I am back looking at 450s again

[drdfblackm]

Well I posted back in Jan about the GG 450 enduro and received a ton of info and feedback.

At that time I had a Triumph Tiger that I was trying to sell....well now it is gone and I am bikeless.

Ok well there is not much locally (Flagstaff AZ) right now which is why I am looking at DRZs....the E model. They are a nice bike which I am sure you will all agree...not much to maintain, ton of aftermarket, and can be had for within my budget $3000 max.

So with this being said...I know I can't get a newer GG 450 or Sherco or even newer Husaberg 450. If you recall most recently I was on a Husaberg 650 last year and well it was way too much bike for me.

I ride mostly fire roads some single track and I want to be able to ride from trail to trail on the street....occationally get some misc nuts and bolts from the local ACE hardware.

So why am I posting here....well there was an 03 GG 450 that poped up on the FS section here and I wrote the owner....seems like a very nice guy, but what I want to know is are there any aftermarket parts for the 03 model? Mainly gas tank and skid plate?

Owner states he changed over to yellow plastic because he liked it better, new clutch plates, heavier spring on the clutch slave, LTR hi flow aluminum water pump impeller, 04 exhaust cam, 04 starter, 04 starter gears, 04 starter clutch assembly, and valves checked.

So what do you guys think about the 03 450?

How does a GG 450 compare to a DRZ 400E.....I know it is lighter, how about power and rideabliltiy? I am not looking for a rocketship...I had one and I find that I am not near the rider that I imagine myself to be. I am just a putter along guy and have some fun without getting killed.

Let me know what you think and any opinions that you have. Thanks.

Darrin

 

[anathema]

No idea about 03 reliability, but clarke makes a bit bigger tank for it and there are a few skidplate makes. I have the B&B which is fantastic.

I moved to this bike from a DRZ. The power is a lot more, but very linear/electric. The performance as you vary in altitude is MUCH better because of the fuel injection. I find it much easier to ride in anything tight. About the same on fire roads etc. (except now more power obviously).

Also if you decide to go DRZ, make sure to get a bit older model with the FCR carb. It is a MUCH better bike for quite a few reasons.

 

[JRDoz]

I would recommend only getting the GasGas 450 from 2005 onwards, just because they became significantly more reliable with starting and some other things I cant remember now....

 

[Qui-gon]

There is an '05 on Ebay at the moment. not to far from you but only has 14hrs to go:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...STRK:MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=330230005080&rd=1

 

[Berkyboy]

We have a very clean, low mile (mostly dual sport), 05 450 with clarke tank, racing wiring harness (simplified harness with hi-lo ignition curve switch), headlight and tail light.

Call Mark at the shop (320 839 7143) for more information.

 

[drdfblackm]

I posted up the photos that Mike sent to me of the bike that I am looking at....it looks clean but you guys really know these better than I. Let me know what you think.

Darrin

 

[Metalefty]

I also feel strongly about buying '05 and up. I've read about many complaints from especially '02 and '03 owners and the 04's still have the starter on the front of the engine which is bad. I've ridden an '03 for about an hour before and would have to say I didn't like how it felt at slow speeds, it didn't turn well. When I wicked up the throttle and speed it handled much better, the power was a little more than a DRZ.
I think spending a little more time finding an '05 GasGas450 would be worth it compared to buying a DRZ quick. When it comes to aftermarket, you won't need to buy much for the GG and it's still going to be a much better bike than a DRZ with a bunch of aftermarket fluff all over it.
Good Luck.