2025 450 MX Bike Shootout | In Depth

TEST RIDER FEEDBACK 

PAT FOSTER

AGE:46

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’0″, 200 lbs.

ABILITY: Pro

BIKES RECENTLY RACED/RIDDEN: 2024 Yamaha YZ450F, 2024 Kawasaki KX450

1. Yamaha YZ450F
2. Honda CRF450R
3. Kawasaki KX450
4. KTM 450 SX-F
5. Husqvarna FC 450
6. Gas Gas MC 450F

“The Yamaha is an easy choice for me as I feel it offers the best, most exciting power delivery, the plushest suspension, and the most planted feel on the straights. It corners well and offers comfortable ergonomics with great brakes. It is an all-around solid bike that stands head and shoulders above the rest. I am pumped on the new Honda! The new chassis is so much more comfortable and compliant than years past, which builds a ton of confidence that was lacking on the prior platform. The engine remains exciting and quick, the cornering is amazing and the handling is light and agile. If the suspension was firmer, it would be amazing. Like last year I love the handling of the Kawasaki. The balance of the chassis is exceptional with a great blend of straight-line stability and strong cornering. The KTM is an awesome overall package and I had a hard time rating it fourth. It has an awesome engine with killer midrange and ridiculous top-end. However, I prefer a little more low-end snap. The Husky is a grea bike with a host of strong attributes, they are just not aimed at me. The Gas Gas, meanwhile, offers the smoothest, plushest package in the class. The soft suspension and mild power delivery are great attributes, just not what I am looking for.”

DONN MAEDA

AGE: 55

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5’9″, 168 lbs.

ABILITY: Intermediate

BIKES RECENTLY RACED/RIDDEN: 2024 Yamaha YZ450F, 2024 KTM 350 SX-F, Stark Future Varg

1. Yamaha YZ450F
2. KTM 450 SX-F
3. Kawasaki KX450
4. Honda CRF450R
5. Gas Gas MC 450F
6. Husqvarna FC 450

“It is so cliche to say, but this year’s shootout was so close and there is not a bad bike in the bunch. I would be happy as a pig in sh!t riding any of these six bikes, all year long. For me, though, the Yamaha YZ450F would need the least changes as it is just about perfect in stock condition. Last year, I raced the 2024 YZ450F all season long and somehow, I ended up having what seemed like every aftermarket chi chi bolted onto it. It was so dialed that I honestly wondered how the stock 2025 bike would stack up. As it turns out, it’s still pretty amazing without a single aftermarket part on it. From the excellent suspension to the handling to the power…I love it all. The KTM 450 SX-F is a super close second for me and I have to admit that I was shocked at how comfortable I was on the big orange bike. I love the new chassis and the bike feels much more nimble than it has in the past. The Kawasaki was surprisingly more powerful than last year’s with the new app parameters, and it barely edged out the new Honda CRF450R thanks to its super stable chassis. The new Honda is worlds better and I felt more at home on it than I have felt on a red bike in over a decade. The Gas Gas and Husqvarna are also great bikes, but both would require more tweaking to get comfortable on. I’m not saying I couldn’t come to love them; it would just take some time.”

ERIC MASCHO

AGE: 30

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5’9″, 150 lbs.

ABILITY: Novice

BIKES RECENTLY RACED/RIDDEN: 2012 Yamaha YZ125, 2021 Yamaha YZ450F

1. Yamaha YZ450F
2. Honda CRF450R
3. Kawasaki KX450
4. KTM 450 SX-F
5. Husqvarna FC 450
6. Gas Gas MC 450F

“I decided to choose the Yamaha YZ450F first, just based on the fact that I enjoyed riding it the most, and I believe it performed better than any of the other motorcycles in almost every category. The initial punch of the power is very snappy and it carries through the mid-range and has remarkable top-end. It sounds amazing and is very exciting and fun to ride. I ranked the Honda CRF450R second because I had so much fun riding it and the ergonomics are very comfortable. The motor is powerful, snappy, and exciting. I love how they evened out the rear number plate shrouds; the rear of the bike felt very nice to grip with my legs. In my opinion, I believe it is the best-looking motorcycle in the lineup. All of the controls felt like they were in the proper position and it seemed to suit me very well. The Kawasaki KX450 came in third place for me. I love this motorcycle. It just didn’t have the exciting power of the YZ or CRF. The balance, stability, and predictability of this motorcycle is class-leading in my opinion. I love the ODI grips! I feel like with a few little performance mods this bike would be phenomenal. In fourth place, I went with the KTM 450 SX-F. I felt like this bike was suited best for a professional motocross racer. All of the controls felt very touchy and the suspension was stiff. I do feel like with some more seat time to do adjustments and tuning for me, I would love this bike. Fifth place is the Husqvarna FC 450 .I do believe this bike was tailored for a vet, or novice rider like myself, and I did gel with this bike and felt comfortable with it very quickly. The lower rear shock felt great for a rider at my height and I noticed that quite a bit in the corners. In sixth is the Gas Gas MC 450F. It has a mellow power band that is easy to manage and I do believe this is a great base motorcycle. I just felt it needed the most adjustments to be on par with the other contenders.”

