In the current state of off-road motorcycles, there are few firsts. New models from the popular stable of brands are molded, updated copies of copies with new originals brought in every third or fourth revision. With the addition of the BMW G450X, that sequence has been interrupted. Now there's something completely new.

For $8398 plus a few fees and charges (don't forget all that tax) you are looking at a very expensive dirt bike, here. Nine grand for 400cc when for a few hundred more you can have a 450 or a 530? With power being everything is this a good idea on your part? Well, if you can believe anything, the motto, "size is everything" should ring true here.

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.

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.

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.

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!

We finally got to see one of the 2007 Yamaha WRs. We've been more anxious than usual since this is a major update year for these popular models. The most obvious change is the one to an aluminum frame, naturally much like that found on the '06 and '07 YZ four-strokes. The aluminum chassis gave the YZs a solid, planted feel that carries over to the WR line. As a result of the frame change an necessary body work updates, the WR has a very slim and seamless feel, and perhaps the most svelte feeling Japanese off-road bike. It seems like Japan just can't figure out where to put extra fuel when they convert a motocross model to off-road. Yamaha decided that a smallish tank is fine with a four-stroke, and our experience says 50-mile loops should be easy.

My foray into the world of Long Hauling this KTM is officially rolling. Since my "Fixing the MXers" piece on the bike in the May '06 issue, the 250 SX-F and I still don't always get along, but we're working things out through an intense race therapy program.

The 2007 Suzuki RMZ250 is here and it's been a long time coming.

It was a pretty well kept secret, but heavily rumored. And it is here and will be on your dealer's showroom quicker than you can imagine with prices of $4199 for the CRF150R and $4299 for the CRF150R-Expert. There are concerns that this bike will turn the minibike world on its ear. Not yet legal to race under AMA rules (soon to be revised, we imagine) there isn't really anything stopping the four-stroke revolution, even at 150cc.

We got our first taste of KTM's new XCs last month at the Washougal round or the WORCS series and we just received our test models. The entire13 model line of XC and XC-Ws consists of 13 models, that's a lot of bikes, so here's our first impression of the heavy hitters.

I don't build too many project bikes, because for me there is really little need. Stock stuff is so good that it's hard to make a bike better for all-around usage, in my opinion. But when you get specific with your riding, then you can build the bike for the job. The Red Bull Last Man Standing was going to be a hardcore trail ride, and I know how to build the ultimate hardcore trail riding bike.

When Jesse Ziegler and Joe Mckimmy returned back to the office after the KXF intro, they were babbling fools. No they hadn't been out drinking after a lavish moto intro with Kawasaki at the secluded Castillo Ranch; they were punch-drunk in love with the latest entrant into the 250cc four-stroke aluminum frame club. They were ready to run to the computer and type out the web impression, but as a level-headed boss , I intervened, "It's really that good?"

Kawasaki supplied the 2005 KX250 with an extreme makeover, so 2006 is more like a return trip to the experts for maintenance. Kawasaki tuned up the makeover with a brighter look that includes blue accents. But the change-up is more than looks.

We need to answer the 125 question. Dirt Rider has seen signs that the class is drowning in the tidal wave of 250cc four-strokes, but are 125s really dead? Or dying? There are plenty of reasons we don't think so. Young, light riders aren't necessarily ready for 250cc four-strokes' weight or power or the unfortunate repair bills that accompany a major failure. And the added complexity of the cam and valve systems can be a bit much for the average mechanic. We're all in favor of 125s continuing as a class, and as James "Bubba" Stewart proves, it really comes down to the rider, regardless of the skill level.

Today was a big day for us at Dirt Rider—specifically Karel Kramer and myself—as we were the lucky ones to spend a day riding one of the first CRF450Xs in the country. We met the Honda folks East of San Diego at Corral Canyon off-road park to spend the day roosting on one of the most anticipated bikes of the year.

Been waiting long? So have we! So were going to break tradition and give you the RM-Z 450 info as soon as we get it. First with this quick riding impression, and second, we're not going to make you wait for the hard copy of the magazine for the first test; you'll find it right here at Dirtrider.com as soon as we feel we've tested the bike to its potential. But you'll still have to wait for the magazine to see how it stacks up against the rest of it's class.

