overall it is a package that isn't specific to any type or style of rider and seemed to satisfy all of our testers.

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2009 Yamaha YZ450F
DIRT RIDER SPEC SHEET
Price:	$7399/$7499 white
Claimed Weight:	238 lb
Actual Weight (no gas):	228 lb
Actual Weight (tank full):	240 lb
Seat Height:	37.1 in.
Seat to Footpeg:	20.7 in.
Footpeg Height:	16.4 in.
OFF-ROAD
Fuel Capacity:	0.0 gal.
Ground Clearance:	00.0 in.
SETTINGS
	Stock	DR
Jetting:
Main:	160	Std
Pilot:	45	Std
Needle:	NFLR	Std
Clip Position:	3RD	Std
Fuel Screw:	1.5	Std
Other notes:
Suspension:
Fork:
Compression:	12, 10-12
Rebound:	12,12
Shock:
Low-Speed Compression:	10, 10-12
Rebound:	12,12
High-Speed Compression:	1.5, Std
Sag(mm):	100, 100-105
Other notes:
Modifications we'd like to try:

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Opinions:

The motor on the 2009 YZ450F was the first thing to catch my attention. A lot like the 2008, it had plenty of power, but was still deceiving due to the smooth power delivery. At first I found myself wanting to downshift because the motor sounded like it was bogging down. Well, maybe it sounded like that, but it definitely wasn't slowing down, and after a couple of turns I was one happy camper, I mean rider. It was pulling strong and putting traction to the ground. Most of the power was in the bottom to mid range, so the YZ liked to be short shifted. What do you know, a 4-stroke that's made to be ridden like a 4-stroke. I have never understood why people like to ride 4-strokes on the rev limiter; I mean after all, that's not where the power is, and who wants to replace valves more often then their oil.

The suspension on the Yamaha was again very plush and worked great all around. I only had a couple issues that could easily be remedied with some minor suspension work. With the back end kicking coming into hard braking corners, I felt that the bike could use a little more hold up in the front. This would also help with those unsuspected pot hole landings and make the bike a little more stable at high speeds. I'm sure that would effect the corning a little, but that shouldn't be a problem because this thing turns on a dime. Can you say "corners like a Suzuki"? Yes, I said it, and yes, it does. As long as you are fully committed, you can throw this bike into any tight, rutted turn and come out smiling. If I had to pick out something that I don't like about the YZ all I can come up with is the skinny feel. Being 6'1", I'm a little more comfortable on the wider bikes like the Kawasaki and Honda, also which, are the bikes I am used to riding. That's just rider preference though.

Yamaha has once again put together an awesome machine. The motor alone makes the YZ one of the easiest 450 motocrossers to ride. Then you add great suspension, awesome Handling and little extras like ProTaper Bars, wide foot pegs and some serious braking power. The '09 YZ450F is definitely competitive right out of the crate.-Chris Barrett 6'1"/185 lb/Pro

Seeing as the 2009 YZ450F didn't receive any major motor or suspension changes this year, it's no surprise that new blue is essentially a slightly tweaked version of last year's model. And what stood out on that bike? Rideability, among other things, was the 2008 Yamaha's prominent characteristic, and the new model is no stranger to this same ease-of-use. Thanks to a hearty but well-mannered motor, the YZF is less "get up and go" and more "I'm here if you need me". In other words, the mellow nature of the bike's delivery doesn't wear you out, doesn't knock your socks off and doesn't feel very fast. On the stopwatch, though, the benefits of a useable 450cc power spread can be a bit surprising. As far as the chassis goes, the Yamaha again exhibits a nimble and easy-handling feel that can be in part attributed to the narrow seat and shroud setup. With stock settings, the suspension was a little stiff for my weight and riding style, but even still it took hard hits and chop like a champ. The stock Pro Taper bars on the YZF are killer, and the overall fit and finish of the bike is also solid. But can this bike win our shootout? It's too early to tell, but if the stopwatch is any indication of the potential it has, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Yamaha on top this year.
-Chris Denison/ 5'10"/ 155 lb./ Intermediate

For 2009 Yamaha didn't change a lot on the big YZ. However, riding the big blue bike today reminded me of what a potent performer it really is. The first thing everyone in the world wants to talk about on the YZ450 is the power. For me, it's perfect. And I've personally spent the last two years modifying the two powerhouses in this displacement class to reflect exactly what the YZ does in stock trim. It simply delivers the most usable helping of 450 power I've ever experienced.

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Now, at first impression you might think it's muffled, slow or lazy off the bottom, but you're wrong. So is everyone else who says this thing is down on power. It's not. It stacks power like firewood and is ready to burn on notice. Riders from beginner to pro will (and have in our tests) gone fastest on the 2008 YZ450F in timed test sessions.

What is it that works so well? It's delivery. It's efficiency. And it's usability. The bike doesn't rip your arms off or spin it's rear. It just accelerates controllably.

As controlled as the power plant is across the board, the suspension and handling has always thrown me off on this bike. I often have more trouble finding a balance between bump-compliance and cornering stability than I do on other aluminum-framed MX bikes. I praise its straight-line performance but can't get the thing dialed in to dive and swoop through corners without precise concentration on my part. Let's be honest here: I'm really complaining that while the bike lets me go brainless with my right hand, I still have to think on my toes and with my clutch in the twisties.

If I can get the front end to commit, the back end to follow and both ends to stay planted as I drift off and think about how my fantasy baseball team is doing, then I'll be completely sold. If anything the YZ450F is consistent. It hasn't done anything surprising in the few hours of testing.

The thing about it "not" turning as well for me is more a feeling of its suspension really working. These forks actually move! The feeling threw me off for a while since I've been in the saddle of more rigid-feeling bikes for the last year. When the Yamaha started moving in the front end I'd panic and release the front brake and thus would begin the see-sawing, unsettled sensation I was struggling with at first. I've found ride height and dragging the rear brake in those ruts a bit ensures the big blue bomber will plant itself just fine. Also, stop shifting down so much, Ziegler! The bike will pull a taller gear and is more relaxed in the turns without a freighter's worth of engine braking.

Mostly, the cornering characteristics are something I needed to get accustomed to. I guess that's why we put 10+ hours on this bike already.
-Jesse Ziegler/5'10"/175lbs/ Vet Intermediate.

I am not really too much of a 450 rider I only race it ounce a year for Mammoth. So I was a little on the timid side about the power of this big 450. After doing a few laps I realized that I was having no problems controlling the bike at all. With such a smooth powerband it made me think that the YZF 450 was a little slow, and lacked power. But by the end of the day I realized that what made this whole bike was a great motor. It was pretty close to identical to last years bike. Suspension, handling and just about everything else on this bike worked together perfectly. I was able to get on the bike and just ride without making any adjustments. Even coming straight off a 250F, there was no challenge in the transition to a bigger bike.-Tyler Ruiz 5'10"/180 lb/Intermediate

If I told you that I had a choice between racing Chad Reed's supercross winning YZ450, Grant Langston's Outdoor National number one bike and a stock 2009 YZ450, which one do you think I would take? All egos aside, I'd choose the stock bike if I were looking for results. Crazy? I had the opportunity to ride all three of these bikes (feature story to come, you'll have to get the magazine for that.) and if I needed to do my best, the stock bike would have been the best tool. It is such a well rounded package, like it was last year, that if you never rode another bike you could not complain about how this bike works. This may be one of the last carbureted full-size motocross bikes and for some dealing with jets is something they do not want to give up. No matter what anyone's reason for thinking about buying the YZ450, I don't know of any reason a rider wouldn't be really happy on one of these.--Jimmy Lewis 5'10"/185 lb/ Senior Pro

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Reader's Questions:

"I mostly ride in deep sandy tracks with lots of traction and braking bumps that can bottom out forks. I also ride in very tight trails again with soft dirt. Occasionally I come across some hard packed clay, but if it's been raining that clay becomes muck. I want to know if the new 450 is better than the YZ250 in any of these conditions." - bhorrigan

As for bottoming out the forks, that is a lot about the rider and the speed you are riding. We don't find that the Yamaha bottoms any more than any of the other 450s but what we do know is that when it bottoms, often just adding a little more oil to the forks can have a really positive effect on this. If the fork is working good everywhere and it is only bottoming, adding 5cc of oil at a time to each leg should help it out.

We do not test motocross bikes in the trails. Why? Because it is not what they were designed for. We know riders use them for this but for us to tell you how something works for something it wasn't designed to do just does not make sense on out part. Especially when Yamaha makes WRs for the trails. Generally the two-strokes motocross bikes are better on the trails than the four strokes, if you are asking my personal opinion.

"Basically, a run down on how the new swingarm helps improve the bikes turning ability, and suspension action, if it does...

It would also be nice to hear some about the bikes power. It seems like the first thing guys do when they bought the 08 was to go out and put on a aftermarket exhaust. However, it seemed like the stock system provided plenty of power that came on so" - pin_it

We could not really pinpoint the changes the swingarm made. Since our 2008 bike had a pipe and different tires, that is enough to change the feel of the bikes enough so that even high level test riders might not be able to feel the difference. From talking to Yamaha test riders (who tell it straight) there is a slight benefit in traction that you can fell in going back-to-back. We felt nothing bad from the new swingarm, that is for sure.

"The first thing I want to know about this bike (and any new bike for that matter) is how it held up. We don't get to rebuild a motor every week, so durability is a big concern. Yamaha is tops in this dept, and I for one would like to know if they are keeping it that way.

Does it flame out? How's the jetting and handling? How fast did it run through a tank of fuel, did the valves come out of spec at any point while you were testing..." - skipkh

We have over 10 hard running hours on our bike already and it is still getting faster and easier to start every hour. We have done one oil and filter change. Our experience with Yamaha 450Fs is that that peak at about 20 hours and run really strong easily till 30 hours (all approximate) and beyond. We'd suggest looking at the top end at 40 hours and then decide on how you are wearing stuff out and determine a maintenance schedule for your bike. You should check the valves more frequently. And if they are not moving, don't worry about them. Live by the hour meter. We have not checked our valves yet, maybe at 20 hours but I wouldn't suspect to see anything out of spec.

The bike does not flame out, the jetting is about perfect for us running Texaco 91 octane pump gas at elevations from 0-3000'. For the handling, see the test. As for the fuel range, we can ride a solid 45-minute GP and push an hour-long moto on a tank of gas.

