CRF450 on Speedvision Tonight!

[Guppy Driver]

Just caught the tail end of Motorcyclist on Speedvision today at 4:00 PM, the shows main feature is the CRF450. It's on again tonight at 10:00 PM MST. From what I saw it was a pretty detailed piece on the CRF, with some input from the guys at Dirt Rider Magazine.

 

[Danman]

I saw it to, looks like a nice bike. My be they will do like Yamaha and make one with a wide ratio gear box and slap an XR sticker on it?

 

[Guppy Driver]

That's what I was thinking, but I think we will have to wait until 2003.

 

[snaggleXR4]

Unfortunately, I saw the very end of the show. However, I did catch maybe the most important part. They said that the CRF will definitely set the pace for the new thumper MX bikes. Which means Yamaha will have some catching up to do. Maybe Suzuki and Kawasaki will get in the mix soon too. One thing is for sure, thumpers are going to be going through some major advancements in the next 5 years, and competition will be fierce. I can't wait.

 

[sirhk100]

The guys from transworld MX magazine were at the track yesterday with a CR450 and it was a sweet looking ride. The rider did get smoked by a couple of 426s but I think they were also way better riders. I happened to come outta a couple corners on the guys ass and he couldn't pull from me infact I was catching him once. I don't know if they had tweaked with the motor at all but maybe they had and it had actually lost some performance or something cause my '99YZ400 was hanging with it. From the articles I've read so far that shouldn't have happened. I don't know what to think after that. I'll wait till the average public is on them then form an opinion but my 1st experience with one yesterday wasn't mind blowing for a bike with so much hype behind it!!
Khris

 

[smarttoys]

I wouldn't be thinking much about it at all if I were you. I holeshot 426's on my 00' CR250 on a regular basis and that isn't supposed to happen either. I think it has a lot more to do with being comfortable with your machine and having it set up properly. Not to mention rider ability.;)
I have money down on a CRF450 and I'm still having a hard time deciding if I want to get it or not. I'm having a hard time waiting another month for the CRF when I could be riding a 02' CR250 now. :think

 

[KTM #313]

i would go with rider ability on this one
if you put it in the hands of a mid pack rider and it makes him a
front runner then you have a basis to back it up
put him back on his new 2-stroke and he is back at mid pack
then you know it was the bike

when henry won his title on his 4-stroke he was faster on his yz 250
than on it ---- but he was that much better than the rest on either bike