2019 KTM 450

Found one on offer up. Not sure how to add the post here though. Seems nice. 155 hours, rekluse, 2 maps, dirt and paddle tires, $4000. Good deal? What should I watch out for? Likely too much bike for me but I think I want it.

I had a 19 husky. One of my favorite chassis ever. Same chassis as my wife's 2021 FC250.

That bike is a 450SX. So narrow ratio 5 speed. Smallish tank, no kickstand, 19" rear wheel. And they definitely rode it in the sand. If you want an SX it's not a bad deal for what it is. You can make it more off-road friendly (see my wife bike thread for mods)
It looks like it has AEO aftermarket suspension valving (I like their stuff, I have it on one of my bikes) ask what weight and skill level it's been valved for.
Pop off the side plate and look for sand or dust under the air filter and that the air filter is sticky and not dry.
Tap the handlebars softly on a stand to see if it needs headset bearings.
Lift up and rear wheel on the stand and listen for knocking to make sure it doesn't need linkage or swingarm bearings.
Rock the wheels left and right to check wheel bearings.
Check brake pads and rotors for scoring.
Get it hot and then see if it still starts easily. If it starts poorly hot, that's a sure sign it needs a valve adjustment then replacement soonish. A top end with piston and valves is about $2k in parts.
Let her rip! 🤞

That’s the bike I have for my snowbike. I’m over 200 hours and the thing runs perfect.


I put the wheels on it last summer and rode it a few times. It was absolutely miserable on single track. A guy could get used to it but unless it’s a complete necessity (if my 300 is dead) I will never put tires back on it. I’m not a sand guy

I think 4K is a good deal if it checks out decent

If its been a dunes bike most of its life, I'd pass.

What kind of riding do you want to do? Desert exploring, singletrack?

Thanks for the input guys. I’m mostly looking for something for desert riding/exploring. I need to start getting out with my son on his kayo 250. He’s very new to riding and I still consider myself a rookie. Looking for a sub $4k bike. Most bang for the buck and not one that needs constant maintenance.

What would make this bike miserable on single track vs another bike?
What does the narrow ratio mean? Faster, slower? Race bike?

An SX model means it's made for supercross / motocross. Narrow ratio means the gear ratios are closer together. 1st is higher and 5th is lower than the wide ratio bikes. So a little harder to control at low speed and a lower top speed too.

It has a lightish flywheel and a very snappy power delivery with high horsepower and kind of a hot tune that can make the bike get hot while riding slow or technical terrain.

The Rekluse auto clutch would make it much easier on singletrack.

A 450sx isn't necessarily the ideal bike for a novice.

A more ideal machine for a novice would be more trail oriented and a lower HP lower cc motor until you have more skill and confidence.

What bike would you recommend?

I’ll echo what has been said above. That bike is a great choice if you wanted to get into racing at a track.

My first big concern is the hours. 155 hours is very high unless it has been diligently maintained. Like Stratton said a top end on one of these is a couple grand so that’s a big gamble.

Those hours don't scare me. New 4 strokes can go hundreds of hours if you're nice to them.
Decide what your long term goals are. If you want to go quick with friends someday:
I'd put you on a 250cc 4 stroke or a 200-300 cc 2 stroke.
If you want to do more trail rides and singletrack, I might put you on a more trail oriented bike like a 230 4 stroke.

Decide if you want e start or don't mind a kick starter and we can lead you down the road.

I’d prefer a 4 stroke and electric start. FI would be awesome. Mostly wide open desert spaces/washes. Probably little to no AF Canyon single track type stuff.

Something like this?

Yes. A 250 would be lots easier to learn on.
The 250 Yamahas can have their hours checked with a GYTR Tuner.
Anything approaching 150hrs on that first generation FI YZ250f is probably too many FYI. (YZ250fs went FI in 2014). So I'd check hours if you can.

Seems crazy that 150 hours is a lot. Is there a bike that is better with higher hours?

I'd suggest a WR250 or 450, or even a Honda crf250x or 450x, something a little more well rounded. Although that might put you over budget for FI model, but carbed models routinely show up for under 4k. I picked up a yz250f and it was the most miserable bike to ride at my then next to nothing skill level, probably could have learned to live with it but it would have been a frustrating experience.

UNSTUCK said:

Seems crazy that 150 hours is a lot. Is there a bike that is better with higher hours?

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So more specifically just the first generation fuel injected motors aren't quite as reliable as the previous generation carbureted motors and the later generation fuel injected motors are also better. That actually goes for all of the Japanese brand bikes.
And truth be told the bottom ends can last a thousand hours It's just a piston and valve train on a motor that revs to 12 and a half or 13,000 RPM needs to be replaced often.



For desert and washes a 250F would be a great choice. If you felt like you were stalling it a lot while you're learning you can add a couple teeth to the rear sprocket and bolt on a heavier flywheel in 15 minutes and that helps a huge amount.

The earlier carbed bikes are pretty bulletproof. And the latest generation fuel injected bikes (3rd gen) are pretty great as well.

Gravy said:

It's just a piston and valve train on a motor that revs to 12 and a half or 13,000 RPM needs to be replaced often.

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This is the truth of the modern 4 stroke race bike. It's made to race. If you are planning to trail ride I would recommend a non race bike that only revs to ~8k. Much less maintenance and a more user friendly riding experience. Air cooled 4 strokes come to mind, along with some 2 strokes. For $2500-$3500 you can pick up a pretty nice XR400. XR 250 for even less. If you are looking for more modern, I'd look at some of the dual sport bikes like the WR250R or the CRF300L.

I vote Yamaha WR250F-450F. Electric start is the bees knees. It will come stock with everything you want. And Yamaha really did their homework on top ends—they go forever. IMHO I think it ticks off all the boxes 😎

Ive kind of turned my focus to those bikes. Looking for a deal now.