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They say there's a little kid in all of us, and I'm pretty sure this saying applies to more than just pregnant women. Dropping your grown-up posture from time to time and indulging your younger side just may be the best way to stave the ghastly effects of growing old. One such way of doing so-and the method that Dirt Rider recommends most often-is to get your hands on a solid playbike and ride it until the wheels fall off. Last year, one of the easiest bikes to grow young on was Yamaha's TT-R90, a machine that bridged the gap between the teeny-tiny TT-R50 and the larger blue playbikes. Yet for 2008, the TT-R90 is no more. Going back to the drawing board, Yamaha's engineers transformed the somewhat-dated 90 into the all-new TT-R110E, a rolling bundle of youth that keeps riders of all sizes in kid heaven.

On the outside, the current Yamaha sports a more YZ-inspired look via some radical new plastic and cooler graphics, though the biggest changes lie unseen in the bike's motor, which is clearly based off of the previous TT-R90 platform. Along with upping the air-cooled motor's size by 20cc by way of a bigger . at-head piston, the TT-R110E boasts a redesigned cylinder, larger bore and stroke, updated valve timing and a 9.3 compression ratio. Getting this power to the ground is an all-new four-speed transmission with a roller-type (as opposed to cam type) clutch structure. A number of engine components wereadopted from the TT-R90, including the two-valve cylinder head, familiar electric start and freshly jetted Mikuni carburetor. Yamaha also chose to keep the steel pipe exhaust system, though a screentype spark arrestor now trumps the still-quiet note and eliminates the protruding stinger that graced the 90.

A modified frame, improved steering bearing and reinforced rear swingarm led the way in accommodating the existing Yamaha chassis to the new playbike's motor. With a larger cockpit and a combined extra 20mm of front and rear suspension travel, the TT-R110E can handle a bigger rider, too. The most significant handling change to the TT-R110E is the new die-cast aluminum triple clamp, which replaces the cheesy steel plate that came on last year's Yamaha 90. In the stopping department, the drum-style brakes remain standard; nevertheless, better feel is achieved through new lining material.

But enough of the tech jargon-we've already spent a considerable amount of time in the dirt aboard the TT-R110E. In a nutshell, this machine is the perfect next step beyond the TT-R90. Providing sufficient power without being too snappy, the torquey motor pulls strong from the bottom of the revs and makes a seamless transition into a sturdy upper-mid, meaning that the bike can be rolled through corners without unnecessary shifting or excessive throttle action. For a smaller pilot, the bike will easily pull a second or third gear all the way around a track, which means less worry for Junior as he learns the riding ropes. The gear spacing is pretty tall and has gaps for larger riders; adding some teeth to the rear sprocket would help. Also making things easier for the little guys are the sidestand, electric start and on/off key ignition, although the battery will drain if you leave the key on. (Luckily, though, the kickstarter still works like a charm.) Overall, the exhaust note on the TT-R is extremely pleasant, resembling a low, quiet rumble more than a long blast of noise.

As for the revised chassis, the new triple clamp makes all the difference in the world when it comes to stability. The machine now has a planted and consistent feel, and the larger rider area and relatively low weight carries well into turns and off of jumps. The suspension is still fairly soft for bigger riders, especially the shock, but this is only to allow for suitable settling with the "proper" size rider aboard. If you're in the market for a good, up-to-date playbike for anyone in your family, the TT-R110E is as solid an option as we've come across this year. And at $1849, the price isn't on the moon for a bike of this quality. But if your wife asks you why you've been mowing lawns whenever you get home from the office, just tell her that your inner child is saving up for a bike. I'm sure she'll understand.

Specifications
Price: $1849
Weight (ready to ride, no gas): 155 lb
Seat height: 26.2 in.
Ground clearance: 6.8 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 16.4 in.

What's New!
Revised 110cc motor and tranny
Roomier chassis with beefier gussets
More suspension travel
Aluminum top clamp

What's Hot!
Bigger motor pulls like a champ
Larger chassis accommodates a wider range of pilots
Electric start still rules
Equipped with a spark arrestor
Looks like a YZ!

What's Not!
Stock bar is still somewhat flimsy
Battery goes dead if key is left on
Drum brakes...still
Expectedly soft setup for bigger riders

Opinions
After enduring a knee injury from a minibike racing accident, I had completely written off mini playbikes. That was until I had a chance to ride the TT-R110 at the Yamaha Fun Day. I had so much fun riding this tiny machine, my previous injury didn't even cross my mind. I felt completely comfortable on the little bike. The TT-R felt really stable up front and had plenty of leg room to keep my feet on the pegs and transition for corners without bashing my knees on the bar. The gear ratio seemed to be almost perfect for the two tracks we rode on, and power was always there when I needed it to pull me through a taller gear. The only thing I didn't like about the TT-R110 was getting off of it.
-Joe McKimmy/5'10"/160 lb/Vet Intermediate

I really liked this 110 because it was so easy to ride. I'm still crashing a lot, so it was awesome to just push a button to start instead of kickstarting like I usually do. It was also really easy to shift and the ride was super smooth. The suspension was perfect for me. I only got it up to third gear today on this track, but it was really fast. It looks cool, too!
-Tate Allan/Age 10/4'11"/86 lb/Beginner
(Check out Mini Rider Magazine to see more about what the kids think!)

Four-fifths of the popular brands of 450cc motocrossers are virtual clones. Sure, they look and feel somewhat different, but each is based on an aluminum frame with linkage rear suspension holding similar kickstart engines. Close inspection will uncover small differences like the YZ semi-perimeter frame, the Honda Unicam valve train and the coming EFI RM-Z, but none of the Japanese manufacturers is taking a design risk, and many of the so-called "differences" can be attributed to ducking existing Japanese patents as much as to genuine innovation. And then there is the sole major player from Europe: KTM.

Say what you may about the Austrian company, but don't accuse it of playing follow the leader. No linkage for the rear suspension, a steel frame, WP suspension and an engine that's electric-start only. There isn't even a place for a kick lever. Despite the long list of things that KTM does differently than its Japanese competitors, the 2008 Katoom feels less "different" that any past KTM model.

The current bike has a little more to grip with your knees then past models, and a Renthal 996 bar with a more usual bend appeals to riders new to KTM more than the super-straight bend used in the past. Starting with the new-in-'07 twincam engine, KTM has reached current levels of Japanese engine sophistication. No odd rumbles or vibes, crisp and clean clutch engagement and disengagement and snappy, light-flywheel throttle response. KTM actively searched for these qualities by constructing a lighter crank carrying more of its weight toward the rim of the crank circle. New specs for the exhaust cam, but with the same lift, a revised ignition map and a quieter exhaust are all efforts at increasing low-rpm pull and generating more instant throttle response.

The slow-revving, heavy crank feel and the last vestiges of the low-production look of "old-world craftsmanship" credited to European machinery are gone. The difficult-to-define soul or character (or whatever you want to call it) still surrounds the KTM like new-car smell in a dealer showroom: that indefinable something that makes a KTM owner measurably more of a diehard than your average motohead. The sort of owner whom dealers claim embraces everything orange whether it is hard parts or accessories.

But Dirt Rider isn't in the business of measuring cachet. We evaluate performance, and the KTM 450 SX-F has it in abundance. We'll start with the good stuff. Even when KTM didn't have engines as polished as this one, it knew how to make extremely effective power. Unleashing the power is as easy as pushing a button. You can trust us; it doesn't take long to be spoiled by the button. The only reason to stay with kickstarting is to avoid weight and complexity. The E-start KTM weighs in right with the other bikes in the class. There's no weight penalty for the button. Not one pound. And since KTM deleted the complexity of the kickstart system and has an eight-year history of relatively trouble-free E-start systems, the complexity equation is a wash at best. The only drawback to the design is the need to ride regularly. When it comes to batteries, absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder or the charge stronger. If you let your bike languish for months, you need to acquire a battery tender, or consider something with an old-fashioned kickstart. Maybe it would be better to use it as an excuse to ride more? Once lit, the engine revs quickly and sounds strong. As always, the hydraulic clutch offers immediate feedback. The pull is reasonable and the engagement smooth if a bit narrower than most cable clutches. Shifting is great and missed shifts are rare. The trans is a four-speed, but as little as you use first, it might as well be a three-speed. We rode some fast tracks and never ran out of gear or felt gaps like we do with some four-speeds.

Compared to past KTM SX-F models, this '08 has more snap and a bigger hit. Compared to Asian models, the power builds smoothly with energy increasing in an immediate relationship to rpm. The harder you twist, the faster it goes. Something about the relationship between the power, the rear suspension and the chassis geometry just works, and the KTM hooks up and accelerates hard. Sometimes it even carries the front all the way around turns when you aren't even trying. This isn't the tear-your-arms-off sort of fast, but there's plenty of power here for any sane moto person.

The chassis is generally well-mannered. The new frame design and shock placement introduced in 2007 is much sturdier than past KTM efforts. Not that frame breakage has been an issue, but under severe loading, the chassis would kick to the side. The '07 chassis design and '08 suspension settings eliminate the tendency. There's nothing new about the chassis for '08 but the suspension settings, but it still works well. effort at the bar required for direction changes. On any bike it can be difficult to separate the handling from the suspension, but it seems especially true here. Riders who got along with the suspension also found the handling agreeable. Pilots who took issue with the suspension were more likely to find the front end busy.

Some riders found little to criticize with the chassis or suspension, while others were never able to come up with a setting that they could call plush. WP declared war on stiction and revised the seal head in the shock, and worked on seal and bushing drag on the tubes and the cartridge in the fork. In addition, the spring rates are up front (0.46 to 0.48 N/mm) and rear (6.6 to 6.9 N/mm), the valving is fine-tuned and the shock has more low-speed compression and less high-speed. The suspension action is actually very good at keeping the wheels following the ground and the bike under control. Some would argue that means the suspension is good. Others would say that rider comfort is the measuring stick by which to judge suspension. The SX-F suspension gives a lot of feedback about track conditions, and you feel it as jolting to your hands. We felt the jarring to the hands at all tracks, but even on a brutally rough day at Glen Helen the bike tracked straight, never swapped and kept the wheels on the ground and driving. We saw the same thing with the 250 SX-F. Riders felt a lot of track, but the lap times were right on the money. Turning is crisp and accurate, with only a light Controlled? Absolutely. Plush? Not for most riders. We could never narrow down the suspension issues, either. It wasn't all heavy guys or all aggressive riders. Some had issues but other riders the same speed, weight and height disagreed.

Much has been made about the fact that the KTM rear suspension has no linkage, but the front is most often criticized. The rear now has a good range of adjustment, plenty of bottoming resistance and good control. After you live with the KTM system, you'll be reluctant to revert to the maintenance and complexity of a linkage. The KTM has two other flaws. One is a seat that is thinly padded and constructed with soft foam-not a good combo. We have noted a variety of seat density from bike to bike. If you get one with firm, dense and resilient foam, the stock seat is fine. Otherwise, it isn't that comfortable. Second is that throttle response at small openings can grow fluffy as the engine heats. We are certain the problem lies in accelerator pump settings, but we never found a surefire cure.

