2012 Honda CRF450R First Impression, Photos and Video

sharkey
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sharkey 8/17/2011 7:57pm
8/17/2011 7:57pm
smoker wrote:
just picked up a 2011 for $6600.
PC wrote:
You couldn't pick up a dead hooker for $6600! What's the deal with the power? Is it cause of the pea hole sized exhaust? The last...
You couldn't pick up a dead hooker for $6600!


What's the deal with the power? Is it cause of the pea hole sized exhaust?
The last 450 I rode was an 04' YZ450 and it needed to lose some power. I think the less exlosive power would be beneficial for anyone not getting paid to ride.
whats not to believe. motosport had 2 2010 450s for $5400 2 weeks ago. they sold before i could pick up the phone. still pissed
davis224
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davis224 8/17/2011 8:10pm
8/17/2011 8:10pm
My 2010 clutch faded bad when I first got it, I couldn't stand it. I tried overfilling the oil by about 200cc using the judgement that more oil equals more cooling for the clutch, and it did help a lot. Its definitely down on power compared to my 09 kawi but turns circles around it
DrSweden
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DrSweden 8/17/2011 8:12pm
8/17/2011 8:12pm
DrSweden wrote:
Can someone please explain how 4 springs that each are 50% more stiffer than each of the previous 6 (the sum is the same I think)...
Can someone please explain how 4 springs that each are 50% more stiffer than each of the previous 6 (the sum is the same I think) can create heavier pull or less clamping force?

I'm not a tech guy, so I would like to get it... I assume it's not flex in the plate or less stability that creates extra friction somewhere?
redalert144 wrote:
With 6 springs you can have less spring tension because the load is spread wider. With 4 springs you have to up the spring pressure to...
With 6 springs you can have less spring tension because the load is spread wider. With 4 springs you have to up the spring pressure to equal the power.
Tnx for the reply, but there's some lack of info in your response (for me at least). For that to be true which I don't questions, means that there's so much flex in the materials that you need to spread the power on the surface to avoid any bend of the pressuring plate which would increase the lack surface friction and release as well. I hope you get what I mean.
CR250Rider
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CR250Rider 8/17/2011 8:27pm
8/17/2011 8:27pm
from MXA, link posted earlier....


Honda’s engineers saved weight by lessening the number of springs in the unit. And what springs they did keep, they traded for high-end, high-priced titanium coils.

To make the four clutch springs work as well as the previous six clutch springs, the four springs had to be stiffer. When Honda’s engineers tried to match the clamping pressure of the 2008 six-spring clutch with the 2009 four-spring clutch, they discovered that no one could pull the lever in. It was too stiff. To keep the four-spring clutch, Honda had to make a compromise. Either they had to pony up for the ultra-trick titanium clutch springs that Team Honda was using (the price was out of their budget) or lower the spring rates of the four steel springs (and sacrifice clutch-pack pressure in the process)...they were between a rock and a hard-to-pull place.

When you use fewer clutch springs, they have to be stiffer than when you use more, but Honda decided not to go as stiff as required to insure solid hookup (or even enough to equal the clamping force of the previous six-spring clutch). And even though each individual 2009 clutch spring is stiffer than last year's clutch springs, the new 2009 clutch has about 35 pounds less clamping force (plate-to-plate). Thus, with even a small amount of wear or age, the 2009 four-spring clutch is more prone to slipping than the 2008 six-spring clutch. This is a fact (a mechanical fact) that even the most loyal Honda owner will face if he uses the clutch hard.

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DrSweden
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DrSweden 8/17/2011 8:27pm
8/17/2011 8:27pm
kiwifan wrote:
Goes for all the makes of course....the way I see it I give all tests of all bikes a grain of salt, they can be interesting...
Goes for all the makes of course....the way I see it I give all tests of all bikes a grain of salt, they can be interesting, may swing me one way or the other but it comes down to dealer support, manufacturer contingency, reliability, cost of parts, etc....not if it makes .5 HP more than another bike
We all have our preferences that are most likely emotional rather than logic, and its' hard to argue emotions.

But horsepower for a slow guy like me is totally overrated (and I eat C-riders for breakfast LOL). I don't know how often I twist the throttle full on the right rpm with my bike(s), but the few times I do, another pony or two wouldn't make much difference, that in the end would reduce my lap times. With extra horsepowers comes more bouncing, less traction and more work on the body which for me more likely kill performance in the long run? I still don't master the power of a CR250 from 1987 fully. Sure I clear jumps easier on a 450 than on a 250, and I have this jump on my local track as evidence meaning sometimes power can be helpful but not necessary, at least for me.
CR250Rider
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CR250Rider 8/17/2011 8:29pm
8/17/2011 8:29pm
The four-spring Team Honda clutch never gets used for longer than one race (and often one heat or moto). Factory riders get a new clutch for every race, ...... Consumers, on the other hand, aren’t as likely to throw $80 worth of clutch plates into their engines every weekend.
kiwifan
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kiwifan 8/17/2011 10:46pm
8/17/2011 10:46pm
kiwifan wrote:
Goes for all the makes of course....the way I see it I give all tests of all bikes a grain of salt, they can be interesting...
Goes for all the makes of course....the way I see it I give all tests of all bikes a grain of salt, they can be interesting, may swing me one way or the other but it comes down to dealer support, manufacturer contingency, reliability, cost of parts, etc....not if it makes .5 HP more than another bike
DrSweden wrote:
We all have our preferences that are most likely emotional rather than logic, and its' hard to argue emotions. But horsepower for a slow guy like...
We all have our preferences that are most likely emotional rather than logic, and its' hard to argue emotions.

But horsepower for a slow guy like me is totally overrated (and I eat C-riders for breakfast LOL). I don't know how often I twist the throttle full on the right rpm with my bike(s), but the few times I do, another pony or two wouldn't make much difference, that in the end would reduce my lap times. With extra horsepowers comes more bouncing, less traction and more work on the body which for me more likely kill performance in the long run? I still don't master the power of a CR250 from 1987 fully. Sure I clear jumps easier on a 450 than on a 250, and I have this jump on my local track as evidence meaning sometimes power can be helpful but not necessary, at least for me.
oh the 1987 CR250 I had one, and loved it!!! One of the best bikes I ever owned!!!
Shawn142
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Shawn142 8/18/2011 4:21am
8/18/2011 4:21am
CR250Rider wrote:
The four-spring Team Honda clutch never gets used for longer than one race (and often one heat or moto). Factory riders get a new clutch for...
The four-spring Team Honda clutch never gets used for longer than one race (and often one heat or moto). Factory riders get a new clutch for every race, ...... Consumers, on the other hand, aren’t as likely to throw $80 worth of clutch plates into their engines every weekend.
If MXA writes it, it must be true right? Like most things they come up with the clutch situation is so overblown. I ran the stock 4 spring clutch in my 09 for almost 2 years. I would replace clutches about every month and a half. I'm a vet A rider that is on the bike at least once a week, and I've been notoriously hard on clutches since I was on 125s. So yea I think MXA is mostly full of shit, no surprise there.

Yes it doesn't last as long as a 6 spring, but it took a LONG time before the cost of a new clutch every few months outweighed the cost of dropping a freaking grand on a Hinson setup. After changing over the Hinson is definitely better, I like the more solid feel and less adjustment on the fly. Do I think your average dude who only gets on the pipe in a straight line and doesn't abuse the bike would notice? Hell no.

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