a question for the 450 guys

I have a 660 and have no plans of getting a 450 but i was just curious what the power feels like in a 450? are they geared down so that they feel about like the 660 but just dont run as fast on the top end? Are they slugish and underpowered? are they lighter than my 660? Just curious more than anything. The thing that got me thinking about it was that its not like the 660 is WAY over powered so what does the 450 feel like.

the 450 is geared lower, and the only time i use low and/or 4 wheel drive is when i'm stuck in really deep mud.
other than top speed, i have never been in a situation where there was not enough power to git 'er done. i drive pretty conservatively (i'm an old fart that doesn't like to break shit) and i always seem to catch up with other riders when the shit gets deep.
i ride tight trails, mud, and have climbed steep hills that i probably should have never even attempted; i follow a rhino 660 and an xp900 anywhere they can go (except when high centered, where the additional travel and lift of the xp900 comes into play)
i can keep up with my bro-in-law's 660 until about 20 mph and then he creeps away from me, so it's not an issue on tight trails.
according to Yamaha's spec sheets, the 450 is 18 lbs. lighter and has 10:1 compression vs. 9.1:1 compression in the 660. other than that, they are identical.
my top speed right now is 36; the top speed for the new fuel injected 700 is 42 according to Yamaha's spec sheet.
this whole post sounds like a justification for owning a 450, huh?
lemme know if this sates your curiosity

I think the 450 is an awesome machine and would work great for 90% of the riding I do. I have thought about buying one that is trashed(cheap) and building a mud machine.

Like I have said many times, I think a guy could have fun on a 450 ALL DAY LONG !!!

LOL no guys i dont need a 450...i have my 660 and love it. I was just curious how they felt. I figured they did just fine on most things. I think the 660 is the perfect fit for me (dont get me wrong i would love to have a 1000cc motor crammed in there but i dont NEED it). Thanks for the info guys...

Firefighter wrote:

I have thought about buying one that is trashed(cheap) and building a mud machine.

if this engine ever quits i'd probably get Hot Rod to build me one. he needs something to do in his spare time anyway. lol
also, it's real easy to talk lower price on someone trying to sell a 450. "I wanted to get a 700, but..."

At engine replacement time would a 660 drop right in? Might be pretty snappy with 450 gears?

a friend of mine has a 450 that really surprised me it has a 11.1 piston some kind of after market exhaust, sheave , dynatech box , 25 inch tires and who knows what else. my 660 is stock other than sheave an box but I really cant tell much difference in the bottom end I do have him up top.

For woods trail riding I liked mine ok once I got the JBS sheave in it. It gained a little top end and also gained on the bottom, but was still lacking in the thick mud. Blue secondary spring really helped it rev to get the tires turning and made a good improvement in throttle response at any speed, but it was still no 700. (I have never drove a 660) A 450 with sheave and spring is fun to ride, it's just slow on the long hills, and deep mud. Best way to describe it is, you better hit the long hills or the deep mud with the rpms up and the wheels turning. Other than that, I think mine impressed alot of people. I could run pretty hard through the woods once I done the mods, so much that people who rode with me couldn't figure out why I was only doing 20 up the steep long hills out on the roads. As far as trails, it was just hard to spin the tires in the mud to clean them out. Honestly, I kinda miss mine because it was fun to see people's faces and hear them talk "that's a 450?" and "that thing does really well". Now I have rzr owners feeling the same way about a "slow ass 700 rhino".