WTB 03/04 Honda CRF450R

[luvtolean]

Originally Posted by ReaperAZ

I rode my friends 04 YZ450 and it was a bit much for me. I have limited dirt ability and that thing hits like a freight train on crack. Too much for me thanks.


Dano

Dude, the CRF450 ain't slow! Easier to ride than a 250 maybe, but in a way more dangerous because they are sneaky fast.

I have ridden both (the YZF and CRF). I love both bikes but the Yamaha ergonomics didn't agree with me as well as the Honda. And ... like Reaper said, the YZ has a monster hit. The CRF is in my opinion just as fast - you just have to rev it up alot more. I think it is easier to ride than the YZ for a guy just coming off of a two smoke.

I would be just as fast on either bike given the time to learn each one's traits.

LTL: sneaky fast is the best way to describe the new thumpers. You don't feel like you're going that fast till you try to stop and realize you are flat haulin. My last bike was a 2000 KX 250. I am sooooooo much faster on my KTM around a track that it isn't even close. But I am also gravitationally challenged and needed that extra torque.

[luvtolean]

Yeah, I rode Trackho's 04 CRF450, and like every other thumper I've ridden didn't particularly think much of the motor until I blew a corner because I had so much more steam than on my bike.

It seemed to me they really work not necessarily due to HP, but because they are so hooked up.

[grafixman]

Originally Posted by johnnycrash

But I am also gravitationally challenged and needed that extra torque.

Jeez, you are going after triples and say your gravitationally challenged.

Originally Posted by johnnycrash

I have ridden both (the YZF and CRF). I love both bikes but the Yamaha ergonomics didn't agree with me as well as the Honda. And ... like Reaper said, the YZ has a monster hit. The CRF is in my opinion just as fast - you just have to rev it up alot more.

I would be just as fast on either bike given the time to learn each one's traits.

I have also ridden both bikes and agree.

[QUOTE=grafixman]Jeez, you are going after triples and say your gravitationally challenged.


[QUOTE]

I'm not that heavy - I'm just heavier than your average MXer ... about 240 without gear.

I've been clearing huge jumps since I was a teenager - and I've done jumps MUCH bigger than the one I screwed up recently. That jump should have been cake, I just lost concentration momentarily - it happens. If you can't do the triples you can't really be competitive against someone that does. I usually have more problem over jumping than I do coming up short.

I was more p!ssed that I couldn't go back and try it again since my bike was toast than I was that I messed it up in the first place. I WILL do that triple next time I go to that track.

Originally Posted by luvtolean

Dude, the CRF450 ain't slow! Easier to ride than a 250 maybe, but in a way more dangerous because they are sneaky fast.

By no means is it slow...I blew three corners due to my overly flexable right wrist. I was hauling azz coming up to the turn and before I realized it I was off in the desert. The CRF just has a more managable power curve unlike that damn YZ. Sneaky fast is just how I would describe it also.


Dano

[luvtolean]

Originally Posted by grafixman

Jeez, you are going after triples and say your gravitationally challenged.

Jeez, no kidding, my knees ache just thinking about it...(yeah I know it's only real harsh if you come up short or go long.)

[SomeStrangeGuy]

I think the HP is on par for an out of the box 450F with a 250 smoker, but it is definetely about delivery. It's due to that (IMO) that the power seems so sneaky, because you can be in a high gear and pin it and most of the time it just goes and goes and goes. The other thing to keep in mind is that all the 4xxF's I've ridden, you can tell where the engine is and feel the higher CoG when trying to meet berms properly. The 2smoke's are more flickable due to the low CoG and are much more compliant to being thrown around. Thats the biggest thing I have noticed, but this is coming from the perspective of someone that started riding on and has always owned F bikes, only swapped off 2 strokes here and there with friends that had them.


I wasn't inferring that the CRf's were slow by any means. But for the '03 model year the Yam's got the juice and Honda got the suspension, then for '04 I think they were both pretty close b/c Yam neutered the YZ a bit and put on better/larger forks. '05 - who cares, '06 will be the year of the Al chassis for Yam and the X version for the big H

Like this?

Remember the price is in Canadian $
J

Well the wiat begins. My girlfriend went to a local dealer yesterday and inquired about an 05 for me. The two other Honda dealers in town have about 7-10 guys on "The List" already and won't have one that's not sold till November/December. So I wasn't expecting one anytime soon. Welllllllllllllllllllll, to my surprise this other dealer doesn't have a single person on "The List", until yesterday that is...... I am now #1 on their list and will be recieveing my 2005 CRF450R in mid September. Yesterday was such a good day. To make things better, my girlfriend got approved for the loan and we will be ready to rock when it comes time to sign the papers. YIPPY! This other dealer isn't one that is known for giving good deals but I know the salesperson my girlfriend dealt with and he's gonna match the price another dealer told me for OTD.


Dano

Originally Posted by SomeStrangeGuy

I think the HP is on par for an out of the box 450F with a 250 smoker, but it is definetely about delivery. It's due to that (IMO) that the power seems so sneaky, because you can be in a high gear and pin it and most of the time it just goes and goes and goes. The other thing to keep in mind is that all the 4xxF's I've ridden, you can tell where the engine is and feel the higher CoG when trying to meet berms properly. The 2smoke's are more flickable due to the low CoG and are much more compliant to being thrown around.

That sums it up perfectly! I rode blue smokers for years and still miss some things about them - mainly the flickability (and the smell). But the thumper motors are just so easy to ride that I'll never go back.

Reaper: congrats on the new CRF. It's gonna be a long month waiting for your new bike.

Originally Posted by ReaperAZ

Well the wiat begins. My girlfriend went to a local dealer yesterday and inquired about an 05 for me. The two other Honda dealers in town have about 7-10 guys on "The List" already and won't have one that's not sold till November/December. So I wasn't expecting one anytime soon. Welllllllllllllllllllll, to my surprise this other dealer doesn't have a single person on "The List", until yesterday that is...... I am now #1 on their list and will be recieveing my 2005 CRF450R in mid September. Yesterday was such a good day. To make things better, my girlfriend got approved for the loan and we will be ready to rock when it comes time to sign the papers. YIPPY! This other dealer isn't one that is known for giving good deals but I know the salesperson my girlfriend dealt with and he's gonna match the price another dealer told me for OTD.


Dano

Sucks ya have to wait but sounds like it will be worth the wait

Originally Posted by johnnycrash

That sums it up perfectly! I rode blue smokers for years and still miss some things about them - mainly the flickability (and the smell). But the thumper motors are just so easy to ride that I'll never go back.

Reaper: congrats on the new CRF. It's gonna be a long month waiting for your new bike.

Only a month...not the 7 months I waited for my 03 CBR600RR, this should be easy...well maybe not.


Dano

[luvtolean]