DIRT WHEELS ARTICLE ON 450R (MUST READ!) I Fixed This (There Were Errors)
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01-18-2004, 12:17 AM
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DIRT WHEELS ARTICLE ON 450R (MUST READ!)
This is the exact article from Dirt Wheels Magazine...this could take a while to type!
It only took 15 years. A large percentage of our readers were not out of kindergarten when Honda last produced a full-fledged, high-performance ATV. The year was 1989 and it was the last year that anyone saw a production Honda FourTrax 250R roll off the Honda factory assembly line.
Well, the successor to that legendary machine has finally arrived. The 2004 Honda TRX450R Sportrax is now making its way to your local dealer's showroom floor.
If Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships, then this new ATV has launched thousands of potential customers waving fistfuls of dollars at Honda dealerships nationwide. All of these Red Riders are anxious to plunk down a deposit on one of the most highly anticipated new high-performance quads in decades.
Hype vs. Reality
While the Honda 450R has been much speculated about, it was upstaged by a pre-emptive strike from archrival Yamaha. They launched their all new high-performance racer, the YFZ450, a good six months before Honda officially came out with their TRX450R. This early season head start left Team Red with a serious case of "after the fact." Even so, as rumors of a new high-performance machine from Honda crossed from fiction to fact, interest in what they had in store for the hard-core connoisseur of high-performance re-ignited.
Fire It Up
We would be checking the TRX450R on the lush, meandering Lake Whitney, Texas motocross track. Since the newest high-performance Honda is billed a "race-ready" ATV, what better place to check out its true potential? The Lake Whitney facility also has a cross-country course carved into the sides of the nearby Texas hill country trails. There, we would be able to see how well this machine would work as an all around trail-worthy competitor.
The engine itself has a compression release-aided forward kickstart lever instead of a electric starter like its YFZ450 rival. A "hot start" lever is located on top of the single 42mm Keihin carburetor. The new Keihin carb comes with a "throttle-position sensor," which Honda claims helps maintain a linear, more precise throttle response.
After flipping the choke lever on, we kicked over the engine with a solid boot forward on the kickstart lever. The TRX came to life easily on the first kick and was soon purring like a kitten. The stock exhaust is California emission and sound legal and quite huge. It is also very quiet.
Shift And Go
Snicking the five-speed, manual clutch transmission into first gear, we slipped the clutch out and headed onto the Lake Whitney motocross track. Since a series of rain storms had pelted the track earlier, the now tacky loam offered a perfect bite to the TRX's radial knobby tires.
The bite was so good, however, that we had to slip the clutch rather substantially to get it going. First gear is also quite tall on the TRX450R. The Dunlop radial tires don't like to spin as they hook up and move the machine forward. Acceleration is brisk. The powerband is very linear, with no sudden peaks or surges. The motor has a ton of low-end torque and pulls strong all the way up to its high 9850 rpm rev limit.
You rev it, it pulls, rev it some more and shift. Shifting is butter smooth, and the gear ratios feel wide while allowing ample overrev on the top end.
We kept the slightly stiff thumb throttle pinned and the TRX kept accelerating strongly. First, second, third, fourth. Pretty soon you're going much faster than the sound and feel of the machine project. As the first turn is approaching rapidly, we kept the revs up in fourth gear.
Pulling the clutch in, we hit the dual disc front and single disc rear brakes at the last second. Thanks to the twin piston calipers and new high pressure front brake lines, along with a massive 190mm rear disc and beefy single-piston caliper rear brake, the mighty TRX450R slowed down in a heartbeat.
While Hondas have traditionally had great brakes, the stopping power of the new Sportrax 450R is phenomenal. It literally will stop on a dime and give you nine cents change. There is no hint of wheel lock-up or panic stop procedures to follow, just smooth, predictable and extremely strong braking.
This allows you to accelerate until the last second and then throw the binders on at the last second with full control. We predict that Honda TRX450R riders will be outbraking fellow competitors quite regularly.
Gas, Brake, & Go
The round tube steel frame chassis, with removable rear aluminum sub-frame, has very 250R-like handling manners. This isn't a 400ex chassis with a 450R motor shoved inside! It tracks extremely smooth and is very predictable. Overall handling is very neutral, which means it will go anyplace you want it to go, inside or outside. Get on the power and the front end feels light and you can easily lift it with the power whenever you the need to get it over a bump on the track.
Compared to the YFZ450, the TRX450R feels like it has the lighter of the two front ends. There is no hint of push into the corners, though, and the machine holds a line extremely well. It naturally wants to track in a straight line.
