2025 450 MX Bike Shootout | In Depth

Six 2025 450 MX bikes await the action before the final day of comparison testing for the SML 450 Shootout at Fox Raceway.

2025 450 MX Bike Shootout

Gas Gas MC 450F vs. Honda CRF450R vs. Husqvarna FC 450 vs. Kawasaki KX450 vs. KTM 450 SX-F vs. Yamaha YZ450F

Photos by SMX Pictures

Presented by Temecula Motorsports, as well as OGIO Powersports, Maxxis, Engine Ice, Maxima

New 2025 motocross bikes began to show up at the Swapmoto Live offices as early as June and we’ve spent the past months riding and racing them to learn the ins and outs of how each machine performs. Our final day of comparison testing with support from the manufacturers went down last week at Fox Raceway, with five riders of varying ages, abilities, riding styles, and body types. All of the machines were outfitted with excellent Maxxis SI soft-to-intermediate-terrain tires to ensure consistent traction and feel between the six bikes. Although we got a reprieve from the heatwave that’s swept through Southern California as of late, we kept the bikes running cool with Engine Ice High-Performance Coolant, and purring like kittens with Maxima lubricants.

The 2025 model year is exciting as there are four drastically changed machines! While the Honda CRF450R is on paper the most exciting – the Austrian machines’ new chassis and suspension settings already debuted on the 2024.5 Troy Lee Edition, Rockstar Edition, and Factory Edition machines – the Gas Gas, Husqvarna, and KTM 450s are radically updated in comparison to last year’s standard models. The new Honda CRF450R garnered rave reviews from testers for its new chassis that has a more trustworthy and confidence-inspiring feel, as well as comfortable suspension settings. Similarly, the new chassis on the Austrian machines were praised for their comfort, precision, and predictable nature. The Kawasaki KX450 was all-new in 2024 and this year returns with revisions that – on paper – seem somewhat minimal: a new dome-shaped air filter and a wider parameter of engine mapping adjustments available on the Kawasaki Rideology smartphone app. Last year’s 450 Bike of the Year – the Yamaha YZ450F – received big suspension changes by way of new fork and shock valving settings, a softer shock spring, and a new shock linkage. 

Throughout the shootout, test riders were discouraged from sharing opinions but encouraged to communicate openly with the technicians on hand so that each bike could be set up ideally. In the past, we have incorporated data in our shootout features like dynamometer charts showing horsepower and torque curves, and individual rider lap times on each bike. What we have learned, however, is that what a rider feels on the track is the most important factor, as what the bike produces on the dyno doesn’t necessarily translate into fast lap times of a desirable feel in the hands of the rider. Lap times, meanwhile, are hugely affected by both the track conditions that deteriorate throughout the day, and the riders’ fitness which is taxed throughout a long day of testing six motorcycles.

This is the sixth 450 Shootout we have conducted as Swapmoto Live, but collectively the team of Donn Maeda, Pat Foster, Kyle Puerner, Alex Ray, and newcomer Eric Mascho, have over 100 comparison tests to their credit. That said, this was the closest shootout any of us could remember being part of, as we had a three-way tie for the runner-up position! So, how did the six machines stack up? Read on to find out! 

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS FEATURE HAS MULTIPLE PAGES**