These problems loom larger since the rest of the bike is very good. The bike is a pleasure when it comes time to perform routine maintenance. It was clearly built by folks who understand that we don't all have a factory mechanic. The engine is all but magic in output, character and onnectivity. The brakes are exceptionally powerful and all of the controls are properly placed and nicely humanengineered. Plus, the riding position is remarkably adjustable. In other words, the KTM has a lot to like, and some riders will consider it a complete and proper package. Others will see it as a work in progress until it comes back from a suspension shop.

Specifications
MSRP: $7298
Weight (ready to ride, no gas): 235 lb
Seat height: 37.8 in.
Ground clearance: 13.2 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 16.9 in.

Whats Hot!
E-start is the way to go
Great components, great controls
Adjustable riding position
Easy-to-perform routine mechanical tasks
Hooks up like it is magnetized to dirt

Whats Not!
You call that a seat?
Suspension and especially fork not plush

Opinions
As much as I value KTMs as an off-road mount, the '07 450 SX-F and I never developed an understanding. There was too much power and not enough control. The '08 is a vast improvement. It was easy to jump on and ride. I'm one who definitely didn't get along with the suspension, but I know from experience that it can work extremely well. Now that Enduro Engineering and Guts have some seat choices that fix the only other significant drawback the bike has, I'm ready to make room for one in the garage. I love the power, the roomy riding position and handling. I trust the bike in the air and on the ground. I just feel like the KTM beats me up too much in braking bumps. I have faith that I can fix that.
-Karel Kramer/6'1"/210 lb/Novice motocrosser

There are things that I really like about KTMs, like the powerful brakes and that super-consistent hydraulic clutch. They usually make really nice power as well. For 2008 the 450 SX-F got much easier to ride, accelerates better through bumps and grew calm and controlled in deep roller bumps. Those rollers are handled whether they're down a straight or through a semi-flat sweeper. The main negative point is I feel too much through the suspension, and that makes me tired sooner than it should and erodes my trust in the bike when I'm pushing for good lap times.
-Ryan Orr/5'10"/165 lb/Pro

The KTM felt pretty comfortable to me in a surprisingly short time. The power was smooth, but there wasn't as much hit off the bottom as the Honda or the KX-F. The shifting was fine and the clutch felt great and didn't fade. The engagement point is narrower than a cable clutch, but I could get used to that. The brakes are better than any production bike I've ridden. They're a little touchier than a Honda, but they're strong. The suspension felt fine, but the track at I-5MX wasn't really that rough. It was a little harder to hit a small rut in the turns, but perhaps the sand tires on the packed surface could've been part of that. Electric start is definitely a plus. It could save you a lot of time in the event of a stall or an easy fall. I never thought about the fact that Alessi had the starter on his bike. When I watched national races I thought he just always kept the bike running when he tipped over. He would fall and hardly lose any time.
-Billy Payne/5'11"/170 lb/Pro

I'm sitting here trying to figure out reasons why you'd be looking at the KTM 450 SX-F as your choice in MX weaponry. I'd start with the electric starting because that's an exclusive feature to this bike right now and every rider likes it as soon as they stop doubting that the starter won't work. Maybe you just want to stand out from the crowd, but in certain areas with good KTM dealers, I'm sorry, you won't. There may be those still then who don't like aluminum frames for some reason or another; the SX-F is the holdout chassis in steel. It feels different than Japanese machinery but no different than any other bike, one on one. And it takes about one day in the saddle and you'll be right at home. If you like a smoother, slower-revving (on the bottom because this bike rips on the top!) engine character and a lighter feeling and steering chassis, then you should look into this bike. It definitely has the strongest brakes. KTM SX-Fs are as durable as anything and have comparable aftermarket support. When it comes to shootout time, I'm sure the KTM will stand out in a few areas as class leader. Having the total package to win it might be a tough order, especially since it seems the most vanilla bike always has a strong advantage going in. This bike isn't vanilla.
-Jimmy Lewis/5'10"/185 lb/Vet Pro

A lot of smaller brands are struggling. They seem to flourish for a time, then suddenly fade with fluctuations in currency exchange rates, changes in company leadership, problems with the suppliers of key parts or the tax laws of their countries. Depending on where a marquee is in this ebb and flow of fortune, going to an off-brand can be as risky as the thrill of an exotic ride is fun. Of the boutique brands, Husaberg has remained fairly steady. Stateside, there has been some juggling of the brand and its importer and issues with durability, especially in the late '90s, but for the most part there has been a solid (if sparse) dealer network and a consistent flow of parts. Now Husaberg has been integrated back under the control of KTM North America, which should further solidify the brand and its parts supply.

Now for the push. KTM is getting behind the Husaberg brand because it wants to strengthen it. It knows the bike has some benefits and appeals to different kinds of riders than its own orange bikes. In fact, the 2008 pricing structure, now a bit lower than in the past, is set to get sales numbers up in the United States.

We got our hands on a fresh 2008 FE550. New for 2008 are some changes in tolerances on the crankshaft and upgrades to the balance shaft and its water pump seal, a recurring problem area we had with our 2006 650. The frame is welded in a new jig for more consistency, and the triple clamp is stronger and lighter, as it is off the KTMs. The ignition has some changes to the mapping, and of course, the bike comes with new graphics. Also, the '08 bikes are sold as a closed-course competition bike, meaning red-sticker in California. The motor meets emissions standards, but it remains red-sticker because the gas tank isn't sealed, a new standard you'll be hearing more about in the future. The Husaberg got an Akrapovic muffler without a spark arrestor and comes without any lights, just number plates.

Even though the delivery is off-road smooth enough, the Berg lunges out of turns when you whack the throttle.

Now for the differences from a "normal" bike, the Berg has the chain and sprockets on the wrong side (right side) of the bike. Meaning the clutch and ignition are on opposite sides compared to the majority of motorcycles produced now. There isn't a conventional airbox, the filter rides atop the large rectangular chrome-moly frame's backbone, the inside of the frame serves as the airbox with the filter located right between your legs where the seat and gas tank meet. Hence, the open space under the seat. There isn't a removable subframe either, and getting to the shock is as simple as on a KTM even though the linkageless PDS unit is centrally mounted on the Berg. There isn't a conventional cylinder but a sleeve mounted in the centercases. And the radiator is a large single unit as opposed to two smaller ones.

It doesn't take long to start liking what the Husaberg has to offer. And that's power. It has a lot of it delivered in complete smoothness or with aggressive snap. You have a great amount of control with the throttle, and just how much you'd like the engine to respond is as simple as twisting your wrist. Much more than most off-road bikes. It feels like it has a very light flywheel when you want the bike to respond quickly, but then it can also torque along and be smooth as if it had a very heavy crank. The throttle-to-rear-wheel connectivity is extremely sensitive and quite good.

The bike channels this power through a well-spaced wide-ratio, six-speed gearbox, but not before you get to control it through a hydraulic clutch with a very light pull, decent feel and excellent durability. It does squeak a bit when it gets hot and from stops, but you get used to it. First gear lets this open-class beast tackle the tightest of trails like a much smaller bike because you won't use the clutch and at low rpm the bike has a very nimble feel. Second through fifth all have an equal spacing jump, plus the motor runs on for so long with the power you can just keep the bike in one gear and let the revs make shifting pointless a lot of the time. Plus, this Berg will take full gas, no clutch power shifts like you'd expect a Formula One car to do. How fast is it? We didn't take our radar gun or the GPS out with us but the FE easily went 100 mph. The tears in our eyes, even through the goggles, verified it. Overall, the Berg is one of the fastest and strongest-running bikes you can buy. It has about all the power you'll ever need and is only surpassed by its bigger brother, the 650, when stock-to-stock power is compared. What's the difference? On a really steep, traction-laden hill the 650 will never stop accelerating. The 550 merely keeps pulling steady whereas most ordinary 450s will lose steam.

The handling and chassis of the Husaberg have a unique feel, too. First, a lot of riders get the feeling that the bike has a stinkbug stance-one of being high in the rear and wide in the thighs. You can see it in the seat, which has pretty good padding in the front portion. Larger riders tend to notice this more than smaller guys. Some liked it as it kept their knees less folded up while others didn't like being perched up higher than usual. But even smaller riders didn't mind the standard bar position on the multiadjustable triple clamp being in the third-most forward position. So overall, the chassis is a bit tighter than a roomy KTM. It also feels like the footpegs are placed a bit higher, giving the bike an unfamiliar handling feel as well. The Berg acts like the front wheel is actually more underneath you than on the KTM, but when turning the bike feels a little more raked out and stable. It definitely has good front grip and likes to be turned on the front tire as opposed to be sliding in the rear. The 550 is fairly light on its feet for such a beast and is actually pretty good at masking its weight when the engine gets spinning, something that a lot of big bikes suffer with in handling.

As to its suspension, this Berg has definitely kept the enduro touch in the setting. It's on the softer and plusher side of the scale, but it seems they've found some additional bottoming resistance compared to the Long Haul 650 we had. It's very similar to the way we had our suspension modified, so of course we liked it. It seems to be as plush as the KTMs are able to be without suffering that wallowy feel. And the bike is pretty sensitive to fork compression settings. We liked ours a bit softer than delivered, even when racing the bike on a rough GP course at SRA's Glen Helen monthly event.

Once you learn the routine of the Husaberg, all of its unique or irregular traits seem to fall into place. Air filter maintenance is a cinch. The one-liter oil capacity makes it important to change the fluid often but it's simple, as well. The bike breathes excess oil into the airbox and will actually "self-regulate" the level if you put in too much. It can be interesting when you pin the throttle for an extended period of time, too, as it will blow it into the airbox where the bike will puff some nice, blue clouds. In fact, when those unfamiliar with this flip the bike upside-down and oil runs into the airbox, it's funny to tell the rider they blew the bike up when the billows of blue spoke pour out! The reach to the brake pedal takes some getting used to, and trying to find the little bird that's trapped under the seat is useless. Yes, this bike makes some funny noises.

On the plus side the brakes are strong and progressive. There's some new blue bling scattered around the bike, as well as black rims if you like that style. And speaking of the looks, almost everyone who glanced at the Berg had something interesting to say about it.

Now the big question is, Do you really need a Husaberg over all the other choices out there? Only you can answer that one. If you like power, standing out from the crowd and are willing to go that extra yard in your motorcycle addiction, we can happily recommend the Husaberg. If you have to have a shop in or near your town, like to have a lot of aftermarket choices available to you and prefer to blend in, forget it and dream about what riding a Berg must be like.

