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450FSE a posssible daily driver?

15K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  stilo 
#1 ·
Hi there,

Wondering if anyone here has a 450FSE bike they use as a daily driver. I have a KTM LC4 dirt/tard bike which is a great daily driver machine but kinda heavy for my play needs and perhaps antiquated compared to the newer machines out there.

I understand the 450FSE motor is based on the Suzuki DRZ powerplant and it carries something like 2.5 quarts of oil through I'm guessing oil in frame like a DRZ.

Though I'm relatively conversant with the DRZ motor and its longevity, I'm curious about maintenance intervals and any particular quirks/problems of the GasGas version of the engine, the MM fuel injection system and anything else that might nix the 450 as a possible lighter option to my daily driver and play needs.


Thanks for any info you may have.
 
#3 ·
I use mine quite a bit and it's been a solid bike. you will have to do more maintenance than you would have to with a DRZ but it's got more power and weighs quite a bit less.

I've been way happy with mine and would recommend one as a daily rider. Just get it re-geared if you plan to do any kind of freeway riding as you will run through the gears quite fast.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the feedback. Not many people to ask these questions of.

I can understand it being more intensive as I can only surmise the motor is a little higher strung but more maintenance than DRZ meaning valves, oil, bearings? What are the intervals like? Is all the oil in the motor or some in the frame too?

Think the motor would go 30,000 miles?

Anything you have to say... I'm all ears. Thanks again.
 
#5 ·
Oil is in the frame and motor much like the DRZ. I've changed the oil roughly after 300 miles (except for the first one after around 100) each time as the whole thing holds somewhere around 1.9 Quarts of oil. I've checked the valves and everything seems to be in spec after around 800 miles.

The more the bike gets broken in, the better it gets. I really can't believe I didn't get into supermoto earlier after riding this bike.
 
#6 ·
Thanks hombre. So very curious how this engine will stand up to a lot of run time. My LC4 is a glutton for run time punishment and I guess the comparison isn't fair. Just wished I'd hear about someone with 10k miles on the motor.... and no problemos.
 
#7 ·
I have a 2004 FSE SM450. I recently purchased it from the dealer as a left over model from '04. I have less than 3 tanks of riding on the bike and had problems ever since I got it home.

1. The idle would rev up every time I turned the bars to the right (ended up that the throttle cable would pull / rev with the bars fully extended to the right). ~Correction...zip tie

2. Very slow to start, with battery killing out after about 3 attempts. ~Correction...push start it down the hill to get it started

3. Latest problem...after I get it started it dies the second I kick it into gear. ~Correction...put it on the back of the truck and took it to the dealership to look into.

If I didn't have a solid GasGas dealer five minutes from the house I would seriously hate this bike!!! Fortunately, the dealership has been nothing but helpful about everything.
 
#9 ·
From what I've found in my research, anything '05 and newer is a solid bike...wish I had an '05 or newer. :(
 
#10 ·
Thing is, nobody can speak of the hammer-ability of the motor. Sure, it might put up with a couple-three hundred hours of tempered use but what about 500hrs of use with some abuse mixed in.

I guess I'm being unrealistic and asking too much of a single bike.... heh, life with kids, wife, dogs, mortgage, car payments etc etc
 
#11 ·
I've had all those problems but found ways to fix all but the slow starting.

All I had to do to fix the WOT issue is re-route the cable behind the headlight a bit. The dying when put into first was only when cold and that was solved by cracking the throttle when putting it into first the first time.

The slow start is a pain in the ass. It's only if the bike hasn't been ridden for a couple days though in my experience. If the bike is started at least once a day (and run with the lights off) I haven't had any problems with starting or running.

closest GasGas dealer from me is around 2-3 Hrs away :(
That is unless you count the bicycle dealer down the road that is (according to the GG site) a dealer.
 
#12 ·
For your slow start problems try hooking up a battery tender and charging it each time you put the bike up for the night or when you're not riding it. It's worked really good for me. It fires up on the 1st of 2nd time...every time now. ~Except for when the battery went completely dead, new battery now and it's working great on the battery tender. :)
 
#13 ·
A Gasgas 450 is not a everyday bike, this is a "racebike" that will need oilchange every 10 hours and so on.
You can´t compare it with a KTM LC4, the LC4 is a roadbike...
To compare it with a KTM a Gasgas 450 is similar to the KTM 525 or 450 racemodels.

But the KTM is much bigger motorcycle manufactuer i will think they build a hundred times more bikes than gasgas, not said that KTM is a better bike but i think the KTM is much more reliable.

This is how we see it in Europe, KTm is a big Austrian manufacturer and Gasgas a small spanish manufacturer...
 
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