Engine
In stock trim, the 448cc KTM® Racing Engine has a nice, and solid bottom end power delivery, and decent mid range, but tends to rev out of power a little too fast. It’s not necessarily bad, just different than say a Suzuki or Honda. As far as overall power, The Outlaw has tons of it, and tons of potential to easily make more with minor modifications. In stock trim, it’s better than you’d expect, and easily right there with the Suzuki LTR450.

The five speed transmission prefers to be short shifted which actually increases your corner speed since you can exit corners a gear higher without losing any torque.

The self-adjusting Magura hydraulic clutch works flawlessly, and is easily among the best features of the machine. The clutch feel is consistent every time you use it, regardless of conditions. In addition to consistency, the actual pull of the lever is quite a bit smoother, and lighter than non- hydraulic clutches, which makes long rides, or races that much easier.

Suspension
The stock Fox Podium-X shocks are compression, rebound, and preload adjustable, and come with a piggyback reservoir. Right out of the box, they’re a bit soft, but with a few adjustments they can be tuned to near perfection. The 10” travel front suspension works well, whereas the 10” travel rear doesn’t feel as though it properly “squats” like it should when cornering. The 47” width of the Outlaw makes it a great option for the consumer who wants to race Motocross Saturday night, and then head to the trails on Sunday without having to change anything.

The 450MXR’s steering is pretty quick, but predictable and well suited for just about any type of riding.

Ergonomics
The 09 MXR450 is light years ahead of the 08. The seat is nice and cushy, the plastic is sleek, and it actually looks like a bone-a-fide race bike. The handlebars are a bit on the tall side, but that’s more of a personal preference issue. The foot peg placement feels right, and the stock aluminum heel guards are a nice touch. The afore-mentioned Magura clutch is the standout feature, but it’s nearly overshadowed by the awful thumb throttle. The housing is too big, and cumbersome, which makes it difficult to stay on the gas, and safely operate the front brake at the same time (which is pretty important if you want to go fast). On the upside, the relationship between, the seat, plastic, and heel guards is perfect, so that you don’t get your boots hung on the plastic, and that’s always a good thing.

The Outlaw comes equipped with hard compound Maxxis RAZR MX tires which work great. The bad part is they’re mounted on 9” wheels, as opposed to 8” wheels which is great if you want to eventually change to a cross country styled tire, but doesn’t leave many tire options for Motocross tires. In addition, the 9” wheel won’t let the sidewall flex enough to get the extra traction that an 8” wheel would.

Braking action on the Outlaw is solid all the way around. The dual discs up front are more than adequate, and the same can be said for the rear. Overall, the brakes are what you would want, or expect out of a 450cc Sport Quad.

This machine is a great platform for just about anyone looking for a 450cc Sport ATV. If you’re a beginner or intermediate racer at the local level, it’s perfect. It makes good power with little modification, and there’s allot of potential hidden inside of the KTM motor.