My buddy is looking to buy a new street legal KTM for dual sport use and future snowbike use and I don't know whether to recommend the higher torque 500 EXC or the higher revving 450 EXC since both are now available. I know a close ratio bike is ideal, especially riding our steep mountains in the Sierras. Which bike would be able to pull the wide ratio transmission the best?
Which KTM to buy?
- Thread starter snowrydr
- Start date
A
Both perform about equal... pick which ever you like... I like the 500 in the tight trees where i can lug around with the heavy flywheel and torque... then has the power up a hill wide open in 3rd
R
Not a KTM guy but the way the world is these days that is pretty much the only bike everyone has anymore. So most of the guys started out with the dual season dream and everyone has given up on the idea and gone to specific set ups. If I was to do both seasons on a KTM myself personally I would go with the 500 whatever it is now, punch it out to a 610 for snow and use that torque for trail as I like torque more than rev for my trail time. All guys but one started out with the 450 but have since bought 300's for trail use. The 500 guy used his as a dirtbike last year, had it punched out, rode it twice in the dirt and it is now a dedicated snow bike and he went the 300 trail route as well. I go CR500 snow specific and CR500 in a 250x frame for the trail.
I am not 100% sure but I doubt that the street legal 450 EXC will have the same motor as the 62hp 450 XC-F. It is probably more similar to the 500 motor but with a shorter stroke. I think you'd be better off with the added torque of the 500 for sure, especially with the wide ratio trans.
I just bought an 07 KTM 525 EXC and bought a used Camso DTS setup today to put on it.
I'm gonna do my damndest to use it for both purposes...dirt summer, snow winter.
I don't mind wrenching on my scoots so that's my plan!
I'm gonna do my damndest to use it for both purposes...dirt summer, snow winter.
I don't mind wrenching on my scoots so that's my plan!
M
I had a 450 EXC setup for snow. It couldn't pull 3rd with the wide ratio trans. Punched it out to a 520 Thumper Racing which I like on the dirt but it still wasn't enough for the snow with that tranny. Always dropping it back to 2nd and revving it took out the con rod, twice.MY CR500 absolutely destroys my 520 KTM. I tried it for 2 seasons and IMO its just not a good snow bike option. Pay me now or pay me later kind of a deal, those are expensive motors if they blow up. Maybe 2 older bikes for the same kind of money might be ab option something like an older 350 EXC for dual sport and a 2010-11ish YZ for snow.
M5
M5
Thanks for the input guys. I will share this information with him and let him decide if he should utilize this bike as a snowbike or not. It seems the 500 would be the better choice if he's going to go that route. It would probably work better as a big bore, if that's what's needed to pull the gaps between gears.