While the TRX450R does slide well, it prefers hard acceleration with rapid breaking and point-and-shoot cornering technique. This is especially true with the "hard to break loose" stock radial knobbies.
Out on the track, the 450R feels light. There are lots of trick aluminum parts on teh machine to achieve its 350-pound dry weight. There is a one-piece cast aluminum swingarm, with linkage system, which certainly helps save weight. An aluminum bumper, shift and break pedals, wheels, rear subframe, and various other bits and pieces all help contribute to the svelte feel of this machine.
Jump & Bump
As we approached the first of a series of table top plateau jumps, we kicked up the tranny a gear high and launched off the base. The Honda grabbed hige air and responded gracefully to the rider's input with a long slow arch as it glided effortlessly through the air.
The TRX's light front end contributes to its slightly nose high attitude in the air and inspires rider confidence. This quad like to jump and feels at home in the sky.
The dual A-arm front end with its massive 8.4-inch travel Showa front shocks suck up the downslope landing with ease. Amazingly, these shocks will take moster air jumps and then soak up the smallest stutter bumps going into and out of any corner. The back end is equally good, with the Pro-Link equipped, single shock Showa offering nine inches of travel.
Both shocks are fully adjustable with spring preload, compression and rebound dampening. Both come with huge piggyback reservoirs, with the front Showa shocks reservoirs mounted facing backwards. This helps prevent damage from rocks or debris flung up on the track or trail.
OK guys, this is taking too long to type, I will try to summarize rest...sorry, it has been HOURS!
"suspension's action on the 450R is among the best of any production shocks"
"we couldn't bottom them out"
"right up there with high dollar accessory units"
very responsive to changes in compression and rebound settings
"We came to appreciate the Honda's easy-to-ride nature...unlike the YFZ"
"the Honda is more rider friendly"
"you can short shift it and still keep it on the powerband"
"the Honda 450R is much easier to control steed out on the race track than its YFZ450 competitor"
"stock vs stock, the Honda was just easier to ride"
felt right at home on XC course
"power is first rate"
"comes on early and strong with lots of top-end"
"biggest drawback is that it is geared on the high side"
"adding a couple teeth to the rear sprocket would easily correct this"
"overall ergonomics felt better for woods and trail riding (than YFZ)"
"footpegs, handlebars, and controls feel better for extended riding than YFZ"
"lack of reverse and electric start hurt most on trails"
I Will Add Quotes From Picture Captions Later
This took a long time to type, SO PLEASE ENJOY!!!
It only took 15 years. A large percentage of our readers were not out of kindergarten when Honda last produced a full-fledged, high-performance ATV. The year was 1989 and it was the last year that anyone saw a production Honda FourTrax 250R roll off the Honda factory assembly line.
Well, the successor to that legendary machine has finally arrived. The 2004 Honda TRX450R Sportrax is now making its way to your local dealer's showroom floor.
If Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships, then this new ATV has launched thousands of potential customers waving fistfuls of dollars at Honda dealerships nationwide. All of these Red Riders are anxious to plunk down a deposit on one of the most highly anticipated new high-performance quads in decades.
Hype vs. Reality
While the Honda 450R has been much speculated about, it was upstaged by a pre-emptive strike from archrival Yamaha. They launched their all new high-performance racer, the YFZ450, a good six months before Honda officially came out with their TRX450R. This early season head start left Team Red with a serious case of "after the fact." Even so, as rumors of a new high-performance machine from Honda crossed from fiction to fact, interest in what they had in store for the hard-core connoisseur of high-performance re-ignited.
Fire It Up
We would be checking the TRX450R on the lush, meandering Lake Whitney, Texas motocross track. Since the newest high-performance Honda is billed a "race-ready" ATV, what better place to check out its true potential? The Lake Whitney facility also has a cross-country course carved into the sides of the nearby Texas hill country trails. There, we would be able to see how well this machine would work as an all around trail-worthy competitor.
The engine itself has a compression release-aided forward kickstart lever instead of a electric starter like its YFZ450 rival. A "hot start" lever is located on top of the single 42mm Keihin carburetor. The new Keihin carb comes with a "throttle-position sensor," which Honda claims helps maintain a linear, more precise throttle response.
After flipping the choke lever on, we kicked over the engine with a solid boot forward on the kickstart lever. The TRX came to life easily on the first kick and was soon purring like a kitten. The stock exhaust is California emission and sound legal and quite huge. It is also very quiet.
