03 yz450f too much for a newb?

[chrdog]

my boss is gettin rid of his 03 yz450f to get an 05. hes givin me a pretty killer deal on it that would be hard to pass up. my question is, will it be too much for someone with not too much dirt experience?

resume:
6 months with a 80's XR650 enduro
1.5 years with my current sv650
a few hours here and there or 250 and 125 dirtbikes
lots of track time a few schools etc etc...

dirt is still kinda new to me though so obviously i wouldnt be able to take advantage of its power for a long time. but im hopin i can grow into it? is that possible.

i also plan on turnin it into a 'tard once i pay it off and can afford the wheels.

what do you think? am i just askin for trouble?

[pelikan]

From what I remember the 03 yz450 will rip your arms off and it has so much power it wears you out. You could probably flywheel it out to make it easier, but that thing is a beast. I remember reading the 04 reviews where they said it was a softer, gentler & slower bike than the 03, but that actually made it rideable. If it were me, I'd get it, and just spend some more money to lessen the bite.

[chrdog]

whats 'flywheel it out' mean? make it heavier?

[pelikan]

yeah, check this site out for all info you could ever want/need on a yzf http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=21

[gixxer squid]

Everything is controled with your right wrist, don't forget that.

Go for it.

[DanZX9R]

Go for it!

[Bad Dad]

your size matters also, and yes the throttle on that bike will be scary. Be CAREFUL until you know it's characteristics.


I'd ridden dirt for a while, and I believe I was a capable rider. Got a kx250, and tried to blip the throttle a little to get over a puddle, flipped that bastard over so fast i couldn't even believe it. Broke my thumb in the process.

[JoeBar]

Originally posted by Bad Dad
I'd ridden dirt for a while, and I believe I was a capable rider. Got a kx250, and tried to blip the throttle a little to get over a puddle, flipped that bastard over so fast i couldn't even believe it. Broke my thumb in the process. In other words, the kx250 is not for Sissy Lala's... :laughing :twofinger

[JohnnyTwowheels]

I'd say go for it. I started on my cr250 after only having a couple months experience on a 200 4 stroke three wheeler. It was a handful (and still is) but I have a lot of fun on it. Besides if you don't like it you can always sell it and buy something else.

[chrdog]

ya i think ill go for it. he wants a retardly low price for it. hell, i could buy it off him just to make money. only a couple hundred over kbb trade-in.

[gixxer squid]

Originally posted by JoeBar
In other words, the kx250 is not for Sissy Lala's... :laughing :twofinger

Ditto that JB,

[pocketninja]

Well, it should have plenty of low-mid range power, so if you need to, get a throttle limiter off a kiddie bike:p

I got a KTM300 for my dirt re-entry bike and while it was kind of a harsh teacher it is doable. Just remember to use your body weight balance to keep yourself on the bike instead of your arms or you won't have any to open the cooler with when you get back to the truck.

[squidracer]

You'll be fine. I've just traded a 02 Cr250 for a 03' YZ450F. The power on the 4 stroke is much more tractable than a 250cc two stroke. Just spend $100 for a flywheel weight and it helps with stalling and the power hit.

[dbc]

It won't take you long to get the hang of that bike.
One cheap & easy trick to tame the sucker down during the learning curve is to go up one tooth bigger on the countershaft sprocket. 15 bucks vs. lord knows how much for the flywheel weight mod.
That will make the gearing higher & hopefully let you get used to the bike at an easier pace.

Put a couple of rides in on it like that, you'll be ready for more power- make a note of chain adjustment before & after..

[OldFatGuy]

I've been toying with the idea of selling my CR500 and getting a 4-stroke (probably a CR450), but I'm afraid I'm going to be disappointed after riding my 500 all these years. How does the power of a 4-stroke 450 compare to the CR500? Has anybody here ridden both enough to compare them?

[chrdog]

my boss used to be a factory rider for yamaha (back in the 3wheeler days) and hes been ridin for a while, and has ridden pretty much everything under the sun, he said once you start usin 4-strokes, you never go back.

[OldFatGuy]

Originally posted by chrdog
my boss used to be a factory rider for yamaha (back in the 3wheeler days) and hes been ridin for a while, and has ridden pretty much everything under the sun, he said once you start usin 4-strokes, you never go back.

I've heard people rave about them, but I've ridden lots of (older) 4-stroke bikes and I prefer the instant power hit of my CR. But I hear the new 4-strokes rev almost like a 2-stroke. I guess I'm just going to have to try one out.

[chrdog]

ok so i finnaly rode the beast today and i gotta say it felt perfect for me. he brought out his sons 250f and i didnt even bother to try it out cus the 450 is fuckin badass! my first real time on a dirtbike and i did a 10 foot jump! i never even used 4th! :twofinger

still cant get a hang of dirtbike traction, alot different than my sv, butthe power delivery is almost exactly the same. ill prolly be pickin it up tommorow and ordering my supermoto junk too!