Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126618
bursting to life. The driU varied when warm, but usuaUy was not the same problem. A single-downtube frame turns quickly into a double-cradle to support the engine and clear th e centerport exhaust. The steering head angle has been radicaU y steepened from the 450 to 27.2 degrees. The difference is immediately noticeable when riding the bike and several riders commented on a stability problem at high speeds. On the plus side, however, is the razor sharp steering Honda has gained in exchange for a slight high speed twitch. Suzuki's 465 and Yamaha's 490 both suffer from imprecise steering and the Honda was ab le to turn under its japanese competitors in many tight corners, although it must be noted that Maico still seems to hold an edge in that department. The Honda seems to lose its turning edge as the tires wear and the 480 seems to literal ly evaporate the tires on both ends. The powerful front bra ke doesn't seem all too effective at times simply because the speed that the brake is trying to scrub off is so great. Our fro nt tire wore out in record time as did two rear tires. Much of the credit for the precise steering must go to the new 43mm Kayaba front forks. The two mi tlimeter increase in the stanchion tubes seems to have reduced the £lex felt in the 450 and overall handling is improved measurably because of it. Unique to the Honda is a three-way compression damping adjustment that seemed a nice idea but not completely practical since all the riders felt the standard adjustment was best anyway. Honda has taken a different approach to the rear suspension also. Compression damping adjustment is available instead of the usual rebound adjustment. Reportedly, Roger DeCoster convinced H onda that compression adjustments were of more val ue in adjusting to different track conditions than rebou nd and the new Showa uni t has four damping positions. In addition to giving the rider a choice of damping, the '82 Showa shock offers better da mping. T he sli der used int ernally in last year's shock has been repl aced by a n Ohlinstype of wa fer and the control is much less harsh. Getting the suspension set up right fo r each rider required quite a bit of effort and adjustment, but was well worth time spent. When the bi ke felt right to a rider his lap ti mes were generally two seconds faster than when the bike felt uncomfortable. Under ideal conditions (rider and bike matching perfectly) the 480R was stable, poised and fast. When things weren't ideal, they were horrible ; the snappy power, steep steeri ng head and harsh suspension all conspiring to make the Honda more than a handful. Honda redesigned the aluminum swingarm this year. The axle now rides in an aluminum block that in turn rides inside the box section swingarm. The 450 had some swingarm cracking problems in '81 bu t the new system solves the problem. Despite the fact that Honda has raised the footpeg height from last year's model, the peg to seat location is still sui ted best to taller riders. O ur 6'2" test rider picked the Honda as having the best ergonomics of any Open class bike a nd on ly the sho rtest rider (5'5") had any problem adj us ting to the bigness of the bike. The 480R looks substantial in size but is ac tually lighter than the other japanese 'crossers and is easy to £lick from side to side when airborne. The double leading shoe front brake was rated highly by the riders. "Power- (Top) There's nothing extraneous on the 480. (Above left) N_ 43mm fork worlta wei" The double-lading shoe brake is strong. (Above right) The rear suspension needa dialing in before you C8n go fait with the 480. Iull" was a typ ical comment. The rear brake was used sparingly because of the motor's inclinatio n to stall easily a t low rpm. A rider does beco me used to the brak es, but filing do wn the leading edge of the rear bra ke shoe is a permanent fix and would make the brake far less touchy. The Bridgesto ne tires worked as well as might be expected, eliciting little positive.or negative comment. Honda has enlarged the airbox from last year to improve air £low and the fuel tank is narrower and easier to slide onto when positioning your weight forward. Another detail improvement was raising the lowest portion of the exhaust header by 40mm to lessen the chance of damage. Our only real objection with the Honda is with the rear suspension. With the proper set up and choice of oil level and weight, the Honda's forks are at least workable for the most demanding rider, excellent for most. The rear suspension has several problems and is the bike's biggest det raction. Under powerthe rear wheel tra vel is more than ha lf used up. Going up hills, under Iu ll throttie/traction situations, the rider gets a disconcerting feeling that he's being sucked off the rear of the bike. When accelerating out of bumpy turns, seat of the pan ts sensations are confusing. A feeling of plushness and almost cushiness is the genera l feeling, but at the same time small bumps kick the back end around, causing a loss of tra ctio n or else the rider takes a lot of p uni shment or bo th. jumps a nd whoops are taken in pl ush stride which ma kes the problem difficult to 'p in point. The problem seems to be that the power sacks out a ll the suspension available to soak up little stuff and the bike becomes harsh. We plan to try some other springs and settings to see if we can help the problem, so stay tuned. Two years ago Honda had no entry in th e Open class marketp lace. Their firs t effort was disappointing a nd the 450R had little success at the track. The same fate is not in store for the 1982 CR480R. H o nda's new big-bore machine is desti ned to find itself in many winner's circles in '82. It has its pro blems as all bikes do, but the bottom line is that a light bike that does not intimidate the rider is a good choice. If you are a racer, give the 480CR a close look. If you want a uailbike or an enduro mount we would say look elsewhere. • Specifications Type Air-cooled, two-stroke vertic81 engine. 89mm x 76mm. D isplaC8ment Bore and stroke 6 .7:1 . Starting system . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . .. . .. Primary kick. COl . Ignition system Constant mesh four-speed. Transmission Carburetion '. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38mm Kelhln. Tubular chromoly, lingle downtube. Frame design 27.2 degreea/4.2 in. Rake/trail. Front suspension/travel Telescopic fork/11 .6 In. Pro Link/12.0 In. Rear suspension/travel Front tire Bridgeltone 3.00 x 21 . Bridgestone 6 .10 x 18. Rear tire 69.3 in. Wheelbase , Seat height 39 in. Minimum ground clearance 13.6 in. Net weight 232 Ibs. , 2 .9 gal. Fuel tank capacity Suggested retail price $2248. 17