Home › Forums › Rocks Motorcycles Honda Forum › Rocks Motorcycles Honda Forum › Crf450x vs Crf250x a trailriders view !
This topic contains 24 replies, has 0 voices, and was last updated by Nick Jackson 11 years, 1 month ago.
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May 6, 2013 at 10:27 am #102715
A trailriders review of a Crf450x vs a Crf250x on my home trails.
I have had a crf250x for over 12 months now and had a ball on it but when offered the opportunity to have a crf450x in the shed to use at will while getting paid to fit a new wiring loom and ADR gear how could I refuse :woohoo:
2006 Crf450x
2008 Crf250x
It’s been 2 weeks now and I’ve clocked up 6 hours of ride time on the 450 with mixed results.
Initially I loved the extra power and found riding my home grass track a lot more fun than ringing the neck of the 250. Also the hill climbs at the back of my property were effortless as I utilized the extra horses , although on loose sections found the 450 broke traction very easily as I struggled with the fine line between wheel spin and wheel stand !!
As for the suspension the rear shock is standard ( I set the sag to suit me ) but the front end is a Johnny Campbell spec fork put together by ” Precision Concepts ” in LA and was mind blowing. It handled as if on rails and soaked up rocks , roots and big erosion mound jumps effortlessly , it was a total pleasure to ride on the twin trails.Once in the very tight singles I wanted my 250 back , I found the power delivery too aggressive to get any sort of rhythm going and over shooting corners happened often , the fly wheel weights could well help but I have no experience with them so can’t comment.
I do more riding with Spud than anyone else and he noticed I was slower on the big bore than the 250.
Rob400 said when he followed me I wasn’t as smooth and the back of the 450 seemed to be regularly hanging out and looked out of control compared to how I ride the 250.We have some quite sandy sections which were very dry and I found it easier on the 450 to lift the front and power through where the 250 can bog down if the revs aren’t kept quite high.
I think these are obvious findings when comparing big and small bores but I enjoyed the 450 so much to begin with I thought I may buy it until I hit the tight stuff, and that’s what I like riding most , whatever the definition of single track is we ride where their is only one comfortable fast line in the twin track due to rock and deep ruts and trees skimming bark busters in the tight stuff and for me the 250 was more fun
Nick
May 6, 2013 at 10:37 am #241267Good report Nick
I would like to compare with you but i havent had the opportunity to ride the crf 250.
Coming off my WR 250f (which i did a shit load of) and onto the crf 450 made me relize bikes aint bikes Sol. :laugh:
The 450 is a different beast all together :ohmy: True about abit being a bit slower in the singles ….but i guess it comes down to what floats your boat as a rider….i would much prefer the power i have now with the 450..although it did take a while to get use to it and tame the beast :cheer:
Soooooo much better on hill climbs and wheelies…and that i like…mmmm..i like it alot :kiss:Bol :woohoo:
May 6, 2013 at 10:44 am #241276Your dead right Bol , it’s about what terrain you enjoy riding and what you do most of , I felt that it I had a switch to go from 450 to 250 depending trails life would have been perfect
Nick
May 6, 2013 at 11:53 am #241278Do you think that ktm have it right then Nick with the 350 in the middle, and the other manufacturers should follow suit CRF 350x :unsure:
May 6, 2013 at 12:03 pm #241292james wrote:Do you think that ktm have it right then Nick with the 350 in the middle, and the other manufacturers should follow suit CRF 350x :unsure:Spot on James , a 350x could be the one if set up right , I think the 450 would be better if the aggressiveness was taken out of the bottom third of power delivery but it could also be how this one is set up , it’s the only one I have ridden to compare !!
