Return of the "R"

[Tom Lynn]

Do you think the "new" 450r brings justice to honda's "R"
Y or y not

[trict_out]

i think the 04,05 models did it justice. The 06 can only be better...just my .02 cents

[Guy400]

Absolutely the new 450R does justice to Honda's "R" moniker. The fact of the matter is that the 250R was a great bike that served the industry well for a long time. With that being said, a lot of its reputation is based on myth, fairy tales or fanciful stories. How many times have we all heard about stock 250R's beating modified Quad A with equal riders, or beating them up Olds Hill, etc.?

[smr]

No...I love the power of the 450r but they did not capture the fill of the old R. I always felt like I was setting in an R and on everything else. If the 450r was a 4 stroke motor in a 250r frame then I would say yes....for some reason honda didn't do this.

[450robot]

absolutely! the new r deffinitly fills the shoes of the original r, its race proven, fast, reliable, and revolutionary

in the 04 and 05, they made you realize it was the fallback the r by using the kick start, and other various oldschool parts, but in 06, since it was established that the new r was the predoseccor to the old r, they put the estart, along with making it even more race worthy

go honda!

[nacs400ex]

No, the trx450r does not bring the R badge to justice. Until it can surpass R's in all or most forms of racing (modified for racing of course, NOT stock for stock) Maybe it's due to the fact the 250r chassis is just a better platform for a race quad, rather then the 450r chassis. I think it should just be called an EX, it doesnt deserve being called an R.

It's not revolutionary at all, People were sticking in 4stroke DB engines in 250r based chassis's for a long time.
Honda just caught on when Yamaha released the YFZ, probably because they were too afraid to release something with race potential.


rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y (rv-lsh-nr)
adj.
1. often Revolutionary Relating to or being a revolution: revolutionary war; a museum of the Revolutionary era.

2. Marked by or resulting in radical change: a revolutionary discovery.

In some ways the YFZ was revolutionary just because it was the first new age 4-stroke engine released by factory in a production frame.

However, it did not create radical change, because what can it do that any 250r can't in any form of racing?

[Mxjunkie]

Call me what you will, but I would rather have a full mx walsh/flip top/ p.e.p lt 330r! :devil:

[TheFontMaster]

Somehow the people at honda still haven't realized that the 250r was the best handling quad ever made. They should have used the measurements from the 250r frame, but made some adjustments so that the 450 engine could fit in, and also make it a round tube frame instead of square. Then there is the motor, which is basicaly a de-tuned crf450 motor, why would they de-tune the motor? They should have kept the crf ignition system, and carb, etc.


So my answer is no.:ermm:

[Tom TRX250R]

I have ridden a 450R and I was disappointed with how it handled compared to my R. I still don't think they got what the ORIGINAL R was famous for, and that was handling, among several other things. Even when you sit on the 450R, it makes me feel like I am sitting above the front tires instead of the R which also feels like it sits much lower. Maybe I am just bias too because you can't immitate the thrill of a two stroke motor hitting the powerband and revving to the moon!:devil:

So my answer would be NO!

[trx400exxracer]

It cold be alot better than what it is

[ZRider400]

it def deserves the "r" name... but it in no way handles like a 250R.


im thinkin about parting mine out and building a CRF, thats how much i miss the 250R feel.

so far nothing ive ridden compares to my old LSR 265R.

[TCracin440ex]

Originally posted by nacs400ex
No, the trx450r does not bring the R badge to justice. Until it can surpass R's in all or most forms of racing (modified for racing of course, NOT stock for stock) Maybe it's due to the fact the 250r chassis is just a better platform for a race quad, rather then the 450r chassis. I think it should just be called an EX, it doesnt deserve being called an R.

It's not revolutionary at all, People were sticking in 4stroke DB engines in 250r based chassis's for a long time.
Honda just caught on when Yamaha released the YFZ, probably because they were too afraid to release something with race potential.

im going to have to disagree with you simply because the 250r wont the best machine that honda ever build....sorry to break it to you like that. The 250r was the best machine the AFTERMARKET built bottom line...Yes its a honda...but when you look how many stock framed 250rs are racing...how many 250rs do you see with stock a-arms and suspension...how many 250rs do you see with stock motors...the only thing that was hondas on these 250rs were the cases...so how many of these stock 250rs do you see racing...very few

i do think the 450r is worth the R name...i think it would be a little bit more better looking if some aftermarket company was to make a 450r/250r plastic conversion kit where u could put a set of 250r plastics on a 450r...but other then that i think the bike is very good and worth the R name all the way

far as honda catching on and copying yamaha....doubted...its been rumored that the 450r was in testing long before the yfz was even thought of

[deathman53]

I have to agree, 450r's don't handle like a 250r, TCracin440ex, well, how many 450r's do you see with stock suspension and a-arms, STOCK a trx450r isn't that great of a bike, when you put suspension, a-arms, axle, exhaust, fcr carb, cam and better tires, then its a great bike. And as for the stock 250r frames, well we'll see in 20 years how many 450r's are using stock frames. Aftermarket frames for the r's started in 1990, yes, the stock frame is good, but its been raced so much, welded, crappy reinforcing job, butchering over the years, What do you want????? I have seen 3 450r frames crack on bikes less than 1 year old.
Yes, the aftermarket made the 250r, as the aftermarket made the 450r so great, same for the yfz. I think the pro's would be using aftermarket frames for the 450's if they could, but then they can't race pro production. Also, for 10 something years there wasn't a good racing bike except the 250r, ever think that could be a reason why so many r frames a butchered. I know tons of them were butchered to use 350x motors, 250x motors, cr500 motors, varios 2 stroke db motors, xr600 and other such big bore 4 stroke motors. Honda has finally made better brakes than the 250r, it only took 17 years.
yes, the 450's are nice, but they aren't as great as people say. A well modded 250r vs a simailarly modded 450'r is a good race and it comes down to riders skill.

[TCracin440ex]

ok to come back on what you said....

no you dont see MANY 450rs with stock suspension and a-arms...but the stock 450r suspension is far superior to that of the 250r. A simple revalve on the 450r suspension and youve got suspension SUITABLE for an amature racer that dont have the kinda money for a set of elkas, peps, or axis.

and yes any aftermarket frame will be better then stock. So of course if the pros could run them they would. and to be honest with you. any frame or something like that will break if it gets abused like it does on the mx track.

im not downing either bikes because they are both hondas and i love to have either if not both sitting in my garage.

but you are talking about throwing a cam, tires, pipe, fcr carb and so on on the 450r

im talking bout stock for stock. The superior IMO machine would be the 450r. You take a 450r and a 250r and add the aftermarket in the mixture then you got 2 bikes that are gonna run neck and neck with equal riders.

[prepracing]

Originally posted by nacs400ex
No, the trx450r does not bring the R badge to justice. Until it can surpass R's in all or most forms of racing (modified for racing of course, NOT stock for stock) Maybe it's due to the fact the 250r chassis is just a better platform for a race quad, rather then the 450r chassis. I think it should just be called an EX, it doesnt deserve being called an R.

It's not revolutionary at all, People were sticking in 4stroke DB engines in 250r based chassis's for a long time.
Honda just caught on when Yamaha released the YFZ, probably because they were too afraid to release something with race potential.


rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y (rv-lsh-nr)
adj.
1. often Revolutionary Relating to or being a revolution: revolutionary war; a museum of the Revolutionary era.

2. Marked by or resulting in radical change: a revolutionary discovery.

In some ways the YFZ was revolutionary just because it was the first new age 4-stroke engine released by factory in a production frame.

However, it did not create radical change, because what can it do that any 250r can't in any form of racing?


you give the 450R as many years in production as the 250R had, and I think it's got a good chance of passing every record the 250R ever set and thought of setting as far as racing goes. Another thing you have to deal with as far as race winning percentages is the 250R had zero competition. The 450R has comp. from almost every brand that is out there. And with this years 06' 450R all the performance looks like its there now to:macho

[hondardr4life]

I think the 450 does deserve the "R" name, but Honda could have done a lot better. There isnt a quad on the face of this earth with better handling/ feel than the original 250. They should have gone with a more 250r based look and handling, just with a crf motor. It would have been easy. All they would have had to do is basically build a hybrid. If the 450r does not surpass the 250r's racing records its for a good reason though. The 250r had no competition, except for other 250r's. The Banshees and the lt 250r's had no chance vs the TRX. The 450r has plenty of tough competition with the LTR, and the YFZ. We will see how the 450r does over time, but as of now, I dont think it has lived up to the original 250. Now, im saying all this, and I have never ridden a 250r. I've sat on one, but thats it. I have tons of seat time on modded and stock 450r's, just because thats what everyone has around me. I'm not a huge fan of the extremely smooth power the 450 has. It has wicked acceleration, but I prefer an extremely hard hit with power. I need to get some seat time on a 250r before I buy either one.