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View Full Version : First Encounter With The 450r!!!



EX LONERIDER
09-20-2003, 04:08 PM
yes, the honda 450R was there. so was the yzf450, the kfx, and suzuki 400. it was a private factory research observation type thing that i was invited to down here in San Diego. i had a chance to look, feel touch and drool over the new honda. i whent ahead and checked out evrything! i can safely, and confidently say that honda did it again! it was very intresting having all 4 bikes there at the same time to compare and contrast them to eachother. after i finished the first questionare, a second interviewer came and asked me specific questions about the bikes, and also asked wich one i liked the best....... of course you know what i said.:rolleyes: anybody have any specific questions about the externals youd like to know, just ask me.:D

09-20-2003, 04:17 PM
If ya sat on it, then how comfortable is it? Hopefully a lot more comfortable than the YFZ's. Shouldn't be hard at all...:macho

Were the ergonomis right there?

Did ya get a chance to kick her over?

Hear it?

Tell us more....tell us more...:D

EX LONERIDER
09-20-2003, 04:33 PM
unfortunately i didnt get to sit on it, somethin about theyd kill me or somethin:rolleyes: , but i did feel the seat, and i dont think its that bad, felt a little gelly like, doubt honda would make it to where you couldnt ride it for long...hehehe. although the seat is very thin, it looked like you can comfortably move around in it for and aft, side to side. they didnt sart it up eventhough i asked nicely:grr: . there were some suits sitting from across the room watching very carefully. they never said a word nor moved the time i was there, almost kinda eirrie:huh . one thing i noticed on the exhaust was that it had a stainless silencer that was huge. kinda looked like an easily removable 10lbs. the front fenders are removable for racing, probably only takes minute and a half to take em off. the rear LED tail light was prety cool. it overall looked totally sharp! its definately something thats more appreciated once youre standing in front of it. wich the headlight isnt as bad as evryone pouts and cries about. it looked like it retains the same style dual round lights like the old 400, but with a diffrent outer bubled out front cover that kinda looks like it came from one of their street bikes. first thing that came to mind when i saw the front of it was the bat mobile for some reason:p

09-20-2003, 04:42 PM
sweet man, to bad you couldnt ride it:o

Im really interested into what this motor is gonna feel like.

RuffRyder400ex
09-20-2003, 04:47 PM
kool. to bad you coulndt ride it

EX LONERIDER
09-21-2003, 12:57 AM
one other thing i noticed on the bike was that the rear subframe was aluminum, i almost forgot about that.... im sure that helped lighten it up a bit. the engine looks like it was swept back in the frame too. im asuming its to beter balance the bike. you know honda did some serious thinking before releasing their new bike. they dont care if theyre the "first to come out with something new, they just rather get it done right, not fast. unlike some other companies, you dont hear of hondas coming out and having problems.....(cough yamaha, cough!cough....raptor trannies, cough!):rolleyes: :D

EX LONERIDER
09-21-2003, 01:00 AM
yea, riding it, i would have probably died a happy man:p

trx440
09-21-2003, 05:24 PM
How did you get invited to this?

EX LONERIDER
09-21-2003, 08:34 PM
it was kinda weird cus i got a call from this company doing a reaserch thing and i guess they called up the dealership from where i bought the bike. so they knew exactly what i had, my name and my origin. they asked me if i was intrested in doing this research thing, i agreed and then at the end of the phone call they said "oh, well since youve agreed to do this you will be compensated $100 at the end of the session........... yea, i know, ive been called an ***** for being invited and such...:rolleyes:

dawzie
09-21-2003, 08:49 PM
Did it look like the front a-arms are the same as an EX ?? Same question about front and rear shocks ??

It would be so sweet if they are the same.

EX LONERIDER
09-21-2003, 09:39 PM
yea, looks like the front suspension geometry and a-arms are the same, rear still looks like the 400ex design as well. pretty sure all our suspension aftermarket stuff will bolt right up to it, even the bumpers, although it comes stock with an aluminum one. the bars may be a little diffrent. i dont quite remember.

