ktm 450 or 525?

[eric450r]

im thinking about buying either a 450 or 525 for xc racing and was wondering if anybody could tell me which one they think is better for cross country?

[albertanOutlaw]

525 hands down, it leaves 450's in the dust

[krt400ex]

the 525 is gonna have more torque than the 450 just because of the bore. i'm looking into one of these myself since i sold the 400. if i do make a purchase it will be the 525

[KBooth]

I had a 525 for a season and then switched to a 450 and the 450 is hands down better for racing xc. I also race the AA class but that my opinion for what its worth. Good luck

[bmerriman12]

alright heres the deal..

i had an outlaw with the 525 ktm motor in it that i raced xc with. i just got my ktm 450xc a couple months ago. i felt that the 525 had a little bit TOO much power in the woods. great for open trails and field sections but for a regular xc track the 450 owns dude. it has just the right amount of power that you cant get in trouble with. now i know you cant really compare IRS with an axle but motor wise i liked the 450 better.

[KBooth]

thats how I felt.

[krt400ex]

bought the 450 instead. and glad i did. the 525 would have had way to much power. i ride a gear high everywhere anyway with this thing

[stut1313]

First of all I don't own a KTM. But I have been riding for nearly 20 years and I will tell you this, there is no such thing as too much power. The way the power comes on may make a quad more or less difficult to ride but "too much" isn't ever an issue. I used to ride an LT 500 and it has every bit the power that a KTM 525 has and it was an awesome woods/xc ride. The issue with it was width not power.
If the 525 feels like it has too much power then that is more likely related to riding style. People stopped riding 2-strokes in favor of 4-strokes because of where and how the power was available. 2-strokes have a "hit" to them and require many more revs to be in their powerbands. So this made for some dicey situations when it came to technical riding or slick surfaces. You had a tendancy to spin tires or kill it. It took a great deal of clutch and throttle control along with a great understanding of gear selection. But the 50-60+ hp of a 500 2-stroke was not the issue, the same things happened with a 20hp Blaster.
On the other hand 4-strokes are a lot easier to ride, there is considerably less clutch involved, gear selection is less critical and most riders control it just with throttle. This makes for a less tiring ride. Again it doesn't matter if you are talking about the 525 or 400ex, the power (at least too much power) is not an issue. As a matter of fact I have always been more concerned with something being undepowered more than overpowered.
This question is similar to the debate between 450r Honda owners about the 04-05 and the 06-up. They produce really similar power number but the 06-up bikes have a more violent power delivery. It comes down to personal preference.
Decide what your riding style is and ride the quads. I would think that if everything else is equal the 525 is the way to go. It is easier to ride a smooth big bore quad as gear selection becomes even less an issue and the power on tap allows you to "throttle through" situations rather than change gears or use your clutch...why do you think so many pro riders use a rekluse....to take the clutch work out of riding, a big bore would go a long way toward this.
Sorry this got so long but the idea of too much power is really a bit ridiculous and is just a bad way to explain what is going on with the 525....

[krt400ex]

the idea of too much power is not ridiculous. if you have been riding a 20hp blaster all your life. or a 400ex, then jumping to a 50 or 60 hp machine is gonna be too much power simply because you arent used to it and dont know how to handle it. i came off a 400ex(about 28hp) to a worked kx125(about 36 hp) to the 450xc(around 45hp). the jump in power is considerable, and yea the machine had too much power for me to handle in the woods at first. i'm not afraid to admit it. i've gotten used to it now and i can ride it close to its potential, but i will still say that it has more than enough power to get you in alot of trouble. any machine that can rocket you to 55+ mph in 2 seconds has plenty more power than you need in the woods. if my 400ex had the same suspension set up as the 450xc i would be able to ride it just as competitively in the woods, with the 17 less hp it had. gear selection only becomes a problem when you dont know how to ride a machine. when you are an experienced rider, there is no need to worry about it. being in the right gear is like breathing. it comes naturally. same with clutch use. you just do what you gotta do without having to think about it. focusing on obstacles in your way is what becomes priority when you are in the woods. alot of pro racers run the recluse because it lessens stalling which is a time saver. having too much power most certainly can be an issue in the woods. in open fields, no there is no such thing as too much power because you can safely explore the power without worrying about getting wrapped around a tree, but in the woods, there is a such thing as too much power.

[stut1313]

Not trying to be argumentative but that is exactly my point. Power isn't the issue, it's rider skill. I wouldn't let my 160 pound son who has ridden twice ride a 525 but it isn't because of the bike having too much power. He doesn't have the skill. My understanding of the too much power comments was that people were saying that the quad had too much power to be ridden well. I was saying that isn't the case, as long as you have the skill there is no such thing as too much power. There may be too much for the rider but not just in general.

[Z-Rider86]

There is always someone out there who wants to prove "my balls are bigger", and they say awww man get the 525 it's the fastest biggest motor blah freakin blah! And yes, 9 times out of 10 those guys are the fastest......in the 100ft straight aways. You made the right choice by going with the 450. Lets be honest, thats the most power that the majority of people need in the woods (especially the tight stuff). I watched a video of PRO'S not just some tools but PRO RIDERS test ride the 450 and the 525, and they ALL agree that the 525 was cool but not necessary. They unanimously agreed that the the 450 is what they would race, and if they needed some more boot in the butt they would go the route of exhaust jetting gearing ect.

[stut1313]

Well, I am not sure if the "bigger balls" comment was directed toward me but I will again defend my initial statement. Too much power is not an issue. By Z-Riders analogy a "PRO" should be able to take a 911 and regear and jet it (tune it) and win a Formula 1 race. Because the formula 1 cars will have too much power. There is a huge difference between necessary and too much. And going fast right away is very different than potential. If I jump in a 911 and a Formula 1 racer I will probably turn in better lap times in the 911, it's easier to drive. That's very different than saying the formula 1 has too much power. Just like manual transmissions and automatics. There is a reason that all race cars continue to utilize manual transmissions. While not easier to drive and not "necessary", they offer particular advantages to skilled riders. I mean seriously, Z-Rider why do you think there are displacement limits in racing classes. Your post would lead one to believe that riding a bigger more powerful quad would be a detriment so we should open up the displacement limits since all the Pro's will pick the perfect 450 because more power is uneccessary. Do you believe that? Think through your comments. I agree that most people think bigger is better when, in fact, they lack the skill to utilize the added power but again that is very different than having too much power.

I rode a Blaster for years and it had all the "necessary" power and items to ride in the woods "especially the tight stuff". But honestly there became a limit to how fast I could go. It didn't matter how well suspended or what jetting, pipe, tuning, etc...It wasn't going to go as well as the more powerful 250r. My point is this Pro riders ride what works for them (and what pays). It doesn't have anything to do with the 525 having excess power. You think Borich's LT has stock horsepower? The ATP, Rage, and Hetrick motors are pumping out way more power than the 525 is in stock trim. How that power is delivered might be completely different however.

My understanding of the too much power comments was that because of the power the 525 has it is not rideable in the woods. And that is not the case. Is it true that the 450 is easier to go fast on when you first get on it? Maybe. But the 525 is not going to be unrideable and depending on rider skill might be faster than the 450.

[Z-Rider86]

WOW! you really get too far into this. The dude was asking if he should get a 525 or 450. More times than not (no offence to the origional poster i think he falls in the catagory) a 525 is too much power and wears the rider out. end of story. we dont need any crappy car analogies or a 4 page lecture. we get it, you know everything blah blah blah blah nobody cares! If he were to walk into a dealership and asked what was more popular selling I bet an entire weeks pay that that dealer (if he was honest and not just trying to move bikes off the floor) would tell him go with the 450. If you need a little more power tune it, and throw some add on's on it & your good to go.

[stut1313]

Z-Rider, if nobody cares, don't reply. And furthermore you apparently have no ability to understand my point, so I will break it down for your slow a**.
You can't give the original poster advice without more information. Overly broad statements like "too much power" are not accurate and don't help. Or dumbed down even more, there... is... not... a... simple... answer... to... his... question

To eric450r, I am sorry this has gotten to this point on your question. I hope you have a chance to ride both and find the quad YOU love.

To those of you who posted pertinent information to help eric450r, my apologies to you as well.

[Z-Rider86]

Listen closely short bus. There is such a thing as having too much power under you. If you have a quad that is too much grunt for you riding style and/or abilities you will either A.) not use the quads full potential which is then wasting your money, or B.) you will end up fighting to control the quad which will either lead to fatigue or someone getting hurt. Next your 911 comment plays against ur whole point. The 911 is easier to drive for you because it is a street car AND YOU DONT RACE! Lastly, you don't even own a KTM, so why the h*ll are you trying to give advice about 1????

[stut1313]

Ok ZRider, whatever you say, I am no longer going to carry on this asinine banter. If you have something else enlightening to say feel free to do so by PM instead of cluttering up this thread further.

Eric450r, good luck.

[CHAR250R]

There is a such thing as too much power.....but not for me!!! :D