The flip side of 'Most Improved in One Year',,,,

wreckitrandy
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wreckitrandy
Edited Date/Time 5/8/2013 10:28am
Have any of you owned bikes that you thought were worse than the previous year's model? For me, the '81 YZ 125 even though it was water cooled, was a step backwards from the '80 model.
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ATKpilot99
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ATKpilot99 5/6/2013 3:37pm
5/6/2013 3:37pm
I think most felt the 97 CR 250 was a step back from the steel framed version. I did own a 97 but never owned a steel framed CR so I can't say from personal experience.
Joelessi
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Joelessi 5/6/2013 3:49pm
5/6/2013 3:49pm
CRF450R from 2008-2009 should win this
peelout
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peelout 5/6/2013 3:59pm
5/6/2013 3:59pm
Joelessi wrote:
CRF450R from 2008-2009 should win this
i agree with this. the 2007 and 2008 were probably the best bikes Honda has built (4-strokes)
GUS.975
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GUS.975 5/6/2013 8:42pm
5/6/2013 8:42pm
The proper title for this is "Best Regression"

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queen of spodes 5/6/2013 8:53pm
5/6/2013 8:53pm
85 to 86 KX125. Owned both. Expected the 86 to rock my world, but it was pipey, and didn't handle very well. It looked so trick with the rear disk and second generation Uni-Trac suspsension.
Wolfman
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Wolfman 5/6/2013 8:58pm
5/6/2013 8:58pm
'87 to '88 CR250 gets my vote.
Cory976
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Cory976 5/6/2013 9:54pm
5/6/2013 9:54pm
92-93 RM125. The 92 was as fast as it was ugly, but the 93 was a dog compared to my 92. The reliabiity on the 93 was subpar also.
ClassCClairVoyant 5/7/2013 7:01am
5/7/2013 7:01am
In the late 70's Yamaha was making a run at Honda in sales. Their RD & Special street bikes were selling like hotcakes and their motocross bikes were coming around. Just when it looked like Yamaha would surpass Honda in 1982, they blew it. Maybe it was overconfidence or just bad decision making, but their street bikes became gaudy looking and their motocross bikes were strangely designed. The '81 YZ250 was one of my favorite bikes of all time the '82 was a turd.
pchak
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pchak 5/7/2013 9:18am
5/7/2013 9:18am
Well I understand that they are different companies. What I don't get is how the Feld crew never mentions the MX series coming up. I mean without MX there is no dirtbikes period. Kids and families don't go to the dealership to buy bikes for SX. I understand that SX gets better rating on TV. But simply enough without MX there is no SX.
Park Boys
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Park Boys 5/7/2013 9:29am
5/7/2013 9:29am
Joelessi wrote:
CRF450R from 2008-2009 should win this
peelout wrote:
i agree with this. the 2007 and 2008 were probably the best bikes Honda has built (4-strokes)
Spot on and 2007 was even a little better than the 2008 something about the 08 not having the full beans in 1st gear dont remember what they did, but the 2009 CRF450R was garbage.
flyinb501
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flyinb501 5/7/2013 10:08am
5/7/2013 10:08am
'98 CR 125.
Flatliner
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Flatliner 5/7/2013 10:17am
5/7/2013 10:17am
flyinb501 wrote:
'98 CR 125.
I remember the 98 being pleasant to ride, it was good for a kid just coming off an 80, motor wise.
D_L118
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D_L118 5/7/2013 1:32pm
5/7/2013 1:32pm
I would say the YZF 450 2009=>2010.Just looking at the results Smile
downard254
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downard254 5/7/2013 5:14pm
5/7/2013 5:14pm
The 1985 to 1986 RM 125 and 250. The 85's where SOOOO much better. They had the dual strut Full Floater suspension and a solid motor with no powervalves. I would put my stock 85 Full Floater rear suspension up against anything new today. It would swallow anything in it's path and never act up. It was the only suspension I ever rode that didn't need a revalve.
AZ35
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AZ35 5/7/2013 8:42pm
5/7/2013 8:42pm
queen of spodes wrote:
85 to 86 KX125. Owned both. Expected the 86 to rock my world, but it was pipey, and didn't handle very well. It looked so trick...
85 to 86 KX125. Owned both. Expected the 86 to rock my world, but it was pipey, and didn't handle very well. It looked so trick with the rear disk and second generation Uni-Trac suspsension.
Agreed for me as well, in 85 I had both a KX125 and KX250 and loved them both (especially the 250, though it was not a magazine shootout favorite).

As 86 started I got an 86 KX250 first, hated that fat pig. Don't know what it was, oh wait, yes I do... it felt like I was riding a fat pig.

About the same time tried out an 86 KX125, thank god I test rode one before I bought it because it was a turd too.... I am pretty sure I got passed by my own shadow it was so slow.

Dumped the fat pig KX250 and bought an 86 CR125, that thing was awesome!

Kawasaki was kicking ass with the 83KX80, 84KX125, 85KX250, then took a shit and went backwards for about the next 10 years (compared to other brands).
CamP
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CamP 5/7/2013 8:57pm
5/7/2013 8:57pm
Park Boys wrote:
Spot on and 2007 was even a little better than the 2008 something about the 08 not having the full beans in 1st gear dont remember...
Spot on and 2007 was even a little better than the 2008 something about the 08 not having the full beans in 1st gear dont remember what they did, but the 2009 CRF450R was garbage.
Who rides a 450 in 1st gear?
FLmxer
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FLmxer 5/7/2013 9:09pm
5/7/2013 9:09pm
97-98 cr deltabox from the steel framed 96 was a huge Honda FAIL. Not the last screw up either, one of quite a few actually. They better get it right next year because it could be my last bike and it better be good. lol
The Sneak
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The Sneak 5/8/2013 7:58am
5/8/2013 7:58am
82 no KX big bore to piece of crap 83 KX500.
Better off not making one.

81 to 82 Maico 490

81 YZ465 to 82 YZ490

83 CR480 to 84 CR500

hmmm. early 80s open classers...WTF

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Wandell
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Wandell 5/8/2013 10:13am
5/8/2013 10:13am
ClassCClairVoyant wrote:
In the late 70's Yamaha was making a run at Honda in sales. Their RD & Special street bikes were selling like hotcakes and their motocross...
In the late 70's Yamaha was making a run at Honda in sales. Their RD & Special street bikes were selling like hotcakes and their motocross bikes were coming around. Just when it looked like Yamaha would surpass Honda in 1982, they blew it. Maybe it was overconfidence or just bad decision making, but their street bikes became gaudy looking and their motocross bikes were strangely designed. The '81 YZ250 was one of my favorite bikes of all time the '82 was a turd.
I agree. Both the 82 YZ250 and YZ490 were worse bikes than the 81 YZ250 and YZ465.
flyinb501
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flyinb501 5/8/2013 10:28am
5/8/2013 10:28am
flyinb501 wrote:
'98 CR 125.
Flatliner wrote:
I remember the 98 being pleasant to ride, it was good for a kid just coming off an 80, motor wise.
I had the opposite experience. It was my first big bike. I went from holeshotting nearly every moto on my '97 CR80, to not being able to buy a holeshot on the '98 CR 125. It was slow, and rigid.

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