What Is The Best Dirt Bike Ever Made? Jimmy Lewis & Jay Clark Debate
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- Опубликовано: 9 авг 2023
- Jimmy Lewis and Jay Clark debate what the best dirt bike ever made is during Ep. 197 of Tech Talk Taco Tuesday.
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I own a KTM500. Its a 21 model and have it sins new. It stands on just over 30000km and 742 hours. Never had a engine problem with it. The valve clearance is still in specs and never been touched. Very happy with the 500exc.
Yz250. Versatile, durable, cheap, parts everywhere, and fun.
I absolutely loved both my Yamahas (WR400 & WR450). I waited all those years for Yamaha to make an EXC-F version of the WR but never did. Unfortunately, I finally had enough screwing around getting the Yamahas through motor vehicle and tagged I finally went Orange. No regrets but come on Yamaha get your $hit together. Mom always said I looked good in blue.
2017-2018 Ktm 250/300 xc carbed. Rejet it. Done. More torque than any new bike. Electric start, Kick start, 6 gears, linkage suspension, excellent chassis, balanced motor. Will outlast any 4 stroke in enduro. 4 strokes, meh - 4 strokes winning races, losing on life.
I'd say 2016 500 EXCF before the update, large rear shock, great fork, rock solid engine, Estart + kicker
Over the last 20 years my favorites are (not necessarily in order): 2005 CRF450X, 2006 Yamaha YZ250, 2007 XR650R, 2010 KTM 300 XC-W, 2012 KTM 530, 2013 Yamaha WR450F, 2018 TE300, 2020 FE501, 2023 TX300......We are so blessed to live in these times of such fantastic machines!
what do you think, early crf450x and yz250x. with those two bikes in your garage you can do anything
Great discussion, about the ideal bike.I had a Husaberg 390 and loved that bike.
Fun discussion! KTM 500 (or Husky 501) are so capable both on and off road. Perhaps you should have picked the best 2-stroke and best 4-stroke? I still remember when Jimmy said the 2009 KTM 250XC was perfect - best do it all bike - and after riding my 2009 KTM 250XC I could relate to his comments. Too bad Pierer Mobility did not continue with the develop of the upside down Husaberg engine/chassis combination.
I was sitting next to my FE570 post ride for your taco Tuesday!!!
I’ve ridden the daylights out of my ‘96 Husaberg 650. To this day the only thing, other than consumables, chain, sprockets, tires, etc, is a single clutch friction plate. I’ve raced 3 SCORE Baja races, countless hours in the Cascade mountain range, days and days in the dunes, desert trips galore. You can’t hold the throttle wide open long enough to stress the engine, it’s simply impossible.
Awesome discussion!
Great pick guys!! I owned 4 of both of your picks!! Loved the carb 450 and all my EXC's!!!
The best bike ever made was the Honda Xr600R. You couldn’t break it, almost zero maintenance, climbed like a sherpa, even when it was 10 years old it could still win baja.
Yeah I was going to say an xr live those bikes. I just got my first motorcycle and made sure it was one lol
Great discussion guys. Both you guys have very good info on your channels. But, Jay you didn't comment on all the valve issues for those years of Hondas. Geesh, I blew way too much money rebuilding 05' 450r and 06' 250x top ends. Pistons were good, but the valves had to be adjusted often until you had to replace valves with stainless ones. I'd have to say most of us are okay with small quirks which are in every year, model, and bike, but the heart of a bike is the motor and valve issues were so common in Hondas of those years. Sorry to disagree, but having owned them I can't agree with any claims of durability. Honda had a good name in my house until I owned those bikes. Newer Yamaha Wr450's are drastically underated. With a couple mods they are simply awesome for offroad. Having said that my favorite all time bike was the KTM 525mxc. That was a durable bike! There it is, my opinion, take it or leave. Love both you guy's content and channels!!!
Im biased but Jay is right gen1 AND gen 2 450x ... the Japanese manufacturers for sure are REALLY missing out on the 350 4t and 300 2t markets. Yami is in the best position to make them.
Lewis & Clark
Jimmy! You're a year older than me and while I can't fault your choice I have to point something out that may not be obvious to everyone.
Before there was the XC4 motor (your beloved 500 being part of that lineage) there was the RFS. And this is where our ages come into play. I guess you just grew up in a different place and rode differently than me. When I was younger and rode forests and logging roads in northern Ontario Canada, all I had were converted MX bikes as the ultimate "fast" bikes. Yeah a Husqvarna won the Best Enduro Bike of the year award every year but I never saw one until I was in my 30s. And when I finally was old enough to get my license my first "street" bike was an 86 Yamaha XT350. Props to Yamaha for doing something different then (I guess all the manufacturers were trying things though) because while that XT was completely a foofoo bike it did have some technology in it (4 valve head with shim over bucket) as well as this thing that was foreign to ALL the fast Japanese bikes, a wide ratio six-speed transmission. Fast forward a bunch of years to 2000 and I'd sold off all my bikes (except an 86 CR500 for, well, reasons) because I was starting a family and here comes this new-to-me company KTM with their new RFS bike. Wait, what? It's "racy", has a 6 speed WR transmission, good suspension AND electric start?!!!!! This is the bike I had wanted more than a decade prior that the Japanese wouldn't build.