09-21-2003, 10:29 PM
I thought the trx450 had longer shocks on the front???

EX LONERIDER
09-21-2003, 10:46 PM
i thought so too, till i looked at it closer:confused:

250exDaniel
09-21-2003, 10:51 PM
Hey lonerider, where do you usaully ride? I live in San Diego too. Too bad I haven't rode like in half a year.

EX LONERIDER
09-21-2003, 11:35 PM
i usually go out to buttercup, gordons well, and ogilby.... sometimes if i feel like doin hard pack i do ocatillo. i used to go out by brown field to go ride but too many people were getting hassled. where do you go ride? where abouts san diego do live?

250exDaniel
09-21-2003, 11:45 PM
I live in chula vista too. Like I said I haven't ridden like in half a year, but I used to ride over in brownfield too, like next to the 905. I think I'm going to start riding again. My dad, my little brother, and some relatives and I are probably going to make a trip out to buttercup or Glamis sometime soon.

EX LONERIDER
09-22-2003, 12:19 AM
cool! yea, i just came back from buttercup friday, it was bout' 110 @ 2pm. im planning to go in october like for halloween weekend. i think we'll be hitting up ogilby. mabe we can hit eachother up and ride if yer in the same place.

250exDaniel
09-22-2003, 12:27 AM
kool. But I'll probably go like in a week or two. Hows 905 now? Is there any cops over there or anything?

EX LONERIDER
09-22-2003, 12:33 AM
dont know, but when i go, i usually go into the canyons so no one bugs be or tries to mess with my truck. i have a toyota 4x4 so i have no problem going in and coming out. i havent been there in about 4 or 5 months. but im prety much geared up for desert season, paddles, razors and all.

09-22-2003, 08:48 AM
i dont think 400ex a arms will fit, look how much bigger the space is between the upper and lowers compared tot he 400ex

SAND LUVR
09-22-2003, 05:38 PM
Hey ex lonerider, I got the same call. I was set to go made my reservation and at the last minute I had a family emergency. At first I thought this was a joke but I still called. They asked if I would like to do other surveys in the future on atvs. Did they ask you to do them as well?

David
09-22-2003, 05:51 PM
EX LONERIDER you said cough for the raptor tranny's. Well there 450 is not doing that great with there tranny. You would think they would of learned from the raptor?

I can't wait to see the Yamaha and Honda go against each other.

EX LONERIDER
09-22-2003, 08:53 PM
well, i may have coughed but at least i didnt choke like the raptors...:p .... j/k nah actually ive riden my neighbors bike and its alright, but i wouldnt trade his bike for my EX. sand luver, you missed out dude. it was for real, so was the cash. they did ak me if id like to do something like that again.... of course i was all for it.

edgerat
09-23-2003, 03:17 PM
Originally posted by David
EX LONERIDER you said cough for the raptor tranny's. Well there 450 is not doing that great with there tranny. You would think they would of learned from the raptor?

I can't wait to see the Yamaha and Honda go against each other.

ah an informed opinion from someone that knows! :rolleyes: the 450 doesnt have any tranny problems. It does however have an abundance of hypochondriac owners that rush to their dealers whenever they are breaking in a new quad. If you are referring to the gear sticking issue, mine did that for about an hour before it stopped and it hasnt done it since. Come on dude dont hate just because you cant hang. :) j/k but seriously I admit the raptor was a junker the first year but the 450 isnt in the same ballpark quality-wise.
Isaac

EX LONERIDER
09-23-2003, 04:01 PM
LOL, i will admit there are some over enthusiastic people out there with very openly mided hopes about as openly as their wallets:D

David
09-23-2003, 05:17 PM
Thats good to hear that the Yamaha 450 tranny's aren't that bad. Its just that a lot of people from Bluetraxx have been saying very negative things about the tranny. I don't have a 450, but they are killer sweet.

VIC
09-23-2003, 05:54 PM
lonerider where exactly was the 450r at? I also live in San Diego real close to plaza bonita.

EX LONERIDER
09-23-2003, 06:35 PM
it was held in the Raddison motel in mission valley on the south side of the 8. where abouts bonita you live?

