Buying a Honda CRF450 Good or Bad?

[daveyg]

Well, I'll add my three cents to this issue. I think that Honda will have a very good bike on their hands. Everyone has learned something from Cannondale and it's pre-production woes. Honda knows much about reputation and protecting it. Bugs there will be. I don't know of any first year bike that didn't grow a weed or two. That what R&D is all about. Bringing things to their limits and learning from it. But here is something to think about. When Yamaha introduced the 98 YZ400F, it was impossible to get and turned out to be a pretty decent bike. They then made something like 40 or so changes to the 99. Another 20 or so to the 00, and so on. Did it make the 98 YZ400F any worse of a bike? I know guys still hauling on their 98's and loving it. Verdict: It's 95% rider (enthusiasm/heart) and 5% bike. If it were my choice, I would probably hold onto the tried and true between my legs before the smoke clears. There's always 03, 04, 05............

 

[Zoomer]

I don't know about you guys, but when I first twisted the grip on a yz400f, I couldn't believe how "fast" the revs built:p I came off Kawie 500's, which were not any slouches by any means. But I fell in love with the stroker:cool: buy the way, I also use to hate 4 strokes. I use to get quite a few holeshots with my 500, and I am still right up there with the 98 400f. Last year I was racing against a midwest local fast guy on a AF500, both motos we came around the first corner side by side. Is it bike hp or is it rider?
:think I'll take the stroker any day

 

[Offroadr]

Originally posted by Shaw520
You guys all have very good points,... let me ad just one more,.... this is Honda 1st production shot at any type of HP fourstroke (dirtbike) in 20....? years!
We'll see if they can take the heat!

Lets not forget that Honda is a leader in 4 stroke technology in other forms.

Roadracing (oval pistons in the past and the V5 coming for the new F1 bikes)
F1 cars and marine

They have the technology to perform and a track record to prove it

 

[daveyg]

I totally agree Offroadr......Honda has some serious development into F1, Roadracing (RC51 and beyond), and your local Weedwacker......If I was in the market for a new lawnmower....I'd own a Honda for sure.

 

[katoomed00]

I,m sure that honda has been working on this project alot longer than most might think,and i don,t believe that they would put out a product that is any less than great,I believe that honda's strategy differs than yahama in that honda usually goes for a proven market rather than taking a chance like yahama does(e.g. yz400f).
If any changes are made to the cr450f I believe it will be minmal due to the extreme testing being done before it is released to the public.
I would purchase a first year production honda just knowing the company's reputation,just as I did with my 2000 ktm 400exc
As far as weight and hp goes the 426 is quick but it does feel heavier than my exc and I would sacifice hp for weight any day,but honda supposedly has the weight and hp to most people's liking.
If honda would have a 450 with a e-button I would probably be paying on one before it's actually out too :D

 

[Tony Williams]

How Heavy is that CRF?

Originally posted by katoomed00
As far as weight and hp goes the 426 is quick but it does feel heavier than my exc and I would sacifice hp for weight any day,but honda supposedly has the weight and hp to most people's liking.

The current Dirt Bike claims 242 pounds on the Honda I think... It sounds like it is only a few pounds lighter than the YZF series.

They also claim a 450-ish YZF soon.

 

[Racers Edge]

If you read the article in Dirt Bike carefully you would have read that the way they weighed the 450 was by lifting it up on witht here arm, no scale or anything. Therefor I don't believe this is a credible reading.

 

[J.B.426]

Racers Edge, that's true but they also compared with a KTM 400 or 520SX and said it felt about the same, or something like that. And the KTM weighs about 240-242 doesn't it? I think Honda has lighter scales when they say 225 lbs, just like Yamaha did with the 400-426Fs.

 

[Tony Williams]

I agree with the scale issue... Yamaha said the same thing with the YZF; 230 -ish pounds, when it fact it's closer to 250.

One of the bike magazines had an article that more objectively measured the weight of all the bikes.

I'm confindent that Yamaha can get the YZ450F into generally the same weight as the Honda and Katoom, but they seem reluctant to use a production AL frame (per magazine interview with YZ400/250F chief engineer)

 

[Tony Williams]

Just wanted to add that in the airplane business, it's ALWAYS the same BS with weight and speed. Marketing always promises a lower weight and faster speed than engineering can deliver...

And they ALWAYS get heavier through the production run, not lighter.

 

[Racers Edge]

J.B.426: It did say that the Honda was clearly a production bike and there was no titanium parts and such to make it lighter. However, have you ever thought the KTM they lifted may have been much lighter than a production bike? If this bike were a race bike, which it was since it was at the 4-Stroke Nationals, I'm willing to bet that this was no stock bike. It could way much lighter then a production bike and have lots of titanium and other light weight parts. Unfortunately Dirt Bike doesn't say if the KTM was a stock bike so I guess we won't find out tell it comes out in the stores.

 

[KWJams]

Oh Mamma!

Cycle News#21 May 30, 2001
Page 7 Moto 2:

{quoted by Ryan Hughes after Hangtown}

"I kind of spun off the gate, hooked up with Vuillemin, and I came out about forth," Hughes said.
"Going through the ess-turn, I gassed it and the bike is so friggen' fast that it blew one of my hands off the handlebars. It pulled the bike out of my hands! I fell over, got up, went down the hill, turned, and when I gassed it, the bike kind of hooked up and just went to the left, and I flew off the track into the tules. I started back in 40th. It wasn't a very good day for me."

Hughes would climb all the way back up to 11th before it was all over.

Like I said,,OH MAMMA:cool:

 

[KWJams]

Motorcyclist on Speedvision

Did anyone else see the coverage on Speedvision of the CRF450?

The Honda guy made a statement about how they see it as the replacement model for the CR500 with simular weight to power ratios. :eek: :cool:

 

[krash133]

Skeptical????

I checked the Honda website and looked up the weight of the CR500. They claim a dry weight of 222.7lbs for the 500 and a 213lb dry weight for the 250. Also for the CRF450 a dry weight of 225lbs. All the know weights(500 & 250) seem to be a little on the lean side if you know what I meam.;)
Someone should check those corporate scales! I think they need to be recalibrated.
Figuring the actual weight of a CR250 (223 from a magazine) the CRF450 will probably have a weight near 235. Just an estimate.

Also If P/W ratios were similar then the CRF450 would have to make more power than a regular CR500. Highly unlikely!!!!

I also saw the Speedvision program, but recall that Honda said the CRF450 would be similar to CR500 in their line-up to fill the Open-Class bike position vacated by the 500. This doesn't mean its a similar bike. Sorry to burst your bubble but the corporate sales pitch should always be taken with an ounce of skepticism. Hopefully we'll find out soon what the real details on the 450 are.:)