450r question

[cant400exbeatit]

i have a 400ex and i've been considering selling it and buying a 450r. But as i read on this forum about all the problems with the 450r's (oil leaks, crank/rod bearing goin bad, clutch problems..etc) i am second guessing myself. So what are you opinions...are the 450r's really that unreliable and have that many internal motor problems????? any advice would help, thanks.

[BadinBlack]

i have 2 450r's one an 05 and the other an 06... never had a problem with either of them. i do maintnance them often so that could be it.

the 400ex's are built bullet proof...

[KEVIN300A]

I have personally owned 2 450rs and my buddy has had three.... no major problems at all... just keep up with the maintainance and the valves and they usually run pretty strong... also depends on the riding your doing if you are out running 20-30 min motos at WOT obviously things will wear and go bad no matter what quad your on. I have also had great luck with 400s they are built real well also..

[F150marine]

I was in your shoes last year. I had my ol reliable 400ex but wanted more. I have the same hesitation with buying the 450. Since it happened to be the best choice. For me I wanted more performance and the 450 LOVES to run fast, so if your like me your good. If you like to trail ride the 450 might not be your choice. But for me running the dunes and desert it's perfect.

[d3ktrix]

I went from a 400ex to a 450r also, best thing I ever did. I don't regret it in any single way.

For my riding style the 400ex is an outdate slow pos :P
Unless u just like cruising on trails, then its perfect.

[fultz416ex]

i had a nice built 426ex. wanted more so i went to the 450r. had a kid and went back to the 400ex thinking it might slow me down since i was a dad now. couldn't take it that slow, now i am back on a 450r. once you ride a 450r hard and then ride a 400ex hard, you will never want to ride a 400ex again.

i had a 400ex...went to a 450...spent nearly a grand on the suspension and controls to get it as comfortable as the ex...well as close as possible...then another 600 or 700 to make it rideable on the trails...
after all of that, it still was hard to ride in the woods unless it was balls out all the time...
as far as maintenance goes, it def. requires more...it seemed like evry ride brought on a new minor issue which should not have been for it being a brand new 06 450r,
after 2 years, i took a loss and traded it for some cash and a nice 416 ex...i was kind of desperate and was tired of spending money on keeping it running

[cant400exbeatit]

thanks for all the info guys!......other opinions are welcome..

[BadinBlack]

i will say that the TRX450R is the most reliable of the 450's, maybe not as reliable as the 400ex's but its still pretty darn reliable for the kinda power it has.

[86250rrider]

Originally posted by speedyquad
i had a 400ex...went to a 450...spent nearly a grand on the suspension and controls to get it as comfortable as the ex...well as close as possible...then another 600 or 700 to make it rideable on the trails...
after all of that, it still was hard to ride in the woods unless it was balls out all the time...
as far as maintenance goes, it def. requires more...it seemed like evry ride brought on a new minor issue which should not have been for it being a brand new 06 450r,
after 2 years, i took a loss and traded it for some cash and a nice 416 ex...i was kind of desperate and was tired of spending money on keeping it running



ive had mine since dec. and i race it punish it,maintain it,clean it ,and repeat. its modded and flat out hauls. my 250r is getting parted out. never look back!!! if its set up correctly it can be ridden easy and raced the same day.

[Sweendogie]

i had a 400ex and i talked my friend into selling his dirtbike and buying a 450r.... i had planned on getting a 450r as well but 3 weeks after he got it the crank went out and tore his engine up... he nearly had to pay what he paid for the quad to get it fixed.... so since i couldnt find an 06+ 450r in my price range i went with a yfz and love it.... either way going from a 400ex to a 450 of any kind is worth it although i miss my 400ex i wouldnt go back to it after getting the yfz

ride one before you buy one. I know the trx450r arent as bad as the yfz450 but you really have to rev these things to get moving and you cant go slow the motor wont lug you around even in 1st without applying a good amount of gas. If I bought one I would gear it down right away. Its a whole other ride, completely different on a 450. I like my 400ex better for the lowend where i can putt around in 1st or 2nd just nail the gas and its front end is up almost instantly. Tried that on a 450 I got a bog cause it had to be going faster to begin with to have the power. You never know you may like it, but I would try before I buy.

[86250rrider]

yeah ....the 400ex is a real powerhouse down low. :rolleyes:

ITS ALL IN THE SETUP GUYS :macho

[Black R/T]

guess alot of us had 400s first. i did also, the differences i noticed are: felt like i had better control on the 400ex, also it would lug a gear high through a corner and still break the tires loose. give the 450 more gas and pay attention to the gear you are in if youre in the woods. over all though, i like the 450 better, more comfortable and it has SOOO much ballz. JMO.

[cant400exbeatit]

thanks for the input guys!

[86250rrider]

keep the 400ex for the kid,wife ,or gilfriend !!!!:macho




OK......... LET THE FLAMING BEGIN !

[TCRACING425EX]

i guess ill put in my opinion too.


i went from a 425ex to my 450r and as stated the difference is night and day. yes you could lug the 400 around but i would choose the 450 over it ANY DAY!! the 400 just doesnt compare to my 06. the 450 will come up in almost any gear by itself, while the 400 i had to use my weight. one thing i noticed it was harder to keep the rear end of the 450 under you while tail sliding compared to the 400. that was a combination of more power, and the crappy 06 hub/spindle design. i threw a 05 setup on it and it now goes where i want it to. if you do alot of tight trail riding the 400 might be a better choice for you, but if you like to go fast and get there quick, ride fields, tracks, or open trails the 450r is where its at.

best way i can describe the difference is the 450r seriously physically feels like your sitting on a motocross dirtbike, while the 400 feels like a gocart. every time i sit on my brothers 400 i say to myself what the hell was wrong with me.

[kodymx13]

If your just a casual trail rider just keep the ex. its "put put worthy" and built like a tank. if you like a go fast go with the 450r. but you'll pay for speed. just ask the 400ex experts of there cuz they know everything. now you could do like i did but im a motorcrosser. i went from 440ex. to Z440 to Z485. got a loaner 450r i could never get to turn the way i like. so i built a jb framed 500link 400ex with a crf. now i see no reason to ever ride a production bike ever again. :)

[ridered32]

I currently have a 400ex and it's definitly not enough. My brother in law has a 04 450r and I love riding it. He hasn't had any major problems with it and it has been beaten every times he rides it. I'm in the same boat as you. I'm trying to get rid of my 400 and step up to a 450r. In my opinion you can't go wrong with a 450.

[06 Honda 450R]

i have an 06 and it has messed up twice,Â_ and had to pay 1000 bucks each time. First time it was three months after i bought it brand new, then the second 5 months after the first. Havnt had any mods to the engine and dont run the crap out of it. also the starting is kinda bad. I have three friends with 05s and have not gone through and are just fine.

[86250rrider]

i keep hearing the 05's are the most dependable.