May '09 Dirt Rider 450 Shootout

[Stu]

If you have not seen this issue and report you might be amused by it. The new Husaberg 450 won the shootout. I saw one at Motocare. Tim Wolfe owns it. He says it handles like his KTM 300 2-stroke did. It felt light and very flickable. The KTM 450 XC-W finally, after all of these years winning the off-road category (except last year when the KTM 300 XC-W 2-stroke won this 4-stroke shootout), came in behind the 'Berg.

Of the new "revolutionary" BMW 450 they said, "We're not sure how BMW screwed the pooch this badly with a bike that seemed to have so much promise."

Stu

[Harvey Mushman]

I read that article as well. You gotta figure BMW must not spend much in terms of advertising dollars with Dirt Rider. It seems all the mags now have very little negative to say about the bikes and aftermarket products they test as they don't want to piss off their revenue stream. I haven't seen a bike rag hammer a manufacturer like that since Super Hunky was the editor of Dirt Bike magazine. I did notice DR is keeping it around as a long term test bike. This gives BMW an opportunity to throw some $$ at the magazine, and DR a chance to transform the bike into the best thing on two wheels.

-Harvey

[Stu]

I'm unconvinced that revenue has a lot to do with it. Husaberg's budget is right down there in the toilet with my budget but they won the shootout and against some pretty good bikes. The European press has not been very kind to the new BMW either. (They are crazy about the new 'Berg.) I could claim, given the weight of the new BMW and the looks of it, that the BMW bean counters determined the final configuration of that bike. However, it could be that the new European 2009 standards meant that this is the only bike that the Europeans can legally own in enough countries to make this the only viable option. I am not convinced of this either since KTM seems to be able to sell the EXC there as it is sold here and it is not encumbered with anything but a easily modified muffler insert, jetting changes and a 45T rear sprocket that takes 20 minutes to change out.

A friend in Germany with a 690 Enduro says it is absolutely illegal, and strictly enforced, to do any modification whatsoever to that bike. He also says it is illegal to ride it off road even on your own property. There are reserved riding areas (tiny gravel pits) only in Germany. He has to take his 690 to Eastern Europe to ride it off road. The 690 IS encumbered with some pretty hefty street stuff. BMW may be trying to get some of the 690 customers. If so the configuration of the new 450 BMW makes sense.

Stu