Thinking of a 450X, among others :)

[Sycamore]

I'm looking for some OPEN MINDED HONDA folks that can give me the good the bad and the ugly on the 450x. Please don't tell all the wonderful things about it, be honest as no bike is perfect.

I'm looking for a bike that will get at least 40+ mpg doing mostly fire roads with singletrack thrown in. Nothing crazy, high speed or whatever, just some adventure riding with not more then an hour on a paved road at any given time.

How often do you check the valves? I've read 20 hours.

How long typically before you need to adjust them? I'm hearing 200 hours.

How long before a topend is needed?

About how much does a top end cost?

[surf2snow1]

I'm in the same boat. Any help honda guys?

[supertech671]

Syc, I saw your other posts in this forum, and this is the best answer I think I can give you:

Ride what makes you happy! Check your buddies on there bikes and try riding them, whatever bike you like best will be the bike for you. Doesnt really matter on valves or anything like that. Because when it comes down to it, maintenance wise ALL bikes have there flaws. And all bikes are going to have there little quirks when it comes to maintenance. It's really what that bike feels like to you when your on it. Red, Green, Orange, Blue it doesn't matter as long as at the end of the day there is a smile that can't be wiped off!!! Just my 2 cents...Ride on! and Ride Hard!

[cubera]

http://oem.thumpertalk.com/2005CRF450Xindex.aspx

OEM Honda parts are generally very reasonable, easy to find, and of the highest quality.

For your stated use, you'd be best off with a dual sported 650R. 450X, like all high strung modern single cylinder 4-strokes (including the Euro bikes) needs maintenance which includes top end work.

We've covered this before, Syc....Are you not being told good things on the Yamaha and KTM forums?

[Tattooart]

Syc, I saw your other posts in this forum, and this is the best answer I think I can give you:

Ride what makes you happy! Check your buddies on there bikes and try riding them, whatever bike you like best will be the bike for you. Doesnt really matter on valves or anything like that. Because when it comes down to it, maintenance wise ALL bikes have there flaws. And all bikes are going to have there little quirks when it comes to maintenance. It's really what that bike feels like to you when your on it. Red, Green, Orange, Blue it doesn't matter as long as at the end of the day there is a smile that can't be wiped off!!! Just my 2 cents...Ride on! and Ride Hard!

That is a damn good post!

But to answer your questions honestly. I love honda's and always have but because I ride so much and beat the piss out of bikes I am always doing something to them, whether it be a honda,yamaha,ktm, they all will have their quirks to them.

Valve checks I do mine every 15 hours or somewhere around there.

I did not have to adjust mine till 300+hours but then I needed a topend.

A top-end can cost very little if you do the work yourself, as little as 300-400 dollars. If you pay someone to do it I would expect with machine work the price tag could be close to 1000.00 or maybe a little less.

Bottom line is go out and ride one of your buddies bikes if they have any of these and see which one fits you.

[cubera]

Excellent measured and reasoned replies, Tattoo and supertech671.

[BaileyAZ]

I choose my 450X for a couple of reasons:

*I like Honda's and have always had good luck with them.

*Better resale value.

*Both of my riding buddies have the same bike, so finding or borrowing parts in a pinch may not be as much of an issue, especially on the traill.

*I originally wanted an "R", but the price on the "X" was right and I could not pass it up.

*Maintaince is no different than any other high performance 4 stroke (as stated above).

Hope this helps.

[curly7]

Excellent measured and reasoned replies, Tattoo and supertech671.

I'm so proud to be on this forum. Everyone is so mature, sincere, truthful ect...it brings a tear to my eye.?

Given your riding area absent allot of technical stuff. I would look at the 650R also. There are allot of great bikes out there, find one that suits you and your ride environment.

[Tattooart]

http://oem.thumpertalk.com/2005CRF450Xindex.aspx

OEM Honda parts are generally very reasonable, easy to find, and of the highest quality.

For your stated use, you'd be best off with a dual sported 650R. 450X, like all high strung modern single cylinder 4-strokes (including the Euro bikes) needs maintenance which includes top end work.

We've covered this before, Syc....Are you not being told good things on the Yamaha and KTM forums?

Very true!

I'm so proud to be on this forum. Everyone is so mature, sincere, truthful ect...it brings a tear to my eye.?

Given your riding area absent allot of technical stuff. I would look at the 650R also. There are allot of great bikes out there, find one that suits you and your ride environment.

?

[rkwfxd1]

Hey Syc,

I too am shopping for a new bike. I m a big Honda fan but the horror stories about valves initially scared me off. I do not believe I would have a problem with the valves, especially with the way I ride as I am pretty easy on my bikes and keep up on the maintainence. However, I am still concerned about the power "hit" of the 450x and I am not convinced I would like it for trail riding. My opinion is that Honda has the best fit and finish and overall the highest quality product out there.

