2011 rmz 450 or 2011 crf 450?

5/12/2011 9:28am Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 6:58am
Looking at getting a new 450 soon, anybody on here got a 2010 or 2011 crf450? or a 2011 rmz 450? what do you think of them? Ive always liked the way the suzukis turn, but i like how light the honda feels, and i also like the idea of the seperate engine/ gear oil.
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Madmax31
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5/12/2011 9:58am
I've rode both. If you get the CRF you are going to have to dump money into the suspenion and clutch. The RMZ clutch isn't great by no means but you can live with it. The suspension on the CRF needs at least a $750-1K.
mxb2
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5/12/2011 10:01am
Both good bikes, i ve ridden both,imo the crf needs more work off the showroomfloor.But on the flipside, crf parts and aftermarket stuff is more plentiful. The rmz quality is pretty good.a notch below the crf.rmz mite be harder to find, honda and kawy have rebates now, so the crf will be cheaper.my buddies rmz is sik, he put a pc pipe on it,added acouple teeth on the rear,bike is sik.really depends on ur dealer and price and how long your gonna keep the bike. I have a 09 rmz 450, great bike and the 11 iz better imo all the bikes are good, the crf feels really slim and light.
OneTrack236
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5/12/2011 10:04am
RMZ for sure, especially with Honda's suspension issues. They are both awesome bikes but I feel you would be more happy with the Zook. just my opinion though.
mccread
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5/12/2011 11:00am
Suzuki...turns great and really smooth.

The Shop

burn1986
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5/12/2011 11:05am
RMZ duh
835
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5/12/2011 11:11am
Looking at getting a new 450 soon, anybody on here got a 2010 or 2011 crf450? or a 2011 rmz 450? what do you think of...
Looking at getting a new 450 soon, anybody on here got a 2010 or 2011 crf450? or a 2011 rmz 450? what do you think of them? Ive always liked the way the suzukis turn, but i like how light the honda feels, and i also like the idea of the seperate engine/ gear oil.
As your Name implies you should get a 2 stroke! LOL
Shawn142
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5/12/2011 12:09pm Edited Date/Time 5/12/2011 12:10pm
Gotta say I actually ride an '11 CRF450 and I dunno what clutch or suspension issues the bike has. Yes the 09 had a weak clutch design that burned them up fast and had a stink-bug effect. To think the '11 still has those same problems means you guys haven't ridden one. The '11 clutch durability is much improved, the suspension is very nice off the showroom floor. it doesn't stink-bug or have any of the traction problems of the '09 that required suspension linkage parts.

I've also ridden the RMZ, and I must say after having the lighter CRF I'd go that route (obviously I did already). You can throw a lot of money at suspension for both bikes to make them suit you, but when I ride another 450 the obvious difference to me is it feels big and heavy. I can't even ride '08 CRF450s anymore because the weight makes such a big difference to me.
jeffro503
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5/12/2011 12:14pm
I'm a Honda fan by nature , but with that being said , I think the Suzuki would be a better performer box stock right off the floor. But , if you get the Honda , at least you have the durability the Honda has. They are ( IMHO ) the best "fit and finish" bike out there.

I posted a thing the other day in the race shop forums about riding a slightly modified 2010 CRF , and I didn't care for it all. I would race my 08' Honda before I would the 2010 model.....just didn't care for the way it felt underneath me , and the power seemed pretty low to be honest.

Also.....all these 450's are really close in performance....just pick the one that feels the most comfortable for you. It would be nice to get what your local bike shop carries , but you can get parts just as easy online.....and you can get the bike that suits you best.
jeffro503
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5/12/2011 12:17pm
Shawn....you mentioned "weight" of the 08's? Is the newer Hondas lighter? I had thought the opposite actually. I thought my 08' was actually about 10lbs less if I remember right , but i could be wrong.
jtiger12
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5/12/2011 12:27pm
ditto.. i have ridden a '10 crf450. It handles fine. The linkage is not an issue anymore. If you are riding B class or higher, your going to dump 1K in suspension anyway.
Shawn142
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5/12/2011 12:27pm
jeffro503 wrote:
Shawn....you mentioned "weight" of the 08's? Is the newer Hondas lighter? I had thought the opposite actually. I thought my 08' was actually about 10lbs less...
Shawn....you mentioned "weight" of the 08's? Is the newer Hondas lighter? I had thought the opposite actually. I thought my 08' was actually about 10lbs less if I remember right , but i could be wrong.
Dry weight of 2008 CRF450 is 238lbs. The 09-11 CRF450s are 235lbs wet, claim 220lbs dry.
huck
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5/12/2011 12:31pm
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!!


Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it really doesn't fucking matter which one you get....
5/13/2011 4:42am Edited Date/Time 5/13/2011 4:43am
Looking at getting a new 450 soon, anybody on here got a 2010 or 2011 crf450? or a 2011 rmz 450? what do you think of...
Looking at getting a new 450 soon, anybody on here got a 2010 or 2011 crf450? or a 2011 rmz 450? what do you think of them? Ive always liked the way the suzukis turn, but i like how light the honda feels, and i also like the idea of the seperate engine/ gear oil.
835 wrote:
As your Name implies you should get a 2 stroke! LOL
i'll be keeping my eric gorr 300 kitted rm 250 for the 2 stroke championship, and my yz 125 to play on, only reason im getting a 450 is my sponsor has offered to get me one- it should be easier to ride fast when im racing against other 450s (in the A class)
finding a honda or suzuki wouldnt be a problem (i'm in england) there are plenty of them about.
onenastynotch
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5/13/2011 5:19am
jeffro503 wrote:
Shawn....you mentioned "weight" of the 08's? Is the newer Hondas lighter? I had thought the opposite actually. I thought my 08' was actually about 10lbs less...
Shawn....you mentioned "weight" of the 08's? Is the newer Hondas lighter? I had thought the opposite actually. I thought my 08' was actually about 10lbs less if I remember right , but i could be wrong.
Shawn142 wrote:
Dry weight of 2008 CRF450 is 238lbs. The 09-11 CRF450s are 235lbs wet, claim 220lbs dry.
wet weight of the crf is 245 pounds its 5 pounds lighter then the rmz ......thats measured on a digital race car scale ...my rmz weighs 249...ready to go....and right in line of what the mags weighed them at........my rmz turns better and feels just as light in the air and i ride a 2008 ...ive ridden the 2011 crf ...it feels no better then the 2009 ...clutch life ? one of the guys i wrench for wrecked the basket ,inner and outer and pressure plate in 35 hrs grooved deep .....tranny seems a lil better then the 2009 vut well see ...he lost 3rd and 4th on his 09 at 50 hrs ......honda durability from what ive seen has been terrible on the new generation honda.....and the 4mm drop in the back of the 2011 still isent enough u need a ride or procircuit linkage to flatten the bike out.........the forks have gotten better on the crf ...but the back is still a problem if u ride faster then local c pace
Shawn142
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5/13/2011 5:54am
You can always find a kid who can thrash anything he rides, that's nothing new. No equipment will hold up under someone giving it hell for very long no matter how well it's built. But I'm a former pro-am and now vet A rider who hasn't had a mechanical problem on the 09 for over 100 hours outside the clutch. I expect the same from the '11.

People can go round and round all day about this goofy shit but just find two bikes to test and give them a shot. Whichever you like go buy. All the 450s are good bikes these days. You'll always find someone who praises them and another who thinks they're the biggest piles of shit ever.
MXD
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5/13/2011 6:23am
I have not ridden a 2011 CRF so I can't comment personally on that bike but I have a 2011 RMZ and I love it. It corners like a go-kart. It actually over steers a lot of the time. Ridiculous power everywhere and it instantly feels 20 pounds lighter as soon as your moving. Only issue I have is that it puts so much tractable power to the ground that I'm dealing with a lot of hand cramping (I'm coming off a 2006 RM250 smoker). I've never ridden a bike that hooks up like this one.

