Never thought I'd buy another new bike

Madmax31
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Madmax31
Edited Date/Time 6/23/2013 1:49pm


13 450
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mx510
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mx510 6/19/2013 5:13pm
6/19/2013 5:13pm
Congrats man, she is pretty!
Ing
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Ing 6/19/2013 5:16pm
6/19/2013 5:16pm
Yea, nice ride. Enjoy.
jeffro503
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jeffro503 6/19/2013 5:16pm
6/19/2013 5:16pm
Max....One of my very best friends just bought a 2012 CRF 250 about 2 months ago.....simply fell in love with it and said he would never ride a 450 again. Last weekend he rode another buddies new 13 450 ( exactly like yours )....he is now selling his brand new Honda because he fell in love with that KTM 450 Haha! From what i hear....they are a very sweet machine indeed! Congrats man.

The Shop

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newmann
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newmann 6/19/2013 5:56pm
6/19/2013 5:56pm
Nothing quite like that new bike smell. Congrats! One more for orange.....
velocitygear
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velocitygear 6/19/2013 8:35pm
6/19/2013 8:35pm
I'm scared to ride one now; I'm afraid I won't want to ride my honda again ;(
Sandberm
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Sandberm 6/19/2013 8:51pm
6/19/2013 8:51pm
Ahhhhh, the crispness of a new bike, nothing better.

Now put your number on it and go ride!
sharkey
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sharkey 6/19/2013 9:50pm
6/19/2013 9:50pm
jeffro503 wrote:
Max....One of my very best friends just bought a 2012 CRF 250 about 2 months ago.....simply fell in love with it and said he would never...
Max....One of my very best friends just bought a 2012 CRF 250 about 2 months ago.....simply fell in love with it and said he would never ride a 450 again. Last weekend he rode another buddies new 13 450 ( exactly like yours )....he is now selling his brand new Honda because he fell in love with that KTM 450 Haha! From what i hear....they are a very sweet machine indeed! Congrats man.
thats funny jeff im riding a 250 now too
JW381
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JW381 6/19/2013 11:08pm
6/19/2013 11:08pm
I actually got to ride a 13 KTM 450 last year at a ride day at Albany and I was very impressed. It was my first (and only) time on a 450 on an MX track. It was an odd feeling lugging thru corners than just twisting my way to each jump. Handled nicely tho, I didn't get to compare it to the 13 Kawi, that was being hogged.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 6/20/2013 12:11am
6/20/2013 12:11am
Do people survive the front suspension without any work made to them? Seems mxa love the bike but totally dismiss it for the win because of the WP forks. They make them sound so bad I'm really curious taking one for a spinn to see how horrible forks feels like. Either they are spot on, or splitting hairs?
onthepipe
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onthepipe 6/20/2013 12:18am
6/20/2013 12:18am
I can't believe some people ride with stock suspension. Always tune your suspension, forget the fancy decal sets. fancy gear and all the other expensive bullshit.
Madmax31
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Madmax31 6/20/2013 12:48am
6/20/2013 12:48am
DrSweden wrote:
Do people survive the front suspension without any work made to them? Seems mxa love the bike but totally dismiss it for the win because of...
Do people survive the front suspension without any work made to them? Seems mxa love the bike but totally dismiss it for the win because of the WP forks. They make them sound so bad I'm really curious taking one for a spinn to see how horrible forks feels like. Either they are spot on, or splitting hairs?
I'll let you know soon. I'm hoping to get out on it Saturday. But you're right it's been the only thing to keep it off the top of the MXA list 2 years running.
onthepipe
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onthepipe 6/20/2013 12:55am
6/20/2013 12:55am
Ohyeah, forgot to mention; awesome bike! Would love one myself. Always ride KTM.
jamma10
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jamma10 6/20/2013 2:48am
6/20/2013 2:48am
Its funny, you can guess its going to be a KTM even before you open these kind of 'spoke with my wallet' type of threads. The world is turning orange, Carlos Macho must be having fits. Smile

Lovely bike!
HenryA
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HenryA 6/20/2013 4:17am
6/20/2013 4:17am
Ughh...I want one... Dry
gwilliams107
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gwilliams107 6/20/2013 4:34am
6/20/2013 4:34am
I just picked up a 2013 Husky CR125/144 for 1/2 of what a new 250f costs. Wish I had the $ for a KTM150 but I would still be slow and old no matter how much I could spend.
Markee
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Markee 6/20/2013 4:42am
6/20/2013 4:42am
I was on the phone most of the day yesterday trying to find the best deal on that exact bike. Have always been a kawi guy but when i write out pros and cons, the KTM just gets the vote out the box. It feels weird to even say that because i feel like i'll be tricked and wake up with bark busters on my bike and ride in the woods like i'm in a coma.

The brakes, wheels, hydro clutch, 4 speed, dunlop geomax 51s... estart, steel frame, battery all while keeping the weight down. Good stuff right there.
Madmax31
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Madmax31 6/20/2013 5:42am
6/20/2013 5:42am
Markee wrote:
I was on the phone most of the day yesterday trying to find the best deal on that exact bike. Have always been a kawi guy...
I was on the phone most of the day yesterday trying to find the best deal on that exact bike. Have always been a kawi guy but when i write out pros and cons, the KTM just gets the vote out the box. It feels weird to even say that because i feel like i'll be tricked and wake up with bark busters on my bike and ride in the woods like i'm in a coma.

The brakes, wheels, hydro clutch, 4 speed, dunlop geomax 51s... estart, steel frame, battery all while keeping the weight down. Good stuff right there.
MUNN racing has really good prices and cheap shipping to your door.