Shift And Go
Snicking the five-speed, manual clutch transmission into first gear, we slipped the clutch out and headed onto the Lake Whitney motocross track. Since a series of rain storms had pelted the track earlier, the now tacky loam offered a perfect bite to the TRX's radial knobby tires.
The bite was so good, however, that we had to slip the clutch rather substantially to get it going. First gear is also quite tall on the TRX450R. The Dunlop radial tires don't like to spin as they hook up and move the machine forward. Acceleration is brisk. The powerband is very linear, with no sudden peaks or surges. The motor has a ton of low-end torque and pulls strong all the way up to its high 9850 rpm rev limit.
You rev it, it pulls, rev it some more and shift. Shifting is butter smooth, and the gear ratios feel wide while allowing ample overrev on the top end.
We kept the slightly stiff thumb throttle pinned and the TRX kept accelerating strongly. First, second, third, fourth. Pretty soon you're going much faster than the sound and feel of the machine project. As the first turn is approaching rapidly, we kept the revs up in fourth gear.
Pulling the clutch in, we hit the dual disc front and single disc rear brakes at the last second. Thanks to the twin piston calipers and new high pressure front brake lines, along with a massive 190mm rear disc and beefy single-piston caliper rear brake, the mighty TRX450R slowed down in a heartbeat.
While Hondas have traditionally had great brakes, the stopping power of the new Sportrax 450R is phenomenal. It literally will stop on a dime and give you nine cents change. There is no hint of wheel lock-up or panic stop procedures to follow, just smooth, predictable and extremely strong braking.
This allows you to accelerate until the last second and then throw the binders on at the last second with full control. We predict that Honda TRX450R riders will be outbraking fellow competitors quite regularly.
Gas, Brake, & Go
The round tube steel frame chassis, with removable rear aluminum sub-frame, has very 250R-like handling manners. This isn't a 400ex chassis with a 450R motor shoved inside! It tracks extremely smooth and is very predictable. Overall handling is very neutral, which means it will go anyplace you want it to go, inside or outside. Get on the power and the front end feels light and you can easily lift it with the power whenever you the need to get it over a bump on the track.
Compared to the YFZ450, the TRX450R feels like it has the lighter of the two front ends. There is no hint of push into the corners, though, and the machine holds a line extremely well. It naturally wants to track in a straight line.
While the TRX450R does slide well, it prefers hard acceleration with rapid breaking and point-and-shoot cornering technique. This is especially true with the "hard to break loose" stock radial knobbies.
Out on the track, the 450R feels light. There are lots of trick aluminum parts on teh machine to achieve its 350-pound dry weight. There is a one-piece cast aluminum swingarm, with linkage system, which certainly helps save weight. An aluminum bumper, shift and break pedals, wheels, rear subframe, and various other bits and pieces all help contribute to the svelte feel of this machine.
Jump & Bump
As we approached the first of a series of table top plateau jumps, we kicked up the tranny a gear high and launched off the base. The Honda grabbed hige air and responded gracefully to the rider's input with a long slow arch as it glided effortlessly through the air.
The TRX's light front end contributes to its slightly nose high attitude in the air and inspires rider confidence. This quad like to jump and feels at home in the sky.
The dual A-arm front end with its massive 8.4-inch travel Showa front shocks suck up the downslope landing with ease. Amazingly, these shocks will take moster air jumps and then soak up the smallest stutter bumps going into and out of any corner. The back end is equally good, with the Pro-Link equipped, single shock Showa offering nine inches of travel.
Both shocks are fully adjustable with spring preload, compression and rebound dampening. Both come with huge piggyback reservoirs, with the front Showa shocks reservoirs mounted facing backwards. This helps prevent damage from rocks or debris flung up on the track or trail.
OK guys, this is taking too long to type, I will try to summarize rest...sorry, it has been HOURS!
"suspension's action on the 450R is among the best of any production shocks"
"we couldn't bottom them out"
"right up there with high dollar accessory units"
very responsive to changes in compression and rebound settings
"We came to appreciate the Honda's easy-to-ride nature...unlike the YFZ"
"the Honda is more rider friendly"
"you can short shift it and still keep it on the powerband"
"the Honda 450R is much easier to control steed out on the race track than its YFZ450 competitor"
"stock vs stock, the Honda was just easier to ride"
felt right at home on XC course
"power is first rate"
"comes on early and strong with lots of top-end"
"biggest drawback is that it is geared on the high side"
"adding a couple teeth to the rear sprocket would easily correct this"
"overall ergonomics felt better for woods and trail riding (than YFZ)"
"footpegs, handlebars, and controls feel better for extended riding than YFZ"
"lack of reverse and electric start hurt most on trails"
I Will Add Quotes From Picture Captions Later
This took a long time to type, SO PLEASE ENJOY!!!
