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Got it out yesterday on what I would call my home track. Loved it! My honda crf450 history - 05 07 09 10 13 17 19.
The biggest thing that I cant believe is how different the power is. The 19 wore me out fast. The power was a handful accelerating, turning, jumping... everywhere. Engine braking was always a workout. The 21 has such free flowing linear power. Snappy revving and never a brutal hit. When I let off for a corner, the engine braking doesn't throw me forward and make the suspension compress hard into braking bumps. So much easier to carry momentum. I am convinced the 2019 is faster, but that's not a bad thing!
Clutch is great. Its a hydraulic clutch, so im looking forward to not having to put new cables on and buy different levers. Engagement and slip is good - but im really not a clutch guy.
Shifting is smooth as hell. The 17 and 19 shifted like a lawn tractor. Dont know how they fixed that, but I love it. I did have to do more shifting because the loss of the hard/torquey hit down low. The guys that brag about putting a bike in 3rd and keeping it there for a whole lap will have to get another plan for this bike.
Suspension is soft for me over 200. So I cant say much. In my opinion, anyone that buys a serious MX bike like this better be working with a shop on custom valving for their purpose. Fork tubes came stock pretty high, and like all honda's I pushed them down. (from 5-6mm to 2mm). Leveled the bike out nice.
Handling did feel twitchy. Slight flashback of 2009/2010 machine that might call for triple clamps that need +2mm offset. But I know my suspension company will mellow that out with valving and springs. The is definitely the bike that you can hit and switch any line.
Weight... That's the other big thing. I guess they are saying the bike is 3 lbs lighter? Feels 25lbs lighter! Back to the engine characteristics making it so much easier to ride longer, that plays into the weight feel. It honestly feels like a 250f cornering.
Overall extremely excited for this bike. I tell everyone that I'd have a 350 if I didn't have to own air forks. This bike makes me forget about that idea.
Hate list - Cable routing (throttle cables keep finding their way to the razor shaft titanium tank). Hydraulic clutch hose is front and center and reminds me of a garden hose. Rear number plates are small, flat, have little plastic. I Rub on the side of a bike pretty hard, so those will be getting destroyed fast. And im pretty sure my boot was knocking on the battery cover. (carbon fiber needed)
I have had every model Honda 450 from -09 up til -20, and here in sweden the tracks are so small that the twitchyness and steep fork angle doesent matter, it works pretty good actually. So the -21 seems to be specced to euro standards compared to the US
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Back to the 2021, I did stall it once in a turn. But a attribute that to the dealer installing the rear brake 1/2" too high. After I fixed that I didnt stall it. I didnt feel mapping issues. Liked everything about the power. Surprised how well it starts with/without the choke and idles too. Not saying im the best test rider, but I got on the 2010, 2013, and 2017 and saw issues. 2019 had no issues.
Also, gotta get this out there. I think reviews are so flawed. The whole premise of rounding up all the bikes and having people pick the good/bad makes for controversy. I didnt watch any videos until today... man people are grasping at straws for something to say. Damned if you do damned if you dont.
i was the one in the blue gear riding the bike a little bit. I enjoyed it. my last honda 450 was an 18. I've been on yamaha's since. I didn't get to ride enough laps to really get comfortable on the bike, but my first impressions were good for your average +30 guy. The track was a little wet/slick in a few spots that day and I played around w/ the traction control and think that was very noticeable.
The guy that owned that bike brought his 2020 and I rode the 2020 first and then rode the 21. I could not get comfy on the 20 at all. Granted he had clamps, bars, really stiff suspension, etc.. so it could have been a goofy setup he had. But the 21 vs the 20 at least for me in that case was night and day.
I tried map 1 and definitely noticed some issues, it almost seemed to bog out coming out of some corners. I didn't notice that on other maps (i think 3 was the only other one I tried, I only ran it a few laps)
got a nice ding in the side of the exhaust already not sure how if it was one of our legs or what.. looking at it, sticks out quite a bit even past the side plate. i'd bet thats one thing thats going to look pretty beat pretty fast.
i liked the cluch a lot, i wish my damn yamaha had a hydraulic cluch.I don't think it's the lightest pull, but it was very smooth and consistent (like a hydraulic clutch should be i guesss)
Vital after the bike isn’t an earth shattering revelation: “why is this bike so hyped???”
I do think it's a bad mark on Honda that you can't pick it up at the dealer and hit the track. The Yamahas are pretty spot on from the factory. I have messed around a lot with suspension settings, but ended up only 2 clicks stiffer on the front fork and 2mm lower in the clamps. Stock map is good, but "free feeling" is better.
So yeah, some people will get different springs anyways, but, if you are 165-175 pounds, you should be able to hop on a bike and ride it comfortably stock.
This is from Ken Roczen's Instagram
another test riding from European launch in Mantova (Italy). Quite different opinion.
Cheers
Pit Row
I made a little video of my teammate Nathan Watson during the official press day in Mantova.
I know it is mantova again, but maybe u guys like the video.
Well break in rides are done on the new 450! Started out the morning with a couple 15 minutes slower sessions cruising around going through the gears but still putting a load on the motor. Went out for the third session today and started to give it more gas. This is a fast bike! No doubt about it but the power is metered and not crazy very controllable. Just rode it in map one most of the day and tried a moto with the traction control after water. That was cool. Went through some slick and got on the throttle and it didn’t spin. As far as handling goes the bike carves lines really easy. Will settle into a rut and follow it no problem. Can turn out of a flat corner line easy too. Point and shoot for sure! Suspension wise it was too soft for me. I’ll have to go up on spring rate. But it still held up well enough to get some good feed back. As far as the chassis feel, the harshness and pitchiness on corner entrance I feel is gone. This was my main complaint on the last bike. It got choppy at argyll today and I made sure I ran over the stuff at speed and the bike tracked straight and settled in to the corners. All in all this bike is a huge improvement over the previous generation and I’ll be setting it up more to my liking as we go along! Sad part is more guys can’t get their hands on one because they are literally sold out in NorCal.
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