2022 450X for woods

[woodsguy2000]

I made the mistake of selling my 2021 450RX,  looking for a replacement. New Hondas are slim pickings around here, but the 450X is available. It's heavier than I like but is set up nice. Anyone running single track, Texas style, lol? My main riding spot is Cycleland in Nacogdoches if you're in this area. 60 miles of varied terrain, now nothing like Colorado. But most is a low 15mph average or so for me. Some sections faster but not by much. Some are pretty technical and might drop to 13 or so average. Unlike the Sam Houston national Forest, my other riding spot when open, we only have a couple of sections with excessive sand and whoops. National forest is much faster, 20+ average. Most of ours is  nice dirt or hard packed. Just wondering how the bike works between the weight difference and little less power than the RX I sold. I know it's a tough question, but little insight appreciated. I've had a couple of X's but think the last was 2012 or so. Bike worked well for me except the national forest whoops. 

[amcjen]

40 minutes ago, woodsguy2000 said:

I made the mistake of selling my 2021 450RX,  looking for a replacement. New Hondas are slim pickings around here, but the 450X is available. It's heavier than I like but is set up nice. Anyone running single track, Texas style, lol? My main riding spot is Cycleland in Nacogdoches if you're in this area. 60 miles of varied terrain, now nothing like Colorado. But most is a low 15mph average or so for me. Some sections faster but not by much. Some are pretty technical and might drop to 13 or so average. Unlike the Sam Houston national Forest, my other riding spot when open, we only have a couple of sections with excessive sand and whoops. National forest is much faster, 20+ average. Most of ours is  nice dirt or hard packed. Just wondering how the bike works between the weight difference and little less power than the RX I sold. I know it's a tough question, but little insight appreciated. I've had a couple of X's but think the last was 2012 or so. Bike worked well for me except the national forest whoops. 

Not exactly a direct comparison, but I have a Gen 1 450X (2009) and a 2019 450RX.  And from what I'm told, the Gen 2 450X is slightly heavier than the Gen 1, so hopefully pretty similar comparisons can be made--sixth gear and FI notwithstanding.

The 450RX will be better in almost every way in the tight stuff--except for one really important area, power delivery. The RX is such a rambunctious bike with regards to the throttle, that you really need to be slipping the clutch constantly in the slow stuff. Not necessarily bad, just that the gearing is so short and the power hit is so strong, it doesn't really just cruise much.  I run a Rekluse in mine so I can deal with the tight stuff better, and I still find myself using the clutch b/c the power hit engages the auto clutch so fast.  (As an aside, a Rekluse while still using the clutch lever normally is pretty much the perfect setup for me--full control of power engagement in turns and tight sections, and ability to virtually eliminate stalls on the extreme stuff, but I digress.)

The 450X does have that really nice tractor-ability, and I miss that a bit when racing the RX in hare scrambles out west. And the 450X also has that great sixth gear (which you may not be using much it sounds like). But it's so much heavier.  I used to hare scramble my X and now I just do the really fast desert races with it. That's where it absolutely shines.

So with the power hit the RX gives, and the weight the X has, I'd still vote RX for the tight stuff. The weight difference is remarkable while riding. Even a 250RX would be pretty stellar, though I've become addicted to the 450 power for better or worse.  HTH!

Edited September 13, 2021 by amcjen

[amcjen]

1 minute ago, amcjen said:

The RX is such a rambunctious bike with regards to the throttle, that you really need to be slipping the clutch constantly in the slow stuff. Not necessarily bad, just that the gearing is so short and the power hit is so strong, it doesn't really just cruise much. 

Forgot to mention, there's a shop out west that recuts the RX cam and remaps the ECU to make it a bit more "X" style. I'm just about to pull the trigger on that, excited to get the best of both worlds of the RX and X, you may consider that as well.