Specifications
MSRP: $8198
Seat height: 37.4 in.
Footpeg height 16.5 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 20.9 in.
Ground clearance: 13.5 in
Fuel capacity: 2.8 gal.
Weight (ready to ride, no gas): 249 lb

What's Hot
Motor is addictive, you'll crave the acceleration
The look is clean yet bold
Components are top-notch
Your neighbor doesn't have one

What's Not
More "Euro" feeling than a KTM
Riding position not as seamless as most new bikes
Not a lot of aftermarket support
No spark arrestor or green sticker compliance

Opinions

Well, if you don't like horsepower, this isn't the bike for you. I happen to like hp, so I thought it was great! The motor just pulls really nicely. It steers a little sluggish, but I'm splitting hairs compared to the other bikes. For a big-bore bike it handles well and feels light. It's very fun to ride, has plenty of low-end and plenty of mph in the same gearbox. No tugging to do a wheelie, you just turn the throttle and control the front end height. The little birdie under the seat is interesting until you're told it's the airbox chirping. The tank is very nice for tight turns, considering it's a larger capacity tank. There's a cavity where the airbox is on most bikes, that's large enough to house a lunchbox in case you end up riding your 550 to places where lunch isn't served. Compared to previous Husabergs I've ridden, you know the kind where you needed to carry a suitcase of spare parts, this bike was a very nice change of pace and a lot of fun to ride.
-Scott Forward/6'0''/190 lb/A rider

I really like Husabergs. I've always liked four-strokes, even before they were popular. In fact, when I was racing my Honda XR280 in the 1989 ISDE I saw the very first Husaberg. It was a full 350cc, sort of a rarity at the time, and I wanted that trick bike instead of my hopped-up trailbike. It was a lust I remember from when I was a kid and I saw and heard a Maico (still waiting to ride one of those!). Well, I've had the chance to ride a number of Bergs in my time, and they have all satisfied my quest for a unique ride, especially in power output. Though in all of my time I've only had one mechanical failure (the lighting side of the ignition on one let go, at night!), I've heard a lot about problems with the bikes. Our Long Haul 650 relaxed any worries on that matter. And knowing the 550 is about the perfect size for any real open-class off-road bike, I really dig this bike. Sure, with the introduction of the new KTM chassis the Berg's handling might be a slight step behind, but I still prefer the suspension action on the 550 off-road. I'm surprised it doesn't sell more of these.
-Jimmy Lewis/5'10"/185 lb/Pro trail rider

This bike really is about the motor. It runs great from way down low and stinkin' incredible in the mid and all the way to the top. In every way our long-term 650 engine was good, this one is also good, but the 550 has none of the flaws like heavy vibration and an agricultural feel. The riding position is too cramped for me on long rides. When the airbox starts to seriously moan, though, the 550 comes on like it has a turbo or nitrous and you pretty much forget to sweat the little stuff. I dreaded time on the 650, unless we were playing on hills, but the 550 is a whole new animal-domesticated but not declawed.
-Karel Kramer/6'1"/210 lb/B rider

KTM is a member of the club now called The Big Five, up from just the four Japanese brands that were competitive in the motocross arena; the Austrian bikes are now judged equally. Being held to those top-shelf standards can be tough; first, you come from a different continent (and world, really) than your competition. Also, when your home markets prefer a different kind of motocross bike than your biggest market (which is the United States) it makes it even tougher to compete. And in the U.S. the 250F class is as hotly contested as it gets. One thing's for sure, small-displacement bikes are made or sunk firstly on the engine.

KTM has had the 250F motor dialed from day one, especially in outright power. It has always had the beans, only the delivery and spread weren't perfect for some. It was a deceiving sensation; the motor had great torque but often left novice riders confused on where in the power spread to ride the bike. What they didn't grasp was that there was a ripping top-end waiting a little further up the rpm range. Experts were often put off by the flattening of the top-end before it pulled strong again even further up. Why couldn't KTM have bridged this gap? A lot of aftermarket pipe manufacturers were able to. Well, for 2008 it looks like the host of changes have accomplished a lot of this.

The intake tract has reduced volume, both cams' timing is changed and a new exhaust cam hides under the cover. Add a lighter circular crank with the weight positioned further out from center and you have a smoother power spread that seems to even fill in the potent midrange from last year as well as plug the little gap up top, making the total power pull much smoother and more full. If anything, the bike is reluctant to rev from a basement rpm, something a beginner may not appreciate. Above there, it goes and goes with a very long-winded top-end spread that seems to use timing to slow the speed at which the upper end rpm build. It's sort of "slow revving" up past 12,000 rpm. I'm sorry if that is the worst oxymoron you've ever heard, but it's true. Some riders like this, others thought the bike was signing off early. But hit a jump when the bike is working here and you launch as far as any 250F will throw you; drag race another bike singing here and you will likely win when your competition makes the next shift sooner.

Clutch work isn't necessary on this bike, but when the time comes the feel is great, consistent and the bike responds well. Shifting is solid yet not as silky as some, but gear spacing is perfect for most every track. There is a noticeable amount of engine-braking on the SX-F but that's easily nullified with just a bit higher idle tuned into the carb. The jetting was spot-on for our hot summer SoCal testing from near sea-level to 4000-foot conditions. Everyone who rode the bike came away impressed with the motor and immediately noticed the improvements from last year. All this and it is remarkably quiet; KTM makes power and keeps the sound in check.

The chassis fights a whole other battle. It's because of the linkageless shock and the built-in perception that follows it. For sure, the shock and the resultant handling are not the same as the other four bikes in the class. It's typically more finicky about proper setup, and the setup will vary as a track changes, as well as from track to track. But just because the bike does something funny doesn't mean it's solely because of the shock. Straightaway, having the proper ride height and comparably correct bike-only static sag, all combining to show the bike has the right spring on it for the rider, is crucial. Then you just go and ride. Riders accustomed to other brands might feel the rear end as being a little looser or moving up and down a bit more than they like. But a little compression or rebound can usually cure that.

What foreign riders will also notice is that the KTM has a little more bite at the tires than they're used to. This even with the stock Bridgestone sand/mud tires that aren't happy when the track turns hard. The traction is great and the overall handling is easily on the light side of the spectrum, making the KTM a cinch to throw around. This while remaining pretty stable at speed. This year the modifications to the fork and its seals and bushings have taken away the spiky or harsh bump feeling that last year's bike gave through the bar. This only helps the traction further and gives riders a lot more confidence in turns.

The aluminum rear shock body saves some weight, but riders should schedule service more frequently than in the past as more oil contamination is going to take place. But the new valving and oil routing seem to have added plushness in the rear without losing any stroke control or causing any more frequent bottoming. The adjustments are now easily noticeable in one- and two-click settings, and even the high-speed adjustment makes pretty significant changes to the ride of the bike. Clicking these adjusters is more like getting the shock valved than just making it stiffer or softer. Faster riders liked a little more (two to three clicks) compression in the rear and an additional one-eighth turn more high-speed compression, as well as a couple of clicks of compression to the fork.

The only complaints we had with the suspension seemed to happen when the track's bumps went from loamy conditions to hard-packed. We feel it was more of a traction issue related to the tires than a shock tuning issue, as clicking the adjusters did little to correct the bike's kick. But compared to last year we're claiming the bike has better turning and a much improved ride. You will notice the newfound plushness.

After a couple of track days we're ready to line this KTM up with the rest of our 250Fs and see which will come out on top. And as always, it seems there's no clear-cut winner in staging. This KTM is polished enough now that it doesn't stand out with some sort of unique performance traits that will polarize our test crew. Orange is good. But is it good enough?

What's Hot
Improved power fills all the gapsPlusher suspension with better damping controlBy Dirt Rider's track record, the most durable 250FQuiet, and it still rips

What's Not
Can be hard starting when new
Pipe burns pant legs
Number plates require custom preprints to look decent
No place to grab to put bike on a stand

Specifications
MSRP: $6698
Claimed dry weight: 216 lb
Actual weight (ready to ride, no gas): 216 lb
Seat height: 37.8 in.
Footpeg height: 17.3 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 20.5 in.

Opinions
Last year, the '07 KTM 250 SX-F was just a few quirks away from being my top pick of the shootout. With a solid motor and great cornering characteristics, the bike was held back only by the unfamiliar handling and hit-and-miss feel of the gearing. Having just ridden the 2008 machine, I'm stoked to say that KTM has again built a great bike, and there are some definite improvements from last year. The motor on this machine has a lot of personality; it happily grunts to life and begins pulling in a very early portion of the power. Initially, I dealt with a major bog right off idle, which was fixed by adjusting the accelerator pump so that it wasn't loading up with fuel. As soon as we got this handled, the KTM came to life coming out of corners, where the acceleration is most noticeable. Compared to other 250s, the SX-F requires slightly more shifting finesse-if you let the revs build just a tad too high, the motor flattens out like a squashed cockroach. Keep it in the meat, though, and the KTM's engine will grab traction like you wouldn't believe, especially in deep sand and loam.