As far as I know, the RMZ has no "know" issues. Be aware of the fuel in the oil issue that a lot of CRF owners are having. I guess there are some issues with the injector? Some people are reporting several hundred cc's of fuel in the oil after only an hour of riding. I saw something from Honda that said not to worry unless your oil was 15% fuel. That would make me nervous.

Rebates on the Honda make it cheaper, I have a buddy that recently paid 6300(?) for his after 1000 rebate. I paid 7300 for my Zook which was about 110 over dealer cost. If you are close to that then you did pretty good.
mxracer32
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5/13/2011 6:45am
huck wrote:
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!! Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it...
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!!


Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it really doesn't fucking matter which one you get....
this is by far the best advice ive seen on this board in a while.
AMA714
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5/13/2011 7:05am
Shawn142 wrote:
Gotta say I actually ride an '11 CRF450 and I dunno what clutch or suspension issues the bike has. Yes the 09 had a weak clutch...
Gotta say I actually ride an '11 CRF450 and I dunno what clutch or suspension issues the bike has. Yes the 09 had a weak clutch design that burned them up fast and had a stink-bug effect. To think the '11 still has those same problems means you guys haven't ridden one. The '11 clutch durability is much improved, the suspension is very nice off the showroom floor. it doesn't stink-bug or have any of the traction problems of the '09 that required suspension linkage parts.

I've also ridden the RMZ, and I must say after having the lighter CRF I'd go that route (obviously I did already). You can throw a lot of money at suspension for both bikes to make them suit you, but when I ride another 450 the obvious difference to me is it feels big and heavy. I can't even ride '08 CRF450s anymore because the weight makes such a big difference to me.
I agree with 142... What problems does the Honda have????
I had an 09 CRF 450, Pipe, Eddie S map, 0.49kg fork springs and done!! If you have a clue about suspension you can very easily dial the Honda in without spending $750 on suspension like someone said. The "stinkbug" feeling is caused by the forks riding way down in the stroke due to Hondas choice of light springs.
I ride +30 Expert, run a stock shock with +2 front springs and love mine. New CRF.. same thing... Pipe, program, fork springs.

BTW, I had 60+ hours on that weak Honda clutch...lol, Never had a problem.

I ride Hondas because they feel good to me... You need to decide what you like.
mxb2
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5/13/2011 7:47am
huck wrote:
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!! Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it...
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!!


Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it really doesn't fucking matter which one you get....
I think he just wanted some opinions on the 2 bikes, no one claimed to be an expert, guess you know it all , and your opinion helped, lmfao!
huck
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5/13/2011 7:52am
huck wrote:
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!! Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it...
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!!


Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it really doesn't fucking matter which one you get....
mxb2 wrote:
I think he just wanted some opinions on the 2 bikes, no one claimed to be an expert, guess you know it all , and your...
I think he just wanted some opinions on the 2 bikes, no one claimed to be an expert, guess you know it all , and your opinion helped, lmfao!
5/13/2011 8:42am
Well, I haven't ridden any of them, but I watch tv. So I would say the 2011 Honda is a better bike than the '10 which was way better than the '09. The '08 was a better bike than the '09.

The Suzukis have been great for years, consistently the best on the track.

The yamaha is a Huck-a-buck, and the kawi is a beast for anyone but RV.
5/13/2011 10:01am
huck wrote:
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!! Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it...
I love reading the expert opinions on here!!!


Seriously though... If you are going to a message board to ask what bike you should get, it really doesn't fucking matter which one you get....
mxb2 wrote:
I think he just wanted some opinions on the 2 bikes, no one claimed to be an expert, guess you know it all , and your...
I think he just wanted some opinions on the 2 bikes, no one claimed to be an expert, guess you know it all , and your opinion helped, lmfao!
huck wrote:
if you're implying that i'm a 'new rider' - then you're way off the mark, I've been racing for 20 years and ridden at national level. I simply asked for peoples opinions on the 2 bikes in the title- we can do a pretty good job getting the bikes set up ourselves (I am an engineer by trade and my dad is a mechanic) . I have ridden both bikes, in stock form and prefer the suzuki- but i think the honda would be a good bike with a little work, thats why i'm undecided what to get.
Looking more likely that I'll be getting a suzuki at the moment as I dont have alot of spare cash to spend on getting the bike dialled in!

thanks to everybody that left constructive comments
TeamGreen
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5/13/2011 10:58am Edited Date/Time 5/13/2011 11:19am
CRF-R if you're jus' a track-guy that wants to do laps at a local/short SX type track.

