shootout

Progress isn’t always clear in the moment. There are wrong turns and misfires on the path forward, but when you look back, you can usually identify a point of no return in technological advancement. The 2024 crop of 450 motocross bikes…
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We’ve assembled the top motocross bikes in the world for Dirt Bike Magazine’s 2023 450 MX Shootout. Altogether, we tested seven bikes: the GasGas MC450F, Honda CRF450R, Husqvarna FC450, Kawasaki KX450, KTM 450SX-F, Suzuki RM-Z450 and Yamaha…
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Motocross has changed. The 250 four-stroke class once existed in the shadow of the big bikes. They were called “lites” and considered the rough equivalent of 125 two-strokes. No more. At the first Supercross of 2023, the top 250s…
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The biggest shortcoming for most modern motorcycles has nothing to do with suspension, handling, horsepower or engine type. It’s price. In 2005, the best dual-sport bikes you could buy cost around $5400. Today’s versions are faster, lighter…
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This is a special year for motocross. We’ve assembled the top motocross bikes in the world for Dirt Bike Magazine’s 2023 450 MX shootout. Altogether we have seven bikes: the GasGas MC450F, Honda CRF450R, Husqvarna FC450, Kawasaki…
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As the year 2005 came to a close we were used to  four-strokes being the center of attention. All the manufacturers still made two-strokes, though, and would continue for one more year. For the November 2005 issue of Dirt Bike, we were…
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There’s never been a time like this. In the past, the number of premium motocross brands was limited to four. Then it was five, then six or seven. Now, with the near-universal incorporation of special editions into the mix, riders have an…
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We held off on publishing our 2022 450 MX shootout last fall for a very simple reason: the bikes hadn't changed. We could have just replayed our 2021 shootout and produced the same result. Now, with the near-universal incorporation of…
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Last year was brutal. The 2021 250 MX shootout was the toughest comparison in the 51-year history of . The 250 class, or MX2 or Lites, whatever you prefer, had evolved to near parity in performance. Choosing a winner was more about who we…
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Normal shootouts are hard. This one was ridiculous. We’ve never had a field of bikes that was so deep and strong. The problem isn’t that we have so many bikes that could win; it is that there are so many that should win. But, they aren’t…
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We have a record crop of bikes, so we took our time to make sure we gave each of them a fair and full evaluation. That includes a newcomer to the motocross world: The GasGas MC450F. We have also included the unchanged Suzuki RM-Z450 thanks…
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The 250 two-stroke is alive and well in 2020. Austria, Japan and Italy all offer current bikes for the MX purist. Some are more modern than others, but all have suspension and brakes that we could have only dreamed of 20 years ago when the…
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The Yamaha YZ250, KTM 250SX, Husqvarna TC250 and TM 250MXe are the cream of today's two-stroke crop.  All are modern bikes with  state-of-the-art suspension. The only things that are old-school are the sounds of the motors and the faint…
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In June of 1971, the first issue of Dirt Bike Magazine appeared on newsstands. Within it  was the first modern motocross shootout. The Husqvarna 250 Cross, Maico 250 K5 and CZ 250 were the subjects of the test. Here is the test as it was…
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After all this time, we admit we still don’t know what the heck a dual-sport bike is supposed to be. Manufacturers and riders use the term freely, as if everyone has the same interpretation, yet the bikes sold under that banner are wildly…
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There are more dirt-worthy dual-sport bikes than ever before. For 2020, the KTM 500EXC, Husqvarna FE501S and Beta 500RR-S have all been redesigned. The Honda CRF450L is back and we have a new contender in the SWM RS500. We have tested each…
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We've been working on the 2020 500cc Dual-Sport shootout for three months now, and we're  getting closer to a conclusion. No need to rush, though. We could really ride them every day for another three months before we're ready. Here's how…
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A classic Dirt Bike shootout where we compared motocross bikes of different eras to see where and when the greatest advancement happened
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The 2020 Honda CRF250R, Husqvarna FC250, Kawasaki KX250, KTM 250SX-F, Suzuki RM-Z250 and Yamaha YZ250F are all together for the title fight of the 250 class. For the video, scroll down. For the full written test of the 2020 250 MX shootout,…
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The Honda, Kawasaki, KTM and Husqvarna 250 MX bikes all had nearly invisible updates for 2020 that changed everything. Going in, they all knew that Yamaha’s new YZ250F would be tough to beat. They knew that the YZ would probably return…
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