So, Heres the story: I went to a kawasaki dealer today just to see the new kfx450r, and I was talking to the manager of the place and I was telling him about my 450r. The first thing he said to me is that the honda 450's are pieces of Junk! I was pretty mad, I love my quad. So, his reasoning for this statement is he said they are supposed to have an engine rebuild every 10 racing hours and every 20 just normal riding hours. Is this true? If so I really need to have a long talk with the dealer that sold me this. I went to honda because there supposed to be super reliable. I change my oil after every ride and I always keep a clean air filter. I do all of the maintanence that everyone on here suggests. So the question is, do the honda trx450r/er's really need to be re built every 10 racing hours and every 20 normal use hours? He said the consequence for no rebuild is a loss of hp. Im just really worried. Let me know what you think!!!

 

I sure hope not. I dont think you need to, i know a lot of people with a lot of hours on there 450r and they are fine.

 

One of the dirt bike mags rode/raced a 450X (similar engine) for 200 hours then disassembled it. As I recall they didn't find any major wear or anything that was so worn that it needed to be replaced.

I know a bunch of guys with 200 hours minimum on theirs. All of us are using high quality synthetic oil (Maxima Extra) and doing relatively frequent valve adjustments, and nobody is anywhere near to needing a rebuild. If you want to finish the big desert endurance races (much less win), you better be on a 450R!

For sure, this isn't a 400EX that you can neglect and have it still run forever, but I don't know of anybody who has had one single problem. The dealership also said that they aren't having them coming back for work.

 

I havent seen the new kawasaki doing to great at the races i have been to. Everybody wants to think there s#*t don't stink when in reality they are new machines and all they know is what they have read and the testing done by kawasaki. I am not impressed with there machines take a look at some of the top mx riders they are on honda's and suzuki's.

 

My buddy has the kawi and I have ridden it quite a bit. It is a fine machine, but not at all the "magic carpet" that the magazines are talking about. The magazines always lover the latest thing to come out anyway.......

 

No way do you need to rebuild the 450R after 20 hours of riding. I get in that much in 3 days at the dunes.
I have had my 450R since February of '04. One year ago (2006) I put a 480 jug and piston on it and the original jug and piston looked good enough that I could put them back on and ride for another two years!
This talk of having to rebuild every 10-20 hours came out even before the 450R hit the show room floor! I believe all it is, is talk.
If you are a serious, pro racer then I could see rebuilding it every ten hours. That's why you have sponsors. Also if you are a pro racer you may be running a K&N filter which lets in more dust and dirt in dusty conditions, ie: races, causing premature wear on the valves and rings, but you have sponsors to pay for rebuilds so you don't care.
If you do frequent oil changes and service your high quality FOAM filter this engine will remain reliable for a long time.

 

Yea, I did finally switch to a uni air filter. Its working out good for me, i still like the high flow of the k an n's but i will take a long lasting engine over a few hours of .03 extra horsepower. That guy at the dealer told me that the whole 10 - 20 hour thing is on honda's website. If anyone can find it, please post the link, because I have not seen it yet.

 

did YOU read this in your manual? the maintenance intervals are laid out in there.

So, let me se if i get the story correct; a kawasaki dealer is not only telling you that honda is crap but is also telling YOU (who owns the bike he DOESNT) what YOUR bike needs from HONDA - a dealer he DOES NOT represent, nor do service work for.....hmmmmmmmmm.....and you beleive this guy?

i think that dealer was trying to push your buttons as a sales tactic to tell you your stuff sucks and you need theirs to hook you into buying a new kawi450. which - hey its a respectable machine and has allot to offer, but it is not error free.

the honda 450r has a good engine. though, i wouldnt be suprised if the maint. intervals are a little different for the 06+ engine (as compared to the tamer 04/05 models). so maintain it correctly and it will last... regardless, 10-20hr rebuilds is b/s.