CRF450X - thoughts ???

[letitsnow]

Have any of you had the chance to ride one? What did you think of it??

I am thinking of buying one, to use as a fast trail bike.

 

[2whlrcr]

Have any of you had the chance to ride one? What did you think of it??

I am thinking of buying one, to use as a fast trail bike.

I've ridden one, while owning a 250X. Nice bike, but you really feel the weight. I like my 450 KTM better. I think the Honda would make a great ride for faster wide open spaces. But for the 1st, 2nd gear single track I ride...no thanks.

 

[Motosportz]

I'll be frank, I'm not wild over those bikes. They work OK, but feel slow, heavy and cumbersome to me. They are VERY hard to work on, the carb is impossible to get to. Most my friends that had them liked them OK but got something else next. My 08 TXC450 felt / worked a lot better IMHO. The 250X I like a lot. Still hate working on them but the 250 feel half the weight of the 450.

IMHO.

The Honda has great brakes and very good suspension, turns OK but pushes the front for me. Big tanks make it feel like a 650. Lots of after-market support for it. Most the 450's do OK with valve life if newer. Honda build quality and fit/finish are always top notch. The new CRF is BEAUTIFUL.

thats totally my opinion. I do not mean to offend anyone who owns one and know several VERY fast / talented guys on them. I don't hate them but don't love them ether.

 

[Joe Chod]

I tried one over the summer. nice motor. felt heavy and "clunky". Was wandery at speed and in rocks. Pic tells 1000 words....it did not agree with me.

BTW I am a horrible rider so take that into account.

Joe

 

[neversurfaced]

250x for the tight ST when it's 1st - 3rd gear. Nothing better!

450TE for 2nd - 7th.... (I wish) gear. Great desert bike and does EVERYTHING well

XR650 for DS stuff, wide open desert, nothing too technical when a lot of miles are the order of the day...

 

[letitsnow]

Thanks for the opinions so far - please keep them coming.

I am planning ahead for my upcoming move to Nevada. My only real requirement (when looking for another bike) is 450cc's of 4 stroke and estart. The used 450x's are going for around $3000 here, which is in my price range.

 

[neversurfaced]

Pull the trigger!

 

[Dirtdame]

A 2010 KLX450R came with an electric start. And although you probably wouldn't find one for 3000, it is a great bike.

 

[raisrx251]

A lot of people have them and love them. To me though, it is XR 400ish. Big, heavy, and like Joe said it likes to wander on the trail. We were breaking in a new trail and my bike was out so I kept riding someone's CRF 450X. When the trail had a groove I could not keep my speed on the thing, the bike would dance between the edges of the rut. It liked to wheelie instead of keeping the traction on the front end too. This bike was modified to be more CRF 450R type engine but the stock ones have done this as well for me. With it doing that and a huge burst down low and not much in the mid for me it was very hard to ride. A few of my friends have them so I have ridden 4 or 5 different ones. I think it is a reliable bike but just not for me. I have not owned one and maybe you get used to it or change some things to make it better. Not being a hater, just my experience. To me the rake of the forks seems to be tucked in too much or something like that, you can get any motor to work for you.

 

[letitsnow]

A 2010 KLX450R came with an electric start. And although you probably wouldn't find one for 3000, it is a great bike.

The dealership that has helped me for the past 20 years has a new '08 that I could get for a bit more than $4000....

 

[ghte]

Cousin has an 08 one. I liked it overall, but it is not as good as its jap counterparts like the WR450F or KLX450. Then again an 08 TE450 is better again and at around that price.

 

[ray_ray]

It ain't a Husky.

 

[Rob578]

Here's my thoughts. I switched off and rode a friend's brand new'08 or '09 at Hatfield McCoy back in the fall.

I didn't like it at all, the above picture says it all, when we went to switch back I stepped off the bike and promptly dropped it on the ground, the weight totally caught me off guard.

I guess some people like them

 

[letitsnow]

Cousin has an 08 one. I liked it overall, but it is not as good as its jap counterparts like the WR450F or KLX450. Then again an 08 TE450 is better again and at around that price.

The used TE450's - I have seen 2 of them local. Both were asking over $5000.

 

[hamiltonuh60]

For me it depends on if you are the one working on the bike or if you are going to take it to a dealer. The biggest complaint is the maintenance aspect of things, as everything is more difficult to get to and accomplish like Kelly said. I got so tired of removing everything to do my periodic checks that I sold it and bought a Husky. Don't get me wrong, I love the Honda's. I would probably still have one if I was rich and just took it to the dealer for maintenance, but that's not the case.
If you like larger dealer networks and an almost unlimited aftermarket list of products, that may just be enough to sway your thoughts into the 450X. If I found one for a good deal I'd jump on it!

