Big Guys Ride Too! | 2025 Big and Tall 450 Shootout

 

Presented by Fasthouse

When a manufacturer develops a motocross bike for consumers, it must produce one suitable for the widest range of rider sizes, weights, and abilities. Though that is the intention, it is impossible to cater to everyone. Take our very own ad salesman, Dominic Gaytan, for instance. At 6’2″ and 250 pounds, Dommer maintains a speedy pace around the track but makes every bike look like it belongs on the cover of Low Rider Magazine in stock condition. So what bike is best suited for a rider that is over the target weight range? For years now, we’ve conducted the Big and Tall 450 Shootout, and the tradition continues in 2025. This year, as was the case with our standard 2025 450 Shootout, the results were closer than ever! For the second year in a row, we invited Ryan Pursley from Throttle Syndicate to join in on the fun.

Dominic Gaytan

Age: 51

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 250 lbs.

Ability: Vet Intermediate

Bikes Recently Raced/Ridden: 2025 Husqvarna FC 450

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

The Yamaha is just so fun to ride! The engine is super powerful and it pulls hard everywhere and revs to the moon. There is no weakness in the Yamaha powerband, and if you want to change it, it is as easy as using the smartphone app to move the power around. The suspension is plush, but it does not bottom, even with me at the controls! I went in a couple of clicks on the compression and they were able to get 105mm of sag with the stock shock spring, which is impressive. The bike handles great. It corners predictably and holds its line through the turns. I like everything about the Yamaha.

“Ready to Race” is KTM’s slogan and it rings true. The ergonomics are great and the bike is comfortable for a taller rider like myself. The engine is super strong and the maps produce two different powerbands. I love how the engine rolls on strong and pulls forever. Map two is more aggressive and the setting that I prefer, and I also appreciate the traction control feature. The air fork works well. It is very plush and does not bottom on hard landings. We were only able to get 109mm of sag out of the stock shock spring.

For me, the Kawasaki KX450 is the best-fitting bike for my height. It is also the most adjustable with two different footpeg positions and four different bar positions. The engine is strong. It rolls on nicely down low and pulls far, but not in an arm-jerking manner. The Kawasaki has two maps – standard and aggressive – and I settled on the standard setting. The bike gets some criticism for being slow, but it is not – it’s just linear and tractable. The bike handles great. There is no twitchiness and the bike is stable. It does have a heavier feel than some of the others.

The Honda has improved a ton! I used to be scared of the Honda for its unpredictable handling, but it is a lot better for 2025. The bike is now more stable and less twitchy, and it corners as great as it always has. The suspension is plush but the forks are pretty soft and I could bottom them easily. The engine is aggressive and it pulls hard. I like the standard map because the aggressive map is way too gnarly. The overall quality of the Honda is so impressive.

Of all the bikes, the Husqvarna has the easiest engine to control. The power is so smooth and controllable. This is one of the bikes I preferred in the more aggressive mapping setting because it gives the bike more punch coming out of corners. The bike is a little twitchy coming into corners and the shock is harsh in acceleration chop. The air fork allows for proper fork setup but we could only get 109mm of sag out back. The lower suspension settings help it corner but the overall feel of the Husky is not plush like the KTM. The bike has a small feel, ergonomically, and I felt cramped. Would need a tall seat and bars. 

I love the look of the Gas Gas, but the bike simply does not have the motor or suspension that the others do. The bike has a ton of potential, but as delivered it is set up the softest and has no mapping switch to get the more aggressive mapping. The power is very mellow and signs off too quickly up top. It revs quickly, but I wish we had the map switch. The bars are tall and the seat is soft, so I felt like I was riding in a pocket. The suspension is very soft and I was only able to get 109mm of sag with the stock shock.

Ryan Pursley

Age: 50

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 230 lbs.

Ability: Vet Intermediate

Bikes Recently Raced/Ridden: 2024 Suzuki RM-Z450, 2024 Honda CRF450R

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

I had the most fun on the Husqvarna FC 450. The bike just did everything I needed it to do. The engine felt amazing to me; it’s like a tractor! I could leave it in third gear though the whole track. It would roll on smoothly, then pull forever. I liked it on the aggressive map the best. The rear end of the bike felt low as I rode it through the pits, but it did not transfer onto the track. Of all six bikes, the Husly suspension felt the best to me. The bike is super stable, yet cornered will for me. Ergonomically it does feel a little small. The bars are low and I’d replace them. With a taller seat foam and bars, and a stiffer shock spring, I’d be dialed. 

Right away, I could tell that the new Honda CRF450R has been improved. It has less engine vibration and the chassis is more complaint with much leff deflecting in the rough sections. The forks are pretty soft and bottomed easily, but we were able to get 105mm of sag out of the shock. The engine is smooth, but very powerful, with a linear power delivery. I like the bike in Map 1 with traction control on the first setting. I love the rider triangle of the Honda, and the fit and finish of the Honda is flawless. I would for sure need stiffer fork springs to feel great on this bike. A taller seat foam would also help but it is not a must.

The Kawasaki KX450 is easy to ride and I felt super comfortable on it right away. The engine is soft and not exciting anywhere in the powerband, but it is very easy to ride and go fast on. I will say that the power seems better than it did last year thanks to the new mapping parameters. The bike has more low-end than it did in 2024. The bike is very stable and easy to ride, but it does seem to corner a little slow in the tight stuff. It feels a little heavy through the tighter stuff. It is not a nimble-feeling bike. The Kawasaki fits me very well and it is the best bike for a tall rider, for sure. It has more adjustability than any of the other bikes. I could race the Kawasaki with stiffer springs. 

I could not get comfortable on the KTM 450 SX-F. The engine is really fast and exciting, but it is hard to control unless it’s in map 1 with traction control on. It is hard to control in the aggressive map. I could not get used to the suspension. The shock blew through the stroke and the whole bike was wallowy for me. I know the bike is awesome but I just could not get comfortable on the KTM like I was able to on the Husky. 

Last year I like the Yamaha YZ450F the best, but I struggled on it this year. The engine is insane! It almost has too much power. I rode it in the mellower setting and it was still so powerful. The suspension this year, though, is just way too soft. They have a softer shock spring for 2025 and I could not even get the suspension close for myself. The bike was pitchy, front-to-rear, as you accelerated or hit the brakes. I would definitely need stiffer springs on both ends, and a taller seat and lower pegs. I was not comfortable at all.

As delivered, the Gas Gas MC 450F was the worst bike for me because the low seat and tall bars made it uncomfortable. I don’t like how you seem to sit “inside” this bike and it was hard to corner because of this sensation. The suspension is also pretty soft but we were able to add air to the fork and crank on the shock spring and it was actually more comfortable than the KTM was. The engine felt pretty strong, though, with a little more bottom-end power than the Husky, but it signs off earlier on top. Something on the left side of the bike snagged on my knee brace…it might have been the gas tank/radiator shroud juncture. I would need a taller seat foam and springs for sure.