2022 450 MX Shootout | In-Depth Report

TEST RIDER IMPRESSIONS

Connor Ericsson

Age: 27

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 190 lbs.

Ability: Intermediate

Bikes Recently Raced/Ridden: 2020 Honda CRF450R

1. KTM 450 SX-F
2. GASGAS MC 450
3. Husqvarna FC 450
4. Yamaha YZ450F
5. Kawasaki KX450
6. Honda CRF450R

For me, the three European bikes just have a great all-around package and feel on the track. In addition to having the best brakes and components, their engines are very quick and controllable. I really like the feel of a steel frame as they are comfortable and have a great feel all around the track. I liked the KTM 450 SX-F best for the third year in a row because that thing literally is ready to race. The GASGAS was an exciting new bike in the shootout this year, and I felt it was really easy to ride and very forgiving. The Husky got third because it was a little lower feeling and for a tall guy like me, I don’t really need that.

The Japanese bikes are all very solid but could use some minor tweaks to them to be more comfortable for me. The Yamaha is a powerhouse, and it has incredible suspension. The Kawasaki is also very good, and it handles great, but it’s little soft for me. Even though I normally ride a Honda, the CRF450R was disappointing because it was so quick handling. I feel like I have to be 100% focused at all times on the CRF because it could do something to catch me off guard.

Kordel Caro

Age: 26

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 160 lbs.

Ability: Pro

Bikes Recently Raced/Ridden: 2022 KTM 250 SX-F

1. Kawasaki KX450
2. Yamaha YZ450F
3. KTM 450 SX-F
4. Husqvarna FC 450
5. GASGAS MC 450
6. Honda CRF450R

I chose the Kawasaki as my favorite, and the main reason is I rode with 100% confidence, right from the first lap. I rode the bike; it did not ride me. I could trust the bike at speed, and it allowed me to charge harder than any of the other bikes. A very close second was the Yamaha YZ450F, as it is powerful and smooth. The power never quits. The only reason it finished second for me was that I struggled a bit to put it where I wanted to in the air or in tight turns. Other than that, it was amazing!

I liked the KTM third best. It is predictable, smooth, and consistent. The engine is a little lazy off the bottom, but the mid-range is great! I liked all of the Austrian bikes, but the KTM is by far the raciest feeling. The Husky is also smooth and enjoyable but I couldn’t get as comfortable as the KTM. I liked the way the Husky cornered, but it is not as refined feeling as the KTM.

The GASGAS is the slowest off the bottom, and it would be nice to have a map switch to change things up, but I guess you can get one for under $200. The MC 450 is a great bike, and I think it is the best looking of the three.

I was surprised by the Honda. It has the fastest engine by far, but I just could not get comfortable on it at all. Of all the bikes, I felt the most on edge at speed while riding the CRF. The front-end would knife or feel twitchy, and I didn’t have a lot of comfort or trust in the bike.

Rene Garcia

Age: 21

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 170 lbs.

Ability: Pro

Bikes Recently Raced/Ridden: 2021 KTM 450 SX-F

1. Kawasaki KX450
2. Honda CRF450R
3. Yamaha YZ450F
4. KTM 450 SX-F
5. Husqvarna FC 450
6. GASGAS MC 450

For me, the Kawasaki KX450 is still the most well-rounded machine, even though it has no changes for 2022. There is simply no beating the green bike when it comes to engine, chassis, and suspension. The only thing I would change is the grips and the pipe.

A lot of the guys had trouble with the Honda CRF450R, but it was the most comfortable for me to ride. The rider triangle is perfect for me; I love everything about the Honda ergonomics. The engine is amazing and has so much power, especially in Map 3. The ECU is much better this year, and the bike runs clean and crisp. Firmer suspension settings are a huge improvement, too. However, I know from the time I spent on the Honda that it does require more fine-tuning from track to track than other bikes.

The Yamaha engine is incredible and it is fully customizable with the Power Tuner app. The suspension has a great feel everywhere on the track. I felt a little cramped on the Yamaha, which is what held it back to third for me.

The KTM has the most aggressive powerband of the Austrian bikes, and that placed it at the top of the KTM Group for me. It really is ready to race. I like the Husqvarna’s free-revving engine and it seems to have the least engine braking of the Euro bikes. The forks are a tad soft when you’re pushing hard. The lack of a mapping switch on the GASGAS was detrimental to this bike in the overall standings, as the bike is just set in the standard Map 1 setting. I like Map 2 on the KTM and Husky. The bars were hard to get used to, but I liked the way the GASGAS looked, though!

Donn Maeda

Age: 53

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 165 lbs.

Ability: Vet Intermediate

Bikes Recently Raced/Ridden: 2021 Kawasaki KX450

1. Yamaha YZ450F
2. Kawasaki KX450
3. KTM 450 SX-F
4. Husqvarna FC 450
5. GASGAS MC 450
6. Honda CRF450R

To be honest, I was shocked that the Yamaha YZ450F overtook the Kawasaki KX450 for me in this year’s shootout, especially because I felt so comfortable on the green machine. Personally, I have raced Kawasakis for over a decade in my free time, and feeling 100% comfortable on the Yamaha YZ450F is something that I never expected. The firmer suspension settings eliminated the pitchy feel I struggled with on the ’21 model, and there is simply no beating the Yamaha’s engine package. Thanks to the YZF’s big throttle response and easy-to-control powerband, I found myself riding with a lot more confidence. The KX is also excellent in every category but ultimately is boasts less low-end torque than the blue bike, and that’s what I’ve come to love.

