WR owner opinions of CRF450X?

[WRider995]

I was checking out Honda's site and saw their x version of the 450 is out. Anyone have any comparisons with the WR's as far as suspension, power, gearing, lighting? I saw that the weight is coming in at 255lbs, which seems a bit heavy for that bike. And that's before a Dual Sport kit is added. Are these choked down like the WR's are? I wonder how the gearing compares to the WR. I'll probably stay blue for at least another year regardless. Old blue is just rock steady in her performance. Gotta love her!

[Chevy_Cowboy]

I'm glad to see some competition for the WR from honda (finally), competition will only make both bikes stronger, but the 450X wouldnt have changed my mind if there would have been one sitting beside my wr450 in the showroom.

The 450X is heavier than the WR and it has the same valves that have caused all sorts of problems for CRF owners, its also more expensive than its blue counterpart. I also wouldn't touch a first model year of anything... its bound to have plenty of bugs that need to be worked out.

The 450X might be a feasable option in 5 or 6 years when its time to replace the WR... but for now I'm glad I went blue ?

[DIGITAL_SOLDIER]

I have owned two WR's in the last 4 years and I'll admit that I'm a little biased. The only gripe I've got with Yamaha is that they (STILL) won't make the bike with a sixth gear. I can dream can't I?

Anyway, I'm going to have to agree with Cowboy on buying anything first year. (I'm still a little peaved that I had to drop $250 for the '04 starter upgrade) First year stuff is a gamble. Now as far as Honda goes, the only other manufacturer that's tempted me so far is the Great Pumpkin (KTM) They have some solid bikes, but I'm just not sold yet.

I have some hangups with Honda. I sell Honda marine equipment for a living, and I have to say they are really taking a dump lately. They are just soooo slow to react to market needs and changes that it's pathetic. (ie: no fuel injected motors 90hp and below. Suzuki rose from nothing and is mopping the floor with them in the marine business.)Honda used to rule the outboard world, now we can't give them away because they are huge, heavy, carburated, and slow.

Enough on outboards. Now for the motorcycles, I know I'm going to start a crap storm here but even Honda die hards will agree, the XR400, 650L, XR250. Those bikes haven't changed since I was in high school! (many moons ago ?) AIR COOLED! Give me a break. Give me a disc brake! That's a new one to Honda too. They change the graphic every so often, but who cares. Those bikes are so technologically behind the times it's almost sad. ?

Now my point,(you were starting to wonder weren't you) is that I have a hard time putting money into a company that is so reluctant to change, adapt, or modify things to what the current market demands. Yamaha is no saint, but they should get some credits for listening to what a few of us said we didn't like on the WR 426. Two years later, just about every (petty) gripe was addressed.(and some new ones surfaced) But at least their ears are open to probably a small market segment of what actually makes money for them.

I rode a Crf450 and thought it was awesome. The X won't be too different. Just in the grand scheme of things, I want to buy a bike from the company that has a vested interest in the sport, technology, and the riders.

out,

JB

[blireef]

No first year bikes for me either, like you say I'm still pissed that I had to pay to fix Yamaha's bad starter system on the 03. I like my WR. ?

[YamahaSteve]

I am a bit biased here too since I am a blue rider myself. I think it is greta they made a CRFX450. They needed to do it. Would I buy one? No way. My WR450 is kicking a$$ and taking names is rock solid. Tons of power too. I couldn't imagine spending an extra 500 on it right off the top for the honda (7000 bucks for it!!). I think if you boil it down, the CRFX and WR series are pretty much identical, but big blue still has my dollar and probably will for awhile.

[NOMADAK]

Yep, Ole Honda is right on the cutting edge ?! Only took them 5-6 years to put out a modern 4 stroke woods bike after Yamaha led the way!

my opinion of the CRF450x ?, they look like good traction for my WR450F ?

[Indy_WR450]

I could not afford to maintain the CRF450X with the high mileage I do on my Yamaha. The Honda seems to eat pistons, rings and valves. Honda seems to think this is OK since it is a high performance machine? The Yamaha motor is a real solid design that can take high mileage off road use. ?

[ddialogue]

Are you over 10,000 miles yet Indy?? I'm sure the Honda wouldn't go that far without major maintenance and repairs... ?

