I have a friend in motercycle tech down in AZ, and when the honda rep paid a visit last week he asked these questions and got these answers!

1. Q: When the 650EX lanches next week, how long until they hit the showroom? A: Honda does not beleave bigger is better, honda has always strived in performance.

2. Q: Will the new liquid cooled 450EX have reverse? A: Honda cannot releace any details until the machine properly lanches.

Now, if I read the wording correct... we all know what honda has. Lets just hope its not a way to derail rumors[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
Joe

 

so honda is releasing a 450ex and a 650ex?

 

a 450ex, with a high performance engine

 

IF Honda makes the 450EX the engine it would have would be the CR450F MX bike engine. That has been the rumor ever since Honda released their plans to release the bike this fall. Yamaha wussed out with their YZ426 motor saying that it is to tempermental and hard hitting to be put in a production ATV. HECK! We've all been riding old 250R's and Quadracers since they stopped making anything good! Don't they think we know how to tune a carb and spin a wrench!?!? Plus hard hitting is a good thing, that means it has enough power for you to feel the hit, unlike most of todays new quads. The CR motor pumps out 55 ponies, that's more than enough to run with any R. Plus you know it will all be tractable power. Quite honestly I am skeptical though, I think they will do just what Yamaha did and wuss out. Opting instead for a machine that appeals to a more broad audience, and therefore makes them more money. Just my 2 cents though, I could be way off. Later fellas!

 

Guys, you just dont understand about this motor! A 450cc 4 stroke putting out over 40HP... I want one!!!!!!

 

zillaman,,your probably right. But they might put the CRF motor in a quad, such severly detuned. Like the lowest possible compression with is still running fine, 6:1. Put a stock rev limiter so it won't rev over 4k, and put a cam thats almost perfectly round. This way they interest the likes of many people but don't have beginners on a quad with 55hp stock. Who knows,,i hate rumors and this is one the biggest right now in the ATV forum.

 

i heop they don't come out with it! cuz if they do i'm gonna be mad that i had to go and get this damn 400EX [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I agree with Riceburnin
everytime a quad comes out with a motorcycle-based engine, it is severly detuned. everyone thought that the raptor was gonna have about 50HP because of the motorcycle engine it was based on. from what i hear the raptor puts out 38 HP. i bet the honda will have about the same hp as the cannondale or about 45HP at the most. look at the banshee engine. it originally came off a motorcycle. it puts out about 33 HP. 125cc motorcycle engines put out that much power. don't you think a 350cc twin cylinder two stroke is capable of putting out more power. i'm not saying the banshee is underpowered but i think it is capable of much more. don't expect the new honda to be a cannondale,raptor or ds killer. it will probably be about equal in speed and acceleration, but will probably handle alot better.

 

I hate to spoil it for you, but I can pretty much guarantee there will not be a TRX450. At least not like the bike motor. I spoke to the XR Race Team Manager at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and he said he doubts Honda builds anything like that anytime soon for a quad. And if there is a new quad to be released, even the magazines don't know about it yet. Plus while I was working as a New Model Build Intern for Honda the typical response I got when posing similar questions was basically it probably wouldn't happen. But then again during that time the sport quad market was just at the beginning of its current surge in popularity, so maby things have changed a little. Even so I wouldn't count on a 450 anytime soon because that motor was just developed to compete with the YZF motor also only seen in a dirt bike. So I wouldn't expect them to be developing the motor for quad application just yet. It would be nice to be wrong in this case, but I just don't think so...


Sickman

 

I would like to see them come out with the 450 for motocross and a 650 for the desert and keep the 400 for the woods. Then I think they would have an all around lineup. They could give the 450 and 650 an aluminum chassis. Then update the 400 next year with an aluminum chassis. Then the 300EX the next year, then the 250EX after that. I know this wont happen but it would be cool.