If the CRF450R engine finds its way into a Quad, might this be the basis for a new line of "race ready" performance machines. In its dirt bikes, Honda has the CR (motocross) line vs. the XR line. So, why not do the same with the quads?? Wouldn't this make sense as a counter to the Canondale, which is being marketed as a race ready MX machine?

Obviously, quads don't get the research and development attention from manufacturers that dirt bikes do (which is surprising because quads outsell dirt bikes everywhere except Calif!). Add to that the fact that utilities dilute out attention that the manufacturers would otherwise be giving to sport machines. What do you think? Why not a new line of machines with long travel suspension, extended A-arms and axels, and the new generation of high-reving 4-stroke engines? The other manufacturers would be caught sleeping.

 

The cannondale...race ready? I hope you are kidding!
I got some information about racing (maybe I'll do some races this summer), and nerf bars, kill switch and mx like boots are MANDATORY. To me a race ready machine is a machine you take out of the box and line up to a race without spending another cent. It's not the case with the Cannondale (where are the nerfs?) ...or any other sport quad.
Still waiting...maybe some day someone will ahev the guts to do something "real" and not another cheap crap.

 

Have you ever been to a motocross race? If so, then you know that there are usually 8-10 dirtbikes for every one quad at an event. Manufactures see this and that's why dirtbikes get all of the technology and quads continually remain with out-dated designs. Until more ATV racer's make it out to the track and the numbers start to rival that of the dirtbike crowd. Don't expect to see any of the "new" technology in an ATV. 2-stroke and today's 4-stroke dirtbikes are designed for one thing. Closed course racing. ATV's are designed for recreation and trail use.
Instead of complaining about the lack of High Performance ATV's on the market. Get out there and participate in some racing and let the manufactures know that there is a need for this new product.

Look at Honda's dirtbike lineup. The XR's are trail bikes(tame). The CR's are race bikes(high performance). Right now, all quads are XR's. We have to make them build us some CR's.

Get out and support your local racing.

 

I see tons of MX dirt bikes out on the trails, in the desert, and the dunes. People ride them EVERYWHERE even though they were specifically designed for MX riding. Very few of these machines will ever see a race track!! Obviously, they like the lighter weight and higher level of performance, and are willing to sacrifice some comfort for it. I think the same would happen if we were offered an out of the box "MX" quad.

 

Considering the renaming of the "Fourtrax" line of sport quads to "Sportrax," I have had the same suspision as you. In fact, I remember over a year ago, a Honda addvertisement in Dirt Wheels where if you looked VERY closely at the seat of one of the quads, it said "Sportrax"...this was months before they actually announced changing the Fourtrax line to Sportrax. So seeing this, I began to think *maybe* Honda plans to bring the Fourtrax back as a pure performance line-up.

BUT, they still have their Utility quads named Fourtrax.

I seriously doubt this is going to happen. Honda is being VERY cautious about building a high-performance quad again. I mean, the highest performance quads they ever made were the 250R and the 400EX....neither of which can really keep up with a Banshee, QR500, Raptor, DS650 or other high-perf. quad. This is because Honda does not want to get another black eye like they did in the 80's (with all the under-aged kids getting hurt on their trikes and high-perf quads).

Believe me, I want nothing more than to see Honda step up to the plate with a truly high-performance, race-ready quad. But before this happens, they are going to wait and see what (IF ANYTHING) Suzuki, Kawasaki, and the rest of the market does....and even then, they will seriously detune the quad in stock form...just like they did with their first new sport/high-perf. quad in over 10 years--the 400EX.

My .02

 

Please correct me if i'm wrong but isnt the reason that no High Performance quads came out between 1989 and 1999 because with all the lawsuits slapped on them from "under-aged kids" what? wasnt it the people with inexperience that went out bought it and though, hey gee i got a 250R it's a high performance quad so lets see how bad this thing can be, btw if i get hurt hey, i'll sue the company and make some money! ---- wasn't one of the things honda agreed to is that they would not produce another high performance quad for ten years? now for the new quad honda will release... myself i beleive the rumors about the 650EX? i think its never gonna happen... Why would honda market another EX when the 400's sales are strong? you wont see a 650EX but more of a 450EXR that uses the CRF450R's motor, a small 450 pumping out 55 HP or a 650 that pumps out i believe in the low 60's what would sound more like Honda producing?

 

I think they need to call the new breed as RaceTrax 250R, 450R and 650R.