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/128121
2002 Honda CRF450R otorcycle manufacturers are businesses. This fact may seem self-evident, but nonetheless, it bears mentioning here - in the world's first riding evaluation of Honda's muchheralded new four-stroke production motocrosser. For the past few years, it might have appeared to the outside observer that once-almighty Honda had taken a long and ignoble fall from its motocross throne. Once a consistent winner of magazine motocross shootouts, the company's CR tine had sprouted a chink in its armor, slipping from the top rung as the feisty Yamaha MX models made a technological push. (For the past severa] seasons, YZs have regularly emerged victorious in Cycle News' 125 and 250cc MX comparisons, and the other American publications have backed those picks up.) Not only that, but Yamaha took the initiative in an exciting new market segment, releasing the first competitive four-stroke motocross model (the erstwhile YZ400F), following it up with a string of other serious thumpers (the WR400F, and the YZ and WR250Fs), and gamering a collection of titles with the new machines (the '99 500cc MX World Championship, the '98 AMA 250cc MX National Championship, and the 2001 125cc Western Regional SX Championship - not to mention the plethora of championships it attained with its two-stroke models). And speaking of titles, they have been noticeably absent from Honda's trophy case, with Jeremy McGrath's and Steve Lamson's ]996 250cc SX and ]25cc MX crowns, respectively, marking the manufacturer's most recent American championships (though Frenchman Frederic Bolley did admittedly take the '99 and '00 250cc World titles on a Honda). Granted, in spite of all this, Honda still led year-2000 off-highway sales with a 39.6-percent market share, but Yamaha had moved unsettlingly close, scooping up 34.7 percent. Clearly, if the trend were to continue, Big Red would soon be eclipsed by Big Blue. Well, don't start etching that tombstone just yet. Yamaha's recent noholds-barred push - while impressive - is not something that can be continued indefinitely by a company whose ultimate focus is on turning a profit. If common business practices are followed - and they almost certainly will be - Yamaha will take a relatively low-key approach for the next few years, thereby reaping the rewards 42 _ STORY AND PHOTOS BY THE CYCLE NEWS STAFF M SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 • cue I n __ is made possible by its recent aggressive technological and competition investment. As for Honda, the manufacturer is just finishing up one such sit-onyour-hands cycle and gearing up for a thrust in innovation and marketing, and with the progress made by archrival Yamaha of late, you can bet that the red brand's impending attack will be an impressive one. After all, this is Honda we're talking about, and although it, too, is governed primarily by rules of the market, corporate pride is no small consideration. Need proof? How about Honda's hiring of motocross-god Ricky Carmichael for next season, or its forward-thinking signing of mini sensations Mike and Jeff Alessi. Need further proof? How about Honda's thorough overhaul of its two-stroke CR line (giving the 125 a new intake system, the 250 a new case-reed motor, and blessing both with a more forgiVing aluminum chassis; heck, even the mini has gotten ...err, new graphics). Need still further proof? How about- the subject of this story, the all-new CRF450R fourstroke motocrosser? That's right, Honda's MX thumper is here, and we were finally given the opportunity to throw a leg over the bike at Southern California moto tracks (Glen Helen Raceway and Lake Elsinore Raceway, and even Dr. Ron Hoss' beautiful backyard circuit, where Honda held its formal riding introduction of the bike) over the past couple of weeks. To say the least, we are impressed, which should come as a relief to the many people with their names on dealerships' waiting lists for the bike. Honda has a lot riding on this model, and it is apparent that a lot of effort has been expended on it. After all, the CRF450R really does represent the future. Although the EPA is not implementing restrictions regarding emissions on closed-course machines until 2010, all signs currently point to the two-strokes eventually being a think of the past. In other words, the 2002 CRF450R - as good as it is - really just represents the beginning of a new approach by Honda to motocross. We can hardly wait to see what the future wiIJ bring. Lets get started. As with any fourstroke motocrosser, almost as important as how well the CRF450R's motor performs is how it starts, and we're glad to report that the big 450cc thumper is an easy starter, not much more strenuous than firing up an XR250. Unlike most high-performance four-stroke singles, the CRF requires no real starting ritual - just kick it and go. This is made possible by fitting the CRF with an automatic decompression system (applause), which eliminates the need to find topdead-center and all that mumbo jumbo. (You died-in-the-wool fourstroke riders can purchase a manual compression release system from Honda, though we don't know why you'd want to.) Honda made things even more convenient by positioning the hot-start lever where the decompression lever would've been - on the left handlebar. So, after the motor's been started for the first time of the day, you just pull in the lever and kick (don't even think about giving it any throttle), and 99 percent of the time the Honda will fire right up. When cold, reach down, pull the choke knob on the carburetor, crack the throttle and kick. Pretty darned easy. Basically, starting the Honda is a no-brainer. We'll get straight to the point - we love the Honda's motor. As we expected, the CRF450R has tons of power, but that's not what impresses us the most about the powerplant. Instead, it's the way the power is delivered - kind of like the lottery. Rather than getting all of your winnings - in this case brute horsepower in one bulk sum, you get it (and a lot of it) spread out over a wide period. The Honda has a very extensive, smooth and linear powerband, making it very easy to control and manage on a wide variety of terrain. Of course, the CRF's motor revs quickly,