Did any one read the article in Marchs Dirtwheels? Looks like Honda needs to go back the drawing board! The yfz took top honors between the 450r and the gas gas 450.

 

yes i saw that. Honda stuck out BUT the RED BLOODS will buy them and drool all over themselves. I do not expect to see many hill shooting or at the flat drags, They wll hide at the MX track. Actually probably just on the trails. Dirtwheels said it was m0re of a trail quad. Why in this day and age would you only have a kick starter or a trail quad? And no reverse??? LMAO

 

I have another mag review of the 450R, and they say pretty much what DW said. The 450R is more of a trail atv, but don't stall it out in the trail, for it is hard to re-start after a stall. They said it start's easy if you shut it off, but not after a stall. They also didn't like the Plastic. They said when cornering there boots would catch on it. They also said the fuel tank made them feel bow-legged.

 

I don't know what the big issue of reverse is.I never had reverse on any of my quads dating back to my first LT250r.Then it was the 4trax and now a Banshee.Same goes for the kickstart.
I can't remeber the last time I had to get off my quad and use the manual reverse system,but I do remember seeing 2 different people trying to pull start a Raptor on the trail due to Starter issues.Yea... that looked like a TON of fun,makes me wish I had an electric start and no back-up to kick.LOL

I prefer kickstarts,atleast I know it will always be there,no battery or malfunctioning starter to worry about.If you ride a machine long enough,you know what it takes to kickstart it.They all have the sweetspot and if you don't know where it is,you'll kick yourself into exhaustion.When I started riding quads,they came ith the bare neccesities,I guess I learned to accept it and never needed more.

 

Must not ride many tight trails. Hell I've had to turn mine around by hand before. But there has been lot's and lot's of times I've reversed out while others have been pushing with their feet, or turning their quads around by hand. Reverse is nifty to have sometimes.

 

Yah, but for every person like you that likes kick starts, there are 10+ of us that like elec starts. You would think Honda would know this. If the 450R had a elec starter on it, I would be on the list to get one. I do a lot of trail riding, and the ergo's and plush suspension of the Honda would be better then the YFZ in my opinion. But with no elec starter, I'm now looking at a Z or Predator. The 450R's will sell quick at the beginning, but I feel sales will dimminish. I see the 450R having elec starter in the 05 model.

 

Once you get use to having electric start and reverse you'll hate to go without it. I love my new 400EX but I do say a curse word or two when I'm exploring new trails without reverse.................... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I do ride some tight trails,but I look for open places or short uphills to roll out of.Like I said,I started riding long before sport quads had reverse.Alot of you youngsters have been spoiled by technology.Us old schoolers had to "learn how to ride".Lock the front brakes,turn the wheel and break the tires loose.As long as the trail is wide enough to turn the quad sideways,you can pull a 180.At least on my 4trax or Banshee.You could try it on a Rap,but you'l probably end up wrapped around a tree.

I'll be the first to admit that most 4strokes can be a bear to kickstart,but that one time you experience starter or battery troubles in the middle of EBF and its getting dark,you'll be wishin it was a kickstart.

 

What about when your racing, and you get stuck behind someone on a steep hill, and for some reason you stall it. You'll be wishin you had a elec start.

 

That all goes back to knowing how to ride,I see you don't have any manuel clutch machines GE4x4 so I'll refrain from busting your *****.

If your riding a machine that is a B*tch to start then you'll know enough to yank the clutch when you come to a stop.Its not hard to learn ho to ride like that.I ride a CR500r and thats the last machine you want to stall going uphil.Like I said,it comes from experience and knowing your machine.