VIC
09-24-2003, 12:33 AM
off sweetwater rd first right after plaza bonita heading towards bonita its actually national city. What H.S. did you go to?

Thats cool you got to see it and get paid. Their seems to be quite a few people from San Diego here.

EX LONERIDER
09-24-2003, 01:08 AM
yea, so ive seen, 250exdaniel is also from here in chula vista so he said........ im sure lots of people are from down here:macho
im off of H street here in chula vista, west of the 805. and i whent to hilltop high........ it was sweet, only lived two blocks away from high school....... i used to ride my old puck moped to and from school, jumpin off curbs and such, it was coool:D
what school did you go to??

VIC
09-24-2003, 01:20 AM
So you went to hillpot, haha. I went to bonita, It was alright although I spent more time away from school.

EX LONERIDER
09-24-2003, 01:25 AM
lol, yea........ i know what you mean..... i was "sick" for some reason during alot of holiday weekends:rolleyes:

VIC
09-24-2003, 01:36 AM
I think our school district had the most truancies lol. My weekends would start after nutrition break on fridays.

09-24-2003, 06:54 AM
Originally posted by edgerat
ah an informed opinion from someone that knows! :rolleyes: the 450 doesnt have any tranny problems.

REALLY? LMAO. :D

That's not what people at YFZCentral are saying.

CLICK HERE to SEE FOR YOURSELF! (http://www.yfzcentral.com/invision/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=611&)

I have seen 2 local YFZ's with tranny problems that are not on that site.

edgerat
09-24-2003, 09:12 AM
if you want to act like a child I will respond as if you are one.

If you bothered to read that post you would see that the number of people that have had this issue are minimal. Also the ones that have had the issue were solved by riding the quad and breaking in the gearset. The cause of this was a small burr on the shift drum which would cause the tranny to stick in gear when shifting down. I hardly consider this "Raptor Tranny'ish" and if you bothered to look into something rather than just sling crap because your mothers sisters brothers aunts best friends daughter told your sisters aunts next door neighbors stepdaughter that the YFZ had SERIOUS TRANNY ISSUES. Give me a f'''ing break.
Isaac

Z400central
09-24-2003, 01:50 PM
where was this at? Im in SD to.

Guy400
09-24-2003, 03:28 PM
While the YFZ's tranny problems aren't at the level of the first year Raptor's (if/yet), they certainly can't be overlooked. Go to the YFZ section at Bluetraxx and look at the thread they have there where they're asking for serial numbers of bad units. Yamaha has admitted to flaws in the shift drum and are replacing them under warranty. The problem is certainly larger than just riding it until the shift drum wears down sufficiently. Plus, who wants a problem with the transmission not shifting and the fix is just "ride it until it gets better." I commend Yamaha for accepting the blame and fixing these, it's more than they did for the Raptor owners but still, I can't believe this problem got through QC after the Raptor debacle.

VIC
09-24-2003, 03:39 PM
Originally posted by Z400central
where was this at? Im in SD to.
He said it was at the Raddison in Mission Valley

09-24-2003, 04:28 PM
Originally posted by Guy400
While the YFZ's tranny problems aren't at the level of the first year Raptor's (if/yet), they certainly can't be overlooked. Go to the YFZ section at Bluetraxx and look at the thread they have there where they're asking for serial numbers of bad units. Yamaha has admitted to flaws in the shift drum and are replacing them under warranty. The problem is certainly larger than just riding it until the shift drum wears down sufficiently. Plus, who wants a problem with the transmission not shifting and the fix is just "ride it until it gets better." I commend Yamaha for accepting the blame and fixing these, it's more than they did for the Raptor owners but still, I can't believe this problem got through QC after the Raptor debacle.