I looked at the WR450. To my eye it looks like it was forged in the old iron curtain Russia. Poor fit and finish. I also don't like the 1/2 throttle stop that comes stop. If I modify that a ranger can easily detect it and send me home. On other bikes I believe I could re-jet / tune them and it would be un or at least less detectable.

I also looked at the KLX450R. Man I love that bike. Fit and finish is not quite as good as Honda but way better than the WR and it has received fantastic reviews so far. Pretty much my only concnern now is how will it hold up in the long run. It has only been out a few months and I would like to see if an problems arise. So far the only one I have found was a weak battery that was the result of dealers no fully charging them before delivery. I sat on this bike today and just about fell in love with it. Until I turned my head....

...and saw the KTM525 WXC. This has been my dream bike for several years. Nothing but to quality parts. I have riden a coupld of them and love them. I like the fact that they have screw tappets for the valves as it makes adjustments easier. The bike has been out for a few years now and has proven very reliable.

So, even though I am a Honda fan, and I totally dig the Kawi, I think I am going to wait a couple more months and see if a new 2008 KTM 530 will fit in my garage.

Good luck because I'm sure none of this helped.

[cubera]

450X will be running long after the crank falls out of the KTM. I have yet to see a clutch last on any WR or a cam chain last on any Kawi....to each his own.

[lowridin]

Syc, another opinion, I started riding dirtbikes in 1980 and have riden several, Honda, Kawi, Suzuki, and Yamaha and liked them all. They are all good bikes so no matter which one you buy it will probably be a great bike. I have always been partial to Honda and they have rarely let me down. My bike is a motard and I ride it everyday! I have done many mods and it has been a rock for me so far. My computer has logged @ 2000 miles on it with no major repairs so far, knock on wood. I ride it hard and fast (it's really hard not to) and I change the oil about every 300 miles or so. For me it was the right choice, and for you it would probably be as well. I have to agree with the others above and think that you should try any and all bikes that you can to see which one fits you the best. Good luck!

[FORMA MOTO]

Honda: sensitive to suspension tuning, Valves can be abused

KTM: funky kickstands, bottom end bearings, rear shock tuning, expensive

parts.

Yamaha: Clutch, clutch, clutch, clunky, clunky feel.

Kawi: cam chain, cam chain tensioner, gearbox, etc

.....my 3 cents

[Sycamore]

Syc, I saw your other posts in this forum, and this is the best answer I think I can give you:

Ride what makes you happy! Check your buddies on there bikes and try riding them, whatever bike you like best will be the bike for you. Doesnt really matter on valves or anything like that. Because when it comes down to it, maintenance wise ALL bikes have there flaws. And all bikes are going to have there little quirks when it comes to maintenance. It's really what that bike feels like to you when your on it. Red, Green, Orange, Blue it doesn't matter as long as at the end of the day there is a smile that can't be wiped off!!! Just my 2 cents...Ride on! and Ride Hard!

Truer words have not been spoken, thanks for yours.

I wish I could ride them. I know no one close to me with an x, or a 450/525 KTM or any other 4 stroke for that matter. Only my buds WR400 and 450 and they both feel REAL good so test riding 4 strokes are tuff since just about 100% ride 2 strokes in our gnarly single track. I do see people I don't know riding them but hate to ask a stranger to ride his..although I'm sure they wouldn't mind trying out my CR500AF. Anyway that's why I'm posting here to get the info I don't have.

My thing is I don't have much time to mess with a lot of maintenance so if a bike has more then another I would pass on it even if it were a superior machine. Maybe I should get an XR650R but would rather not if possible. If they are all about the same and no big deal then heck I'll just pick one:thumbsup:

Thanks again for your input.

[Sycamore]

That is a damn good post!

But to answer your questions honestly. I love honda's and always have but because I ride so much and beat the piss out of bikes I am always doing something to them, whether it be a honda,yamaha,ktm, they all will have their quirks to them.

Valve checks I do mine every 15 hours or somewhere around there.

I did not have to adjust mine till 300+hours but then I needed a topend.

A top-end can cost very little if you do the work yourself, as little as 300-400 dollars. If you pay someone to do it I would expect with machine work the price tag could be close to 1000.00 or maybe a little less.

Bottom line is go out and ride one of your buddies bikes if they have any of these and see which one fits you.

Great info, EXACTLY the kind I was looking for!!! Thanks.

[spydermat]

Hey Syc,

I agree with Tattoo on the hours to check. The 450X is a pretty tough machine. I look after 2 450x's in Australia for 2 enduro racers, and the conditions here are tough. Our dust is like Baja silt!! That's the number one valve destroyer and we are on the original valves after a full season of HARD riding, and 1 top end.