Handlingwise, I felt that this year's machine performed better on off-camber turns, where the shock seemed to ride much more confidently in the stroke than the 2007 did. Turning is still strong, but large, mid-corner braking bumps typical of rough tracks seemed to throw the rear end for a loop. I similarly had issues with the front end deflecting but was able to pacify this by slowing down the rebound. I'd need to ride this bike on a few more tracks and do some more tuning to see where it stacks up to the rest of the class, but my initial opinion is pretty favorable. With a few of the kinks worked out, the new KTM should be right at home at the top of the class.
-Chris Denison/5'10"/155 lb/Intermediate

Some bikes change radically and others just sort of evolve. The 2008 KTM 250 SX-F is an evolution in process. Starting with the power, which is my favorite part of a bike, the KTM has a newfound bottom-end. Still insanely smooth and controllable, but it's boosted down low a ton over last year's bike. The exhaust, cam and ignition changes have radically moved the power over last year's. This comes at a cost, of course, and the '08 KTM likes to be shifted sooner than in previous years. I think most users will welcome this change. Up front, the fork seems more progressive than ever. In past years, KTM fork settings jarred me, but the new unit on this baby has me slamming into braking bumps with a smile-if anything, they're too soft initially and are getting down into the mid too soon for the bigger national-track-type bumps. Out back, the shock is impressive, too. It's now an aluminum-bodied piece that's keeping the back end in line better than any KTM I've ridden. I tested the bike primarily on a high-speed course with sweeping turns as well as some great ruts. The KTM kept its cornering prowess in all conditions and was a blast to ride. As always, the brakes, hydraulic clutch and all other controls are top-notch and proven durable. This isn't the easiest bike to start at times, but it's the easiest to work on. I'll take toolless air filter maintenance any day!
-Jesse Ziegler/5'10"/175 lb/Intermediate

The 2008 250 SX-F's unique look just makes you want to ride it. After figuring out how to take off the gas cap and filling her up, I was able get on the bike. The overall impression of the frame and bar is that they're wide, and this gives the bike a different feeling. Although this doesn't take away from the handling and control, it took a few laps to get used to. The first lap I noticed how smoothly the rear shock worked. It remained soft but stable through braking bumps and straights while still withstanding flat-landers or mistakes. It moves a little more than I'm used to, but stiffening it helped this feeling. The front suspension felt a little rigid at times, and the tires seemed to have a tendency to wash on hardpack. The front brake and the clutch made the controls of this bike pretty easy to ride. The hydraulic clutch is very easy to pull, which puts less fatigue on your arms, and the front brake is so controllable you can stop quickly without the brakes wanting to lock up. The motor is one of the more dominant features of the KTM, though it doesn't seem to have as much very low bottom-end as I'm used to, it's definitely compensated in the mid to top with a smooth pull. It feels like it will never end. After riding the bike for a while I've decided the width of the frame actually made gripping the bike easier. Aside from the wide-feeling handlebar and the front suspension, both of which I could easily fix, I would have no complaints owning this bike.
-Tyler Ruiz/5'9"/180 lb/Intermediate

Life for manufacturers used to be easier when it came to selling motocross four-strokes. At one time both Yamaha and Honda dominated the market. But now every color has a 450F and they're all great. It was rumored that Kawasaki postponed the release of its 450 for one year after it could have produced it. It wanted the bike to be right, and the extra year paid off. Despite being the last Japanese brand to enter the 450 class, Kawasaki has made, and continues to make, a big impression. The KX450F has had few problems and a great deal of success. Many of its triumphs have been earned in motocross/supercross (James Stewart, Michael Byrne and Tim Ferry) and arenacross (Darcy Lange and Josh Demuth), but the model has also earned a Hare & Hound title (Destry Abbott) and a WORCS championship (Ricky Dietrich). Clearly the basic package is complete. The changes for 2008 are what we'd call thorough fine-tuning, but the difference in performance is significant and surely sufficient to keep the KX-F battling with the best in the class.

Even though aluminum frames have had a very positive effect on the sport, the technology is still evolving with the primary focus on torsional rigidity. The challenge is to engineer enough twist into the frame to aid turning and traction. Kawi moved the engine mounts 10mm farther from the engine to allow more flex in the chassis. Even with the black "Diamond Like Coating" on the fork legs, the suspension wasn't perfect in 2007, so the inside surfaces of the upper fork tubes and shock reservoir gained a low-friction Kashima coating for '08. The overall suspension settings are slightly stiffer as well, and an effort was made to further balance suspension action front to rear.

In 2007 the suspension performance was challenged by an engine with such massive pull that the rear end had to cope with that load and bumps. For '08 the engine gets pork chop- shaped crank webs and a heavier flywheel to smooth the delivery and aid traction without reducing overall boost. A variety of small changes to the rod material, oil pump, shift drum and the ignition enhance reliability, add confidence in the shifting and allow easier starting when hot. And then, of course, there are those black rims to spark up the look.

The attention to detail lavished on the engine is obvious as soon as the bike starts. The KX lights easily, has all but perfect jetting and crisp and immediate response. It's also apparent that the bike is loud. Kawasaki was quick to point out that the thumper passes sound. We suspect that the ignition is engineered to make the bike meet AMA regs at the test rpm, but the bike is much too raucous in higher rpm ranges.

If you tune out the sound, you can start to enjoy the KX just fine. The changes to the crank and flywheel have worked magic on the power delivery. The engine rolls on super smooth out of turns, grip and traction are abundant and reliable and the rider can choose the moment for the jump to light speed. Once the throttle is opened past the halfway mark, the track gets gobbled up at an amazing rate. The pull is never violent like the bike is trying to tear your arms off, but you end up really hauling on the straight parts of the track. Adding flywheel effect has merely calmed the power. Ample snap to clear jumps right out of turns is still on tap. We never considered lower gearing, but a few riders could conceive of wanting a tooth or two less on the rear sprocket.

A few riders noticed a reluctance to transfer from second to third gear in a hurry, while others wondered why you would bother using second gear. Shifting earlier and being sure of the shift ended most complaints.

Whether the chassis or suspension changes are most responsible, the '08 KX450F is the best turning edition to date, and it has always been happy in turns. A low-in-the-rear, high-in-the-front feeling some riders noted in '06 and '07 is gone, and the chassis feels level and balanced for corner entrances. Front wheel feedback is solid, and riders tend to trust this bike in any sort of turn situation. When a bike has quick turning, stability can suffer, but that isn't the case here. Kawasaki managed to keep the bike happy at speed as well.

Having slightly stiffer suspension and the extensive use of friction-dodging coatings paid off with excellent performance. The bike rides up in the stroke in the rough but settles for corners like it should. For jump faces the action is lively enough to let you load the suspension and get extra lift, but it remains calm enough for sharp and abrupt takeoffs.

As far as the rider accommodations go, the KX feels a bit more compact than other brands, but not overly so. Nothing interferes with the normal ranges of movement we use while riding. In other words, Kawasaki took a bike we thought was really nice and made it even better. It has excellent handling, massive but controllable power and fine suspension. About the only consistent complaint concerned the exhaust note. At high rpm the bike is loud, and the muffler sounds blown out even when brand-new. It will take a shootout to really find out where the bike falls, but right now it looks very strong for 2008.

What's Hot
Suspension action is smooth and controlled.Engine is house-trained but still a meat-eater when revved.Starting is very easy hot or cold.

What's Not
Exhaust note is loud and sounds odd.

Specifications
MSRP: $6999
Claimed dry weight: 220 lb
Actual weight (ready to ride, no gas): 236 lb
Seat height: 37.8 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 20.5 in.

Opinions
Last year, I didn't really get along with the big KX-F. With snappy power and iffy handling, I didn't like to ride it much at all. This year, with small yet simple changes, I think the bike has improved in most areas and taken a big step backward in others. First, the good stuff: I love the new power delivery on the KX-F. The heavier flywheel delivers the ponies with less of a punch, and I think it's just enough calmness to bring this bike back into contention as a shootout winner. Also, the handling is better. The increased flex in the frame is making this dude lace into turns better than ever. Straight-line stability is sweet, too. On a sour note, the KX450F sounds like a clapped-out piece of crap with a broken muffler. The stock sound is horrendous and bugs me to the point of not wanting to ride the bike. I'm not ignorant enough to think noise is power; no one else should be, either. By being creative with ignition maps and electronics, I'm sure Kawasaki has the bike sound testing just fine, but open the throttle when you're actually riding the bike, and you'll be greeted with the strangest muffler tone ever to come out of a stock bike.
-Jesse Ziegler/5'10''/175 lb/Squid of the Month

Kawasaki made some very nice changes for 2008, and the KX450F is a definite weapon. The power is vastly improved in terms of ease of use, but not dumbed down as far as sheer output goes. The balance and feel of the bike is more level and neutral than ever, and that rear end's tendency to kick up over sharp bumps is pretty much cured. I don't like the volume or the tone of the exhaust note, and the bike is a little scrunchy with a too-soft seat. What that means is I could easily fix any problem I have with this bike. And the bike is definitely worth taking the time to make it work.
-Karel Kramer/6'1"/210 lb/Novice

I typically don't spend much time practicing aboard 450cc machines, which might be why this bike scared me so much the first time the power hit. The motor launches out like a wound-up Jack-in-the-Box, yet it does so in a much more ridable fashion than the '07 model. The curve of the updated motor seems to start out with a strong, smooth initial hit before settling into a clean acceleration path that leads to yet another high-rpm blast of power. The 2008 chassis improvements also lend to the bike's newfound stability, as the frame feels more responsive and not quite as jarring through chop and square-edged holes. For my weight and preference, I found that the best suspension setting was two clicks in on the rebound at both ends, as well as two clicks softer on the low-speed of the shock (I chased the fork compression back to stock). With this setup, the Kawasaki felt very hooked up in the rear wheel-especially noticeable in off-camber, odd-angled corners-and the bike skipped across braking bumps rather than into them. In my opinion, there are a few hitches to the KX450F that need to be worked out. The machine feels long, tall and heavy on the track. As a result, I don't feel totally confident in the bike's handling, but then again I'm a bit smaller than the target 450cc rider. Also, I felt the Kawasaki pop out of gear between second and third a few times, and the exhaust tone is downright rotten. But as far as improvements go, Kawasaki did a great job fixing last year's issues, and it most certainly produced one heck of a fast motorcycle.
-Chris Denison/5'10"/155 lb/Intermediate

Kawasaki improved its new big bike for the '08 year. Last year the suspension had an unbalanced feel to me, but not this year. I noticed that the suspension feels like it's working in harmony to soak up the big slap-down landings. More importantly, I could accelerate out of the corners that had nasty chop out of them. On deceleration the shock didn't kick me or do anything funny. It was as predictable as I like it! The motor was improved down low. It had great throttle response but also kept that smooth roll-on feel that I like out of 450s. The third thing I noticed was that it did miss shifts. Between second and third gear was a difficult time for the KX450. Overall, I think Kawasaki did a great job making improvements on the newer KX450F.
-Kris Keefer/5'11''/170 lb/Pro

Last year, the all-new Suzuki RM-Z250 walked away as our clear-cut shootout winner (April '07). Its first-year performance delivered a blow to the other contenders in the class with its aluminum-framed jump into the scene. Suzuki revved up the development team again for 2008 and made some big changes to the yellow screamer.

With an impromptu introduction at Los Angeles County Raceway (www.crcmx.com) the 2008 RM-Z showed us exactly what it was made of. LACR has gone through some changes lately, inheriting a deep mining pit and the high-speed uphills and downhills that come with it. When we first dropped into the pit we knew the '08 RM-Z was a new beast.

Last year, the RM-Z was the torque king of the Lites class. It had enough bottom and midrange grunt that you could short-shift it all day long. The powerband didn't stretch to the moon, but the sheer bottom-end pulling power of the Suzook motor was mind-blowing enough to put it ahead of the class. For 2008, Suzuki has taken a quantum leap in the other direction. Now, the RM-Z feels soft downtown and comes on stronger and more linear as high as you want to go. The mid-top boost is insane. Riders who love that top-end yank will instantly fall in love. If you're expecting a small change in the motor department, you'll be disappointed. The RM-Z is radically changed and its motor barely resembles the '07. According to Suzuki, internal modifications to the left side of the exhaust port and new carburetor features (things called "bat wing type guide plates") are responsible for the newly found power surge. It seems what they gained on top, they lost on the bottom.

