need my vital bro's advice on selecting used 450

doofy
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Edited Date/Time 7/10/2017 4:25pm
Ok guys i swear this is the last thread ill make asking for opinions on 10 year old bikes. Ive got the funds together but have researched myself into a stand still.

I had a 07 yz450f, loved it. But all i hear is about how poorly they turn. Thats a big turn off to me. I had my mind made up on a 06-09 yz450 until i read about 100ppl say the same thing. Suspension was stellar tho

Also i had a 05 rmz450 i loved, theres several 07s near me in my price range. Again, everyone says they suck and avoid them. Only issue i had with mine was it constantly boiled over.

Everyone says 06-08 crf450, but ive never owned one. Im afraid to jump to one without having a clue what to expect. I just want a reliable bike that handles well, i dont care so much about power any 450 has enough for me.

Opinions pls
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PFitzG38
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7/9/2017 1:57pm
doofy wrote:
Ok guys i swear this is the last thread ill make asking for opinions on 10 year old bikes. Ive got the funds together but have...
Ok guys i swear this is the last thread ill make asking for opinions on 10 year old bikes. Ive got the funds together but have researched myself into a stand still.

I had a 07 yz450f, loved it. But all i hear is about how poorly they turn. Thats a big turn off to me. I had my mind made up on a 06-09 yz450 until i read about 100ppl say the same thing. Suspension was stellar tho

Also i had a 05 rmz450 i loved, theres several 07s near me in my price range. Again, everyone says they suck and avoid them. Only issue i had with mine was it constantly boiled over.

Everyone says 06-08 crf450, but ive never owned one. Im afraid to jump to one without having a clue what to expect. I just want a reliable bike that handles well, i dont care so much about power any 450 has enough for me.

Opinions pls
listen to people who say 06-08 Honda. I still can't go as fast on my 17 KTM than I could on my 06 Honda
Motofinne
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7/9/2017 2:00pm Edited Date/Time 7/9/2017 2:01pm
Well this is just my opinion but i would not buy a non EFI 4-stroke. Find a RMZ 450 from 08-> if you're on a tight budget.

The Shop

doofy
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7/9/2017 2:01pm
When i made the thread "what was your favorite bike" i got a ton of replies 06-08 crf. Its just weird that i never see many of them in the woods. Theres also a kinda beat up 06 rm250 near me for 2k i was looking at... im still leery of a 2t tho.
Motofinne
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7/9/2017 2:03pm Edited Date/Time 7/9/2017 2:03pm
Well that generation of the CRF 450 is a great bike but like i said. EFI is in my opinion the best thing that happened to our sport in 2000s, that is why i would find an RMZ 450 from 2008 and newer.
doofy
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7/9/2017 2:03pm
twotwosix wrote:
What's the budget?
It was originally a little higher around 3k but other crap has come up as usual and im confortable spending around 2500 currently. Ive found a ton of yz450s and crf's in the range. If i had another 1000 id buy a efi rmz450 but im tired of waiting and know if i dont buy a bike soon the money will be gone little by little and ill have diddly shit.
kkawboy14
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7/9/2017 2:10pm
doofy wrote:
Ok guys i swear this is the last thread ill make asking for opinions on 10 year old bikes. Ive got the funds together but have...
Ok guys i swear this is the last thread ill make asking for opinions on 10 year old bikes. Ive got the funds together but have researched myself into a stand still.

I had a 07 yz450f, loved it. But all i hear is about how poorly they turn. Thats a big turn off to me. I had my mind made up on a 06-09 yz450 until i read about 100ppl say the same thing. Suspension was stellar tho

Also i had a 05 rmz450 i loved, theres several 07s near me in my price range. Again, everyone says they suck and avoid them. Only issue i had with mine was it constantly boiled over.

Everyone says 06-08 crf450, but ive never owned one. Im afraid to jump to one without having a clue what to expect. I just want a reliable bike that handles well, i dont care so much about power any 450 has enough for me.

Opinions pls
It doesn't really matter if it's 10 years old. Buy something that feels fairly tight don't sweat what it is.
yz133rider
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7/9/2017 2:25pm
Condition is more important. Some of those are a disaster waiting to happen.
vetmxr
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7/9/2017 2:35pm
I'm still racing my 08 crf 450 for Moto........the only reason i'd change is when the bike gets worn out and Fuel injection IS nice. The whole air fork BS that came along scared me away from new bikes.....I told myself no new air fork bike until its bulletproof.....not hearing good things about air forks.

I have that bike set up perfectly for me, and until I can see a good reason to get another bike, I'm running it. I'm not losing any races because I'm not on new equipment at my level.

I will say that electric start has got my eyes wandering a little. Being 48 years old and all.

It does seem that the 08 is the last year of the taller frame and more room to move around. From 09 on it seems that the honda's cockpit is too cramped for me , especially the distance from the footpegs to the seat.

You're probably not going to be at a disadvantage at all riding a 10 year old 450 if you set it up right. IMO.
jtiger12
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7/9/2017 2:42pm Edited Date/Time 7/9/2017 2:44pm
I still got my 07 crf450. Best bikes ever (07,08), and I've ridden quite a few. Only bike that has come close is the 16-17 kx450. Needs changes but it's close.
doofy
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7/9/2017 2:46pm
Well, i told myself i wouldnt mess with 2t's but i just stumbled up a 07 yz250 already woods setup for 2300 bucks. I had a 05 yz250 and it was fun but very exhausting to ride...

The 07 has 11oz fww, big tank, handguards and unabiker rad braces. I hope im not gonna dislike this bike... taking a gamble on a 2t but everyone raves about how the 06 + yz250 is a great do it all bike
twotwosix
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7/9/2017 2:49pm
2006-09 YZF for $2,500 budget. (Forks win it at this price range)

2009 EFI KX450F or CRF450 for $3,000-$3,500 budget
doofy
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7/9/2017 2:55pm
yz133rider wrote:
Grab that yz. Sounds perfect.
I hope so! Ive never rode moto on a 2t i just hope im not in for a rude awakening. I just have visions in my head of the bike hitting and me boner air-ing over every jump or just burning off the rear tire and being all over the place.

Like i said, the last 2t i spent a good amount of time on was a 05 yz250. Smashed in pc pipe and boy, that thing hit like mike tyson. Wouldnt idle for shit, constantly clutching and revving it. And forget about hooking up on anything but loam. I realllllly hope the 07 is different from that
doofy
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7/9/2017 2:57pm
Ill prolly never own another kawi. I has a 09 kx450 and bought a 14 kx250f new and both bikes were like riding with the front up on casters? Would the front end stick in the next turn? Who knows?! Both bikes ran great but steer about as well as the titanic
yz133rider
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7/9/2017 3:20pm
yz133rider wrote:
Grab that yz. Sounds perfect.
doofy wrote:
I hope so! Ive never rode moto on a 2t i just hope im not in for a rude awakening. I just have visions in my...
I hope so! Ive never rode moto on a 2t i just hope im not in for a rude awakening. I just have visions in my head of the bike hitting and me boner air-ing over every jump or just burning off the rear tire and being all over the place.

Like i said, the last 2t i spent a good amount of time on was a 05 yz250. Smashed in pc pipe and boy, that thing hit like mike tyson. Wouldnt idle for shit, constantly clutching and revving it. And forget about hooking up on anything but loam. I realllllly hope the 07 is different from that
The 05 you rode sounds tuned terribly. They are smooth and good running when set up half way decently.
coastie44
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7/9/2017 3:30pm
I never liked my crf450's. I had three of them - '04, '05, and '07. Too nervous. The '05-up was waaaaay better than the '04. But I ended up on a 13 kx450 after and loved that bike.