#2
01-18-2004, 12:48 AM
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DIRT WHEELS ARTICLE ON 450R (MUST READ!) I Fixed This (There Were Errors)
More Info From Article
the grab bar is detatchable (spelling?) from subframe
"most powerful brakes ever bolted onto a sport ATV"
YOU CAN TAKE THE FENDERS OFF WITH BOLTS!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
rev limit close to 10,000 rpm's!
all components have been well thought out
"built-in decompression device for easy starts" <----this is separate from hot start lever, this is automatic
the grab bar is detatchable (spelling?) from subframe
"most powerful brakes ever bolted onto a sport ATV"
YOU CAN TAKE THE FENDERS OFF WITH BOLTS!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
rev limit close to 10,000 rpm's!
all components have been well thought out
"built-in decompression device for easy starts" <----this is separate from hot start lever, this is automatic
#3
01-18-2004, 03:00 AM
#4
01-18-2004, 03:01 AM
#6
01-18-2004, 12:06 PM
DIRT WHEELS ARTICLE ON 450R (MUST READ!) I Fixed This (There Were Errors)
"Pulling the clutch in, we hit the dual disc front and single disc rear brakes at the last second. Thanks to the twin piston calipers and new high pressure front brake lines, along with a massive 190mm rear disc and beefy single-piston caliper rear brake, the mighty TRX450R slowed down in a heartbeat. While Hondas have traditionally had great brakes, the stopping power of the new Sportrax 450R is phenomenal. It literally will stop on a dime and give you nine cents change."
Honda doesn't put disc brakes on everything due to cost. It looks like they do however build the finest disc brakes on the market today.
Honda doesn't put disc brakes on everything due to cost. It looks like they do however build the finest disc brakes on the market today.
#7
01-18-2004, 12:43 PM
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#8
01-18-2004, 02:31 PM
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DIRT WHEELS ARTICLE ON 450R (MUST READ!) I Fixed This (There Were Errors)
Originally posted by: fishslab
I'm sure it's gonna be sweet I want to test ride one myself, but doesn't the article sound kinda like an add for Honda. Looks like they put some of their best writers on the article.
I'm sure it's gonna be sweet I want to test ride one myself, but doesn't the article sound kinda like an add for Honda. Looks like they put some of their best writers on the article.
I can't wait for the shootout! I'm sure the end result of the shootout will be something like this:
#9
01-18-2004, 02:33 PM
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DIRT WHEELS ARTICLE ON 450R (MUST READ!) I Fixed This (There Were Errors)
"Our testers had mixed feelings on both quads, but all of them felt that the 450R was easier to ride and more rider friendly. It also had more low end torque and a more usable powerband. The YFZ is more of a pure racer and the 450R is for everyone. Some did not like the tall gearing, kick start, and lack of reverse on the trails. We think that either quad will be great depending on your type of riding. BLAH BLAH BLAH!"
#10
01-18-2004, 03:43 PM
DIRT WHEELS ARTICLE ON 450R (MUST READ!) I Fixed This (There Were Errors)
Wouldnt you think that if a quad was considered "easier to ride" "for everyone" that it wasnt as fast as everyone thinks it is???? I'm glad the Yamaha isn't easy to ride!!!!! Cuz when I win on mine, its makes me feel that much better, cuz I took a "not so easy to ride" Yamaha and beat the " eaiser to ride, for everyone" honda!!!!! Guys for real, DW????? You believe them??????? It all comes down to rider, take for instance, Ricky Carmicheal, yes he rides Honda but he could win on anything, but his style is riding on the edge of being out of control, then look at bubba stewart, as smooth as can be!!!!!!! Everyone is of course going to take the "Easier" way out when it comes to racing!!!! I have ridden nearly all makes of MX bikes in my days except for KTM and ZUKI!!!! I have now got ALL yamaha's in my garage, not saying that I won't having something else in the future!!! But for my "STYLE", I ride a little out of control myself, not really out of control, but to everyone that's what it looks like, and NO the "easier" to ride Honda just doesnt incorporate my riding habits!!! I want to stroke power in a 4 stroke bike!!!! The yamaha truly is the only 4 stroke with a 2 stroke hit!!!!!