Carburetion on our test bike was touchy in our first couple of days. We tinkered with our fuel screw as we went from track to track and never really had a solid off-idle response as we wanted. A needle and some other jetting changes may be in store for our shootout, and we'll have the best settings included there. Right out of the box, however, the RM-Z was cleanest at the midpoint and stayed that way until the end of the pull-which we never really found.

Suzuki has quickly entered the alloy-frame tuning game and, even though we felt the '07 was a fine handling machine, chassis upgrades are plentiful for '08. Numerous locations on the frame have either been lightened and thinned down for more flex, or beefed up and strengthened for more rigidity. Ridden back to back with our Long Haul '07 RM-Z, the new model feels more solid and responsive in general. Cornering is still supreme on the Suzuki and straight-line stability is solid as well. We're excited to put it up with third- and fourth-generation frames from the other brands in our shootout.

Suspension complaints are about the only negative things we hear about the handling of last year's bike. Most of this had to do with the fork bottoming too easily. For '08, Suzuki added some valving and internal changes to the fork to keep the front end up in the stroke on hard landings and high-speed jump faces. Our issues with last year's bike were minimal and we're equally impressed with the new model.

Shifting woes have reared their ugly heads in our RM-Z250 over the past year. Our Long Haul bike has had neutral-hitting scary moments and is difficult to shift at times. Suzuki added judder springs to the clutch and redesigned the shift lever and clutch cable bracket to improve the feel. We're not quite convinced this solved the problem, and at least one of our testers felt the new '08 wasn't shifting well. Another thing to watch for in our shootout? You bet it is.

Fit and finish is improved as more bolts come with integrated washers and there is more aluminum and less cast steel used throughout. Also, Suzuki added some cool bling-factor with gold axle blocks and chain, anodized fork caps and a cool, new dust seal on the head-tube bearing.

That's your first look at the 2008 RM-Z250. Keep your eyes on the pages of DR for our 2008 250F shootout to see if this reigning champ can stay on top!

What's Hot
Top-end pull that will suck your eyeballs inImproved chassis balance and performanceSame great fitting package as last year's best 250FI love goooooold!

What's Not
Is the bottom-end power too soft now?
Shifting gremlins
Some fasteners still on the cheap

Specifications
MSRP: $6099
Claimed dry weight: 203 lb
Actual weight (ready to ride, no gas): 218 lb
Seat height: 37.4 in.
Footpeg height: 16.7 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 20.7 in.

Opinions
With the 2007 RM-Z250 being my Long Haul bike this year, I feel more comfortable than ever aboard the yellow four-strokes. Due to this familiarity, I was easily able to notice the number of improvements that Suzuki threw at its '08 in hopes of keeping the DR 250F shootout crown. To begin with, I can say this: There is nothing about the '08 that the previous bike did better. Every modification made was a step in the right direction-from the redesigned shift lever to the improved exhaust can. The most noticeable difference is in the motor, which pulls longer, harder and stronger than last year's while still retaining the smoothness that made the '07 a winner. Less torque, but still very strong. I know that Suzuki put some work into the 2008's transmission internals, but the bike still popped out of gear whenever I got sloppy with my shifting-not as bad as last year's, but not a complete fix, either. The revised fork is a much-welcomed change, though, giving the new RM-Z better bottoming resistance and keeping the stability that allows the bike to corner so well. I'm still not super fond of the bar bend, but the rest of the ergos are comfortable and familiar, likely because I have been riding this bike so much. I also like the gold chain and axle blocks, right-side hot-start and refined headset bearings; all are small changes that only increase the 250F's character. Settled, stable, strong and solid, I'm pretty pumped on this new Suzuki. It's not completely perfect, but it just might be closer to perfect than anything else in the class. I guess we'll find out come shootout time!
-Chris Denison/5'10"/155 lb/Intermediate

Right from the first minute on the RM-Z I felt comfortable, even though the bar makes it just on the cramped side for me. It's the super-smooth and extremely torquey motor, plush suspension and nice chassis that just rule. Since I was really liking last year's motor I was a little worried that shifting the power further up in the R's would ruin the sweetness of the RM-Z. But I didn't feel the motor was changed all that much after a few laps. If anything, it just got more on top and anything that was lost is way below where I'd ever ride the bike. I can't say I really noticed much of the chassis changes either, just that the bike does nothing wrong and it even holds itself up with my "currently too heavy for a 250F" weight factor. If anything, I'll say it's better in the turns with a bit more control. Since I tend to ride over the back a bit, the softness of the fork that some of the riders have issues with doesn't affect me. I never experienced any of the shifting problems, either. About the only problem I had with the bike was that the gearing runs out too fast, I was topping out in fifth on some long straights. But try telling that to the guys I was beating on 450s in the Vet A class last weekend!
-Jimmy Lewis/5'10''/185 lb/Vet Pro

The Yamaha is sold in a different state completely. The blue bike has a racier motor harnessed with a system of restrictors that can be removed if you desire full performance, changing the bike into a closed-course setting. These changes may or may not matter depending on where you ride. Not happy to ride the WR450F in a stock state, since it performed more like a 250F in terms of power, we incrementally did the minimum tweaks necessary to get it running as it should; we'll call it a commonsense setting. Common sense also included installing hand guards on all the bikes, because we like them!

Kawasaki KLX450R vs. Yamaha WR450F vs. Honda CRF450X vs. KTM 450 EXC If you're in the market for a 450cc four-stroke off-road bike, there couldn't be a better time or a hotter class to be looking at. With the arrival of the Kawasaki KLX-R to the already performance-stacked class of Yamaha WRs, KTMs and Honda CRF-Xs-not even counting Huskys and Husabergs, Gas Gases and TMs-the off-road market is getting full. And holding your breath only a little longer will yield a new Suzuki and BMW on the market, as well as a rumored Buell. At this rate, it doesn't matter what color or style of performance you crave-it will be available, and our next Torture Test will address this head-on.

But for this comparo, we took the heavy hitters and the new challengers out to the trails to see what you can have right now.

A Day in the Dez Our first group outing was to the desert. Where better to get familiar with these bikes than a place where they can roam and use the power they possess? For a lack of a better term, a place where we could "let them eat." If power was really supreme, then we could go nuts with jetting and airbox mods to all of the bikes. Still, you'll be surprised at what we found. Even in its showroom-stock configuration, the Honda was the fastest where it counted. It squirted out of the hole and pulled hard right through the powerband, beating out all of the other bikes in roll-ons and straight-up drag races on a consistent basis. Who says this bike needs cams or $1000 in motor work to run with the others? The CRF-X has torque to chug the bike a gear high and will spin up smoothly or abruptly-you decide with the throttle. It does a lot of this courtesy of shorter gearing, for sure, and only loses out when top speed comes into play.

Simply put, you can look at this test in a number of ways. Off-road bikes are tasked with doing many things. Depending on your location and its regulations, some bikes may be appropriate and others just won't work. To help, we tried to evaluate these bikes in the most appropriate context, meaning as close to box-stock as possible, while still getting what we felt was acceptable performance out of them. That said, we didn't modify, change, tweak or remove anything we didn't have to. Only the stuff that needed it, and only after we tried them stock.

Out of the Box If this were a test right off the dealer's showroom floor, there are only two bikes to choose from based solely on performance. And only one if you need to be street-licensed to ride where you want, a big concern for a lot of riders whose states have stringent regulations or very limited OHV access. The Honda CRF450X and the Kawasaki KLX450R are the only bikes of the fleet that run 100 percent acceptably from the second you buy them. You can ride the CRF-X and KLX-R anywhere OHVs are legal and have a great time doing it. In fact, for the duration of this comparison, we didn't touch a thing on these two. The Red and Green guys have figured out how to get full-throttle actuation, minimal sound output and reduced emissions-all mandated by our government-into a package that needs nothing more than a rider atop the bike.

In top speed, the uncorked Yamaha pulls the CRF-X. The WR, unrestricted but still lean, is ever so close to the CRF-X everywhere. You can still step it up with the GYTR jetting, but so could every bike in this test if we wanted to play Dr. Jetting. Testing the WR, we found it smoother than both the CRF-X and the KLX: semi-electric-like with surge available anytime with a twist of the throttle. The WR does not seem to have the grunt or torque of the Honda or KTM, bikes on which you feel the pulse of each power stroke; it prefers to blend those strokes together into a creamier delivery of wheel-twisting force. And when the WR revs out, it really revs and stretches its legs even past the KTM and its tall gears.

KTM chose a much different path, the one to street-legality. In doing this, the Orange company took a fully capable dirt bike (the XC-W) and tweaked and tuned it into the EXC with a few simple changes that made the bike fully street-legal-and off-road-legal to boot. As such, the bike would have a few hiccups if it were taken onto difficult trails. Mainly the incredibly tall gearing and the lean carburetion: small prices to pay if you need a license plate. We rode the KTM box-stock for only a little while before easily "reconverting" it, step by step, into an XC-W.

The KTM is the sleeper of this bunch. It is very smooth on the bottom while still retaining more of that four-stroke thump than any of the other bikes. It is pleasantly smooth on the bottom but comes alive into the midrange with a surge that most riders liked; the boost was there just when you wanted it to light up the tire, lift the front end or catapult the bike forward. The EXC works best in the midrange, which is the main reason the gearing is critical. The top-end pull is there yet lackluster in comparison to the other bikes'. In everyday riding, you'll hardly be bothered by the top-end as you are only an upshift away from another meaty pull of midrange. Due to the lazy bottom, the KTM suffers in roll-ons, and it takes a bit more skill to run with its fellows in drag races-shift timing is everything. Use of the clutch negates any disadvantage the orange bike suffers under. But on the trail, this power was complimented and appreciated by everyone; its uniqueness here set it apart, always in a good way.

The new KLX-R feels like the fastest bike of the bunch. It has a responsive and snappy throttle that initially seems aggressive. But as soon as you realize the bike gets phenomenal traction and can handle the seemingly snappy power, you'll find the package really starts to work as you get more and more aggressive twisting it. The motor is electric like the Yamaha's and deliberate like the Honda's-the absolute opposite of the KTM's. It builds smoothly all the way to the top-end, doing it quickly enough to have every one of our testers wonder why anyone would want to replace the super-quiet stock exhaust. Stacked up against the others, it is the slowest, too. It gets pulled in roll-ons and is just a bit slower in all-out drag races. In the real world, especially when the rpm are higher, it has no problem going fast and is exciting to ride all the time. Only in the much slower-going do riders realize that they have to use the clutch a tad more and can't chug the bike to a total crawl without a downshift.