The new KLX450s are good, but not as good in the fuel mileage, due to a smaller tank. They also boil over quicker because the radiators are the same ones off the KX450. Hard to do though. This bike is more race orientated than the CRF, harder suspension and narrower. The CRF will be more comfortable over long and rough rides.

Hope this helps

[Sycamore]

I'm so proud to be on this forum. Everyone is so mature, sincere, truthful ect...it brings a tear to my eye.?

Given your riding area absent allot of technical stuff. I would look at the 650R also. There are allot of great bikes out there, find one that suits you and your ride environment.

We have some of the most techical stuff anywhere, no kidding. I want the bike to be able to do it but it's not all I want to do with it. Fire roads, light street work, and easy and technical single track. I would perfer not to get a xr650, but the ARE AWESOME bikes!!

I love 2 strokes but 4 strokes are VERY versitile for what I'm hoping to do.?

[Sycamore]

Hey Syc,

I too am shopping for a new bike. I m a big Honda fan but the horror stories about valves initially scared me off. I do not believe I would have a problem with the valves, especially with the way I ride as I am pretty easy on my bikes and keep up on the maintainence. However, I am still concerned about the power "hit" of the 450x and I am not convinced I would like it for trail riding. My opinion is that Honda has the best fit and finish and overall the highest quality product out there.

I looked at the WR450. To my eye it looks like it was forged in the old iron curtain Russia. Poor fit and finish. I also don't like the 1/2 throttle stop that comes stop. If I modify that a ranger can easily detect it and send me home. On other bikes I believe I could re-jet / tune them and it would be un or at least less detectable.

I also looked at the KLX450R. Man I love that bike. Fit and finish is not quite as good as Honda but way better than the WR and it has received fantastic reviews so far. Pretty much my only concnern now is how will it hold up in the long run. It has only been out a few months and I would like to see if an problems arise. So far the only one I have found was a weak battery that was the result of dealers no fully charging them before delivery. I sat on this bike today and just about fell in love with it. Until I turned my head....

...and saw the KTM525 WXC. This has been my dream bike for several years. Nothing but to quality parts. I have riden a coupld of them and love them. I like the fact that they have screw tappets for the valves as it makes adjustments easier. The bike has been out for a few years now and has proven very reliable.

So, even though I am a Honda fan, and I totally dig the Kawi, I think I am going to wait a couple more months and see if a new 2008 KTM 530 will fit in my garage.

Good luck because I'm sure none of this helped.

You sound just like me..maybe there's too many choices out there ?

My buddy has the wr450 and a wr400...it may and does look like it came from the iron curtain but it also lasts like iron too. He and others I know with them sware by them as being rock solid.

I too am looking at the 08 KTM and they look super cool!! I need to know if they fixed their stupid gas cap issue and what gas capacity they have as there are NO after market tanks available.

[Sycamore]

Syc, another opinion, I started riding dirtbikes in 1980 and have riden several, Honda, Kawi, Suzuki, and Yamaha and liked them all. They are all good bikes so no matter which one you buy it will probably be a great bike. I have always been partial to Honda and they have rarely let me down. My bike is a motard and I ride it everyday! I have done many mods and it has been a rock for me so far. My computer has logged @ 2000 miles on it with no major repairs so far, knock on wood. I ride it hard and fast (it's really hard not to) and I change the oil about every 300 miles or so. For me it was the right choice, and for you it would probably be as well. I have to agree with the others above and think that you should try any and all bikes that you can to see which one fits you the best. Good luck!

Riding your Honda every day says alot about the bike and is good info thanks. Honda IMO looks good LONG after the other bikes look like crap,,especially the Yamahas. Don't get me wrong, I love em but I think that blue plastic has to go!! Still I wouldn't rule a yammie out but the Honda's look like works of art, no kidding. My CR500AF has logged zillions of hard ST rides and races and still shines up real nice. Hat's off Honda!!

[Sycamore]

Hey Syc,

I agree with Tattoo on the hours to check. The 450X is a pretty tough machine. I look after 2 450x's in Australia for 2 enduro racers, and the conditions here are tough. Our dust is like Baja silt!! That's the number one valve destroyer and we are on the original valves after a full season of HARD riding, and 1 top end.

The new KLX450s are good, but not as good in the fuel mileage, due to a smaller tank. They also boil over quicker because the radiators are the same ones off the KX450. Hard to do though. This bike is more race orientated than the CRF, harder suspension and narrower. The CRF will be more comfortable over long and rough rides.

Hope this helps

More GREAT info! What kind of mileage does the crf450x's get? Keep in mind I won't be racing mine.