if the crf450 is 'flopping' like you say then it's not a far cry to say that they might put it in a quad chassis to justify the expense of tooling to manufacture the motor and to answer the LTZ400.... which is going to put a big dent in the sales of the archaic 400ex and with a little work, it probly isn't far from competing head-on with the c-dales and other full tilt custom race machines.

i can see that a 650EX would be just an answer to the DS and raptor(the 'me too!' game).... once again due to lagging sales of the XR650... its ergo's haven't improved since the XR600 and thus even with the aluminum frame & liquid cooled engine, it's not doing so hot... so they need a place to put the engine, lower cost of parts production by increasing numbers made & justify its continued production.

 

Just how is the CRF motor a flop? Enlighten me.

 

Knowsalot how accurate is your info on the new honda 650 sport quad, and when you say that the 450 honda motor is a flop do you mean that it is a flop in a quad chassis or the dirt bike is a flop?

keep the info coming[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

from what i've seen on DB bulletin boards, the CRF is doing OK here in the US, but it doesn't have the same buzz going on as did the YZF250, 400 or 426, plus yamaha put those motors into unduro machines to lower production costs... which honda doesn't appear to be doing with the CRF

 

Honda is going to have to do something. The 400EX is nice, but it's old technology. With all the new performance quads coming out, Honda needs something. I agree that it will be a 650, but I'd rather see a 450. So far I've heard good things about it, but it hsn't been directly compared to the YZ426 yet.

BTW, do you know anything about the new Kawasaki?

Eddie

 

I,m not about to attempt a war between the Hondas and Yamahas and Suzukis or whatever some of you guys ride. I am not biased to any brand in particular. By me saying that the CRF being a flop, in no way shape or form am I saying that is a bad bike or engine. The bike is not selling well, and where it really flopped was in the outdoor nationals this year. Some of it was rider, but you aren't going to convince most diehard mxer's of that fact. Honda is not going to put an engine in a fourwheler simply because it didn't do well in the bike. I see one particular Japanese company doing that if it were them, but we're talking Honda here and we all know how they operate. As for the reliability of my info. on the Honda 650 sitting in R&D, the person hasn't lied to me before and I don't think he would start now. As for the info. on some new sport quad next year based on Honda's order of a new type of sport tire is 110% a reliable source. I'll leave the entire topic at that, as I don't want all these 400EX and Raptor guys duecing it up on here for two weeks about how bad the new Suzuki and the ??? Honda will be when nobody's even rode the damn things. From now on I'll just keep my mouth shut. I probally won't have anything to say till next spring about new bikes anyway.

 

If you have information regarding Honda and a possible new sport quad, you need to give it up. Dont hint around, then say, "I should not say anything", or "Ill leave it at that..."

RoostKing...

 

Knowsalot thanks for the info[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] and keep us posted if you hear any more[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

Interesting.

Possible the 650 engined Honda is the new big block Foreman rather than a TRX ?

The 400 DR-Z engine is an excellent piece of gear and should be a strong performer. Bad news is that they won't be avaialble until late next year. Suzuki intends to manufacture the units at it's new and yet unbuilt quad plant in the USA and thats direct from Suzuki Japan......

We have good links down here in NZ also, the new 400 Eigers underwent 18mths of "product evualation" through a selected Suzuki dealership down under in NZ before world wide release ............ alot of new quad products get tested down under for one reason or another.....

Kiwi

 

this is a great time for the sport...