RMZ if you ride Track, Big "outdoor" type tracks, Trail, Off-Road...etc.

Good luck finding the '11 RMZ, tho...I hear the dealer stock is dryin' up.
5/13/2011 11:05am
TeamGreen wrote:
CRF-R if you're jus' a track-guy that wants to do laps at a local/short SX type track. RMZ if you ride Track, Big "outdoor" type tracks...
CRF-R if you're jus' a track-guy that wants to do laps at a local/short SX type track.

RMZ if you ride Track, Big "outdoor" type tracks, Trail, Off-Road...etc.

Good luck finding the '11 RMZ, tho...I hear the dealer stock is dryin' up.
theres loads of em over here! (2011 rmz 450s) still some 2010 ones left aswell Wink
ccoady454
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5/13/2011 11:22am
Either one will be good for about 2 years, then you'll be upside down on your payment to value ratio and your maintenance costs will come into play after 3 years if you ride it hard.
5/13/2011 11:36am
ccoady454 wrote:
Either one will be good for about 2 years, then you'll be upside down on your payment to value ratio and your maintenance costs will come...
Either one will be good for about 2 years, then you'll be upside down on your payment to value ratio and your maintenance costs will come into play after 3 years if you ride it hard.
i'll only be keeping it a year anyway, my sponsor gets me a new bike every year Smile
MXD
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5/13/2011 12:38pm Edited Date/Time 5/13/2011 12:46pm
Hey 2stroke rider, I just built an Eric gift RM300 WITH AN 06. what is your jetting set at? I'm at a 168 main, 45 pilot with the clip in the middle.
jeffro503
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5/13/2011 12:42pm
MXD wrote:
Hey 2stroke rider, I just built an Eric gift RM300 WITH AN 06. what is your jetting set at? I'm at a 168 main, 45 pilot...
Hey 2stroke rider, I just built an Eric gift RM300 WITH AN 06. what is your jetting set at? I'm at a 168 main, 45 pilot with the clip in the middle.
MXD....there are a lot of variables in that question. Temp , air density , what type of fuel you run compared to him and so forth. Run her a little fat to begin with , then lean it out until you find the sweet spot.
5/13/2011 12:45pm
MXD wrote:
Hey 2stroke rider, I just built an Eric gift RM300 WITH AN 06. what is your jetting set at? I'm at a 168 main, 45 pilot...
Hey 2stroke rider, I just built an Eric gift RM300 WITH AN 06. what is your jetting set at? I'm at a 168 main, 45 pilot with the clip in the middle.
we are running mine in 45 pilot, needle clip in the middle and 172 main, thats running 105 octane leaded fuel with shell advance racing x fully synth 2 stroke oil at 40:1.
Thats in the uk though, our tracks will be at much lower altitude than most of yours (and the weather is alot colder)
MXD
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5/13/2011 12:49pm
MXD wrote:
Hey 2stroke rider, I just built an Eric gift RM300 WITH AN 06. what is your jetting set at? I'm at a 168 main, 45 pilot...
Hey 2stroke rider, I just built an Eric gift RM300 WITH AN 06. what is your jetting set at? I'm at a 168 main, 45 pilot with the clip in the middle.
we are running mine in 45 pilot, needle clip in the middle and 172 main, thats running 105 octane leaded fuel with shell advance racing x...
we are running mine in 45 pilot, needle clip in the middle and 172 main, thats running 105 octane leaded fuel with shell advance racing x fully synth 2 stroke oil at 40:1.
Thats in the uk though, our tracks will be at much lower altitude than most of yours (and the weather is alot colder)
Thanks, I forgot to mention that I'm in the Boston ma area so the weather and altitude are more similar to you than if I were in socal. I run 110 octane sunoco.

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