Pit Row

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Markee
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Markee 6/20/2013 6:35am
6/20/2013 6:35am
Cheapest i've found was 7k, but drive 5 hours or 7500 and drive 2. Curious if KTM manual has a set up chart baseline for different rider weight.

I had read that it is sprung out the box for heavier riders in the 175-185 range. But some shootouts said it was a little on the soft side?
DA498
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DA498 6/20/2013 7:19am
6/20/2013 7:19am
gwilliams107 wrote:
I just picked up a 2013 Husky CR125/144 for 1/2 of what a new 250f costs. Wish I had the $ for a KTM150 but I...
I just picked up a 2013 Husky CR125/144 for 1/2 of what a new 250f costs. Wish I had the $ for a KTM150 but I would still be slow and old no matter how much I could spend.
I cant handle the truth, but I still want that new bike....
jeffro503
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jeffro503 6/20/2013 8:31am
6/20/2013 8:31am
jeffro503 wrote:
Max....One of my very best friends just bought a 2012 CRF 250 about 2 months ago.....simply fell in love with it and said he would never...
Max....One of my very best friends just bought a 2012 CRF 250 about 2 months ago.....simply fell in love with it and said he would never ride a 450 again. Last weekend he rode another buddies new 13 450 ( exactly like yours )....he is now selling his brand new Honda because he fell in love with that KTM 450 Haha! From what i hear....they are a very sweet machine indeed! Congrats man.
sharkey wrote:
thats funny jeff im riding a 250 now too
That right Sharkey! Don't let my buddies decision fool you though. He gets a new bike every 3 months.....not joking. In the 3yrs he has been back in the sport....he's had close to about 15 bikes. Most were brand new and a few that were used. for some reason he gets bored with his bikes in a hurry. I'm glad you are liking your bike. I rode a 2012 CRF 250 just two weeks ago.....very fun little bike indeed! If I was rich I'd own all three......250F , 450F and a 250 2T.
Madmax31
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Madmax31 6/20/2013 10:06am
6/20/2013 10:06am
Markee wrote:
Cheapest i've found was 7k, but drive 5 hours or 7500 and drive 2. Curious if KTM manual has a set up chart baseline for different...
Cheapest i've found was 7k, but drive 5 hours or 7500 and drive 2. Curious if KTM manual has a set up chart baseline for different rider weight.

I had read that it is sprung out the box for heavier riders in the 175-185 range. But some shootouts said it was a little on the soft side?
That's less than I paid! They have a baseline of setups in the manual. Also probably best bet is search on MXA's bike test and use their suggestions as a starting point.

The suspension does have a firmer fell than most bikes I've sat on. But I've only ridden it down the road a few times.
lappedrider
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lappedrider 6/21/2013 6:38am
6/21/2013 6:38am
How well does the Element handle that weight on the bumper?
Madmax31
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Madmax31 6/21/2013 7:43am
6/21/2013 7:43am
The Element is great. It's the SC model which has a little stiffer suspension. If only squats about 1/2" or less. Don't even notice it's back there. I saw a guy hauling a big KTM 690 Adventure on one.
ME686
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ME686 6/21/2013 10:08am
6/21/2013 10:08am
Never thought id utter the words, but in 2015 (new bike time) the ktm shop is my first stop. That estart gets prettier the older I get,even though I secretly feel like a puss for saying that hehe
coastie44
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coastie44 6/21/2013 8:10pm
6/21/2013 8:10pm Edited Date/Time 6/21/2013 8:12pm
I have the '13 KTM and came off 3 hondas (04, 05, and 07). The KTM takes a little getting used to (different fasteners, etc) but it is my favorite bike I have ever had.

I did notice that it seems to be VERY easy to stall. It was worse when it was new and got better after 10 hours or so (I ride moto only btw).

The stock forks suck. I survived 10 hours on them and they got better, but then i had them revalved by Steve Piattoni in SoCal and they are probably the best forks I have had. I also put an ohlins shock on it, but it wasn't that much better than the revalved stocker.

Other than that, just keep the fuel filters clean (there is a quick disconnect going to the throttle body), and replace the rubber dampers in the clutch every 20-30 hours and you are good to go!

Oh yeah, dropkick the stocker battery and put a lithium one on it (turntech, EarthX, Shorai, etc).
derestricted 6/22/2013 9:16am
6/22/2013 9:16am
Congratulations man! The older I get the more I am thinking about going with a 450 or 350, orange obviously Smile

Its amazing how much cheaper in America MX bikes are than in Europe, i only live an hour from the factory and a new 450 is 9.498,00 EUR (12.4633 USD)!!! If I could get one for 7k dollars I would get a new one every year without a doubt.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 6/23/2013 12:49pm
6/23/2013 12:49pm
DrSweden wrote:
Do people survive the front suspension without any work made to them? Seems mxa love the bike but totally dismiss it for the win because of...
Do people survive the front suspension without any work made to them? Seems mxa love the bike but totally dismiss it for the win because of the WP forks. They make them sound so bad I'm really curious taking one for a spinn to see how horrible forks feels like. Either they are spot on, or splitting hairs?
Madmax31 wrote:
I'll let you know soon. I'm hoping to get out on it Saturday. But you're right it's been the only thing to keep it off the...
I'll let you know soon. I'm hoping to get out on it Saturday. But you're right it's been the only thing to keep it off the top of the MXA list 2 years running.
Any luck with the riding? Knowing what we know, I bet the feeling gets a bit twisted knowing it could be an issue with the forks? Did you get any feel?

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