03 CRF450R vs 76 RM370

[Hondaridercrf450r]

A while back an old buddy of mine challenged me(after many beers) to a 0-60 drag race with his vintage 1976 RM370 against my 03 CRF450R for $100. He also made the same bet with two other friends, one with another CRF450R same as mine and a new 06 RMZ450, $100 each!! He said all he needed was a CDI box for the old RM370 so I went on Ebay and found and bought him one. I went over to his place and we pulled the old RM370 out of the back shed in which it had been buried under piles of old pedal bikes and other junk for many years. We will soon try to get the old girl to fire up and do the race. I know those old 2 strokes have balls but I dont think he has a hope in hell of beating us, what do you guys think? I will let you all know the results if we ever get this old relic running!

[utemachine]

This sounds like a good one. Those old two smokes hit like a jack hammer, but not a chance of beating your CRF. I'd pay a buck to see the race, keep us posted.

[coolbikeguy]

A while back an old buddy of mine challenged me(after many beers) to a 0-60 drag race with his vintage 1976 RM370 against my 03 CRF450R for $100. He also made the same bet with two other friends, one with another CRF450R same as mine and a new 06 RMZ450, $100 each!! He said all he needed was a CDI box for the old RM370 so I went on Ebay and found and bought him one. I went over to his place and we pulled the old RM370 out of the back shed in which it had been buried under piles of old pedal bikes and other junk for many years. We will soon try to get the old girl to fire up and do the race. I know those old 2 strokes have balls but I dont think he has a hope in hell of beating us, what do you guys think? I will let you all know the results if we ever get this old relic running!

im not saying hes gonna run your 450 down but ... if its a properly running 370, u may be surprised how close he is when the race is over.... scott

[ndekens]

im not saying hes gonna run your 450 down but ... if its a properly running 370, u may be surprised how close he is when the race is over.... scott

Provided he dosnt throw the rod through the case. ...reminds me of when my uncle thought he could ride his old 71' sl350 like he did way back when. It resulted in a new way to drain the oil.

[El Marko]

Depends on the distance you're racing and how good your buddy he is. A good 2-stroke, old or not, will come out of the hole a helluva lot quicker than a 450.

Until I joined the thumper ranks, I was holeshotting all the 400/426/450s by significant distances with a 2001 CR250. I'm a good starter and that bike would rocket out of the hole. It hooked up immediately, with no wheelspin, no wheelies and just blasted out of the gate if you did things right.

But it all depends on distance. On really long starts, I'd get nipped right before the 1st turn as the 450s motors hit their sweet spot.

Finally, some of the old 2-strokes are very light compared to modern iron. Especially the RMs. Basic physics come in to play as less mass to get moving.

If you want to win the bet, make it a LONG straightaway. No way to do it by estimating speed anyhow.

Hmmmmm . . . remind me to do some test runs with my 81 490 Maico against buddies' 450s this summer. Could be interesting.

[motoxracer476]

i think you got him just compair the difference between 2stroke 250 n 4 stoke 450 amazing difference

[crf-f crf-r trx cbr]

my buddies 89 yz 490 beat my 03 until he put a steeper sprocket in the back

[Hondaridercrf450r]

Well I guess I better practice my take offs because there is no way I will allow that old RM370 to beat my CRF450R. The only way he will beat me is if he gets an awesome holeshot on me and even then I think my CRF will run him down.

[AJTowers]

I've ridden a friends old yz490, because all he and his buddies would talk about was how fast it was, and how much bottom end "grunt" it had. It was quick, but I dont think it'd take my 450. And doesn't have nearly the bottom end the 450 has either. I'm sure back in the day they were the cat's pajamas, but the technology in today's bikes makes them so much better.

[wheelymaple]

if that old RM has been sitting it will need more than an ignition im afraid. I also have an 81 Maico 490 and it is competitive with the 450......until its time to brake!!!!!!!!! Good luck with the "race" I think you can start spending the money now.

[NVDESERTPETE]

I used to own a RM370 back in "76". I bought it used with about two hours on it down in San Diego when I was stationed there. The guy I bought it from had blown most of fingers off his right hand and had one of his toes transplanted as a thumb. Just couldn't hang on anymore and ride the way he wanted to. Anyway I think straight line the RM370 has a good chance to win if he keeps it on the pipe. If the guy on the RM370 has to catch more than about ten feet of air he's probably going to die! I ride an 05RMZ450 and my son rides a CRF250R

[Stroked]

I love a good OL drag race! You should smoke him, If you fall behind watch out for fallen parts.

