OzVMX Forum
Marque Remarks => Honda => Topic started by: Quicksilver on February 06, 2008, 10:37:00 am
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What are Honda's CR450s like? Good bikes, bad. Whats your opinion of this model?
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Read VMX mag, they have excellent review of Honda 450CR
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What issue. I only have 29 to 32 VMX.
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issue 24
http://www.vmxmag.com.au/08_what_bike/vmx_what_bike_listing.html
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CG... I will try to get hold of that issue. Thanks for the info mate. :)
In the mean time what personal opinions are out their of this model.
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Hey Drew, did that DVD turn up yet?
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Not yet mate but im looking forward to receiving it. ;D
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they have a gearbox that can be prone to self destruction. also the clutch bush can sieze but there is a work around to stop that.
magoo had one back in the day, i suggest you PM him.
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They had a shock that had a habit of destroying itself, the gear ratios were way out, the clutch would seize, the pipe would get crushed really easily, the tank stickers disappeared on the first ride and they were known to crack crankcases if the motor kicked back. Other than that they were great.
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maybe they were a rebadged Maico :D
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They had a rear shock like a pogo stick, a powerband like a light switch and the clutch slipped like an auto. Other than that, like magoo said, they were great.
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I remember at Conondale last year Maico31 saw me ready to ride my 450 before practice and he was less than complimentary about them. I told him I reckoned that they had a reputation which was unfair. After practice I had to admit to him he was right, just my memory had faded. I'm still going to restore mine just because they were the first Honda open classer. One thing I'm not going to do is ride it.
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This is all encouraging news. ;D . No support the poor old 450, not yet anyway. So buying one or two would be a mistake, a purchase I would regret maybe?
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Only if you intend to ride/race one, a good "garage queen" project perhaps
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they are a nice looking bike, and as Magooster said they are the first Honda open classer so that alone makes it a classic.
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Heres one from W.A
[attachment deleted by admin]
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I have never understood why a company like Honda would spend shitloads of money on top riders & machinery in the 500 MX GP's from the late '70s & not have an open class MX bike available to the public until 1981. When they eventually released the '81 CR450 , it was a bag of shit anyway. It took them until 1983 to make a good open class bike with the CR480RD. You would have thought with Noyce winning the 500 title in 1979 & Malherbe in '80 & '81, that they would have released some sort of works replica to the buying public to cash in on the victories . I have always been wary of Hondas after purchasing a new '77 CR125 M3 as a gullible teenager , thinking that it was something remotely similar to the bike that Marty Smith was winning on. What a mistake that was , as the M3 was a pile of pus . I should have bought a RM125B instead. :(
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I owned one in '81 and i'd own another now but i don't think i'd ride it. They are still a cool bike and worth having because it's Honda's first open class motocrosser.
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Husky500 you're not wrong about the CR125m3. I raced an RM125b and i used to get a laugh following someone on a CR125 watching the thing swap from side to side before they speared off the track into a heap on the ground.
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how come you were "following"
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For the Entertainment...
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Heres an interesting read.
top 10 worst dirt bikes.
Yeah, CR450 is in the list so is the the YZ490 and the TM400.
http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbike/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=265930
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man i like this post this is great honda riders bagging hondas yeah ;D
its like a love hate relationship
sorry gotta go wifes coming ;)
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Why? Does she ride a Honda?
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CG - where did you get the photo of Kris's bike from? Rather pretty but also he was having problems?
cheers
Rossco
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that picture was on the old forum
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I can certainly say you bloke's were dead on when you said cases are a problem. 3 engines, 3 damaged sets of cases. Hopefully one decent engine can be made from this mess.
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Oh yeah, I forgot. They had a habit of spitting rods out through the bottom of the motor as well. I still love them though.
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I wrote an article on the ten worst dirt bikes for (I think) ADB a few years ago. We recieved all sorts of letters complaining about my inclusion of the TM400, SC500 and others but the only mail we got about the CR450 were horror stories from owners who had been through the dramas of owning one. There wasn't one letter sticking up for the bike.
Back in the day I saw a friends marriage almost disintergrate over the pressure the CR450 repair bills had created. He eventually sold the less than one year old CR450 for half of what he'd paid for it. It had a broken gearbox and the missus wouldn't OK any more money. I must admit though that they sure are a pretty little bike.
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They were a fantastic bike, just no good for riding.
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Yep, one of the engines has had rod go through the bottom. Came with brand new crank and rod but the case repair is crap so the engine never got fixed.
Are they really that fragile you cant risk even a gentle ride every so often.? Was it racing pressure that blew them, or they just blew up for the hell of it even on on week end rides.
There must be bugger of them around complete and going if their as big a shitbox as everyone says they are. A very good reason to get them going id say.
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I've got one that has been ridden / raced for nearly 30 years and it's fine (touch wood). If you look after it and treat it well you'll love it, they aren't really that bad. I've bought a 1983 CR480 to race, a much better bike than the 450 but nowhere near as classy.
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I know of 2 down here i Vicco, one is a queen ,and has never been riden (front cover of VMX 24) the other has done 2 Viper seasons (after a full resto from a basket case) and the rider took out 2nd or 3rd in the series in one eyar with no problems so their is good and bad.
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Hey Magoo you will need to bring the 450 to classic dirt for old time sake I'll have my 82 and 83 480's their as well as the 84 500 so need it to complete set
Shane
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i could have got one last year at the kempsey swap meet...$1100 was all that ol mate wanted for it.but it was missing a muffler and the side plates ,front number plate as well...wasnt interested in it cause i wanted something more competitive in the pre 85 class... ..mind you he got what he wanted for it...sold... :o
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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Honda-CR450-CR-450-CR450RB-Cases-More-Genuine-New-NOS_W0QQitemZ310021225339QQihZ021QQcategoryZ35230QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Honda-CR480-CR-480-Crank-Assembly-Genuine-New-NOS_W0QQitemZ310021223855QQihZ021QQcategoryZ35230QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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Thanks Paul.
Spotted the cases this morning. Already been hit with a bid. ???. I'll be watching ;D
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so are you going to buy one or have you already got one Quicky ?
If you intend to do a resto keep us all informed on the progress.
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Yeah. I have a couple of them mate. Dunno if thats a good or a bad thing. ;D ;)
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so are you going to buy one or have you already got one Quicky ?
If you intend to do a resto keep us all informed on the progress.
Yes a full resto is very likely on at least one bike. A fourth engine has just been located and purchased. Will sort through all the engine/parts when it arrives. I should with a bit of luck get at least two CR450s going again. One i'll retore and keep for my collection the other swapped away or sold off.
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Hay Quickie, give us a yell if you find any 82 cr480 cases/parts. Thanks Mark.
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Will do Mark. How did you get on with the pipe. Make it fit?
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Heres a complete one with heaps of spares.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/HONDA-CR450R-1981_W0QQitemZ230224439072QQihZ013QQcategoryZ102690QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem