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Berg wins 450 Shootout!!

T

trevr450

Joined Aug 2009
77 Posts | 0+
Bruthen,Vic. OZ
On the way home from work yesterday, I dropped into my local newsagents and picked up the latest copy of ADB (Australaisian Dirt Bike).

The main feature article was a shootout between quite few of the current 450(f) enduro bikes. It was between the BMW G 450X, Honda CRF450X, Husaberg FE450, Husqvarna TE450, Kawasaki KLX450R, KTM 450exc, Sherco 4.5i-F and the Yamaha WR450F.

Although there is not a bad bike in the bunch and judging was probably a bit difficult, the Husaberg FE450 came out on top.... and goes straight into contention for their Dirt Bike of the Year award.
 
Hah that's interesting, in Dirt Action they had a 450 shootout as well with a very similar lineup plus a gasser. I bought it out of curiosity and in Dirt Action the Yamaha and Ktm came out on top. They had some complaints on the front end of the Berg digging in and being too twitchy.

It seems like for these test personal taste and preference are definitive factors or even whether or not the bike is properly set up (lets not mention any sponsorship issues)
 
goin9myway said:
It seems like for these test personal taste and preference are definitive factors or even whether or not the bike is properly set up (lets not mention any sponsorship issues)
Click to expand...

Totally right, they should properly change the set up the of bikes for each rider to get a definitive answer and stop looking over there shoulders at the current magazine sponsors smiling down on them. In the NZ magazine shootouts the 450 berg was voted DBOTY. I heard that not all the riders liked the Berg the best, but after the shoot-out there was a fight , with them all, over who rode it back to the road.
 
ADB makes me laugh, in a good way

the 2010 RMZ 450 pretty much won their MX shootout

I like the chassis, ergos and engine but the suspension just doesn't work properly stock, the quad ring in the shock and the huge fatman spring is rediculous, for it to get so much praise in stock form makes me really wonder what goes on.

I know some guys racing the new yamy here on the state MX circuit, in their opinion the stock bike is a great steaming POS until its been revalved remapped and got a real exhaust on it.

with all that done its pretty much just like all the others, 102kg minumum weight and 450cc max, only so much you can do with that.

its Nice to see the berg win... im not sure we should be all that proud is all im getting at.
 
bushmechanic said:
its Nice to see the berg win... im not sure we should be all that proud is all im getting at.
Click to expand...

your right, it makes entertianing reading whilest-a -sitting -on -the-throne :tongue: waiting for a bowel movement, but to find the real product,true values, you have 2 bore a couple of clicks deeper.
 
In a recent issue of Dirt Bike magazine, the KTM 450 XCW was picked over the Berg FE450. The main complaint with the Berg was the sometimes excessively 'twitchy' steering, while the KTM felt more planted and more stable.
 
I thought that was a complaint that was buried back in 09,when some pilots noted a perceived highs-peed instability and many others didn't .Hence the triple clamp update in response, in 2010, by 3mm ,from 23 to 18 in head steering angle.
 
The triple clamp changes were related to changes in fork offset. The offset on the 2010 KTM's and Berg's went from 19 or 20mm to 22mm offset which decreases the steering trail by 2 or 3mm which would decrease the self centering effect thereby theoretically decreasing stability to some extent.
 
ok,chas,thanks,I was using recall on topic,fading obviously, which way the offset went,so obviously still an unresolved,issue
 
Chas
Also just checked out your webb site and ride reports,so similar to my trail topography, riding up into the snowlines,cool as, a big up to you and yours, big respect man !!!
 
I ride my 'Berg mainly in the desert of UAE, and have learned to simply trust the chassis to sort out the hint of headshake when you pick up speed - the chassis and suspension work so together to keep things on track. The benefits of the quick handling and light feel more than outweigh this minor handling trait. This is a very high performance machine, after all?

My only gripe is that I wish it were as light as the KTM 450SXF - where did KTM get a 15lb weight advantage?
 

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