It's a shame that the little bicycle company didn't have the marketing budget and R&D funds like Suzuki does. Maybe they would'nt be ATK today. Seems like this always happens in business though. How many people out there know the Dales have been EFI for so long?
Well at least they are still making some decent down hill bikes.

 

Mid 40's RWHP sounds reasonable at the rear wheels for the LT-R450 with stock exhaust. Our engine builder has his personal z-400 putting down 46rwhp with a 12:1 400cc piston, his own CNC head, big valves and custom cam grind with CRF 450r carb feeding race gas to the beast. I know their dyno is accurate as they had the exact RWHP rating for my stock motor 2000 400ex, which was 28rwhp (We're doing somthng to change that) So I believe that mid 40's rwhp is attainable with a properly built Z450. I believe Alba has done a 57hp pull with their 470 desert kit which runs like a scalded dog!!

Bottom line is that until someone other than Suzuki actually tests this thing against the competition, we won't know. But I'd bet stock for stock, at best the R450 is 1-2 quad lengths better in a 300 yard race assuuming you replace the 18" rears with comparable rear rubber to the YFZ and 450R. Just look at how close the 450 two wheelers compare, it always comes down to who did their homework just a little bit better and that changes from update to update.

TPR