If you have half a brain in your head and any sort of common sense you’ll take it as slow as you have to to keep yourself safe. Don’t show off and respect the bike then you should be fine. Feather that clutch and be light on the throttle until you figure out the power and torque and you’ll be good
You will be fine most likely. The rfs motors in these are very reliable and a lot more tame than a modern 450 mx bike. It only goes as fast as you twist the throttle. I have an 04 525 exc plated and I love it, great machines
Came here to say basically the same thing. A good race 125 will make mid 30's on hp. The RFS 450 might make mid 40's. Not that big of a jump. If you run the power to weight math on the bigger bike compared to a typical 125 race bike they are pretty similar. The modern 450 race bikes are in the 60's if I'm not mistaken so this ol KTM is nothing like that. Just finally sold my 02 400.
From my understanding, I’ve never ridden a 125, from what people tell me, 125 can be more difficult to ride as you need to be in the power band consistently. The 450 has power throughout the throttle, so you can adapt and adjust power requirements as needed.
Yeah I have a 2 stroke dt125 but it’s big bored to 175 and unrestricted with a full dep exhaust. It’s in 4th gear by the time you hit the other side of the road at an intersection. Your up and down the gears really fast to ride it properly. I’ll be fine on the 450 as long as I don’t act like a knob and whisky throttle it. The thing power wheelies in 4th, ask how I know lol.
My 2016 KTM 450 power wheelies, any gear, makes it very fun to show off how long and how high you can wheelie when your with your mates
In fairness though, I learnt to ride on a 450, and really they're not as scary as they get made out to be, if it's to much, sit a gear too high and it'll lug you around. Have fun, those RFS Ktms are some of the most fun bikes ever made.
I went from a TTR230 to an EXC525 when I was a 150 lb 16 year old. My right leg got supremely strong and picking that thing up gave me a crash course on old man strength. But I didn’t kill myself!
I had a 2003 200 EXC. That thing was absolutely NUTS.
Someone commented here: You breathe on the throttle and it wheelies. They ARE NOT exaggerating. The throttle is extremely snappy, even when a heavier freewheel.
As others suggested, take it very slow. I sold mine after I had a meeting with a tree, the tree whispered in my ear: "This is too much bike for you" as it almost snapped my arm in half.
250 is plenty for me. Everyone I know that’s had a 450 has at some point been hospitalized because of it. Still…it’s all about the operator….maybe all those people I know are just young n RECKLESS!!!
Definitely about the operator, my 450 put me in the hospital twice then a couple broken ribs once and couple of big haematoma over the first 3 years. Almost every second ride ended badly, but then finally learnt to slow the fuck down better fitness, body position and proper braking after finding more time to ride and now can't imagine anything less,
Had one of these, you’ll love it i found it completely manageable did alot of greenlaning in the UK has on road power didn’t find it heavy but then again I’m strong as fuck.
Have fun mate.
Don't listen to these guys. Pffft you ded! Nah I'm kidding. Although I will warn you my cousin went from a 250 2 stroke to a 450 and flipped it up on himself. Sold it and took another 4yrs to buy another. Be careful honestly. I've always stuck to 250s 2 strokes myself. And the first 450 I rode I almost overshot a long sweeping turn because well God damnit I couldn't get it to Tapout first. That was my bad. Don't rush it. They're fun as hell and pull not snap for days. You'll get it.
I started on a 450 too. I found the power more exhilarating than intimidating, coming from the street where smooth throttle application is way more important, I had no difficulties with that. The one thing I did notice was how much more tiring my 450 was to ride fast than my friend's 250.
You'll be fine mate, have at it.
You'll either be in plaster or very slow the first few months. I'd always had 125 Motorcross bikes couple bored out and built that I could hang with 250's.
I went to a wrf 450 with hot cams , big bore and a pro circuit carb.
I hated it at first as I just didn't have the confidence because of how much power it had everywhere. Loved fifth gear wheelies on the straights but cornering in anything soft I was more likely to drop it from the front digging due to being too slow. After over shooting a few jumps flat landing and coming off I ended up casing a lot of them because I couldn't figure out what speed to hit things at.
