Advice needed, 300 EXC or 450 EXC?

[rogerh]

The 4st is only heavy when you have to carry it
Riding it, it just feels more planted. Does not feel heavy to ride at all.

I would have to say, I suspect I am quite a bit faster on the 4st, but I too have seen the glint in the eye of the 300 riders. If you find the 200 a handful on the pipe, I would imagine the 300 is better because it does not need to be on the pipe. But I bet it gets exciting when it does light up.

In my experience the only way to answer these questions is to ride the bikes in question. Kinda like a demo day for second hand bikes.

[CRF119]

Why so much "extra weight " warnings, the 4 strokes are 10 to 15 kgs heavier but is that enough to go from "light" to "heavy"? The ride I had on a 525 didn't give me that impression, it felt heavier in the front but given the 200 spends most of it's life with the front in the air, anything would feel like that.

5KG differance to a 450R from a 300exc.

[Rupe]

Any answers?

Yep, sounds like you need to ride a few bikes. Looking at figures and opinions on the net is bullshit, you need to go and ride a load of bikes to narrow down to what works for you. wmcc next weekend try to scap a couple of rides.

Also the glint in peoples eyes tends to be that everyone is in love with there own bike. If you had a kdx and went to a modern enduro 2t you be in love no matter what it was, if that makes sense.

[gwynfryn]

Yep, sounds like you need to ride a few bikes. Looking at figures and opinions on the net is bullshit, you need to go and ride a load of bikes to narrow down to what works for you. wmcc next weekend try to scap a couple of rides.

Also the glint in peoples eyes tends to be that everyone is in love with there own bike. If you had a kdx and went to a modern enduro 2t you be in love no matter what it was, if that makes sense.

Thats just not true. I've riddden modern orange bikes but I only have eyes for my kdx.

[Rupe]

Thats just not true. I've riddden modern orange bikes but I only have eyes for my kdx.

Love is blind

[Buddy L]

I know you didn't ask but

Don't rule out a 250 4stroke, KTM or any other brand.

The toqure spread is smooth on these machines, more so on the exc,wr,txc etc models, all electric starts. An the weight is only a few kg's more then your current stead.

just an idea

[rogerh]

This has some interesting opinions as well.

But yep, you gotta ride them and see which you like. Each to their own. Love is blind. Etc, etc.

[Crisis management]

Don't rule out a 250 4stroke, KTM or any other brand.

I had ruled them out as I thought power would be down and maintenance up but your the second person to mention them so I will try and get a ride on one as well.
I'm a bit dubious tho, the 390 Husaberg I rode felt like it just had enough power (felt very comfortable at all throttle positions) and I'm not sure a 250 is going to be able to match that output.

[Jay GTI]

Also the glint in peoples eyes tends to be that everyone is in love with there own bike. If you had a kdx and went to a modern enduro 2t you be in love no matter what it was, if that makes sense.

Nah the 'glint' in 300 owners eyes is different. Mention my bike and I'll gladly talk your ear off and tell you about how it really is the perfect bike (for me anyway), but talk to a 300 owner and that glint has a spark of madness to it, like the bike taps into some deep-hidden lunacy that most people have inside them but don't go near for fear what it may release...

I had ruled them out as I thought power would be down and maintenance up but your the second person to mention them so I will try and get a ride on one as well.
I'm a bit dubious tho, the 390 Husaberg I rode felt like it just had enough power (felt very comfortable at all throttle positions) and I'm not sure a 250 is going to be able to match that output.

One of my regular riding buddies has a 2010 250EXC-F and even though he admits to being an average rider at best, he finds it frustrating at times, as it always needs to be kept on the boil to go anywhere. Climbing up some of the steeper parts of the Superbowl out at the Sandpit, he has to be in the right gear and reving it hard, otherwise it bogs down. I've also spent plenty of time on a couple of WR250Fs and they are great bikes, but again they need a fair handful of throttle to keep up the pace, effortless torque is not something these bikes have.

