Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Nevv What~ • A lighter piston yields increased compression • Magnesium ignition cover reduces heat build-up and weight • Ughter flywheel • New ignition timing (Above) Finally· quality aluminum handlebars on a stock Japanese MXer. (Left) Unwanted sliding is reduced because of a new nonslip seat cover. (Below) The new aluminum muffler is lighter and is stuffed with more durable packing. tion cover is now made out of lighter magnesium, and the new muffler, which features more durable packing and is mounted 50mm forward to improve mass centralization, is lighter as well. All told, Honda claims that the '04 CRF450R is three pounds lighter than the '03, at 222 pounds, which is extremely light for a big-bore thumper. But it's stiJl nine pounds heavier than the CR250R two-stroke. The battle of the four-stroke bulge will no doubt continue to rage for years. When it comes to the CRF450R's suspension, Honda thought the forks could be better. We thought they were pretty good last year, but, when it comes to forks, if you think you can make them better, have at it. And Honda did in a big way. To give the 47mm twinchamber cartridge Showa forks a better feel, Honda decided to perform an expensive honing process on the inner surface of the fork tubes that had previously only been performed on its works bikes. According to Honda, this special honing process, which all but eliminates stiction, is high tech and a first on a mass-production motocrosser. Honda left well enough alone with its rear suspension. Even though the '03 450 already had one of the smoothest and most controllable big-bore four-stroke motors on the planet, Honda felt it could be made even more userfriendly without sacrificing any power, so Honda made a few significant changes to the '04's motor and drive train. Internally, the new Honda gets a lighter, higher-compression piston, a lighter flywheel, a remapped ignition, and different carburetion specs. Externally, the exhaust pipe has new routing, and gearing is now taller via a two-tooth-smaller rear sprocket. Honda paid close attention to detail with the new 450. It has replaced the usual wimpy handlebars with stronger aluminum Renthal bars (971 bend) and threw away the old smooth-surface seat cover with a • Strategic engine and gearing fine tuning give the new CRF450R even more controllability. G~ 18ad and Vloltk Thumbs Up: • Renthal handlebars • Nonslip seat cover • Improved forks • Ergonomics - pretty close to (if not) perfect Thumbs Down: • We'll complain about weight until it's around 212 pounds (After all, we have nothing else to whine about) • Updated jetting specs • Taller external gearing • Redesigned and lighter muffler, and it's mounted 50mm forward for improved weight and balance • Updated muffler packing • Aluminum Renthal handlebars • Quick-adjust clutch • Reshaped clutch lever • New honing process to the forks reduces stiction • Footpeg hinge redesigned to prevent mud-packing • Nonslip seat cover • Redesigned front numberplate and front fender • New Dunlop 742 front and 756 rear tires • Redesigned and lighter fork and engine guards sano-Iooking nonslip cover. There's now a new quick-adjust clutch lever, and the footpegs are redesigned at the hinge so dirt doesn't pack in there and prevent the pegs from lying flat. The 450 also gets new tires for '04; it now comes fitted with new Dunlop 742 front and 756 rear tires. And to put the finishing touches on the whole package, the front fender and front numberplate are lighter and have a slimmer look. Graphics are new, too. The first thing that came to mind when we first rode the new 450 was the forks - more specifically, how the forks absorb the big hits, such as the always-fun slap-downs off big jumps. The new "stictionless" forks are remarkably good and soak up the big hits as weJl as anything we've ever ridden. Even when you're about to touch down in that hole on the other side of the double, don't worry, you will hardly feel a thing. We've only ridden the 450 a few times since we got our hands on it, so we're eager to test the fork on more tracks. As hard as it may be to believe, the 450 is even smoother and more tractable than before - not a lot more, but certainly noticeably so. You would think that a lighter flywheel would make the CR's motor more snappy and harder to control, not to mention easier to stall, but combined with the higher-compression piston and different ignition mapping and, more importantly, the taller gearing, it all seems to balance out to produce a hard-hitting yet even more controllable power delivery. And when you're dealing with a 55-horsepower motocross bike, any kind of improvement you can get in the controllability department is fine with us. Otherwise, the 450's motor is just like last year's - thrilling. Even though the big thumper dropped three pounds, it's still not exactly light. When you add up the extra weight and all that centrifugal force of the big motor, and throw in massive horsepower, you're going to get tired quickly if you're not in shape. But Honda gave the 450 some nice amenities to keep you going when you're looking for the white flag. When it comes to ergonomics, it just doesn't get much better than this. The 450 was already one of the most comfortable bikes around, but now, with the Renthal handlebars and the nonslip seat cover, it just got even better. As always, the CR's controls are awesome, and they even got better with the addition of the new clutch perch, now that you can adjust the clutch play on the fly. Not much has changed when it comes to starting the thing. The 450 is still relatively easy to start when you take your time and give it good, clean and efficient kicks. Overall, the new CRF450R is still a CRF450R - only better. The new forks are a big improvement, and the smoother power delivery makes the motor even more controllable than before - which is quite an accomplishment, since the '03 was already pretty darned good. And when you throw in the Renthal handlebars and the new seat cover, the '04 450 is truly a complete package. eN Specifications LIST PRICE $6499 DISPLACEMENT .449cc Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, Unicam four-valve four-stroke ENGINE TYPE BORE x STROKE 96 x 62.1 mm COMPRESSION RATIO 12:1 Keihin 40mm flat-slide CARBURETOR ...........••.•••••••.....• _ CD w/electronic advance IGNITION TRANSMISSION 5-speed FUEL CAPACITY .................••••..............................2 gal. WHEELBASE .58.5 in. 26.91°/l08mm RAKE/TRAIL SEAT HEIGHT ...•..•.........................................37.6 inches FRONT TIRE 80/100-21 REAR TIRE . 110/90-1 9 FRONT SUSPENSION .47mm inverted Showa cartridge fork with 16-position rebound and 16-position compression damping adjustability; 12.4 inches travel REAR SUSPENSION .....Pro-Link Showa single shock with spring preload, 17-position rebound damping adjustability, and compression damping adjustment separated into low-speed (13 positions) and high-speed (3.5 turns); 12.5 inches travel FRONT BRAKE 240mm disc w/twin-piston caliper REAR BRAKE 240mm disc CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT 222 pounds cue I e n III _ S • AUGUST 13. 2003 21

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