I'd get the newest suzuki you can affford.
H4L
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7/9/2017 4:50pm Edited Date/Time 7/9/2017 4:55pm
You will obviously get different opinion's based on experiences. Owned 05, 06 & 08 CRF450's, while they are solid bikes with having a good engine, chassis & suspension. They feel bigger / heavier & don't turn as well as the newer efi 09+ models. This is coming from a bigger guy at 6'1" @ 220 lbs.
I'm in the minority in liking the 09-12 CRF450r models & wouldn't rule them out. Once the suspension is dialed for you & a remap it is a very capable mx bike. Through that era I believe they were the lightest best turning bikes.

Below is an 06 model I owned that was dialed with 22mm clamps (for better turning) 08 head & FC suspension work. I still preferred the 09-12 models.


doofy
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7/9/2017 5:08pm
H4L wrote:
You will obviously get different opinion's based on experiences. Owned 05, 06 & 08 CRF450's, while they are solid bikes with having a good engine, chassis...
You will obviously get different opinion's based on experiences. Owned 05, 06 & 08 CRF450's, while they are solid bikes with having a good engine, chassis & suspension. They feel bigger / heavier & don't turn as well as the newer efi 09+ models. This is coming from a bigger guy at 6'1" @ 220 lbs.
I'm in the minority in liking the 09-12 CRF450r models & wouldn't rule them out. Once the suspension is dialed for you & a remap it is a very capable mx bike. Through that era I believe they were the lightest best turning bikes.

Below is an 06 model I owned that was dialed with 22mm clamps (for better turning) 08 head & FC suspension work. I still preferred the 09-12 models.


Thats perty! I admire the guys on this site for keeping their bikes top notch
Partlyleaky
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7/9/2017 5:18pm
Interested in a 2014 RMZ450 with 56.8 hrs? Remapped ECU and owned by + 55 rider. 3,000.00

kzizok
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7/9/2017 5:24pm
Loved my '06 450. One of the best Ive ever had.


TbonesPop
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7/9/2017 5:42pm
Interested in a 2014 RMZ450 with 56.8 hrs? Remapped ECU and owned by + 55 rider. 3,000.00[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/07/09/204133/s1200_012.jpg[/img]
Interested in a 2014 RMZ450 with 56.8 hrs? Remapped ECU and owned by + 55 rider. 3,000.00

Damn, that's a good deal. If I were in PA, I'd buy that bike in a heartbeat. I'm on a 2013 RMZ450 now and I love it! I'd buy it just to have a back up bike. The OP should really consider ^^ as an option.
TbonesPop
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7/9/2017 5:50pm
twotwosix wrote:
What's the budget?
doofy wrote:
It was originally a little higher around 3k but other crap has come up as usual and im confortable spending around 2500 currently. Ive found a...
It was originally a little higher around 3k but other crap has come up as usual and im confortable spending around 2500 currently. Ive found a ton of yz450s and crf's in the range. If i had another 1000 id buy a efi rmz450 but im tired of waiting and know if i dont buy a bike soon the money will be gone little by little and ill have diddly shit.
I'd go with the cleanest 06-09 YZ450 you can find, JMHO. I've had multiple Honda's from those years and have friends who also have had them too. While the heads those years were better than the 04's, they still chewed up valves (speaking from experience). The 08 Honda has a great reputation (and likely more reliable than the earlier Hondas), but I don't think the reliability is quite as good as the YZ's from that timeframe. The 06-09 YZ engines were bullet proof if even just reasonably maintained. I had an 07 and and 09 YZ, both great bikes and rock solid. If you can scrape together just a little more coin, I'd find the newest and cleanest RMZ450 you can find. Also great bikes and they tend to not hold their value so you can find them cheaper - yet they are still great bikes. You will love how they turn. The stock suspension in the RMZs need to be reworked from stock, but once you do that you have a very reliable, great turning and handling dirtbike. My $0.02.
doofy
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7/9/2017 7:01pm
Interested in a 2014 RMZ450 with 56.8 hrs? Remapped ECU and owned by + 55 rider. 3,000.00[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/07/09/204133/s1200_012.jpg[/img]
Interested in a 2014 RMZ450 with 56.8 hrs? Remapped ECU and owned by + 55 rider. 3,000.00

I wish man. Unfortunately my budget is iron clad at the moment and Im all the way in indiana
7/9/2017 7:09pm
Absolutely loved my 05 CRF450. I will have one again to make a trail bike.

