SHOOTOUT
P36
2014 450-CLASS MOTOCROSS SHOOTOUT
The Honda's unique dual muffler system is designed essentially to improve handling by keeping
the weight of the mufflers as centrally located as possible, and,
of course, to keep noise at bay,
which it certainly does. But none
of our testers are big fans of the
dual muffler system. They can't
help but see twice the chance
for potential damage and high replacement cost.
Clutch pull is heavy and shifting can be kind of tricky. Our
testers complained about the
gear-shift lever being too short,
making upshifts difficult at times.
The Honda is comfortable. Handlebars, levers and footpegs are
well positioned but riders pushing
six feet in height might feel a little
cramped in the cockpit. The seat is
also a little on the soft side.
Overall handling is very good.
The Honda feels light and agile
on the track, and it's a very good
turning machine. It follows along
wherever the front wheel is pointed and stays in the ruts. However,
the Honda isn't the most stable
bike at speed. It can feel a little
twitchy at times and the front end
will move around a bit. It doesn't
really do anything scary but just
doesn't inspire as much confident
as some of the other 450s.
Again, suspension is very plush
overall. The Honda's KYB air
forks are pretty good overall, but
some of our testers complained
of some mid-stroke harshness.
They do, however, a great job
of soaking up the big hits and
slap-down landings. And since
they are air forks, they do require
more attention than tradition oil/
spring forks in order to maintain
consistent performance.
None of our testers had anything negative to say about the
CR's brakes, which are strong
and consistent.
Overall, the Honda is a very
good bike. It's easy to ride for
a high-performance 450 motocrosser and will no doubt appeal
to the novice, intermediate and
vet racer for its docile motor and
plush suspension, compact size
and excellent ergos.