[Indy_WR450]

I am at 9,584. miles right now! ? I have only had to do my valves twice. They are due for a third clearance adjustment after Moab! ?? :cry: ? :cry:?

It seems like 3000 miles is the ticket for valve clearances for my lugging riding style. I rev the engine only if I need the power for sand or hill climbs. Otherwise I just ride with momentum and short shift since it saves energy and lets me do 200 - 250 mile weekends. I am very pleased with the overall engine performance combined with the reliable engine design (sans 03 starter flaw).? I ride with some that have a CRF450 and cant believe what maintenance and rebuilds they have on there bikes!?

High maintainence has a color baby, and it is RED!?

[ddialogue]

High maintainence has a color baby, and it is RED! ?

? :cry: ? :cry:

[Chevy_Cowboy]

High maintainence has a color baby, and it is RED! ?

Yet a couple times a day on TT I see at least one person mention Honda's (supossed) "legendary reliability" ? :cry:

From what I've seen and heard from other riders, honda is closer to the bottom of the reliability list than the top.

I know on my 2 old Honda XL's I had a system that worked pretty good for me, it was "don't ride any farther than I'm willing to walk back"

[nofear14]

High maintainence has a color baby, and it is RED! ?

Yet a couple times a day on TT I see at least one person mention Honda's (supossed) "legendary reliability" ? :cry:

From what I've seen and heard from other riders, honda is closer to the bottom of the reliability list than the top.

I know on my 2 old Honda XL's I had a system that worked pretty good for me, it was "don't ride any farther than I'm willing to walk back"

i dont have a bike yet (i am getting the wr450f) but i have a honda 400ex quad and i have had to re-build the top end, new piston, new valves, new valve springs, everything and that was only after owning it for one year, and now 2 months after that i had to get a new timing chain, new timing adjuster, and another new piston,and another set of new valves, and now i broke the end off the shaft the shifter goes on when i shifted down into 4th going into a corner, i never ride any farther than i am willng to push my quad back ( i have had to push it back 3 times now, and not from running out of gas). but when my honda works it rips

[jhteneyck]

I just came to Blue after riding XR's, KTM's etc. Blue bike are proven for sure...I just wish I would have realized what I was missing all these years. I too have friends that ride CRF's and they are ALL doing valves about every 15 hours or so. Some have gone a s far as to pull the titanium valves out and replaced with steel. They claim to do it for reliablity reasons... Yamaha makes a reliable bike from the start. No way would I go buy a 1st year model. Not cars, trucks etc. Stay blue and you will ride more and wrench less. ?

[nofear14]

man i would be re doing my valves every 2 and a 1/4 days

[huntmaster]

High maintainence has a color baby, and it is RED!

I thought that colour was Orange? Besides, you might actually wan't to wait untill the bike actually exists before determining it's reliability and servicability record! As long as the manufacturers are going to use 450 MX bikes as the basis for their off-road mounts they are going to run that risk. ?

[beezer]

The bike is based on a bike that has valve problems. It probably use the same cylinder head and valve train. I have a buddy that has 2 CRF450's and 2 CRF250's that he and his kids ride. He premixes 100 to 1 927 Maxima castor to keep valve problems to a minimum. Otherwise he would have no time or money.

[Oasis_Flame]

Yes, Honda 2 smoke. No, Honda 4 stroke. I'll keep the blue. ?

[simch]

I would agree, I'd only ever have a red two stroke, but although the 450 crf is a ncie bit of kit to ride, all the owners I knwo have had valve trouble or are very wary of it!!

[jaggley]

I love my '04 WR450F.

But i gotta say, a couple of replys bashed the XRs and Honda. I have owned 3 XRs and a CR and no bike at the times compared to the reliability of a Honda. I can't count how many times i towed my friend's junky suzukis, yamahas or kows back to their houses and then went back riding on my XR. in the 80s and early ninties Honda was untouchable, and even today, the XR is absolutely the most reliable bike made. My brother's '01 XR400R is heavier, a little slower and a bit ancient compared to my WR, but i will bet he will never open up his engine for anything other than a clutch replacement.

[ETP]

I have owned 2 XRs for a total of 12 years riding. If not for the wieght and handling, I would still be riding one. They are rock solid machines.

Love my WR450 though, and with a few more years of performance, it may rate as my new all time favorite. ?