i currently ride a 2003 Bombarider DS 650 baja, which up until about 6 months ago i LOVED... (basically once warranty expired im sadly having endless trouble with the thing....even after 1k in OEM parts i still hardly get to ride it)

i cannot currently afford a new 05 DS, as they run about 7200 out the door around here....

I like everything about the ds but the weight. I have always loved the power and smooth powerband and torque, with the ability to pretty easily ride at low rpm through technical trails when need be. Is the 450r able to do so? (not just able, but comfortably so?) 3 of my main riding buddies all have yfzs. I have ridden them MANY times but i still just cannot get comfortable on them.
The things that turn me off on them are:
Stiff suspension (it seems nice for jumping...but i dont jump more than maybe 3-5 feet off the ground in the dirt...)
Rough ride (probably mainly attributed to the stiff susp setup)
the thumb throttle fatigues my hand after a VERY short period of time (two of my buddies did the 400ex conversion so theres is fine now)
The exhaust header (i cannot stand riding the things in shorts.... burns up my right leg! even in jeans its hell when going slow)
and the biggest dislike, is the power delivery. its hard for me to explain...but i dont really love the revving like a 2 stroke just to get power to the ground... i like pinning it like everyone else, but prefer smooth power) the yfz you really have to crank the rpms to go slow on trails always wanting to bog down at low rpms. (riding the yfz sometimes i was just so uncomfortable it didnt even feel like i was in control, but just hanging on for a ride)

so...is the 450r for me, or is too MX oriented like the yfz? there is a decent sized honda dealer about 20 mins away, but sadly i havnt found ANYONE i know that has a 450r for me to test. (hopefully next time i go riding at the badlands i can find someone to swap with me)

The biggest worries for me about the 450r are the kick start (i have ready many times they are really easy to start up initially, but how about when hot? i dont want to sit there kicking on the thing for 10 mins trying to get it running after cruising for a couple hours)
another worry is the reliability (i have read a few issues about cracked frames/swingarms and the bottom end of the engine going out? i def dont need my bike to be in the shop all the time like my ds is...)

also as a note im 6'2 240...will i feel cramped on it? (any large riders out there on one?)

the only mods i would probably do would be filter/pipe and cam... (a problem ive always had with my ds is having to rejet for every small temperature and elevation change.... the ds is pretty easy to work on as i can adjust needle/jets while carb is still on the bike. can this be easily done on the 450r? i know the yfz is a PAIN, ive seen my buddies trying to jet the thing and it takes forever)

also, how will a piped/camd 450r compare to a piped/camd DS and yfz? (thought id throw that out there for those of you who have raced similarly setup quads)

sorry for the HUGE post! thanks in advance for mature helpful responses (please no HONDA ROCKS YAMAHA SUCKS posts!)

Thanks guys

 

Thankfully, the Honda isn't the specialized MX machine that the Yamaha is. The Honda will do many things well, but you may have to mod it to your particular application. The suspension will be just fine for most riders.

The frame handles very well on trails, and it does especially well on the fast more open ones. The engine however, really likes to rev, and absolutely refuses to lug down, so handling the power at slow speed can be a chore. A gearing change might help (gearing is way tall!), but an autoclutch like the Rekluse is the untimate answer. For those riding open country, the power and gearing is nearly perfect! The bike just needs to be widened a bit.

As far as fit, if you can't find one to test ride, you will have to go to the dealer and sit on one and get your best estimate.

As for kick start, once you know the drill, it is FIRST KICK EVERY TIME, HOT OR COLD! I was concerned at first, but once I got it down, no big deal!

I have the HRC cam, FMF Factory 4 full system, vented airbox (http://www.ehsracing.com/), and UNI filter, and believe me, the bike goes faster than I care to go most of the time! It will be way faster than you will ever be able to go on a tight trail.

 

What exactly are the problems with your DS? A friend has one, and when he moved and went from riding open desert to slower trails type riding, he started having all kinds of problems. The bike ran way hot on the trails.

 

well....i dont want to bore you with the list...but ill make it short....
Starter sprag clutch (shot, also took gears with it which is like 400 OEM parts... i just bought a 600 dollar 2001 motor off ebay for parts)
when that was apart i found my crank bearing welded itself together and blew up
my starter got a bit crunchy so i just swapped it with the one from the 2001 engine
had to have my stock carb milled as the idle fuel mixture screw seized up
always runs hotter than hell (i dont think its so much that it actually runs hot but it SEEMS hot as the fans ALWAYS on...)
carb is finicky...hard to get it setup decent (ride half a day it changes 10 degrees and u have to rejet...lol)
broke the clutch release shaft, and the shaft that meets up with that (sticks out of clutch basket) 95 some bucks in parts)
sometimes it eats coolant (that or its pushing it out the overflow...)

and well i cant remember anymore but im sure there is more lol

basically i have over 1k in stock parts and i barely get to ride the thing. (i do love it to death...but hate how heavy it is)

 

My old DS was a pile of junk too. Roost knows all about it. I had LOTS of problems with mine. I really like 450R though![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

The 450R is rediculously corked up stock. By simply removing the air box lid, jetting WAY up, and cutting the spark arrestor out of the Silencer, you'll see a huge improvement. The mod's I have made to mine have made it a completely different machine. The thing is now a torque monster and rev's a bit further. IMO, this is the way the machine SHOULD come from the factory......

 

well man the 450r is far from a complete mx bike if your a trail rider then it defin has the softness your looking for but i feel going from a 650 down to a 450 is going to be a little ruff power wise but you should feel alot more comfortable in the handling part so one for one i guess sorry not a big help i love honda but may want to check out the z400 smooth power your looking for great suspension and rev which is nice on the trails ok hope that helped a little pick up a dirt wheels sometime sure you do but they have great comments in there test rides