Do 450s make good trail bikes? I always heard mixed opinions about how well 450cc dirt bikes perform on the trails. I decided to figure this out by purchasing a 2013 CRF450R and finding out first hand, the pros and cons of a 450 trail bike.
A 450 is a great trail bike for experienced riders, but for beginners it will be a tough learning curve until you master throttle and clutch control. I have trail ridden my whole life on a variety of bikes, but this year was my first experience riding a 450cc motorcycle. After a year of riding a 450 I learned to love riding the beast in a variety of conditions, however, I do admit it a took me a few tries (and a broken water pump cover…) to get the hang of wrangling such a powerful machine in the single track. Once I toughed out the first few rides in the tight trees I began to love riding the 450, even in the tightest of conditions, and saw a lot of potential to adapt it into a trail friendly bike for a confident and experienced rider.
Is a 450 beginner Friendly?
A 450 is not a forgiving motorcycle to ride for someone new to motorcycle riding. The power delivery is almost instantaneous and delivers a violent punch if you get careless with the throttle. So do 450s make good trail bikes? Yes, in the right hands. I believe new riders should steer clear of a 450 until they master a smaller motorcycle and feel exceptionally confident with their clutch and throttle control. We’ve all seen funniest home videos, right? I don’t think any of us want to end up famous for whiskey throttling a 450 right into a barn door… unless we take home that top prize of course. But in all seriousness be careful if you throw your leg over a 450 they are not forgiving machines if you don’t take them serious.
What makes a 450 difficult on trails?
They stall the engine easily. My first few experiences on the 450 I found myself stalling the engine a lot, compared to my two-stroke trail bike. The 450 was quick to stall when at a low RPM. This was frustrating at first, but after I became comfortable on the bike I was able to over come this problem pretty easily.
They have a lot of engine braking. This is actually an advantage in some ways, it makes it easier to slow down since you can use the engine braking strategically. However, if you’ve spent a lot of time riding two-strokes this will feel foreign to you and will require some adapting.
450’s come with a 5 speed gear box where some of 2-strokes are 6 speed and allow for a better gearing setup for the trails.
They deliver power very quickly and this can make it difficult to find good traction with the rear wheel when going up hills or going over slippery obstacles.
450cc dirt bikes are heavy. 450s vary in weight but most are around 230lbs or more and this can be exhausting if you get into rough trails that require you to lift the bike or pick it back up after taking a fall. They cause a lot of fatigue and arm pump from hanging on to such a powerful bike. I noticed myself getting arm pump and my energy fading a lot faster riding my 450 vs a 250 two-stroke.
What are the best modifications to make a 450 better on trails?
The only modification that my CRF450R had on it was a spark arrested exhaust, but I quickly had a wish list of modifications in mind that would make it a lot more trail friendly.
The first thing you need to do is make sure your 450 is spark arrested with a US forest service approved muffler. Most trail systems will require a spark arrested muffler and you will receive a ticket if you’re caught without one. (See my article on motorcycle exhaust here)
Skid Plate
I would highly recommend adding a skid plate to protect the engine cases and frame. I learned this lesson the hard way when I managed to break my water pump cover in the middle of the forest. It made for a long 4th of July to say the least… My favorite skid plate to use is an aluminum one that has fins to protect your oil pump and water pump covers. Enduro Engineering makes a great skid plate but there are other options that are well suited.
Suspension
Another thing that would be helpful is to have your suspension tuned by a professional to best suit your riding ability and the terrain that you frequently ride on. Many of todays 450’s come with air forks (ugh…), I recommend getting a spring conversion kit if this is the case on your 450 that you wish to trail ride. This is expensive but worth every penny. 450s generally come with pretty stiff suspension and it makes them difficult to control in tough enduro situations.
Flywheel
In order to soften the power delivery, and also prevent the bike from stalling so easily, I would also recommend adding a flywheel weight to your 450. This will smooth out the abrupt power the 450s make and make for a more pleasant torquey trail bike.
Radiator Fan
Four-strokes engines are more prone to over heating, so If you like to pretend you’re Graham Jarvis and find yourself stuck on the trail. You’ll definitely want a radiator fan kit to keep your engine from over heating. Without a fan to blow air through the radiator the 450s will quickly over heat while trying to get unstuck.
Are 450’s Fun to Trail Ride?
A 450 is a blast on the trails. They are fast paced and keep you on your toes at all times. It took some warming up for me to enjoy riding a 450 on tight trails, but I quickly began to love riding it in the rocks and trees. I found it easier if I road the bike in a taller gear than I would normally think is optimal. This tamed down the abrupt power deliver and let me keep a smoother rhythm in the trees and rocks. All though nothing puts a smile on your facing like down shifting and grabbing some throttle on occasion!
How does a 450 compare to a 2 stroke on the trail
The two-stroke 300 is the king of the trails no doubt, but the 450s are a blast to ride also. If you want to hit the track and also ride trails occasionally don’t be afraid to take your motocross bike to the woods. The two-strokes feel more nimble in single track and usually offer more torque, but the 450s are still perfectly suitable on the trails for an experienced rider. I have ridden both my two-stroke and my CRF450R in some local hare scrambles and I loved every second on both bikes. Just because you don’t see many four strokes at the Erzbergrodeo doesn’t mean they aren’t fun to rip on the trails. AMA hall of fame racer Scott Summers sure proved that the 300 pound four-stroke Honda XR650R could “smoke” the two-smokers with the right rider in the saddle!
Interested in getting in optimal shape for a harescramble/enduro? Check out our training guide!