at first its cool but if you ride trails at all if it stalls and you have a slipery shoe and kickstarter its a $%@%* it is no fun how dose a Black and Blue leg sound? not cool so i end up poping the clutch if that happens lol it sucks i wish i had eltric start

 

Same thing happened to me last time at Reiter with Karl, Dan and Troy. Couldn't figure why it wasn't starting cold using choke. Took choke off and used hot start button. Started right up. One to put into the memory banks!

 

I havent ever had a issue with kicking either. The only time I did have a problem was one time on the trail I was trying to track down a rattle and locked the rear tires, and put the quad on its butt without cutting off the fuel and when I put it back down I noticed gas in my airbox. The carb had completely flooded and soaked my air filter in gas so I had to kick it over about 20-30 kicks to clear it all out. Learned my lesson with that though.

 

lol. that 250 is not junk!

the 450 is a good bike, and in several facets, a better machine... EX: more modern, strong engine, aluminum parts & sub frame and some of the best shocks i have seen on a stock bike. However, most people wont beleive this b/c they are holding on to the hype and excitement of a new model; which is ok, but I have both bikes and to me, the 450 falls a little short in the ergonomics, handling and stability areas when compared to my older R. Call me crazy if you want, but having a stable quad just exudes more rider confidence. My 250R does not have a twitching problem like the 450r. Handling is precise on the 450, but it is not as precise as the 250r. The 250r is more balanced and it is lighter. The wide gas tank on the 450 is cool, but it and the taller ride height put the rider into an awkward positon than on the 250; it could be that I am more used the the 250r and in time may grow to like (or solve) the 450R's differences...

I like the 450 and am glad that I got it, but when making this comparison, I have to tell it like I have experienced.

When Honda did the 450r, they should have keep the lower ride height that the 250r had and put a slightly longer swing arm on it. That would seem to help get rid of that "hovering" feeling. Those are my opinions but what they really need to get rid of is that front end twitch.

 

One other point. Kicking my 450r is way better then kick starting the Banshee I sold to buy the Honda.

 

20,

I feel ya on the modern shock set up, but I just cant buy into the four stroke thing. Not to mention the price tag at the dealer and aftermarket parts for them. I'll keep my 20 year old junk rippin. Click my camera.

 

I've read where a lot of the 450R owners have had great success with softening their pre-load adjustment almost all the way(1 or 2 threads still showing) to get the ride height down and a bit more width at the front. They'll then adjust the compression a bit up if needed. I've heard that it makes a world of difference in handling and getting rid of the tippy feeling.

 

The desert riding season doesn't start until around Thanksgiving, so I have not earnestly gotten into fine tuning my 450's suspension. (This time of year, we ride the utes in the COOL MOUNTAINS!). But, I appreciate the post about the front end, and I will give it a try! I am running Holeshot XCT's, so I am even higher up in the air than stock. I will eventually widen the front end, but I have a couple other things ahead of it on my list of mods, so anything will help for now.

 

going off the last few posts, a friend of mine has a 450r and i have my 400ex. He has let me ride it a few times now, and it hurts me to say that I like the suspension on my 400ex more than the 450r's. that might just be my opinion.

 

I have Works suspension on my 400EX, and it is so dialed-in, it eats huge desert whoops for breakfast!

So far, I like the front end on the 450, at the stock settings. I have serious issues with the back end though! I have the rebound damping set full in (hard), and it still kind of bucks me in the whoops. Going to have to get it revalved.