I have a 2017 KXF now but 90% of us are going just as fast now as we did with carb'd 4 strokes.

DO NOT buy a 09/10 CRF450. Flame out shouldnt even be a thing..but it is if you own one of those bikes. Hated mine.
sickboy3636
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7/9/2017 8:14pm Edited Date/Time 7/9/2017 8:19pm
H4L wrote:
You will obviously get different opinion's based on experiences. Owned 05, 06 & 08 CRF450's, while they are solid bikes with having a good engine, chassis...
You will obviously get different opinion's based on experiences. Owned 05, 06 & 08 CRF450's, while they are solid bikes with having a good engine, chassis & suspension. They feel bigger / heavier & don't turn as well as the newer efi 09+ models. This is coming from a bigger guy at 6'1" @ 220 lbs.
I'm in the minority in liking the 09-12 CRF450r models & wouldn't rule them out. Once the suspension is dialed for you & a remap it is a very capable mx bike. Through that era I believe they were the lightest best turning bikes.

Below is an 06 model I owned that was dialed with 22mm clamps (for better turning) 08 head & FC suspension work. I still preferred the 09-12 models.


I had to reply just because of this post alone. You're gonna find a million different opinions, But owning many of these bikes myself I feel the need to weigh in. First I loooooooooved my 07 crf450. In fact I love it so much that sight unseen I went and plopped down my hard earned money on a pristine 2012 crf450 off the showroom floor. Suspension went straight to ENZO before I even rode it. I literally hated the 2012 so much that I got out of racing for awhile. I was pretty bitter that it was the first brand spanking new bike I had ever bought and it was as bad as it was. People say, go slow to go faster but the 2012 took that mantra wayyy too seriously. The motor felt like a 250f compared to my 07. No power, no torque....it was smooth....but it was smooth cause it had no hit. Plus the 12 was the most unsettled bike I have ever ridden.....thing felt like I was riding on a skittish cat across the track. I tried linkage, triples......I did everything in my power to make it an 07 and was bummed with the money I dropped. Soooooo from my experience, go 07-08. Stable, great motors, great handling. It just rides the way a dirt bike should. It does what you want it to, and was never unpredictable. I also am a bigger rider at 6'3". And I say all that not just to hate on the 2012, but because it is my honest to God opinion and I feel its my obligation to give it because I wish I would have heard some more negative before I bought it. The more research I did, the more I found I wasn't alone.....but it was too late. But props to the people that like that chassis.....cause they can be had for little to nothing.

FWIW After pitching the 12.......I wanted to light it on fire but I just took a loss on it instead, but I got a 13 KX450. I was never a Kawi guy but I really loved that bike. I always said it felt like a more refined 07-08 crf450. Motor was an animal. I would say the 07-08 was a little more nimble....I did triples and linkage on the 13 and it turned out to be probably one of my favorite dirt bikes. Being a big guy it never bothered me to throw a bike around.....I just want it to stay put when I tell it to stay. That might be out of your price range, but def a very good bike also.
Myke
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7/9/2017 8:18pm
I have an 08 crf450 and I love it. FC suspension with their rear shock link. Bike is stable and I have no problem turning it. I had a 15 ktm 350sx for a minute but I feel way better on the 08 honda.
Myke
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7/9/2017 8:22pm
olds cool
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7/9/2017 8:36pm
Buy an '06-'08 Honda and send the carb to Chad Watts to massage. You can't get a better 450 for the money you want to spend.

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