Help me decide on bike: 2016 yz450fx or 2017 ktm 500 exc

I rode both of those last year, granted the yami had a yeti 129 and the ktm had a st timber. I'm a ktm rider and love the product but the 450fx is a pretty slick platform to build off of. Correct me if I am wrong but I believe the rev limit on the 500 is 9000 and the 450fx is 11500. This was noticeable to me. With both having wide ratio transmissions it is easier to mesh the gaps with the extra rpm. Back up kick start is a plus. Intake is pretty slick on fx. 500 pumpkin is a nice cruising tractor but i'd be going with the fx. FX has gotta be a little cheaper, no?

Using a ktm 500 for a snow bike is the complete opposite what that bike/motor was designed for. It's a low rpm motor that was designed for dual sport use, short shifting, road use, etc. The trans is gappy and the rev ceiling is low. It's a "trail bike". The Yamaha is a dedicated racer like the ktm xc line, it makes a better snowbike and bike in general, higher RPMs so when you shift you land in the meat of the power, great airfilter position for snow use, etc..

For the best KTM for snowbike application, you should be comparing to the 450XC-F or 450SX-F. I prefer the XC-F due to the larger (and clear) fuel tank, and prefer the gearbox (for both summer and winter).

The 500EXC works great, but you are paying for the street legal equipment (that it sounds like you won't need/use), and the lower rev limit robs a little top end over the 450's. The 500 has a touch more displacement, but the 450 motor is more rank.

That said, the 500 is a much nicer trail and singletrack bike in the summer (for an average rider), and (of course) is road legal - so if that is a consideration, it DOES make a perfectly good snowbike. Frankly from a sled guy....they're all mega slow, so I'd buy the bike more based on summer use. But that's me.

Also, there is a HUGE variance in people's definition of "single track," but if it's the nastier stuff you're after....the 450's are a handful for an average rider. The 500 is actually a really easy bike to ride in the woods, despite the displacement.

Started on a yz 450, then 500 exc, Now 2018 fe 450. Id stay with a Husqvarna or Ktm, and yes a 450.

And I'm saying go blue

I've been on Kawi and KTM and Yamaha as snowbikes -- and much prefer the Yamaha for airbox location, reliability....better overall "value" compared to the orange -- but that is just me and the newest of those KTM's was a '14, maybe the newer ones are better. Have '14 '15 Yamaha F bikes and two 16 FX Yamaha bikes and really like them, think they are solid.