CR450. Good, bad. Whats the story.

[cyclegod]

Heres one from W.A

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[Husky500evo]

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. 
     

[Maico31]

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.

[Maico31]

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.

[Noel]

how come you were "following"

[Maico31]

For the Entertainment...

[Quicksilver]

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

[holeshot buddy]

man i like this post this is great honda riders bagging hondas yeah
its like a love hate relationship
sorry gotta go wifes coming

[Maico31]

Why? Does she ride a Honda?

[Rossvickicampbell]

CG - where did you get the photo of Kris's bike from?  Rather pretty but also he was having problems?

cheers

Rossco

[paul]

that picture was on the old forum

[Quicksilver]

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.

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[magoo]

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.

[firko]

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.

[magoo]

They were a fantastic bike, just no good for riding.