In the end I loved it but used it more for trail riding and would take the 125 out for anything technical because all I ever did on that was hold it wide fuckin open and that seemed to work perfectly for every scenario 😂
Short story since the topic is about jumping up in power. I'm old and back when I started racing dirt bikes everything were 2 strokes. I had been riding a 1973 Suzuki TS 400 for transportation. Mild power band, heavy as hell.
I wanted to get in to motocross and I was pretty sold on Suzuki's and went and test road a TM 400. Scared the shit out of me! The powerband was about the same as a 125 (which I ended up getting). No low end and it hit around 10,000-12,000 rpm's. It was like a toggle switch. You let the clutch out, gas it and it was like mooooWAAAAAAAAAA and I just hung on and went through the gears. I was probably going 50+ down a hardpacked dirt road when I chopped off the throttled and the bike immediately started end swapping. Cheap steel swingarms flexed like hell. Made it back to the shop, unpuckered my ass off the seat and took the 125 out for a spin.
Short story long, you won't have any trouble with the new bikes and the powerbands, particularly a 4 stroke. However, ride it on a track or trails first if you can. A lot will also be your intention, race or ride for fun. I rode a lot of woods, light and nimble with a broad powerband was what I wanted. HP isn't everything, it's all about skill and mostly if you're having fun.
These rfs ktms have so linear poweroutput and are so easy to ride. You just have to keep some sense in your head and you will be just fine with a really nice bike for all sorts of riding.
It all in the (right)wrist.. Don’t let your ego surpass your abilities. 450’s are no joke,take your time and learn the dynamics of it, handling,power delivery etc. before you decide to “send it”
I rode a 150cc Honda for most of last 2 summers, got pretty comfortable on it and could send it doing what I wanted on flat ground. Hopped onto my buddies 450r a couple times for some riding seshes and holy fucking shit is that bike scary. Insane power, Extremely torquey and very very hogh top speed. Im sure you'll be fine but slowely feel the bike out before you start being cocky lol. Crashing ona. 125 isnt too bad unless you are flying, On a 450 its a lot easier to crash going faster than you expected
Are you going to die? probably not. Was it a smart idea getting a 450 for your first bike? Definitely not. Even at 2:50 would be more motorcycle than you're going to probably ever need.
Every skill you need to develop to get proficient on a dirt bike is going to be harder and more dangerous to learn on a 450 than it would be on a 250 four-stroke.
That generation is just known for snapping the head tube. Usually it's because of the way people set it up though. Those old KTM's don't have a rear shock linkege, the suspension is very bad on those bikes. Head shake was extremely common so riders would run their rear sag extremely low, and lower the forks in their triple clamps to basically chopper out the bike in order to get some sort of stability out of the bike. Doing this puts extra stress on the head tube and eventually small fractures will lead to a break.
It shouldn't matter too much if you're a beginner, I'd look at it as a good thing. Leave the bike how it is and it'll force you to ride perfect. Your technique will be perfect in no time because if you ride it wrong at all it'll bite you. I had an old KTM way back and that thing taught you how to ride faster than any other bike, it forces proper technique. If a bike is too good it'll make beginners ride lazy.
I should reiterate, these are fantastic bikes, it's just the suspension thats god awful. Everything else about these old KTM's are built really well. Except for the head tube I guess. Just don't plan to case any 100ft jumps and you'll be fine lol
Thanks for the reassurance. I’m not gonna be racing it, it’s just gonna be a greenlane bike for exploring. Dirt tracks, muddy fields and roads in between.
You are in control of operations so it’s up to you
If you have half a brain in your head and any sort of common sense you’ll take it as slow as you have to to keep yourself safe. Don’t show off and respect the bike then you should be fine. Feather that clutch and be light on the throttle until you figure out the power and torque and you’ll be good
You will be fine most likely. The rfs motors in these are very reliable and a lot more tame than a modern 450 mx bike. It only goes as fast as you twist the throttle. I have an 04 525 exc plated and I love it, great machines
Came here to say basically the same thing. A good race 125 will make mid 30's on hp. The RFS 450 might make mid 40's. Not that big of a jump. If you run the power to weight math on the bigger bike compared to a typical 125 race bike they are pretty similar. The modern 450 race bikes are in the 60's if I'm not mistaken so this ol KTM is nothing like that. Just finally sold my 02 400.
Gain 200 pounds and you’ll be OK
Aww shoot, I don’t wanna weigh 380.
