Sumo’s for Clubman / D?

What are the good 450 bikes to start from?

 

I would think the enduro bikes because of the wider ratio and taller transmissions, ktm xcw, Yamaha wr, Honda crx....

 

Whats with the 10-13 YZ cylinder design? Does it work?

 

Pretty much any of the 450's make good SM road race bikes. Its been a long time since I raced one, but the Yamaha's and Honda's seem to be the best. I preferred blue. The newer KTM's may have closed the gap, but 10 years ago, IMHO, they didn't hang on the fast stuff(I don't think they revved as well). Of course there is always the 'Priller. They were fast on the top end. You only have to worry about YZ vs WR if you are running a steel frame(like I did). Otherwise the YZ 5-speed is ideal.

 

Yamaha, then KTM and husky.
Those make the most power, are extremely reliable and have great parts available.
If you want new look the husky fs450, it is loaded from the factory, slipper, traction control, launch control,16.5 front 17x5 rear. Makes 63 horse power...

 

The new Husky’s are to pricy. The YZ seems like a good start used around 3k

 

Prillers and Huskys go boom
Ask me how I know

Any single is going to wear out at the bigger road racing tracks without an intense maintenance schedule, but the Japanese stuff will run cooler for longer it seems. I had a Yamaha XT 600 that was the bees knees on some 17’s. It’d be hard to find one in good shape but that motor makes a great platform.

 

Yes and no, the husky is 10k but once you build everything you'll have at least 5 or 6 into the Yamaha all told. So the husky is a great value. But I completely understand being on a budget and picking your parts for the Yamaha, that's what I've done with my 250f supermoto.

 

Yeah the prillers go boom alot.. the husky before it was the same as KTM blew up alot also, now though it's one of the more reliable bikes, them and ktm mx and off road bikes regularly see a couple hundred hours on them without issue.

 

Is the Husaberg 570 something to look at?

 

Depends on your budget.

If starting with new platform go Honda or Ktm/Husky. Most parts availability and fastest out of the box.

Yamaha is decent but they are incredibly wide between the legs.

Kawi and Suzuki are shit unless you dump a truckload of cash into them.

 

Absolutely if you want a cool looking bike that you can’t get parts for

 

Yeah my Husky was one of the last with MV Agusta stamped on the frame. Sure do miss my little Italian ballerina. But for less than the cost of a replacement motor I had a Japanese race bike to finish the season on. The BMW Husky ownership era was thankfully short lived.

I’m watching KTM closely since the smaller displacement stuff if being outsourced to India. My 690 Duke had to have a top end done under warranty. I’m back on a Yamaha now. Sensing a theme? Like crazy strippers between long term relationships, that common analogy for European motorcycles rings true for me as street rider as well.

 

I’m lookng at 5-10 year old bikes to start from. But I think I want an aluminum frame

 

Find a used KTM 690 smc.

 

Bacon the Mountain Motorsports in Buford had a fully built Honda 450 on display in the service department. I could be wrong but I think they said it was Chris Filmore’s old bike and was for sale. Buy that!

 

Speaking of....

http://www.superbikeuniverse.com/item.php?id=77

Bocarp’s got you covered

http://www.superbikeuniverse.com/item.php?id=92

 

Yamaha all the way then, they are dead reliable. Mines a 09 and it's been bullet proof engine wise for the last two plus years of supermoto abuse.
Plus parts are the same for many years.

 

I’ll stop by Mountain

Robby is the Honda that much better than Yamaha?

Thanks Casey, I like blue better than red

 

I have one for sale 2007 450 KTM SMR. Fresh top end new Michelin race tires and chain and well taken care of. Never ran in the dirt. KTM sold these a factory motards this is not a converted dirtbike. This is a purpose built motard race bike with all the goodies, starts on first kick. $3500