[woodsguy2000]

The RX hit is a lot for my area but weight bothers me. We constantly have new trees down that sometimes have to manhandle over. And the occasional dropsies.  Lol. Thanks. The RX is available here, just hate buying one after being dumb and selling mine. Long story.  Lol

[amcjen]

10 minutes ago, woodsguy2000 said:

The RX hit is a lot for my area but weight bothers me. We constantly have new trees down that sometimes have to manhandle over. And the occasional dropsies.  Lol. Thanks. The RX is available here, just hate buying one after being dumb and selling mine. Long story.  Lol

No I getchu. We've all made those regret sells before.

But if you're thinking the RX is already heavy, you're really not going to like the X.  ~25 lbs difference between the two.

[APK]

I can’t make a comparison to the RX, but I really enjoy my gen 1 X as a do everything bike here in southwest Colorado. I ride mostly singletrack in the National forest, but also get into double track and some sand/slick rock in New Mexico and Utah. It’s my first big bore thumper since I started riding as a kid. Took some getting used to the power but once you do it’s totally manageable in the woods. I don’t really struggle with the weight/size as I’m 6’5” and 210#.  The truth is that there are a million different bikes out there, and most are specialty use. For me it’s important to pick a bike and learn to ride it as well as I can. You’ll be suprised at what you can do on just about any bike I you’re a solid rider. 

[woodsguy2000]

1 hour ago, amcjen said:

No I getchu. We've all made those regret sells before.

But if you're thinking the RX is already heavy, you're really not going to like the X.  ~25 lbs difference between the two.

Really don't think the RX is especially heavy, it is compared to KTM, but it is very snappy on the bottom end. And yes the 25#'s really bothers me. 

[woodsguy2000]

Does the 2022 have sufficient power without pipe/ecu? I don't like messing with that. The smooth power is one draw!

Edited September 14, 2021 by woodsguy2000

[woodsguy2000]

FWIW, I went with a 2022 450R, it'll be here Thursday. 

[WoodsRERider]

Anyone know how the X handles in say the NE tight stuff? I mainly ride 1-3 gear type stuff but do the occasional race. Does the X tractor like the XR4?

[StewPidass0]

On 10/7/2021 at 5:39 PM, WoodsRERider said:

Anyone know how the X handles in say the NE tight stuff? I mainly ride 1-3 gear type stuff but do the occasional race. Does the X tractor like the XR4?

I ride trails in OH/WV/PA & usually only in 1st - 3rd...handles it all really well.  1st is def like a low gear on a semi...will just chug right up anything I can find.

 

[WoodsRERider]

21 hours ago, StewPidass0 said:

I ride trails in OH/WV/PA & usually only in 1st - 3rd...handles it all really well.  1st is def like a low gear on a semi...will just chug right up anything I can find.

 

Thanks for the reply. I take it no overheating issues? 

[StewPidass0]

2 hours ago, WoodsRERider said:

Thanks for the reply. I take it no overheating issues? 

I had some overheating issues on really hot days if going super slow...I put a TrailTech fan kit on it (fabbed up an aluminum bracket) & no issues since.

[WoodsRERider]

On 10/12/2021 at 12:41 PM, StewPidass0 said:

I had some overheating issues on really hot days if going super slow...I put a TrailTech fan kit on it (fabbed up an aluminum bracket) & no issues since.

Reason I ask about overheating is I’m considering the 450X or CRF250F. I currently ride a KDX220R and xr200 and do a lot of 1-3 gear woods riding. 250F will be bulletproof with mediocre suspension but I feel I’d want something more XR400ish, like 450X

[StewPidass0]

3 hours ago, WoodsRERider said:

Reason I ask about overheating is I’m considering the 450X or CRF250F. I currently ride a KDX220R and xr200 and do a lot of 1-3 gear woods riding. 250F will be bulletproof with mediocre suspension but I feel I’d want something more XR400ish, like 450X

My son has a CRF250F & does pretty good on the trails...too underpowered for me but he loves it.