KTM v Honda v Yamaha v Gas Gas

If you wanted to include all the 450 four-strokes in one shootout, such is the proliferation you'd now have seven or eight machines to deal with. Everyone and his mother-in-law is making 450 four-strokes these days, and although some are probably better than others, even if the difference between them is measured in pooftenths of a squillimetre, only one or two demonstrate the factory's willingness to be different, and all who dare are invariably European.

We're probably going out on a limb here, but it's our opinion that European manufacturers have overtaken the Japanese - well, the only two Japanese companies making high performance four-strokes - in delivering the most advanced designs. Although it's market leader, and still a very good trail bike, in an environment where performance is everything, the Yamaha WR450F is basically a 1996 WR400 with a few updates. This bike needs more than minor improvements and we not foolish enough to think Yamaha doesn't know it. The current WR450 looks and feels dated compared with flashest Europeans, who continue to improve at every opportunity, and is certainly in Honda's cross-hairs.

The current YZ450 motocross engine is designed to accept a starter-motor and it wouldn't take too much work to put that engine, or something like it, into the 07 WR450. It's our bet that'll happen. Yamaha isn't interested in coming second to anyone, let alone Honda, so next year, watch out for a blue missile.

WHO'S HERE AND WHO'S NOT
We gathered four of the best 450s in the business for this shootout, but the absence of the rest should be explained. We intended to include the Husky TE450 but Husqvarna never made it to the party because the distributor didn't have a press bike we could include. The other 450s ( TM, Sherco, etc) are absent because we had limited time to conduct this comparison, and didn't believe we could justice to more than four bikes in one day -- or not in a fashion our readers would find credible. That being the case, we had to choose the four most popular 450s, minus the Husky.

All the bikes but one were 06 models. The new Honda hadn't hit our shores when this was being written but Honda was happy to let its 05 CRF take on the 06 models from everyone else. Either Honda is very brave or it knows the 06 CRF will largely be unchanged.

GAS GAS 450 FSE
The Gas Gas's RRP is $12,699. Warranty is six months, parts and labour. You get a tool kit with the Gasser, in a bumbag, and a shorty rear numberplate carrier to replace the government's spuddy rear guard extender.

It's clear you don't get a lot of extra goodies with the Gasser, although it's a young make and in time that may change. To give the brand a push Down Under, maybe the local distributor (Solo Motorcycle Imports) could give away some of that Hebo riding gear it's been stockpiling as an incentive to buy the excellent 450 FSE.

KTM 450EXC
The KTM's RRP is $12,595. Warranty is three months, parts only. For that you get the bike plus a comprehensive spares kit, but no hand-guards. Here are KTM's goodies:

Honda CRF450X
The Honda's RRP is $11,990. The warranty is three months, parts only. With the Honda you get a lot of goodies but they serve the same purpose as those on the Yamaha; they equip the CRF for closed-course racing. Here's what you get:

Yamaha WR450FV
The Yamaha's RRP is $11,900. Warranty is three months, parts only. The free stuff you get from Yamaha prepares the bike for racing, after removal of certain superfluous items, so they're not really 'spares'. Here's the list:

If we're talking value for money then obviously KTM is way ahead in the free stuff stakes. There is a fly in the ointment though: RRP. The recommended retail price often bares no resemblance to the ARP (Actual Retail Price) especially with Yamaha. And since the KTM is $800 dearer than the Yamaha, you're paying for all those 'free' parts anyway.

The Gasser is the only bike in the shootout with fuel injection and this no doubt plays a big role in the engine's characteristics. It also helps it turn in the best fuel economy - 5.3 litres for 57.8km or 10.9km/l over the Mad Monkey torture track. After the top-up we managed to put another 115km on the speedo before we ran it dry. That turns out to be an amazing 17.1km/l

The Gasser runs a slipper clutch. This gadget works like a ratchet. It locks when you're on the power but slips when you back off. This gives the Gasser the lightest clutch of any bike we've ridden. It also eliminates engine braking, and that's meant to eliminate rear end "hop" under hard braking. Four of our testers loved it and one didn't so our market research says it's a winner.

This is all academic if you have a handling package as stable as a wheelbarrow full of walruses. Over the past few years KTM has set the standard in the handling stakes and won many shootouts on the back of it. The Gasser has edged the bar up a notch. It's light, narrow, turns in easily and doesn't show any nasty habits. The suspension is compliant over small bumps and takes big hits in its stride.

When it comes to hauling in the speed, Nissin calipers do a great job. The front is powerful with plenty of feel. The rear is a neutral, which we normally praise, but with the slipper clutch a little more feel would be nice. This is the only thing we would like changed on the FSE450.

Do we like it? No, we love it! And Dr Dan bought one.

HONDA CRF450X
Honda have contested the modern 450 four-stroke market for less than a year. When you consider the sales it's given away to its competitors, the CRF was way late in arriving. Honda can sell a boatload of bikes simply because they're Hondas. The point is, was this one worth the wait?