EXACTLY! :macho

edgerat
09-24-2003, 04:46 PM
Originally posted by Guy400
While the YFZ's tranny problems aren't at the level of the first year Raptor's (if/yet), they certainly can't be overlooked. Go to the YFZ section at Bluetraxx and look at the thread they have there where they're asking for serial numbers of bad units. Yamaha has admitted to flaws in the shift drum and are replacing them under warranty. The problem is certainly larger than just riding it until the shift drum wears down sufficiently. Plus, who wants a problem with the transmission not shifting and the fix is just "ride it until it gets better." I commend Yamaha for accepting the blame and fixing these, it's more than they did for the Raptor owners but still, I can't believe this problem got through QC after the Raptor debacle.

i'll agree with that.

EAsTcOunTYprIdE
09-28-2003, 05:00 PM
Hey you guys from San Diego ever been to Lake Marina? Some great trail rdding over there. Have you been to the el cajon track? Monday night is quad night its alot of fun when we get alot of people out there.

EX LONERIDER
09-28-2003, 10:24 PM
havent been to any of those places, although id like to start doin some of those kinda trips. i just found out about el cajon track a week ago. where does lake marina wind up at?? hey county pride, where do you reside at??

09-29-2003, 11:26 AM
I've been to both, Marina is mostly fire roads, it's pretty fun. I've been going to the track almost weekly. It's $30 to sign up ad get your membership and $20 per session after that. It's pretty cool, one quad night Jeremy McGrath was there with a couple of guys (It looked like he was training them) and he ripped. Was riding a reletively stock CR250. It's a good time and great practice.

EAsTcOunTYprIdE
09-29-2003, 06:46 PM
I ride the 400 out at the desert almost 90% of the time. Usually ocitillo wells. I take my xr50,cr125,400ex to the el cajon track every now and then. I try and go out to ride every other weekend. If you ever go out to Ocitillo ill probably be out there I ride a my 125 most of the timehttp://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADaAnoVSQ9Tqtg7llQVHYfHeRgrR6tJfPPzw5fOHgWARjpy8 e!fUw8dsInYkTPcXOHT1no7XR6mwQ7K3bebefcXLiIo*ZTWYZu OUCqnBqg4AAAApHJ***/blkred.JPG?dc=4675435010959748239 or an all black 400ex no pic yet.

MOFO
09-30-2003, 05:24 AM
I was invited to the same thing....except there were no quads... only photo's of prototypes and some specs. This was awhile ago, I think it was right after the Raptor came out. They questioned the hell out of us about what we would like to see in a sport quad, showed us some wild pictures, had us choose, then handed us a $100 for our time.

seatec
09-30-2003, 06:51 AM
Originally posted by EX LONERIDER
one other thing i noticed on the bike was that the rear subframe was aluminum, i almost forgot about that.... im sure that helped lighten it up a bit. the engine looks like it was swept back in the frame too. im asuming its to beter balance the bike. you know honda did some serious thinking before releasing their new bike. they dont care if theyre the "first to come out with something new, they just rather get it done right, not fast. unlike some other companies, you dont hear of hondas coming out and having problems.....(cough yamaha, cough!cough....raptor trannies, cough!):rolleyes: :D

Bare in mind that i also have a honda CRF450 who incidentaly had a big airbox problem whe they came. so much for your "cough cough" comment. And why do you say that you liked the TRX450 better "of course" when your where asked? are you so closed minded that Honda has to be the best no matter what?
How about changine thw whole froont geometry of the crf frame after only one year of production on the CRF450? sure, HOnda ALWAYS has a perfect product. DOn;t get me wrong. Honda has good quality products but dont be obtuse and say that HONDA is always the best.

EX LONERIDER
09-30-2003, 06:42 PM
nah, by no means im saying that the other bikes are crap or anything, im jus saying i prefered the honda, totally loved they finally came out with something because theyve been gettin naged on for not coming out with something new for almost 5 years:rolleyes: im not saying that honda is also prfect, i mean...... theyre yet to make something that makes 100hp :devil: lol j/p i was just satisfied with what they did. also i did like the new yammy 450. especially the way they did the frames in that red..... the new shocks up front, but i wasnt all too convinced with their upper a-arm set up and the way it was desighned and made... jus lil nic nak stuff.... some people like yamahas some like hondas, and im partial to hondas.