Do You Really Need a 450 Dirt Bike? - Episode 109

Support us on Patreon!   / dirtbikechannel   It's an honest question. By default, everyone thinks they need the most power available. We think we need the biggest motor with the most horse power, and the fastest possible top speed. Is this the correct line of thinking? Would many of us (including me) be better of with less power? A good rider can squeeze more potential out of a smaller bike than an average rider can squeeze out of a 450. Guess who's going to be faster overall? The point of this video is to get some of my viewers thinking about dropping down in displacement and then focusing on fundamentals to become better riders. I know that some of my riding buddies and I have been thinking about this for some time now. I'm on the lookout for a good 250 four stroke to do some testing on. This summer, I tested two different 250 4 stroke dirt bikes. I had only ever ridden 450 4 strokes. Guess that I learned. I learned that 250 4 stroke bikes are more fun to ride! They have the same frames, same suspension, same tires, same components, and the same trimmings. They are pretty much identical in every way except for the motors. The great thing about riding a 250 is that it inspires confidence. You can grab a fist full of throttle when coming out of corners without worrying about getting tossed on your backside, and the result is forward motion and shear joy! You end up coming in to corners harder and leaving them with more speed most of the time. Guys will tell you that a 250 wears our faster than a 450 because you are “riding it harder”, but I’m honestly not sure that is true. I think it’s just something that people speculate on, but there may not be data to actually back that up. Even IF it is true, knowing what I know now, I’d take less time between motor work on the 250 because I’m having more fun the entire time. The 350 motor may be the best fit for most guys though. It’s not as light and nimble as the 250, but doesn’t feel as heavy and lumbering as the 450. If I could only have one bike and it HAD to be a 4 stroke, it would be hard for me to choose between the 250 XC-F and the 350 XC-F, because I have more fun on the 250, but the 350 is probably more versatile. http://www.dirtbikechannel.com/parts/ Want to help support Dirt Bike Channel? Using this link to buy your parts won't cost you any more than you'd otherwise pay. Thank you for using this link to help us bring you more great content! http://www.dirtbikechannel.com/parts/