 

[letitsnow]

For me it depends on if you are the one working on the bike or if you are going to take it to a dealer. The biggest complaint is the maintenance aspect of things, as everything is more difficult to get to and accomplish like Kelly said. I got so tired of removing everything to do my periodic checks that I sold it and bought a Husky. Don't get me wrong, I love the Honda's. I would probably still have one if I was rich and just took it to the dealer for maintenance, but that's not the case.
If you like larger dealer networks and an almost unlimited aftermarket list of products, that may just be enough to sway your thoughts into the 450X. If I found one for a good deal I'd jump on it!

Thanks, I have thought about working on the bike and I would be doing the work myself. Being used to my WR250, that will make the 450X seem like working on the space shuttle. However, I did race Honda TRX450R's for 3 years, and am used to working on that motor.

One thing that surprises me a bit is that these 450 4 stroke bikes don't have cooling fans from the factory. When I raced the TRX450R, my cooling fan ran often. I was a top (local) level A class racer, so the fan wasn't running due to my slow pace either - sometimes the woods are just too tight to get good air flow without a fan...

 

[pvduke]

pros:
bullet proof engine and trans. you can flog it for 200 hours plus. no issues if, IF you keep the air filter clean, as you should on all 4t.
clutch is good. trans is good.
has the button and darn good electrics.
a/m support galore.
nice seat foam.
honda brakes!!!
good hardware.
suspension good for plonking.
great big-fella bike if ya like a couch with the button.
these type of bikes were made mostly for the crowd that would not otherwise ride for many reasons. aging riders with injuries etc., etc.- it's plush, has a button, dont need to mix gas, etc etc., and, they got bank to have someone else work on it, or, just want a kickback non-race focused do-all ride.
darn good value for the money- IF, you maintain it correctly. negelect it and get a second job.
GREEN sticker legal in stock trim! yay!


cons:
heavy and heavy feeling in slow stuff. drop it and call a friend. if yer light like me, pass, seriously. it's a TANK out of the box. add off-road goodies, big tank of gas and yer looking at 300#.
for some reason the aisans make it virtually impossible to do the simplest thing on these bikes, mx or off-road, w/o completely filleting the bike. i do a lot of side-jobs on these due to frustrated customers. they see my hoosk's and go "im getting one of those" when i show them how butt stupid easy it is to work on my plated TC or a TE, esp the carb and filter. they are literally blown away. "why cant honda do that?" because they want you to go to the dealer for service. cha-ching! $$ that's why.
good luck at speed and in whoops. needs springs and damper work for 3rd gear and up, and, a steering damper.
parts are $$$$$$ for OEM.
some can piss their brains out if jetted too lean and stuck in tight stuff with big tanks on warm days. some guys have no issues at all there so...o/heat one of these and replace the stator (400$)- now. it'll melt every time then leave you hanging in the stix.
refuses to run in GREEN sticker legal trim.
cheap wheels. bearings aint much better. hubs go south fast if brgs get soured or spokes get loose. use a torque wrench or its big $$$.
husky's are way faster and way cheaper.

 

[Bench Racer 117]

I owned an '06 for three years and really liked it. Bought it new. I had the suspension redone at the start. That makes it real nice. Put a on a Scotts Triple clamp and stabilizer, Boysen Quickshot, and rejetted it. The amount of upgrades available is unreal. And everyone has parts for it.
Very well built bike. No quirks. Just a solid package. But it was heavy for tight trails. I would love to have one IF I only rode desert or open trails. Tight stuff will slow you down compared to a small bore bike.
I only needed to adjust the valves once. But that is something that comes with a 4stroke. When you do maintenance, there are videos galour for Honda's online.

I would buy another 450X.

I had an '03 WR450 before this bike. Hands down, the Honda was far better. More power, not as bulky, better looking.

 

[oregonsage]

I have owned two CRF450Xs a 05 and and 08. As others have said for some reason they both felt more cumbersome/heavy than they should (and I am a big guy). They arent bad bikes and a real bargain might make one worthwhile, but I am glad I switched to Husky.

My 05 was very hard to start when new but eventually got a bit better. The suspension was no place near what it ought to be for fast trail/GP riding ... my TE610 handles better off road.

The 08 ran better but the suspension was still in serious need of upgrades.

Changing the air filter on a cold day at the track is one of the most excruciating things you can do with 30 minutes of you life. It once took 3 of us taking turns to finally get the thing lined up and seated and we all had frozen fingers by the time we were done... those KTM riders helping still make jokes about it.

 

[pvduke]

i'd entertain getting a used hoosk...or a left over for a little more than yer price range. if ya find a used husky you can yank the rocker cover and header pipe on a husky 4t in less than 15 mins for a quick check of cams, valve cleanrance, guide conditions and the plug. if the owner wont do it for ya then he's never done it (its stupid easy) and prob aint done it, so walk if he aint got bullet proof service records. good luck with anything else. esp since the TE is race ready and street legal. id get one of them before any honda. the honda's worthy and proven but the TE (or TXC for that matter) is a whole 'nother level and 'll flat smoke it... just my .02.