Of the three Austrian bikes (all of which I love), I felt the most aggressive and fast on the KTM 450 SX-F. With no changes made to any of the KTM Group machines, I felt like a kook swapping the order of the KTM and Husqvarna in my rankings from last year, but this year I simply trusted the KTM more than I ever have. I always preferred the mellower Husky in the past, but the racy orange bike won me over this year. Now, if they would only equip the SX-F with ProTaper bars like the FC!

The GASGAS MC 450 is also a great bike, and I like the plush feeling of its forged triple clamp better than the billet aluminum units on the KTM and Husky, but the lack of a map switch and optional vented airbox cover make the red bike significantly tamer feeling. Thankfully, you can get the map switch and drill holes in your airbox cover.

I really like the Honda CRF450R, but I just can’t get comfortable enough on the bike in stock condition to see myself racing it. Last year we modified the suspension, and the bike was great, but even though the fork and shock are firmer and better this year, the bike was still a little busy for me to feel confident.

Kyle Puerner

Age: 53

Height: 6’

Weight: 180 lbs.

Ability: Vet Intermediate

Bikes Recently Raced/Ridden: 2021 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition

1. Yamaha YZ450F
2. Kawasaki KX450
3. Husqvarna FC 450
4. KTM 450 SX-F
5. GASGAS MC 450
6. Honda CRF450R

The Yamaha takes the top spot this year as it is blessed with the best suspension package, an easy-to-ride feel, and a motor that is second to none. Updated suspension valving solved the front and rear pitching problem that last year’s bike had. This bike turns very well and has exceptional rear-wheel traction, which is surprising because of how fast it is.

The Kawasaki takes a close second. One of the best things about this bike is its handling, thanks to an excellent suspension package and a very balanced dynamic. It’s a very safe and stable ride while being very nimble and easy to change lines on. It feels so comfortable and safe to ride. The motor is not as fast as the Yamaha, but still very effective.

The Husqvarna is another bike with a great motor that revs to the moon with no vibration or feedback through the bars. Its suspension is not as plush as some other bikes, but it shines when you push it hard. I will gladly sacrifice a little comfort for better performance, and that’s exactly what this bike has. The Husky turns better than the other Euro bikes. The KTM has a great motor, maybe even a little faster than the Husky, but it has a bit of vibration at higher rpm where the Husky did not. The suspension is plush and has a good hold-up. I love the feel of this bike; it’s very light and easy to ride. When the track gets rough, there is no other bike I would rather ride.

The first thing you notice when hopping on the GASGAS is the comfort of the front end. Thanks to the clamps, it is very plush and tracks extremely well. It might be valved a little soft for me; once I started to push it, I could tell the bike fell lower in the stroke. It has a fun yet fast motor with power that feels like the KTM in Map 1.

Honda has come a long way in the past few years, and the CRF might be the best-looking of all the bikes. The rider triangle is very confidence-inspiring and has a race-ready feel. Suspension is stiffer this year, and while it fixed the pitching problems of last year’s bike, it didn’t solve the fact that you feel every bump through your hands and feet. I think this is more of a chassis issue than suspension. It turns well and will go where you want to put it, but I have to focus when riding this bike so much more than on any other. It will tweak and jerk when you’re not expecting it to; I might feel safer on this bike if I was a more precise rider, but sadly it’s not for me.

Brian “Scrub Daddy” Smith

Age: 54

Height: 5’6”

Weight: 165 lbs.

Ability: Vet Intermediate

Bike Recently Raced/Ridden: 2021 Suzuki RM-Z450, 2021 Honda CRF450R

1. Kawasaki KX450
2. GASGAS MC 450
3. Yamaha YZ450F
4. Husqvarna FC 450
5. KTM 450 SX-F
6. Honda CRF450R

For me, the Kawasaki KX450 is the most stable, and it handles great around the whole track. I could corner the bike easily and move it around in the air a lot. The engine is terrific, and I loved the clutch and transmission. No complaints about green, so it takes the gold for me!

I was shocked by the GASGAS; I loved it! The bike is comfortable, and I was able to ride it hard with no problems at all. It is not the fastest or most powerful, but I liked the way I could ride it hard, and it felt comfortable no matter what I did.

The Yamaha got in between the European bikes thanks to its great engine. I like the way the bike handles, but the suspension felt too soft for me, and I bottomed it a few times a lap. The thing is great, though, and I already have one in my garage!

The Husqvarna is also very comfortable, and I liked the lower suspension because it made the bike feel a little smaller and easier to get through the corners. The engine is soft like the GASGAS, but it didn’t pull as hard down low as I wanted it. The KTM front-end kept riding high in the air off of jumps, no matter what we changed on the bike. It is for sure the fastest and most powerful feeling of the European bikes, and that power almost got me into trouble a few times!

The Honda was disappointing for me because I rode the modified SML ’21 bike, and I loved it! However, the stock 2022 had a sloppy feel in the front end, and it got way too busy on me a few times. I felt like the bike had a mind of its own at times, and I didn’t trust it much. I know it can be made great, though!