Real world review of the Honda crf 450x

[Redrider]

I figured some of you may find this interesting. My best friend just switched from a 1998 xr 600 to the 05 crf 450x. He took the bike on its maiden voyage today on our usual trail ride consisting of 40-50 miles of rocks, roots, uphills/downhills covered in 4-6 inches of leaves, creeks, single track blah, blah.

Observation one: Do not let this bike sit and idle very long during warm up. It will spit antifreeze out the overflow.

Observation two: the electric start is very slow about starting the bike in gear. The electric starter doesnt always work. On the trail it acted as if the battery was dead. It starts with the e start best if you put the bike in neutral.

After my friend noticed drool running down the side of my mouth, he offered me the first "guest" ride. I have owned an 1996 xr 400, 1999 cr 250, 2002 xr 650 and lastly 2004 yz 250. Luckily the bike fired right up with the e start. Once on the single track (rocks, roots, uphills, downhills), the first thing I noticed was that this bike has an amazing amount of torgue. The next thing I noticed was that the bike cornered like a dream. The power is perfect for eastern woods riding. The suspension on this sticj bike is better than the $700 Factory Connection suspension I have on my 1999 cr 250 setup for woods riding. There is no need for even a steering stabilizer on this bike.

If you have doubts about this bike, Im a two stroke man all the way and I love the bike. My best friend is a xr 600 man all the way and he loves the bike if that tells you anything. The crf 450x is one of those bikes anyone can ride fast through the woods and it doesnt beat you to death in the process. After a day of riding, I will have to say that this bike is the best I have ridden to date. Im just curious how the valve train will hold up under my friend's abuse. I will let you know in a year of so.
Ride on

 

[Hick]

Observation one: Do not let this bike sit and idle very long during warm up. It will spit antifreeze out the overflow.

Probably overfilled the radiators at the dealer, if you fill any modern thumper all the way up w/ cold coolant it will spit some out, the question is only if the rider will notice when this happens.

Also, the X has an overflow catch bottle...


Thanks for the ride review. :cool:

 

[Kevin B]

thanks for putting up the review.

 

[kmccune]

Thanks for the review, I have been thinking about this bike. It seems that a CA model with the air pump may be the ticket to street legality in WI :nod: I use to have an XR and a XL 600 and I have to say that I hated starting those bikes. They also weighed a ton but the torque was great. I have never ridden a modern 4 stroke how does the engine compare. Do you feel the top end weight like you do on a XR it does still weigh around 260lbs with no gas? And how well did it start with the kick starter? Sorry for the quizzing but I have been waiting for a 2 stokers $.02 on these questions.

 

[Redrider]

As for startig with the kickstarter, the 450x started about :think: as easily as my 04 yz 250. There was no drill just kick the bike. No top dead center blah, blah. You also have to raise your leg about as high as you would while kicking a two stroke motorcrosser. The 450x also didnt feel any heavier than my 04 yz 250. It also cornered as well also. If I didnt love 2 strokes so much (ease of maintenance, weight, starting) I would have one of these bikes. Im just waiting to see how the valve train holds up. My friend who owns the 450x changes oil about once a year and air filter when the bike starts missing. No joking seriously. We have had to take a knife and scrape dirt off the air filter of his 1998 xr 600 so it will run :rotfl: Im just curious to see how the valve train holds up to this abuse. If there is a weak point in this bike my friend will find it.

 

[Chris_S]

The 450x also didnt feel any heavier than my 04 yz 250. It also cornered as well also.

So are you saying it feels lighter, and corners better, than a CRF450R? B/c I had a 450R, it it felt much heavier and slower handling...

 

[kmccune]

Thanks for the reply, it does sound promising, but like you I think about the valve train. Do you know if the valves are titanium like the "R" model?

The weight is a big issue for me as the XR/XL were tanks, so that is my mental pic of big 4-stokes :) Guess I need to find one to try out.

 

[rickyd]

Do you know if the valves are titanium like the "R" model?

.

They are using the titanium valves in the X model..

Out of curiousity, what did your friend pay for his bike??
Thanks,
RIck

 

[Redrider]

He paid $6500 out the door (taxes everything).

 

[Danman]

My friend who owns the 450x changes oil about once a year and air filter when the bike starts missing. No joking seriously. We have had to take a knife and scrape dirt off the air filter of his 1998 xr 600 so it will run

I'm predicting a pretty short life for this one :yikes: They realy don't hold a lot of oil, so I imagine it will get trashed a lot quicker than on his old XR.

 

[kmccune]

Yup with the Ti valves he would be advised to keep up on his maintenance.

 

[rickyd]

They are using the titanium valves in the X model..

,
RIck

I heard today that they went w/stainless steel valves.. Any way too find out for sure??
RIck

 

[Ray3667]

they are deffinately ti valves ...Kibblewhite must love honda at this point!

 

[holeshot]

The valves are the same as the 450R, Ti intakes and steel exhausts (which is what they've been since the 450R was introduced in 2002).

Link to to Honda's page below -

http://www.hondanews.com/catID7192?mid=2004090767859&mime=asc

 

[rickyd]

Hey thanks for thje info, im gueesing they may last a little longer being the motor isnt expected too see such high rpm's as the 450r?? WHat im curious about is they mention light weight intakes and being too use lighter valve springs lowering the overall heigh tof the engine, will we be able too use SS valves and get away w/lower heights?? Thanks for the reply,
Rick

 

[motoyoyo]

Redrider, thanks for some good observations on the 450X. How did you feel the bike was at tight corners? Was it a handful to keep the power delivery smooth in the tight stuff, in other words, did you have to be on the clutch a lot to keep it smooth on take offs? How about the decelleration? Did it put you over the bars when you let off the gas like some of the mx 450's, or was it on the lighter side of engine braking like the two strokes?

 

[Redrider]

The 450x felt great to me in the corners etc. We rode quite a bit of single track with horseshoe turns etc. and the bike would pull out of most anything with little or no use of the clutch. I also noticed the the 450x had very little engine braking that I could notice. It felt kind of similiar to my 04 yz 250 on deceleration. I felt right at home on the bike in 5-10 minutes of ride time. The bike in my opinion is going to be awesome for about anykind of riding you do.

 

[motoyoyo]

Excellent. Just what I was hoping to hear about the X. It also seems a lot roomier than the 250X, which is what I need. My son's 250X feels really cramped for my 6'3" frame, even though we have the bars forward and up with an Applied tripple clamp. When I sit on them side by side the 450X is noticeably larger than the 250X. I've been sniffing around the Honda shop three times in the last week. I'm going to crack pretty soon.

 

[CRF450XRIDER]

Your Right,it Won't Last If You Change Oil 1 Time A Year,it's Not A Lawnmower.this Is A Motocross Bike Adapted For Woods Duty, This Is Not A Lazy Man's Bike,and Nobody Ever Said That It Would Have Xr Maintence.

 

[CRF450XRIDER]

Your Right,it Won't Last If You Change Oil 1 Time A Year,it's Not A Lawnmower.this Is A Motocross Bike Adapted For Woods Duty, This Is Not A Lazy Man's Bike,and Nobody Ever Said That It Would Have Xr Maintence. This Should Get Serviced Every Other Ride At Least, Besides Its Only 1 Quart Of Oil And A Filter,so Its Not Like Your Spending An Arm And A Leg Anyway.