The bikes' handling and suspension prowess in the higher speeds also showed we have four distinct characters here. The Honda is stable, light feeling, agile and suspended to tackle anything we threw at it. It was that good but, in this bunch, not the best at anything, except maybe bottoming resistance. It has a stiffer initial feeling in the chop than the other bikes and lets you feel the ground. All of its turning manners are middle of the road and very precise: steering on the front or sliding with the rear. Although thin, it feels a little wider and slightly heavier than the other bikes. Yes, it's heaviest of the light-feeling bikes.

KTM comes in at the complete opposite side of the spectrum. It is tied with the KLX-R for being the lightest feeling and the lightest steering. The KTM goes over the top with the plushness of its suspension. If you don't like to feel any of the bumps, the WP suspenders do the job. And this bike fights off the wallowy feeling that comes with super plushness-the best we've ever felt. If it suffers anyplace, it's that it doesn't have the stiffness to give you a kick or lift off of little bumps. Whereas you can jump them on the other bikes, the KTM absorbs them. This bike is not for moto-inspired riding, and stiffening the clickers does not bring back this feeling (if you like it in the first place).

The Yamaha has seen the biggest improvement in weight feel since the last rendition of this bike and, in doing so, has passed the CRF-X in weight feeling, especially in the side-to-side movement, where it was a bit on the top-heavy side in the past. It has gotten lighter in the steering feel and even better in the suspension-plushness department, an area that usually suffers when a bike gets a lighter feel. The WR fills the gap between the stiffer CRF-X and the plush KTM to a very happy place that everyone liked. As far as weaknesses go, some riders felt the front end bottomed too easily, something we've readily cured on our WR250F by raising the oil level in the fork.

Kawasaki has found the magic recipe in weight feel, because the KLX-R feels and acts light on its wheels. The steering feel is feathery, and it is hard to believe this bike shares so many parts with its motocross brother because even that bike doesn't feel like this, and it isn't smuggling a battery, electric starter and a host of other off-road goodies into the game. Along with this is a well-balanced suspension that has a stiff nature, letting a rider push the bike hard and have a good feel for the ground-not ricocheting off of rocks or bumps and still being plusher than all but the KTM. If there were any complaints, it was about the front end not biting in the turns, though this can be clicked away with slightly less compression in the fork. And for a bike that utilizes so much recommended sag (112mm), one would think it is a mask for instability. But the bike ran straight all the time, even with less sag, though the turning didn't respond to this like we'd expected. Is there a winner here? Either the mellow KTM or the peppy KLX-R, you decide.

Accoutrements for faster off-road riding would include larger gas tanks for range and skid plates for bashing into rocks. None of these bikes possess standout features for this type of riding. The KTM was the first to run out of gas, the Honda the last. You can easily stretch 60 miles out of a tank or kill any of them in 45 by being heavy with the wrist. Brakes on all the bikes are solid; most riders notice that the Honda has the best feel and the strong KTM binders have the least feel.

Taking It to the Trees Slowing it down a bit and turning a lot more, we rode the bikes in the forests and mountains to get a better grasp on the players. Some things changed, and some things didn't.

The Kawasaki showed the biggest difference. It was funny how the slowest bike was praised the most in the fastest riding, yet in the tight trees, riders were polarized. The light feel was still tops and handling drew very few complaints. But the smooth low-end power and comparative lack of torque had some asking for a little more. They were bothered by the extra downshift the KLX-R preferred or didn't like revving the bike more. Riders fresh off of a 250F would not even notice; most would be hard pressed to pick this out if not coming off another bike with more low-end tug. But in really tight trails, this one trait stuck out. The KLX-R clutch stood up to the abuse, as did the engine, rarely using the coolant catch tank. And this lower-speed quirk was most noticeable at a fast trail speed. Go for a true sightseeing ride or race through a section and you won't understand what we are talking about.

The Honda fights its powerful low-end and extra girth in the tighter sections. Feeling a bit heavier is one thing; adding in the snap and aggressive bottom power is another. Add those two things up and multiply them by a rider who has less throttle control and you can be in for a more tiring ride. Be smooth with the wrist and the CRF-X is as gentle as can be, especially if you are on the heavier side of the scale, because for you the suspension works better, too. We would say the Honda can be the best for the novice rider because of the low-end chug, but at the same time, caution the same guy about the low-end burst. Everything else in the trees is good, especially the steering.

The KTM stays light, stable and ultracompliant in the tighter stuff, with suspension settings that seemed made for trail riding in the woods. Its smooth power finds the traction in the slippery stuff and has pull when you need it. Some thought it was soft off the bottom, mostly lacking the snap to get going, not the torque to keep from bogging. Here, the light feel, particularly in turning the bar, aids the bike in getting through the woods as easily as can be. The bike received high marks for being thin, especially at the footpegs, keeping toes out of peril.

The Yamaha is such a bland ride that nothing stands out, at least in terms of bad traits. It seems to do everything well-nothing astoundingly so-and makes everyone happy the whole time. Its slightly heavier feel doesn't bother anyone. Its suspension is just plush enough to absorb the small stuff and stiff enough to allow racelike speeds; the clickers give a good range of adjustability, especially the high-speed adjustment on the shock. The motor, being electric feeling, pleased everyone. It has a wrist-to-rear-wheel connectivity that rivals anything out there-this even in its leaner-than-full-power jetting setting. Here, it resists breaking traction (the GYTR jetting is more than happy to spin the wheel, as well as get finicky at elevations above 7000 feet) and gets great fuel mileage for a bike with such a thin gas tank.

Garage Time You'll likely work on your ride, and we did all the regular stuff on these bikes during this test. Changing air filters revealed that the KTM rules with the easiest access and safest seating, right in front of you. Yamaha is second; it has a bit more room to work with than the others. The tight confines of the Kawasaki and even tighter box of the Honda make them slightly more difficult. Oil changes are a single-drain-plug no-brainer on the KTM, and you have the double-oil-filter setup to keep the lube looking good and working well for a long time. We've put more than 30,000 miles on an RFS motor, and that isn't bad for a bike that was introduced in 2000 as high-performance and possibly short-fused. The rest of the bikes have a routine and more than one drain bolt, but even a novice could figure them out. Worries about engine life are moot at best. Keep the air filters clean and the oil fresh, and you'll run them forever if you're wise enough to check the valves once in a while.

Speaking of which, all the valves are pretty easy to get into to check, with the KTM being the most difficult due to space. But if adjusting comes into play, the KTM is the only one with screw-type tappets and takes only 10 minutes to set. The other bikes require shimming, a two-hour job. All of the bikes have their fasteners dialed without any standout funkiness that pinged our junk-o-meter. We liked the coolant catch tanks on the Japanese bikes, and the steel rear sprocket on the WR lasts forever. There are enough odometer functions in this group to make your head spin, but the Kawasaki is the only one on which you can read the speed while riding (except in the dark). The KTM's stock light is the only one worth riding with at night; the Yamaha's light comes close. The other two will get you back if a ride runs late, not much more.

Do We Have a Winner? Simply put, yes. Each bike has its own strong points, and the weaknesses are so small in comparison that you can't lose. The Yamaha suffers with a restricted stock setting, but uncorked it comes into its own. Pulling off a balancing act like this in the off-road world is just what the WR is good at, and we couldn't fault it once we got it dialed. The Honda is the eldest in design and is seeking some tweaks to catapult it to the front of the class. As the CRF-X is ridable right off the showroom floor, none of our testers would mind owning one; a few would still pick it as their outright choice. Not a bad rating considering we still like the most dated, most easily picked-on bike this much. Kawasaki came out of the gate with a stellar machine that ups the performance bar above all, even the KTM. It is everything most riders could ever need in an off-road bike and, in the collective opinion of our staff and test riders, missing only one thing, but that one thing keeps the KLX-R from winning. It's the thing the KTM has: a license plate.

The KTM EXC wins in our book because in a lot of places you need that little gem hanging off your rear fender to make riding possible. It makes more riding, yes, dirt-only riding, a reality. And in some states, it had better come from the dealer wearing that plate, because you can't convert a dirt bike to a streetbike. We'd have ranked the KTM 450 XC-W lower, but in this comparison and for the future of off-road bikes, the KTM 450 EXC wins.

Making the Yamaha Run It is pretty easy to make the WR go from snore to score. Just buy the GYTR kit (GYT-5TJ93-69-01, $49.95) that includes the shorter throttle stop, a block-off kit for the Air Induction System (AIS) and a set of jets that bump the power by richening the jetting, then follow the included instructions. This is how we tested the bike in Costa Rica for its debut and in our first test. But in light of current standards and enforcements here in California, we also came up with the setting that we tested the bike in for this comparison. We used the shorter throttle stop, took out only the smallest stuffer from the muffler and removed the restrictor from the top of the airbox. We also disconnected the gray wire at the six-pin connector underneath the left sidepanel. We left the stock jetting in the bike and did not mess with the AIS, as it has no performance effect on the engine aside from causing the lean popping noises inside the exhaust. With this setting, we felt the bike was more ridable and smoother in the smaller throttle positions than the GYTR-jetted bike, and it got better fuel economy. Plus, it ran better at elevations above 7000 feet.

Tuning the KTM The KTM is a dirt bike in a streetbike tutu. It has to have really tall gearing, a squeaky clean tailpipe and evaporative emissions (all dirt bikes will need to have this soon) to make the grade for the license plate. But we wanted that plate and to have our dirt bike back, which was easily had by dropping the skirt and pulling on a pair of pants. First, we tossed the stock 15/47 gearing and went to a 14/48 using the same chain. That was not enough, so we bumped it to a 14/50, still running the stock chain but flopping the axle blocks 180 degrees. Perfect for some, yet still gappy for others, this combo nevertheless totally eliminated the previously necessary clutch abuse on the trails and the resultant heat increase to an already hot-running lean engine. Making the throttle response come to life was almost as simple. Bumping the pilot jet from a 42 to a 48 and moving the clip position from the third position to the fifth got the hesitation minimized and the engine's lean-hot temperature better under wraps. Another thing that improved response was a Ready Racing Rapid Response throttle linkage (www.readyracing.com) that helped the response even more. Further gains were had by way of a Boyesen QuickShot2 (www.boyesen.com). One other trick: We relocated the horn away from the front of the radiator for better cooling. We put ours behind the headlight shell. We didn't touch the evaporative emissions lines or even remove the charcoal container tucked up in the airbox, though we could have easily done that. But one of the most important modifications you can do is to reroute the crankcase breather hose. Stock, it plugs into the back of the carb, and excess oil, especially on long downhills or in tip-overs, will flood into the carb and make the bike run poorly, or not at all. We took the hose, reversed it and routed it back to where the carb vent lines hang, and plugged the carb with an older KTM two-stroke coolant drain plug. On this bike, you should leave out the vent-line drain box's drain bolt, so the excess fuel can escape. And the pipe on the EXC is extra restricted to damp the sound beyond what the older-version KTM spark arrestors are capable of doing. By going to one of those older mufflers (or opening up the EXC's end-cap and removing the smallest snorkel), you can still pass the sound requirements easily. The bike does get louder when it is running at high rpm. At the same time, it definitely picks up some low-end grunt to get into the healthy midrange sooner.

