anybody RIDDEN the crf450 and 06 yz450f

[dooweb2]

apparently noone hs owned both ..

heres the deal I'm old 41 started riding at 36 on a 96 rm250 bought a new 03 yz250f and its time to upgrade.. dint know if i should get 06 yz250f and put a 262 kit in or et 06 yz450f.. my 03 is great but I'm not good enough at corner speed and when the track is muddy or sandy i don't have enough skill or power to jump consistently.... i hated the 04 yz450 way to jerky and bulky.. I rode and was starting to like 04 crf 450 after an hour.. I know that yam has been toning down the hit and Honda has been pumping up the crf .. so I would like the same motor as 04 crf or mellower with same or better handling... how does the 06 yz450 compare .. Im considering ettin the 06 and putting a flywheel weight in it. how heavy does it feel compared to my 03 250f ? while I'm at it how much faster is 06 yz250f compared the 03yz .. thanks for your constructive thoughts..

[huskysmr450]

I used to own an 04 crf 450. I loved that bike but decided I wanted something fresh. From what I can tell the 06 yz power and handling are very similar to the crf. It does seem to have more power and is considerably thinner. so far I like it more. we will see how things go as I get some time on her.

[dooweb2]

anyone else

[NYMXer]

Ride both and decide for yourself, that is the best way to go.

[mtrdrms]

I have ridden the 05 crf and I own the 06yz so I may be able to help a bit. The suspension on the Yz is much better. It is smoother and can handle anything very well from rocky roots to high speed whoops to big jumps. It is a very smooth power that is deceptively fast because it is so linear. I love the way it turns and it is very hard to upset the suspension when it is dialed in right.

The CRF is also a fantastic machine. It hits harder than the YZ. I got tired much faster riding the honda. It also turns extremely well but had the tendancy to be much more sensative to rider position. That being said the CRF450 had NO competition untill this year with the 06YZ. The suspension was only comparable to the Yami when it was revalved by factory connection. That is how good the factory suspension on the YZ is!

Bottom line is the YZ is a better bike. It is easier to ride, it is more forgiving and it will last longer. I work at a honda dealership and the CRF is no slouch but my vote goes to the YZ.

[TimFurryBalls]

MXA said that the KTM 450SX is a good choice for those stuck in between a 250f or a 450. Smooth power, but able to be ridden hard when needed. Just a thought.

[huskysmr450]

I just got back form riding the Yami at the track. Wow this bike rocks. I was insantly more comfortable on it than my honda wich I had for two years. The bike handles great and the motor is so smooth and super fast. I would deffinetly go for the Yz I have ridden an 05 crf as well and it is sweet But in my oppinoin the yz puts them to shame.

[brian389]

I rode both bikes on a rough, loamy California motocross track (Cahilla sp.) and bought the YZ 450F. I'm a 49 year old A rider. Here's the deal. The Honda will cut to the inside of the corner better than the Yamaha. The Yamaha is more stable, the suspension is WAY better ( I rode Honda's both stock and highly modified RG3 set for same weight as me), the motor is much easier on old geezers like me, and the bike tracks in the turns with incredible stability and precision when you get it set up for your weight. I have 3 full days riding on the Yamaha-yesterday I did about 35 laps total-almost 2 full tanks. I'm not beat up or particulary worn-out, and my lap-times are 5-7 seconds per lap faster than when I was on my old '04, on a 90 second lap. That is a gigantic improvement in speed, and I am not pushing it. I'm 6'1", 170lb. and the ideal set-up so far for me is: Dunlop 756 on front (absolute requirement-don't even go out on the 739 unless it is extreme hard-pack), taller bars rotated forward slightly past even angle with the forks, rebound clicks stock on both ends, back the compression on the fork all the way out to start, and click it in 4-6 clicks if you are about 170 lbs., sag at 102 works best for me, and rear compression backed off 4 clicks. Bike corners like it is on rails with no push whatsoever. We spent all day working on both the stock and modified Hondas, and I find the stock Yamaha suspension significantly better. I feel the Honda wants to climb out of the berms-just could not get it right. The Honda motor wore me out, and I'm in damn good shape for an old fart. We've let all our buddies ride our YZ's and the reaction has been the same from every one of them, just amazed how good it is, and wishing they had ridden one before buying their new Honda or Suzuki. Not saying the others aren't damn good motorcycles, and I personally thought some of their set-ups were not right, but that is just the response we got.

Get the YZ450F and don't look back.

[Zique]

Ride both and decide for yourself, that is the best way to go.

I concur!! ?

[jjcmx05]

I have a 03 yz 450 and a 06 crf and my friend has a 06 yz 450 both 06' are light but the honda does seam smoother and handle better. my 03 feels like a tank now lol

[sbrown]

I own the 06 YZ 450 and my buddy just bought the 06 CRF 450 .(he likes his honda better). I have ridden both and I like the YZ better. Mostly because it feels lighter and the engine is incredibly smooth and linear. Its plenty fast. Also, after you've raised the forks in the clamps about7-8 mm (past the line about 3mm) and put on your tire of choice, set the sag at 98mm the YZ turns as good as or possibly better than the hondas.

But you have to make the decision for yourself by ideally riding both of the bikes (back to back if possible) and dealer considerations and what your friends' ride and can help you with are all considerations to make b4 you buy. I know it sounds like sacrilege, but you can hardly go wrong with Yamaha or Honda these days. The bikes are both good. I would give (and did give) the nod to the YZ450 because of their reliability record to date.

[NYMXer]

For the cost of a fron tire and perhaps an hour worh of set up, and YZ450F can run with the best out there w/ less effort. I was a diehard 2 stroker, if I can adapt..........anyone can! The Yammie is that good. Suzuki is very close for us mere mortals. The Honda takes skill to ride fast and that's OK if you have skill. The Honda also takes more effort. Get the Yamaha, you body and trophy case will love you.