Teams 1a (Prather) and 3a (Matlock) running the new Honda. Like always, it is difficult to find any results.....

 

1st- 700XX

2nd- 450R

3rd- 700XX

"Earning its first career Tecate SCORE Baja 500 victory, 2008 Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 winner Wayne Matlock and Marc Spaeth rode a new Honda TRX700XX to the overall ATV win, posting a team of 10:10:40 to beat a team led by Javier Robles of Mexicali, Mexico, by just 21 seconds and the two-time defending race-winning team led by Danny Prather by eight minutes, 25 seconds."

Lineup:

PRO ATVs

CLASS 25 (over 251cc)--

2a Jason Greenhaw, Bakersfield, Calif./Nick Nelson, Tehachapi, Calif./Nick DeStout, Oceanside, Calif., Honda TRX450R

3a Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif./Marc Spaeth, Ramona, Calif./Rick Cecco, Briling Springs, Pa., Honda TRX700XX

4a Javier Robles, Mexicali, Mexico/Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico/Cesar Lopez/Alfonso Cota, Honda TRX450R

5a Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo./ Ben Vernadakis, Rico, Colo./Tony Valerio, Telluride, Colo., Honda TRX450R

6a Max Hernandez, Queen Creek, Ariz./T.J. Miller, Tucson, Ariz./Jason Fritz, Globe, Ariz., Honda TRX450R

7a Stefano Caputo, San Felipe, Mexico (Italy)/Felipe Velez, San Felipe, Mexico, Honda TRX450R

1a Danny Prather, Ramona, Calif./Mike Cafro, Bonsall, Calif./Chad Prull, Laveen, Ariz./Levi Marana, Hemet, Calif., Honda TRX700XX

9a Travis Dillon/Kyle Petheo, Encinitas, Calif., Honda XR650R

10a Kyle Needham, Truckee, Calif., Yamaha YFZ450

11a Charles Barfield, Sutter Creek, Calif., Bombrdier DS Baja 650

12a Joel Aldrete, Valle De Las Palmas, Mexico/Roberto Villalobos, Tecate, Calif., Yamaha YFZ450

http://race.off-road.com/race/...ontextCategoryId=35357

 

I missed this when first posted. What happend to all the bitchen about the heavy weight turd of a sport squad and how it would never amount to anything because it is 70 pounds heavier the Raptor 700. And how about the predictions that an IRS sport quad would never cut the mustard. Looks like Honda nailed the design of an inovative new concept again. And also how about some recognition that the 450R isn't the only motor that can win in the desert.

 

Honda has the best teams and best support on the planet in these races....these guys could win riding almost anything!!!

Don't make to much of this win! Honda always introduces a new model by running it in Baja (like the Rincon a few years ago). It's their way of proving their machines can go the distance. Don't think for a minute that the XX will ever be their permanent Baja ride. They will be back riding the 450R as soon as they have proven what they wanted to prove about the XX.....

I still think Honda has a highly specialized machine in the XX, that will do best on rutted/rocky eastern trails, but where 4wd is not required. For any other type of riding or any other venue, all they have in the XX is an overweight turd!

 

I thought Honda did a great job with the XX. To finish the Baja is a pretty big bragging right not to mention winning it. I agree with the "Eastern" trails comment. I've ridden straight axle machines out here in New England and I don't recommend it to put it mildly. With the rocks, ruts, and mud we have the IRS is definetly the way to go.

 

One of the magazines did a Honda/Polaris IRS shootout....and the Honda lost!!!

They said it "pushed" terribly in turns, and if you didn't have a burm to bump up against, you were in trouble. They also dissed it for its weight. If you look at the machine's weight, the 450R is ~150 pounds lighter. Which machine do you actually think is really going to be more "fun" to ride????

 

I don't have the money to buy either at this time. I have sat on them and can tell you the Polaris IRS Outlaw has a lot stiffer suspension. I'd love either machine out on the trails. But for the riding I do a 4wd is the way to go. I probably use my machine for 1/2 play 1/2 work. But, boy, would I like to take either machine out for a couple of days.

 

Honda says its target audience for this machine is the current big bore 4X4 rider, who would like a more sporty ride. Ok, maybe some beer bellied hillbillie who has been riding an 800 pound ute all his life will think that 500+ pounds is "sporty", but they aren't going to pull that one off with any true sport rider.....

 

That's true. I'm 6'3" and over 300lbs. I have been on the 450s but find them too small. I have bad knees and with the lower seating on the sport quads my knees take a beating. I'm getting too old to bang up my body much anymore.

 

The 700XX will always ride smoother than the 400/450 sportys because of physics. A heavy Cadillac rides smoother than a Chevy. The principle is that the heavy ride has a more favorable ratio of sprung to unsprung weight. That is unless the owner ruins handling with heavy wheels/tires. Look at the heavy IRS Trophy Trucks. The weight does not seem to bother them in the desert.
When the 700XX was first announced, I predicted the 700XX would be a Baja winner while all others were giving up just because of weight. So IM expert O, the XX will be very succesfull for any rider who desires a smooth riding, respectably powerfull sport quad. This would be great Glamis quad for riders who want ride compliance over hill shooting. Very few riders on this site agree with Honda for lack of utility quad features and model selections while they manage to outsell everyone else. I put over 20,000 miles on very similar Honda motor in XR650R I used as Adventure Tourer so reliability of this sport quad will be undeniable.