[BoristheBiter]

One of my regular riding buddies has a 2010 250EXC-F and even though he admits to being an average rider at best, he finds it frustrating at times, as it always needs to be kept on the boil to go anywhere. Climbing up some of the steeper parts of the Superbowl out at the Sandpit, he has to be in the right gear and reving it hard, otherwise it bogs down. I've also spent plenty of time on a couple of WR250Fs and they are great bikes, but again they need a fair handful of throttle to keep up the pace, effortless torque is not something these bikes have.

I know what you are meaning. I ride a XR250 and if you are not on your game you will lose it in some of the steeper sections. In saying that I have not come across any part of Woodhill where i have needed any more torque. It might help to go faster but it hasn't stopped it. If i have had problems it has been down to my riding and not the deficiency of my bike.

I would be disappointed if the 250EXC-F is not as good as a 11 year old XR as this was one of the 2 I am looking at getting.

[White trash]

Don't rule out a 250 4stroke, KTM or any other brand.

The toqure spread is smooth on these machines, more so on the exc,wr,txc etc models, all electric starts. An the weight is only a few kg's more then your current stead.

just an idea

Excellent advice. I spent a few more hours out on the 250 XC-F yesterday riding the snottiest, most horrible tracks we could find in Totara Park. The only thing that held the bike back was my severe lack of fitness towards the end of the day. If I had of been on anything bigger, I woulda been fucked earlier.

[Crisis management]

Climbing up some of the steeper parts of the Superbowl out at the Sandpit, he has to be in the right gear and reving it hard, otherwise it bogs down.

That's my fear of little 4 stroke engines, the 200 will tear over all parts of Woodhill and I'm not going to a 4 stroke for less than that ability, I will try one out if I get the chance, looks like a busy day next saturday!

[Jay GTI]

I would be disappointed if the 250EXC-F is not as good as a 11 year old XR as this was one of the 2 I am looking at getting.

I doubt you'll be disappointed, the suspension and handling will be light-years ahead and the engine is great as long as you're ontop of it, it's just that as my riding buddy finds, it doesn't allow lazy riding. On a 300 or 450 (or even my 350 for that matter), gear selection isn't critical and if you want to climb the hills faster, just give it more throttle. It's definitely not a case of his bike not being able to climbing the same hills, just he has to make the effort to do so, hit them at speed, in the right gear etc, whereas I can start at the bottom, pull away in 2nd and tractor on up.

[BoristheBiter]

I doubt you'll be disappointed, the suspension and handling will be light-years ahead and the engine is great as long as you're ontop of it, it's just that as my riding buddy finds, it doesn't allow lazy riding. On a 300 or 450 (or even my 350 for that matter), gear selection isn't critical and if you want to climb the hills faster, just give it more throttle. It's definitely not a case of his bike not being able to climbing the same hills, just he has to make the effort to do so, hit them at speed, in the right gear etc, whereas I can start at the bottom, pull away in 2nd and tractor on up.

That sounds very disappointing. I am a lazy rider when i get tired but i have none of those problems with my XR now. Take the new part of the big dipper, got stuck on a tree root half way up, pulled it free then rode it all the way to the top.

I would like to hear from other riders of the 250EXC-F to see if this is what they have found.

[Jay GTI]

Having thought about it, I'm probably being a little unfair to the 250, but my riding buddy and I sat at the entrance of the Superbowl and discussed this very thing last time he was there. He was blown away by how easily I could accelerate up the steep sections, even from low revs and low speed. He was moaning that if he wasn't hitting the bottom of the climb right, it was a lot of effort to get up to the top, where I could just wind on the power and fly up, even if I completely screwed it up at the bottom first.

If he did hit it right, he was getting up absolutely no problem, just he didn't have the luxury of being able to just use more throttle to make up for being in a gear too high or not having the initial momentum to carry him up.