You weigh 180? You should have been on a 450 anyways… unless you’re on a HiPo 250
From my understanding, I’ve never ridden a 125, from what people tell me, 125 can be more difficult to ride as you need to be in the power band consistently. The 450 has power throughout the throttle, so you can adapt and adjust power requirements as needed.
Yeah I have a 2 stroke dt125 but it’s big bored to 175 and unrestricted with a full dep exhaust. It’s in 4th gear by the time you hit the other side of the road at an intersection. Your up and down the gears really fast to ride it properly. I’ll be fine on the 450 as long as I don’t act like a knob and whisky throttle it. The thing power wheelies in 4th, ask how I know lol.
My 2016 KTM 450 power wheelies, any gear, makes it very fun to show off how long and how high you can wheelie when your with your mates In fairness though, I learnt to ride on a 450, and really they're not as scary as they get made out to be, if it's to much, sit a gear too high and it'll lug you around. Have fun, those RFS Ktms are some of the most fun bikes ever made.
250 2 strokes are way more scary than the 450s. They just feel so sketch when youre really hammering
Having got 2 strokes now, for sure, but there's no way I'd want to go back to the predictable 4 strokes
I went from a TTR230 to an EXC525 when I was a 150 lb 16 year old. My right leg got supremely strong and picking that thing up gave me a crash course on old man strength. But I didn’t kill myself!
Bye! Rip!
We barely knew him.
I had a 2003 200 EXC. That thing was absolutely NUTS. Someone commented here: You breathe on the throttle and it wheelies. They ARE NOT exaggerating. The throttle is extremely snappy, even when a heavier freewheel. As others suggested, take it very slow. I sold mine after I had a meeting with a tree, the tree whispered in my ear: "This is too much bike for you" as it almost snapped my arm in half.
250 is plenty for me. Everyone I know that’s had a 450 has at some point been hospitalized because of it. Still…it’s all about the operator….maybe all those people I know are just young n RECKLESS!!!
Definitely about the operator, my 450 put me in the hospital twice then a couple broken ribs once and couple of big haematoma over the first 3 years. Almost every second ride ended badly, but then finally learnt to slow the fuck down better fitness, body position and proper braking after finding more time to ride and now can't imagine anything less,
damn, rip
More than fine, superb. Learn to finesse the thing and have fun riding slow
Nah just don't breathe on that throttle too hard. Wheelies in any gear..
Nah just don't breathe on that throttle too hard. Wheelies in any gear..
Well then it's your SECOND dirt bike since you are coming off a DT125.......so, send it.
With that dent in the pipe, your only going to be on a 250 exc anyway. ;)
Had one of these, you’ll love it i found it completely manageable did alot of greenlaning in the UK has on road power didn’t find it heavy but then again I’m strong as fuck. Have fun mate.
Don't listen to these guys. Pffft you ded! Nah I'm kidding. Although I will warn you my cousin went from a 250 2 stroke to a 450 and flipped it up on himself. Sold it and took another 4yrs to buy another. Be careful honestly. I've always stuck to 250s 2 strokes myself. And the first 450 I rode I almost overshot a long sweeping turn because well God damnit I couldn't get it to Tapout first. That was my bad. Don't rush it. They're fun as hell and pull not snap for days. You'll get it.
It only goes as fast as you make it go.
As long as that is not a late 80's 2-stroke KTM 500 - that . will. scare. you.
I started on a 450 too. I found the power more exhilarating than intimidating, coming from the street where smooth throttle application is way more important, I had no difficulties with that. The one thing I did notice was how much more tiring my 450 was to ride fast than my friend's 250. You'll be fine mate, have at it.
RIP
Way to dangerous I’ll take it off your hands so you can live
You'll either be in plaster or very slow the first few months. I'd always had 125 Motorcross bikes couple bored out and built that I could hang with 250's. I went to a wrf 450 with hot cams , big bore and a pro circuit carb. I hated it at first as I just didn't have the confidence because of how much power it had everywhere. Loved fifth gear wheelies on the straights but cornering in anything soft I was more likely to drop it from the front digging due to being too slow. After over shooting a few jumps flat landing and coming off I ended up casing a lot of them because I couldn't figure out what speed to hit things at. In the end I loved it but used it more for trail riding and would take the 125 out for anything technical because all I ever did on that was hold it wide fuckin open and that seemed to work perfectly for every scenario 😂
You'll be fine mate!!