KYLE PUERNER

AGE: 55

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’0″, 185 lbs.

ABILITY: Intermediate

BIKES RECENTLY RACED/RIDDEN: 2024 Kawasaki KX450, Stark Future Varg

1. Yamaha YZ450F
2. Kawasaki KX450
3. KTM 450 SX-F
4. Honda CRF450R
5. Gas Gas MC 450F
6. Husqvarna FC 450

“The Yamaha YZ450F is in a class of its own. Blessed with an amazing engine, super plush suspension with excellent holdup and stability, the blue bike is without faults. The bike is very balanced and it corners quite well. Ergonomically the bike feels roomy and comfortable, and the Yamaha Power Tuner app gives you the ability to customize the powerband to suit your likes. This bike is the best in class, hands down. I raced the 2024 Kawasaki KX450 all year long and had some great results. People made a big deal about it not feeling fast, but I found that it was easy to ride hard and I got consistently great starts on it. We made several modifications to the bike, and I was surprised to find that the 2025 KX450 was more powerful with the new Rideology app tuning parameters. Of course, Kawasaki has to limit the range of adjustability to keep consumers from damaging their engines, but now that they have a model year under their belt they have the confidence to open up the parameters. The Kawasaki was a great bike last year and it is even better this year. The KTM 450 SX-F really is ready to race and it is the best of the Austrian bikes, hands down. The bike has a great powerband and the map switch makes a detectable difference in power delivery. The traction control option is great for dry, slippery conditions. I love the new chassis as it allows the bike to be both comfortable and trustworthy at speed. The suspension works great when you ride the bike hard. The new Honda CRF450R is a huge improvement and I had a tough time holding it to fourth. It is a lot more confidence-inspiring than it used to be and I trusted it more than I have in years. Ultimately, the forks are too soft and they upset the balance of the bike a bit and that’s what kept it to fourth for me. The Gas Gas and Husqvarna both have great characteristics and would be great starting points for someone who is willing to put work into dialing in their bikes.”  

ALEX RAY

AGE: 31

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5’10”, 200 lbs.

ABILITY: Pro

BIKES RECENTLY RACED/RIDDEN: 2024 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition

1. Yamaha YZ450F
2. KTM 450 SX-F
3. Honda CRF450R
4. Kawasaki KX450
5. Gas Gas MC 450F
6. Husqvarna FC 450

“The Yamaha YZ450F is the complete package and I can’t see choosing any other bike as the winner. I spent a lot of time on the 2024 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition and came into the shootout expecting to like the KTM best since it has most of the changes that made the FE so good. While the new KTM 450 SX-F does perform very closely to last year’s Factory Edition, it just can’t outshine that Yamaha. The YZ450F has the perfect powerband and the suspension and handling is the best in the class. I am really pumped on the new Honda CRF450R. Hondas just look so badass and you know that they are built to last and will still feel good, long after the other bikes feel all stretched out and clapped. The new Honda chassis is a lot more predictable and forgiving, but the bike is held back with soft suspension that just seems off. I would have to get the suspension worked on to race the Honda, but I could see myself racing the Yamaha and KTM stock. That’s what held the Honda to third. The Kawasaki is a great bike and it has an awesome feel on the track with good suspension balance. The bike is just so choked up and slow feeling, and that’s what held it back for me. The Gas Gas MC 450F and Husqvarna FC 450 are similar feeling bikes – and they should be – but neither of them work great for me. They are not bad bikes, but they are both soft and would need some serious suspension work to get comfortable. Race Tech spring conversions would be first on my list…I hate air forks.