[crf-f crf-r trx cbr]

honest-----my buddy smoked me on my 03 crf450 with a 490....well he didn't smoke me but i admit he won.......490's rip but handle like pigs

[T.RexRacing]

I have an '80 YZ465.It's very fast.Until the first corner where the brakes and 30* steering head angle take over.I used to race it against YZ400's and CR 250's.No problem on the straights.I have a picture my ex took of me passing a YZ426 at Antietam before the track closed.I think I'll ride the YZ this weekend to remind me how good I have it now.

[xxXXDeathXXxx]

I drag raced my buddies many times with my '86 CR500 and would blast em every time and wasn't really that close. Of course I had done quite a bit to the old CR motor and has the advantage of more displacement than the 370 not to mention the watercooling. One was an '03 CRF450 the other was an'01 YZF426 I believe. After I rode both of them I went and got my own 450. I am now much faster everywhere but drag racing so it was a great tradeoff for me.

[Hondaridercrf450r]

A while back an old buddy of mine challenged me(after many beers) to a 0-60 drag race with his vintage 1976 RM370 against my 03 CRF450R for $100. He also made the same bet with two other friends, one with another CRF450R same as mine and a new 06 RMZ450, $100 each!! He said all he needed was a CDI box for the old RM370 so I went on Ebay and found and bought him one. I went over to his place and we pulled the old RM370 out of the back shed in which it had been buried under piles of old pedal bikes and other junk for many years. We will soon try to get the old girl to fire up and do the race. I know those old 2 strokes have balls but I dont think he has a hope in hell of beating us, what do you guys think? I will let you all know the results if we ever get this old relic running!

Well yesterday we got the old 370 running and drag raced my 03 CRF450R, I blew him off the map over and over again with my CRF. I even gave him a 3 bike length head start and smoked him. I took the old 370 for a rip and it was a blast from the past, brought back a lot of memories of the old days when those bikes ruled the planet. This RM370 ran like a top, has tons of compression but was no match for the 450R.

[utemachine]

Thanks for posting an update, I was curious whatever happened to your race. I knew it wouldn't be much of a race. Good times!

[Joe Dizzle]

Good work Hondarider...

I know a guy up here in Montana, older guys, who is always rapping about how fast his Yamaha V-Max is. Quote, "Once you get up on the V-Boost its all over for any sportbike out there!" I said oh really? He continues to go on and on about how much machine it really is and thats why Yamaha quit making them, for saftey reasons! Anyway, I told him any time you are ready my CBR929RR is set to blow the paint off your V-Max.

He has yet to take the offer. After a number of years, some old guys think they were faster then they actually were. Fish tale kind of deal. Either that or they have no clue where the years since their days have taken motorcycling.

It would be like me saying to a good rider that my 929 could eat up his GSXR1000 or CBR1000 or YZF R-1 etc. My 929 is and was a good machine but in only 7 years it has around 25~30 HP less at the tire. It just isn't going to happen.

JD

[utemachine]

Good work Hondarider...

I know a guy up here in Montana, older guys, who is always rapping about how fast his Yamaha V-Max is. Quote, "Once you get up on the V-Boost its all over for any sportbike out there!" I said oh really? He continues to go on and on about how much machine it really is and thats why Yamaha quit making them, for saftey reasons! Anyway, I told him any time you are ready my CBR929RR is set to blow the paint off your V-Max.

He has yet to take the offer. After a number of years, some old guys think they were faster then they actually were. Fish tale kind of deal. Either that or they have no clue where the years since their days have taken motorcycling.

It would be like me saying to a good rider that my 929 could eat up his GSXR1000 or CBR1000 or YZF R-1 etc. My 929 is and was a good machine but in only 7 years it has around 25~30 HP less at the tire. It just isn't going to happen.

JD

Hence the old saying, "The older I get, the faster I was."

[Shawn_Mc]

Good work Hondarider...

I know a guy up here in Montana, older guys, who is always rapping about how fast his Yamaha V-Max is. Quote, "Once you get up on the V-Boost its all over for any sportbike out there!" I said oh really? He continues to go on and on about how much machine it really is and thats why Yamaha quit making them, for saftey reasons! Anyway, I told him any time you are ready my CBR929RR is set to blow the paint off your V-Max.

He has yet to take the offer. After a number of years, some old guys think they were faster then they actually were. Fish tale kind of deal. Either that or they have no clue where the years since their days have taken motorcycling.

It would be like me saying to a good rider that my 929 could eat up his GSXR1000 or CBR1000 or YZF R-1 etc. My 929 is and was a good machine but in only 7 years it has around 25~30 HP less at the tire. It just isn't going to happen.

JD

I dunno man, those V-Max's run like hell from light to light.