Honda prides themselves on building class leading engines, sometimes to the detriment of the rest of the package, and here they're on the money. This bike is whisper quiet but that in no way affects its performance.

The bottom end is strong, the mid-range is stronger and the top-end monstrous! It's a seamless surge of nuclear power. You want eye-popping wheelies? You want landscape altering roost? You got it! We were blown away with how willing the Honda engine is. Everyone commented on how powerful and easy to control it was, and how good this bike felt on fast, open terrain.

The down side to all this grunt is that the CRF was almost the thirstiest bike in the comparison, consuming 6.3 litres over the same 57.8km, or 9.2km/l.

Ergonomically, the CRF felt taller and heavier. It was also skinny where it should have been fat and fat where it should have been skinny. The tank and radiator shrouds flare at the front and make the bike feel wide, which makes the Honda quite physical in tight stuff. It took more effort to get it to tip into turns, and you knew you were working harder than your mates on the other brands. The CRF just doesn't have the usual razor-sharp handling of most Hondas. Get out on the flowing fire trails though and your mates won't see much of you, other than meteor-sized roost. The Honda is very stable at speed on fast trails and this is where it shines.

To be honest, the suspension escaped our notice at first. With everyone so fixated on the engine, the suspension took a back seat. Not one tester commented on the suspension without being asked, which says at the very least that it's doing its job well. It soaked up ripples and took all the hits we could throw at it with no hidden surprises.

As with all Hondas, the brakes were superb, with plenty of power and feel. The quality of finish on the CRF is up to Honda's traditional standards and the alloy frame adds a classically modern touch.

KTM 450EXC
KTM has won three of our 450 shoot-outs so it comes to the table with a lot of pedigree and an alpha-male status. It's changed from last year - stronger engine, suspension revalving and so on - so how does it fare against the rest of these meat eaters?

We came to the shoot-out with a preconception that the KTM was going to be made or broken in the handling department. Lasts year's engine was solid, but lets face it, it was about as exciting as a tax return.

This year the engine has a new cam, and what a difference it makes. Katey has her X-factor back. The mid-range has real spirit, something you couldn't say about the '05 model.

There was a fly in the ointment however. The bike had a jetting problem. It stuttered off idle and when landing from jumps. We've had a lot to do with KTM over the years, and we're confident this is a one-off problem, but we have to test the bikes as they come and the stuttering did have an impact on riders' opinions.

The less experienced found it difficult to keep the KTM on the boil when things got busy, whereas experienced riders appreciated the extra zap the new cam provides.

And all this revving affected the KTM's fuel consumption. Usually frugal at the bowser, it equalled the Honda as the worst consumer, with 9.2km/l over the 57.8 km. With correct jetting we expect it would return much better figures.

KTM has been the class-leader in handling and feels different to the other three bikes. It's tall, but unlike the Honda, razor thin. It also feels light. Together this produces a bike that responds wonderfully when you get up the front and tip it into a corner. Our less experienced riders actually found this lightness disconcerting, saying it felt "a bit jittery".

Overall the Katey is a damn good bike. You get European handling and manners without the old-style European quirks. It goes, it handles, it stops, and it'll do it all day, every day, without belting the chocolate out of you. Back the lightness up with silky smooth suspension that never seems to bottom and you have a package that's damn hard to beat - until you get to the headshake. Call us whingers, but we've harped on about this for years. Headshake is still there, and this time has cost the KTM it's top spot in our 450 shootout.

YAMAHA WR450
Yamaha started the current four-stroke revolution but for the last few years the WR has received only minor updates while everyone else forged ahead. The engine has declined from its powerhouse position to a more trail-friendly configuration. This hasn't affected the WR's support base or sales, but how does the market leader stack up against the current crop of apex carnivores?

The Yamaha has a good spread of power and is quite willing to rev, but it has the least powerful engine. It's also a little sluggish off the bottom. It feels and sounds restricted, so a pipe would certainly help, but why should you spend $500-800 on a pipe when the other bikes in this shootout don't need them?

The WR has a low seat height, and it's easy to reach the ground when seated, but our tall rider said he felt cramped on it. The slim tank has made the WR easier to tip into turns than the old wide-tanked models, and it's easy to get up on the front, which makes it corner well. The suspension is definitely trail biased. The WR was the softest suspended bike of the bunch, and everyone noticed it. It bottomed frequently off waterbars, but despite this it never glanced off at funny angles or did anything scary.

The brakes are strong but the lever needs an awful lot of pressure. So does the clutch lever. Compared with the Gas Gas layout, these are Stone Age controls.

Overall the WR is a solid, dependable, but no longer exciting dirt bike. With so many WR450s out there it's easy to get parts, and every man and his monkey knows how to tune one. But years of inattention have let the WR slide to a less exulted position. We'd recommend it for beginners, not those who want uncompromising performance.