It took me until 2007 to be able to afford one (squirreling away pennies while raising three boys) and it was a game-changer. I still have my 2005 KTM 525EXC to this day. I also have a 2001 520SX and an 03 525EXC and I hoard RFS parts. My 2005 is plated, I've raced rallies, Enduro, XC, even MX. It drones down pavement with no complaints and absolutely hauls down gravel roads. I call it my "bullshit" bike just because if someone says they want to go ride but they don't know how or where we'll end up, I can't go wrong with it. Now I also have a 250XCFw and I think the RC4 motor is my absolute favorite of all the KTMs and this bike rocks in the woods but for the last two years it's the 525EXC that has answered the call of the Corduroy Enduro (look it up) because it's such an easy bike to ride. Yeah it handles like a barge compared to the modern chassis bikes but at the end of 150kms of Vet Expert terrain the last thing I want is to have to rev a little 250 when I can just use the low-end grunt of the 525 motor. It's like a well suspended XR with more punch and just as reliable. The lack of quickness in handling becomes stability when you have diminished strength going through boulder-strewn trails and root-infested singletrack.
Anyway, I know why you picked the modern 500 bikes but from my point of view those would not exist had it not been for the success of the RFS motor. Yes let's forget about that transitional mistake known as the 530 and never discuss them ever again. And it's not like I'm not open to new bikes. I foolishly thought my 525EXC was getting a little long in the tooth and so in 2021 I tried to replace it with a new Beta 500RRS. I put over 200 hours on that bike and gave it every chance but ultimately I'm not a fan of the short stroke motor for general dirtbiking. And when I tried to race the bike in an Enduro I was very disappointed with the suspension. Yes, 18 year old open-chamber WPs are better than what comes on non race-edition Betas. I have ridden several race edition ones and the KYBs are so nice... All Betas should be fitted with them.
Ok I've rambled enough, suffice to say that no list of the best dirtbike ever can be honest or complete without the KTM RFS bikes (but not the 250 which I've owned a pair) at least in the top 5. Personally I put them at the top but that's because I'm a crazy cannuck who drank the Kool-Aid perhaps a bit earlier than you did. Cheers.
We'll try and get to this on the show #208...And Jimmy will give you a 5 word answer... Thanks for the reply, you are on the right track.
Hands down by far
The Honda CR-500 💪😎
I havent even watched the video yet. If i know jimmy from dirt rider days its the xr400. When he left dirtbikr magazine they just fell off the cliff. And the rest was history
Incredibly subjective. With the exception of a few total duds ( '71 TM 400, '81 Honda CR 450, etc ) You could make the case for anything from a Honda XR 75 to Maico 490.
We’ll have AI do it for us next time😎
the ktm 500s are about 60cc bigger. 510 or 511cc depending on the source
My 05 wr450 imo was a way better bike than the 450x. 2 buddies had the x's and I had the wr. Mine was totally bulletproof, they had lots of issues.
CR 500R How many bikes can you name that have more than doubled in price over the years.
Damn I have 2006 28 original hours. Original tires
1999 and up yz250
Husqvarna 501
2007 CRF450R
Beast...
06 RM250
Xr400r😂
Durable, reliable, trusty trail steed!
@@thomassanio8745 I've had one for a decade, Jimmy loved his xr400. I remember a dirt bike or dirt rider article about his xr400. But I understand what they were talking about in the video lol.
Maico 450 1981 model
Do you mean the Maico 490?
You said Husaberg shuffled around the KTM 500 motor but the KTM R4S 4 strokes all began from Husaberg technology which KTM took or copied or whatever they did. I forget the details but its kind of funny how Husaberg is said to have taken and manipulated what was actually theirs to begin with. I know the KTM 500 motor internals were actually built by KTM, and by then KTM engineers had revised the design to some extent, but the heritage of that motor involves Husaberg who first designed it but then KTM bought Husaberg probably for that reason. To kickstart their own engine program and wow has that purchase proved fruitful for them but ultimately fatal for Husaberg. Ah here's where I got that: ruclips.net/video/RVPlORSZ3gw/видео.html ruclips.net/video/AZauKa3vFPk/видео.html
500 excf is huge because it can actually deal with the street miles. Not like the 350, which cruises at 35-40 in top gear when geared for eastern trails and moto. Gear it up and you have an absolute slug.
I went 350 because I needed to do more tight riding and dont wanna get beat up but boy for anything else the 500 is better.
Could not agree more :)
I ride a 500exc. I rode a 350exc with the 701 euro map on the ecu, very impressive! I think it had 15-49 gearing. Did well in the tight technical desert and pulled 65mph no problem in the open.
😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈
2007 CRF 450.
That Husaberg was so bad that the MXA didnt even test it.