Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders

OK, I have been riding the old XR250R for 3 seasons ( after a lifetime of streetbikes).
I almost have the wife convinced that I need a new bike.
Options are: CRF250X, CRF450X, KTM 450 EXC or 525 EXC.
How to decide? The price spread is close enough that it doesn't matter.
I suspect the 250X is enough bike for most situations, but more HP has a certain allure.
Any comments from owners of any of these bikes?

Yes, I know there are Yams, Kawis & Suzooks out there, but I've already narrowed my preference to these 4.

imo - I think it is better to go for the lighter bike. I know that there are times when horsepower makes riding easier, but I think that at the end of the day you will remember how heavy your bike was when you had to pull it out of that mud hole, before you will remember having to scream it up that monster hill.

I agree with Brenan. The lighter, less powerful bike will be easier to handle in the more technical stuff and it won't wear you out on long rides. That's whey I ride a 250F.

Having said that, the 450EXC makes some nice smooth power, is pretty light really good at our mountain terrain. I like to ride the 450EXC a gear high to smooth out the power.

A lot of guys are moving from the 4st to the 2st like the 200EXC or 300EXC.

All of the bikes are so good these days it is hard to make the wrong decision.

Before you decide check out the maintenance costs of owning a 4 stroke vs. a 2 stroke. Dirt Rider and MXA magazines had some good articles on what wears out on the new 4 strokes and how often. It made me decide to keep riding a 2 stroke. To rebulid a 4 stroke after it blows is mega $.

I assume you are talking a new bike. These models are premium models and generally priced as such. Since a KTM 450 EX/C sells for about $9000 I will assume that is what your budget for a new bike is. There are many factors you should consider:

How much do you weigh and how tall are you? I find that guys over 200lbs and 6' like bigger 4 strokes/2 stokes. A bike that a 220 6'3" can muscle around all day may not be an ideal choice for a 140lb 5'7" rider and vice versa.

Were you happy with the power of your XR250? A CRF450 / KTM b450 will be a huge jump in power. Don't let this scare you however because the power is very controllable. The bigger 4 strokes are happier when riding a gear higher and utilizing their ample low rpm torque.

For my $9000 I would consider

4 strokes:

1) KTM 450 EX/C
2) KTM 525 EX/C - this is what I currently ride
3) Husqvarna TE450 - new dealer in Edmonton, this bike gets great reviews. I really like the simplified valve adjust.

2 Strokes:

1) KTM 300 EX/C - many a happy rider in the woods on these things, probably the most popular
2) KTM 200 EX/C - a little lighter and more nimble than the 300 with lress power and esp. torque.

As you can tell I am a little orange biased. I have my eye on that Husky though!

Do lots of research on the Husky! I met a guy out of B.C that tried to ride the southern Alberta HS/XC's. He had a new Husky that did not finnish one event, his biggist problem was, every time the bike was neer water the electrics would sludge out and the bike would not run. Buyer beware. I ride a KX but from what I have seen you can't go wrong with orange.

thanks for the replies - some well thought out comments.
FWIW: I'm 5'10, 180 lbs, 47 yrs old.
I've ridden a lot of 4 strokes, really never liked 2 strokes.
(When I was a kid I rode an XR500).

I find the XR250R to be a bit underpowered, but adequate most of the time (barely).
This with a 300 cc Wiseco, bigger valves, cam etc. It's about 50% stronger than a stock XR250R.
The bigger power of a 450 or even 525 doesn't worry me, but weight is a consideration.
I have heard a lot about how the CRFs are very high maintenance... how are the EXCs in comparison?

KTM rfs bikes are only a few pounds heavier then a 250crf(actual weight, not claimed) with WAY more power. The KTMs need a certain amount of basic maintenance, but are very reliable. I had well over 10000miles on my 2000 400 KTM with only basic maintenance. Huge hours on my 450 and still going strong.

Yeah. ditto what Darryl said. The KTM's require some TLC but the engines are very reliable and durable. The plus on the 450/525 EX/C's is that they are powerful and quiet. With some bark busters and skidplate they are ready for anything you can throw at them.

If you want to split the difference KTM also makes a 400 EX/C. They are hard to find but they are available.

Another vote for the Orange one

OK, I'm leaning towards orange.
How to decide between the 450 EX/C and the 525 EX/C?
Not much weight difference.
I ride mostly in the mountains, mostly quad trails & fire roads...

There is no weight difference between the 450 and 525EX/C. If you don't plan on a lot of technical single track riding or racing then go with the 525 for the torque. The 525 is a better play bike that can be rode lazy a gear high with the gobs o' torque to take care of any surprises. The 450 is probably a little quicker through the trees on the singletrack.

Quad trails + fireroads = 525 EX/C IMO.

if you were hesitating on jumping up from a xr 250 to a 450, then don't go one step further with a 525. your xr is old technology, the xr would compare to a 200 ktm, even with your mods. sure the 450 and 525 weigh the same...but that is sitting still on a stand. the torque of a 525 and the gyro adds alot of force or inertia..the bike is a monster. but then again this all depends on your riding style and ability. if you love to charge hard with your buddies and you race or have raced and developed your riding style to handle the power..then great, get a 525.
if you can use more power then a 450 has to offer, then you can beat Ricky!

Red Dog. The 525's power delivery is butter smooth, a real pussy cat with no nasty surprises. I am a total squid and I don't feel intimidated by this bikes power delivery at all. I like to think of the 525 as the lazy fat old mans bike. I have ridden a 450 EX/C and a WR450 and both had more of a scary midrange "hit" than the 525. I think if I was going to ride fast at race paces exclusively I would go to the 450 for less gyro effect, I may even go a step further and drop to a 400. The 525 just pulls real smooth from idle to WFO. The 525 just has more luggability and this is why I think it makes a better play bike, most of the time I am a gear high and at 1/3 throttle. It is very forgiving to a trail rider who is caught a gear high, more so than the 450. Wrestling it through the woods at a fast pace and high revs would take more energy than the 450 though. The 525 is nothing to be scared of, it has less hit than your typical 250 2 stroke, however keep the throttle pinned for any extended period and it will peel your eyelids back.

LOL at knuckle. "A lazy fat old mans bike" That's exactly what I think of my XR too. I bought mine because I thought it would make a good campsite bike, wow was I wrong lol. Pleasant surprise though. I just leave it in third all day on quad trails etc. I think knuckle is right a 525 should be an awesome choice. I was thinking of getting one next. Mine is pretty heavy in skeg, but goes through way better then my XR250R I have for the girl friend? At 265lbs wet the 525 is better to have plenty of yank then ride the same weight bike with no power. The XR250R is 240lbs dry!! You won't notice the 25 lbs pounds but you will laugh your a$$ off when you roll into a berm without down shifting and pull a steady controllable wheelie all the way down the straight and still out accellerating a 450. This allows you to just ride and not have to shift and worry about getting it in the power band. When your bike is a power band you can watch the bumps, logs, mud, jumps corners and ruts, not worring about the gear the revs, it's a no brainer.

My choice would be the 525EXC or 300EXC, I'd get the mxc tank though if possible. I'm used to the 16.3 liter tank I have now.

PS any one know when or if the new KTM 710 BAJA will be available to the public?