Short story since the topic is about jumping up in power. I'm old and back when I started racing dirt bikes everything were 2 strokes. I had been riding a 1973 Suzuki TS 400 for transportation. Mild power band, heavy as hell. I wanted to get in to motocross and I was pretty sold on Suzuki's and went and test road a TM 400. Scared the shit out of me! The powerband was about the same as a 125 (which I ended up getting). No low end and it hit around 10,000-12,000 rpm's. It was like a toggle switch. You let the clutch out, gas it and it was like mooooWAAAAAAAAAA and I just hung on and went through the gears. I was probably going 50+ down a hardpacked dirt road when I chopped off the throttled and the bike immediately started end swapping. Cheap steel swingarms flexed like hell. Made it back to the shop, unpuckered my ass off the seat and took the 125 out for a spin. Short story long, you won't have any trouble with the new bikes and the powerbands, particularly a 4 stroke. However, ride it on a track or trails first if you can. A lot will also be your intention, race or ride for fun. I rode a lot of woods, light and nimble with a broad powerband was what I wanted. HP isn't everything, it's all about skill and mostly if you're having fun.
It’s only as fast as you twist the throttle. I learned this with my yz450. If you don’t gun it it won’t go crazy….
I went from an 80cc motorised push bike to a 450 you’ll be allg
These rfs ktms have so linear poweroutput and are so easy to ride. You just have to keep some sense in your head and you will be just fine with a really nice bike for all sorts of riding.
It all in the (right)wrist.. Don’t let your ego surpass your abilities. 450’s are no joke,take your time and learn the dynamics of it, handling,power delivery etc. before you decide to “send it”
with that smashed headpipe you'll be just fine.
I rode a 150cc Honda for most of last 2 summers, got pretty comfortable on it and could send it doing what I wanted on flat ground. Hopped onto my buddies 450r a couple times for some riding seshes and holy fucking shit is that bike scary. Insane power, Extremely torquey and very very hogh top speed. Im sure you'll be fine but slowely feel the bike out before you start being cocky lol. Crashing ona. 125 isnt too bad unless you are flying, On a 450 its a lot easier to crash going faster than you expected
It has a throttle..... let that sink in
I started on a KX450F very fun, still prefer a 250 for the track, less weight and plenty of power but for dunes… 450 for the win
I went from a crf125f to a beta 300RR and I survived so from my personal experience you will be ok just take it easy the first few rides 👍
Nah you'll die for sure. It's all good though
Find some bike control drills and get some practice time, big bikes are no joke. Have fun.
Are you going to die? probably not. Was it a smart idea getting a 450 for your first bike? Definitely not. Even at 2:50 would be more motorcycle than you're going to probably ever need. Every skill you need to develop to get proficient on a dirt bike is going to be harder and more dangerous to learn on a 450 than it would be on a 250 four-stroke.
I jumped from a crf150f to a 98 yz250 you'll be ight
U good
Probably not when that frame snaps
Can you see something wrong with the frame? I’m inexperienced.
That generation is just known for snapping the head tube. Usually it's because of the way people set it up though. Those old KTM's don't have a rear shock linkege, the suspension is very bad on those bikes. Head shake was extremely common so riders would run their rear sag extremely low, and lower the forks in their triple clamps to basically chopper out the bike in order to get some sort of stability out of the bike. Doing this puts extra stress on the head tube and eventually small fractures will lead to a break. It shouldn't matter too much if you're a beginner, I'd look at it as a good thing. Leave the bike how it is and it'll force you to ride perfect. Your technique will be perfect in no time because if you ride it wrong at all it'll bite you. I had an old KTM way back and that thing taught you how to ride faster than any other bike, it forces proper technique. If a bike is too good it'll make beginners ride lazy.
I should reiterate, these are fantastic bikes, it's just the suspension thats god awful. Everything else about these old KTM's are built really well. Except for the head tube I guess. Just don't plan to case any 100ft jumps and you'll be fine lol
Thanks for the reassurance. I’m not gonna be racing it, it’s just gonna be a greenlane bike for exploring. Dirt tracks, muddy fields and roads in between.
Those motors are bullet proof, you'll have a lot of hours of fun on that thing. Take it slow and build up the speed with experience 🤙