Can’t wait to see what Aaron thinks to his 300 bore kit too :woohoo:
Nick
May 6, 2013 at 12:49 pm #241295Maybe fit a Rekluse and ride it a gear Higher
Ollie
May 6, 2013 at 4:36 pm #241268Awesome review and owning one myself I agree completely
I found to tame the motor a bit to stop the snappyness I put a 14 tooth on the front, makes the power much more usable in the single line tracksMay 6, 2013 at 7:10 pm #241300Good read Nick, Rookie that was one of the things I suggested to Nick. Remembering of course it’s not his bike he wasn’t going to throw parts at it. I have more thoughts and ideas about this but will if I remember later add them as I need to gear up right now and get on the bike. All very interesting, thanks again for putting it together Nick
TB
May 6, 2013 at 7:14 pm #241301Good read Nick, Rookie that was one of the things I suggested to Nick. Remembering of course it’s not his bike he wasn’t going to throw parts at it. I have more thoughts and ideas about this but will if I remember later add them as I need to gear up right now and get on the bike. All very interesting, thanks again for putting it together Nick
TB
May 6, 2013 at 8:36 pm #241269Good read Nickj, i noticed going from a 250 to a big bore when you find a flowing single you really enjoy the lazy power its perfect for doing bugger all gear changes. Theres this one 1.5k section at clarence that seems spot on for my bike :laugh:
Remember reading a story on the KTM 400 being just right as the mid size bike,from memory they didn’t import that many of them?? I also remember ballards converting a wr450’s into a 400.
May 6, 2013 at 8:43 pm #241302Gearing and a Rekluse would tame the beast I’m sure and if I owned one I think it would be a must for regular tight trail riding but then a 250 does it very with stock gearing etc , if where I ride was 50% open trails and I was racing all the time the changes would be justified and the 450 would be the pick of the two !
Rookie , did you find the 450 tiring on trail rides before you changed the gearing?
Nick
May 6, 2013 at 8:48 pm #241303Great report Nick
May 6, 2013 at 9:03 pm #241306Good read Nickj!
Considering we are a similar ability, ride similar trails and own the same 250, this report has a lot of relevance for me. It seems the summary is that you would have to spend a fair bit of money to get the 450 to suit your area yet you can run an almost stock 250x and it is a better fit. I have to say that I am very happy with my 250x and rarely wish for any more power. If you weigh over 100kg then you are forced onto a bigger bike but at around the 90 kg mark and with the right gearing my bike feels just right. My engine is stock so I do have a bit of room to upgrade should I wish to later on and I too am hanging out to follow Arron’s experiment.
Of course if I lived at Condo it would be a very different story!STM
May 6, 2013 at 9:15 pm #241304Nickj wrote:Gearing and a Rekluse would tame the beast I’m sure and if I owned one I think it would be a must for regular tight trail riding but then a 250 does it very with stock gearing etc , if where I ride was 50% open trails and I was racing all the time the changes would be justified and the 450 would be the pick of the two !Rookie , did you find the 450 tiring on trail rides before you changed the gearing?
Nick
Looks like the comparison could be more between a vintage 1971 and a more current 1991 model :laugh: :laugh:
May 6, 2013 at 9:41 pm #241309singletrackmind wrote:Good read Nickj!
Considering we are a similar ability, ride similar trails and own the same 250, this report has a lot of relevance for me. It seems the summary is that you would have to spend a fair bit of money to get the 450 to suit your area yet you can run an almost stock 250x and it is a better fit. I have to say that I am very happy with my 250x and rarely wish for any more power. If you weigh over 100kg then you are forced onto a bigger bike but at around the 90 kg mark and with the right gearing my bike feels just right. My engine is stock so I do have a bit of room to upgrade should I wish to later on and I too am hanging out to follow Arron’s experiment.
Of course if I lived at Condo it would be a very different story!STM
hey Scott nick off with your light arse weight comments, nothing wrong with hanging 105kg off the back of the CRFx. In the Nundle singles I have tried all the bigger bikes and they cannot match the power, ride and weight that the 250 delivers and its not just the Honda, Boonys Ktm is just as quick when someone decent rides it, just looks slow and retarded when he is on it.
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