It has been just four years since Yamaha stunned the world with the debut of the now-legendary YZ250F. In that time, the Yamaha crew has gradually fine-tuned the little thumper, but with the release of the new, jaw-dropping '05 YZ125 and 250 two-strokes, many wondered if the tuning-fork engineers had made any kind of effort with their four-stroke program. The care the 250F received may not be obvious, but don't be fooled: The YZ250F's competition has left Yamaha no choice but to up the ante.

It has been one year since Kawasaki and Suzuki embarked on their first joint project: the mighty 250 four-stroke. Last year's highly anticipated KX-F/RM-Z250 definitely opened some eyes as the bike was a contender in its first year of production. During our 2004 MX shootout (Jan. '04) testers praised the motor, but it wasn't long before the first-year blues became apparent. Problems in the cooling system, with the transmission and clutch and the suspension began to surface as the bikes were made available to the public, and some of the ailments left many scratching their heads. Did the co-op not work? Or did someone try to cut corners somewhere along the line in the bike's development? Whatever the answer, there was no doubt the bike had potential; it just needed some fine-tuning. And that is exactly what the '05 model received. After our initial days of testing on the second-generation KX-F/RM-Z, it was clear the bike got the redesigns it needed.

Maybe, just maybe your Yamaha dealer will have some of these by Christmas. They sure hope so, because they'll sell like hotcakes. Yamaha is looking to take a share of the larger displacement playbike market with a new bike, the TT-R 230. Replacing the cantankerous TT-R225, the new bike is a hit in all the right places, mainly the weight department which is noticeable from the second you take it off the side stand.

Many times when a manufacturer has a great engine, it changes it for the next model year anyway, and sometimes that insistence on change bites the factory hard. KTM two-stroke motocrossers had gnarly motors in 2004, so the Austrian company kept motor upgrades to a minimum. Instead, it spent its R&D time and budget working out a new frame and suspension. The orange engineers found that the center part of the 2004 frame was able to twist under a load, so vastly larger oval tubes make up the new frame from the swingarm pivot area to the upper shock mount. That mount has been moved inboard, so the reservoir no longer rubs the rider's boot. KTM also made major strides with the fork, tracing some traditional harshness to the shape and construction of the inner and outer fork tubes. Dimensional changes to the tubes and the bushing arrangement result in much smoother action. KTM claims it can use three times more valve shims than in '04 and still have smoother action. Stiffening the frame and solving the inherent fork issues made the job of shock development a much easier one. We felt KTM's suspension made a huge jump forward from the 2003 to the '04 models, but the leap to '05 is even larger. The changes affect every full-size model, so the entire KTM lineup should have suspension and handling improvements equal to the 125 and 250 SX we tested.

"Which bike is best for me?" is probably the number-one inquiry we get from just about every classification of rider—be he eager beginner or seasoned vet. Naturally, this makes perfect sense. For novices or people trying to pick a bike for their young tyro, the variety of sub-250cc, easy-to-ride, easy-to-learn-on four-strokes can make it amazingly confusing to select a bike upon which to begin the dirt journey.

KTM's 2005 line-up features improvements to nearly every bike in their wide spectrum of sizes and models. Major changes to all models (125 and up) include a new, stronger frame, improved suspension and stronger brakes. Slight changes to the body work have made big improvements in the ergonomics allowing greater rider maneuverability. Upgrades in the already high-quality materials and components add to the comfort, performance and durability of the 2005 KTMs.

Let's face it, the last few years haven't exactly turned out the way I planned, and now I want to redeem myself. I'm tired of riding for teams that don't have good equipment or the commitment to win. Sure, the money has been good, but I'm there to win races and battle with the front-runners. I've spent too much time during the last few years riding nervously because I wasn't sure if my bike would finish a single moto.

For a little more than a year Kawasaki and Suzuki have had their toes in the water of their unique, share-some-love model-exchange arrangement. In a nutshell, both brands trade selected smaller race and play models so their dealers have chock-full lines. Kawasaki's KX60, KX65, KX100 and KLX110 and Suzuki's JR50, DR-Z125, DR-Z400 and DR-Z400S wear both brands.