I think the biggest idiots base their opinions on paperwork and not from using the bike in question. Since noone (except the chioce handfull of testers) has ridden the bike yet, noone really has a basis for thier argument. Numbers are one thing, feeling is quite another. Maybe these stupid posts will stop until someone takes delivery of the bike.

 

exactly, Ridley being the pro mx'er that he is thinks he can base the performance of a quad he has never even seen ridden, much less been on one himself. More so, figures basic numbers on paper can justify him thinking a quad is trash or not when stacked up against the almighty yfz. Let me tell you something, this goes for all the riders out there. If honda felt their bike wouldnt be competitive with the yamaha, IT WOULDNT HAVE BEEN RELEASED IN ITS CURRENT FORM!

Now Rid, im not knocking the guy, but you talk about how the honda guys are so loyal to their brands. What does that say about you yamaha folk who have nothing better to do then knock a new performance quad that does nothing but further the progression of the sport?

 

14mins, I've been on the forum for a while now and not to say that there was anything wrong with your last post or anything like that, but it does seem as though you have started to really hammer on the Honda guys for no real reason. Did someone personally pi$$ you off or something? You, among a handfull of others, have always caught my attention with your useful knowledge. But here lately, it seems like someone else is using your screen name. What's up?

Any whoo, I've been meaning to head down to Aledo to see all you boys in person, but it's hard when you've got a wife and two kids to think about. But since it's only about two hours away, I still would love to come down and ride some. Maybe this spring?

Later,
JP

 

Boogerbub- The trailer park is always open, even to honda riders. I just wish honda would have done a little more to raise the bar. Nothing really exciting about the new 450. Since they were last to the dance they should have had yamaha, suzuki starting to think catch up. Honda has the funds to do it and fell a little short in my opinion. Working on quads of all brands quite a bit, if honda would of spent 50 more dollars and put a FCR carb on the 450 and another 50 bucks for front rezzies my gripes would be minimun. Those 2 features would have cost honda about 100 bucks more per quad. Now the new owners will shell out over a grand to do what could have been done at the factory for 100 dollars.

 

The 450R I'm picking up has front reservoirs. Are they charging me $50 more? What's up?

 

14mins,

You act like everyone is just be big bullies to you or ridley. You are not so innocent. You come into the Honda forum and start bashing the 450R like there's no tommorow, then expect everyone to just read it and have a nice reply? Many people in the Honda forum are pleased with the 450R and don't take kindly to rude, biased coments about it. If you've got and opinion, fine speek it, but the way you said it before was just obnoxious. Anyways, how could you cut down a quad you don't know very much about? You didn't even look into it to find out that it has rezzies in the front.

 

So since the 450r has rezzies will 14mins gripes be half satisfied at least?

 

I too think Honda fell a little short, but just a little. It does come with front rezzies at least, they're just tucked back behind the shocks towards the radiator. I can't stand this design. I know they say it is to protect the rezzie's, but honestly, how many people have gotten their rezzies knocked off before? I've never heard of it happening. I think rezzies are like a good looking woman, I like to show mine off. Also, how hard could it have been to give it the angled, long travel a arms? This would have cost them nothing extra and it probably wouldn't have such a high seat height. One thing that I am very proud of Honda for though is that they finally changed their (in my opinion) stupid seat/fender design. Woohoo! Because of these little things, it makes me want to wait another year for the Yammy to get updated to the 450cc range and anything that is week get taken care of, then I might ride Yamaha. Maybe even Polaris if they keep on upgrading, I think the Pred is a great machine. After all that though, I'll just set things strait, I am absolutely giddy about there being SOOO MANY cool quads to choose from.
Later,
JP

 

Missed a Soap Opera, reminds me- I need to go watch Law and Order. no, seriously- it's a fantastic thing that the 450R has kickstart- the true mark of a high performance quad. Haven't seen anything like that since the '80's, man those were the days. I believe the whole point and beginning of this thred was that a fellow out there had a hurt knee and was unable to use a kickstarter. However- getting back to the heart of high performance quads- say you're racing the Baja and you crash real good. the battery on yer YFZ gets tossed or smashed- how do you get started again? Good thing Honda had the forsight to go with the kick starter.........

 

Kwackermann, in many ways I am right there with you on the kick start issue and about a year ago probably would have offered to hold your hand while we both prayed that the new Honda would come out with a kickstart. But now it's a little different. I was riding my 250r in a race a while back when the Raptor in front of me tipped over in a turn (it was widened and lowered and it was still tippy, haha, it's just too much fun). Suddenly, I'm in third place battleing for second!! Wow, the excitement! But all of this quickly came to an end when I heard about ten feet behind me the sound of the 660 retetet-vroom! I knew that he was already releasing the clutch and he would catch me in the straits. Guess what, he did, and he barely made it to the checkers before I did. If he had any type of machine with a kickstart, he would have lost very valuable time and would not have podiumed. Instead, he was able to hit the magic button and out pull me in the straits. I'll take electric start any day of the week, especially on race day.
JP

P.S.- I was riding with a broken clutch cable and I was just banging the gears in or I'm sure it would have been a different outcome. Plus, I must give the other guy credit, his quad was set up very well for that track and he was a very good rider.