Honda CRF450X MSRP: $7399 Weight (ready to ride, no fuel): 276 lb
Seat height: 35.6 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 19.9 in.
Ground clearance: 11.6 in.

Yamaha WR450F MSRP: $7199 Weight (ready to ride, no fuel): 276 lb
Seat height: 35.1 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 19.5 in.
Ground clearance: 10.6 in.

KTM 450 EXC MSRP: $7998 Weight (ready to ride, no fuel): 275 lb
Seat height: 35.1 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 19.0 in.
Ground clearance: 11.5 in.

Kawasaki KLX450R MSRP: $7299 Weight (ready to ride, no fuel): 278 lb
Seat height: 35.4 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 19.5 in.
Ground clearance: 10.8 in.

Every one of us DR staffers was fighting to get his hands on Kawasaki's biggest bike of the year first. Luckily for me, I threw a leg over the off-road-specific offering from Team Green deep in the Arizona desert during the 2008 KLX450R introduction. Everyone else had to wait.

Set in the thick of 700 varieties of stab-happy cacti, Kawasaki's unveiling took on a low-tech, relaxing atmosphere-the complete opposite of the bike it was introducing or the philosophy behind it. While our two arid days in the striking desert landscape lacked the pomp and circumstance of an uppity introduction, the rural, in-the-rough setting was a perfect match for an off-road bike. And the KLX450R is an off-road bike-make no mistake.

One of the worst fears the off-road-riding contingent has is that a manufacturer will build a quick and dirty rendition of a trail or woods bike from a motocross-specific model. Fear not, my fellow trail hounds: The KLX is no motocrosser. While the new bike borrows most of its components from the Bubba-mounted KX450F, the trail attention it has received makes it more than capable off the racetrack. I racked up five hours on the bike in two days, and in between loops, photo shoots and delicately pulling vegetation spears out of my skin, I learned a pile about the new model and why it was working so well on the trail.

The first thing everyone notices about the bike is the exhaust noise, or lack thereof. The bike is ultraquiet, and that's awesome. An ultralow and long header pipe and a quiet spark arrestor-equipped muffler do a great job at keeping the bike whispering along while allowing the powerful motor to still work efficiently. This power, while plenty abundant, is calmly and greatly subdued when compared with the KX-F motocross version's. Starting at the bottom: The motor features a huge flywheel with twice the mass of the MX version. This has a great smoothing effect on the motor and throws down some serious traction-hungry power. Inside the flywheel, we get a 10-coil stator to power up the battery and lights. The other end of the crank is connected to a wide-ratio five-speed transmission with enough height in the gears to push this bike into some serious top-end speed. First is lower than that of the MX 450 gearbox, but the rest of the gears grow taller in comparison. On the trail, I used second and third exclusively and only went to first when I wanted the bike to rev up. (Sometimes it's fun to feel fast.)

The bike's low-decibel output is deceiving and tricks your brain into thinking that it lacks bottom-end power and that you need to downshift. However, once you test the bottom grunt in a third-gear corner, you'll find plenty of torque on tap to haul you through all but the tightest turns. This great bottom pull comes from revised cam lift and timing and a slight reduction in the diameter of both the intake and exhaust valves (to 36mm and 30mm, respectively). Swapping the titanium exhaust valves for more durable steel units is the only other head game Kawasaki is playing here.

The addition of an electric starter and some creatively effective clutch cable routing (the pull is so sweet) round out the motor updates for the new KLX.

Kawasaki took a similar approach to the suspension action on the new bike. Starting with the stock KX-F fork and shock, Kawi simply lightened spring rates, increased rebound damping and softened the compression all around. The end result is a great trailbike with plenty of plush to take care of the rock and roll of off-road. Spring rates dropped from 4.6N to 4.3N in the fork and from 54.0N to 50.0N on the shock. Faster riders, like the Kawasaki off-road heroes in attendance (Destry Abbott, Nathan Woods, Jeff Fredette, Larry Roeseler and Ricky Dietrich), will likely want to stiffen up the bike for full race situations. But for the average Joe, the bike's suspenders are really solid stock, make long rides easy to endure and can handle racing duty no problem.

At 2.1 gallons, the gas tank is not huge, but compared with those seen on its competitors, it's right in there. Another boosted capacity compartment is the radiators. A catch tank/reservoir bottle under the left sidepanel keeps the boilover monsters at bay. And the stock, sealed O-ring chain rounds out a solid off-road package.

This philosophy is further evident in other neat features. The airbox is a quick-access type with a removable door on the left side; the rear tire is an off-road-standard 18-inch unit; and both sidepanels are plugged up to keep water and dirt out of the airbox as much as possible. Engine and frame protection is covered by an aluminum skid plate and engine guards on both sides. Plus, the bike has a sidestand (kickstand for those of us who kick 'em) and a simple yet effective digital instrument cluster featuring a speedometer, clock, dual tripmeter and odometer. Obviously, we need a headlight, and the KLX comes with a very lightweight 35-watt unit and a nifty in-the-fender LED tail lamp.

Throughout my days testing, I absorbed all of this newness and came away very surprised. I was really expecting a motocrosser with a headlight. But I got a sweet off-road bike. Sure, it misses on a couple spots, and here are my biggest beefs: I don't like a nonadjustable headlight that shines more light to the sides of the front tire than in front of the fender. And during my night ride trying to keep Nathan Woods in sight, this is exactly what I had to deal with. Also, the instrument cluster doesn't illuminate, but I shouldn't really be looking at it while riding in the dark anyway. I can update a headlight, but it would be nice to have a great functioning unit come stock. Big complaints, huh?

After the introduction, I hightailed it west and met up with DR ber-editor Karel Kramer on the freeway as he headed to an epic trail ride. I handed him the bike and told him to enjoy, and the following, my dirt-bike loving friends, is what he discovered in his first experience with the new KLX450R.

I was lucky enough to get invited to the Best in the Desert/Harden Offroad Nevada 200 Trail Ride at the same time I was to put the first testing miles on the KLX. The bike was totally stock except for a heavy-duty tube in the front and Acerbis Uniko hand guards.

The area around Caliente, Nevada, where the Nevada 200 is held, has virtually all types of terrain, from rocky, sandy and silty desert soil to snow at 9000 feet. In between, we splashed through standing water and twisted around miles of cedar woods. Connecting the various terrain types were rude tracks and power-sapping sand washes. Some of the trail had me longing for a sixth gear, and other sections had me wishing for lower gearing for first and second gear. That made Caliente a perfect test, because these days a majority of serious riders choose modern 450cc off-road models as the do-it-all bike of choice.

The KLX is super quiet. In fact, you hear the starter more than the motor, really, because it is reluctant to wake up cold and doesn't stay running until fully warmed up. Once the engine reaches operating temperature, it responds cleanly with no hiccups or hesitations. The power delivery is smooth and tractable. At low rpm, throttle control is effortless in low-traction sections or when picking your way over or between rocks. Dial in more throttle and the bike squirts forward energetically. It takes a very slippery surface or a heavy hand on the clutch to generate unwanted wheelspin. Despite the control available, the KLX has plenty of boost for most people and conditions. Deep uphill sand washes let you feel the space between gears more than you want, and the power is soft at 9000 feet or above, but what bike's isn't?

Helping the power get to the ground is an ultratough clutch with smooth engagement and all-but-effortless shifting. I hadn't gone 50 feet into the 200 miles before I realized that this Kawasaki has extremely plush suspension. As the group crossed the first rocks-and I didn't feel them-I was thinking the KLX was a very good off-road bike. As the days got long and the rocks became more extreme, I began to feel them more but was pretty confident I felt them less than most of the other riders did. We didn't hit many whoops, but the KLX handled the ones we encountered just fine-and every surprise G-out and washout as well. No flats or dinged rims, either.

No doubt the supple fork action is a large part of the trait, but the steering is exceptionally accurate on firm dirt-whether it is wet, dry or even partially rock. In sand, you need to pay a bit more attention to ensure clean turns with the front end.

Like the KX450F, this off-road version is a bit cramped for riders taller than six feet (like myself). Shorter riders will find the plush seat makes eating up the miles easy. The other details are all there as well. The simple speedo is easy to read, the odometer reliable and the brakes powerful but progressive.

Kawasaki had the benefit of having the other brands on the market to shoot for, and its aim was good. I could have used a bit more room in the riding position, but the KLX didn't short me one bit in any other area of performance and comfort.

After my 200 miles, I met Jimmy "Night Owl" Lewis in the middle of the Mojave Desert to give him a shake at the new Kawasaki. He did some loops in between six-hour stints on other test bikes.

I was skeptical about the performance of the just-off-the-showroom-floor KLX. But it didn't take but one minute on the bike to realize Kawasaki nailed it. The big KLX's manners are strikingly aggressive, from the snappy, quick, perfectly carbureted power spread to the bike's light and agile feeling. In fact, it feels lighter than the KX-F, the exact opposite of what I was expecting for a bike with a battery, lights and a larger-capacity gas tank. It feels fast, gets great traction and handles like a moto-inspired trailbike. It would be an easy choice for racing use as well. About the only thing I did was lighten up the compression on the fork a bit, and I want to try riding with a little more rear spring preload to get more of the steering in the front wheel as opposed to the rear-a picky personal preference. I never felt the need to change anything on the motor, even the restrictive muffler. Just gas and go. Our 450 enduro comparison story is coming soon, but even if you jump the gun and buy one of these, you'll be stoked.

There it is, our editors' first impressions of the newest off-road bike to date: the 2008 Kawasaki KLX450R. If you're itching to see how green stands up to the other colors out there, don't worry, we're already pounding out the miles in a 450 enduro comparison that will hit the pages of DR soon.