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Buying new bike CRF450X OR WR450X

By Sergdog,
in WR400F/426F/450F

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Grand Master

123BigcoopDawg576

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lOOKING TO BUY NEW BIKE BUT STILL CONFUSED WHICH ONE TO GO WITH ?

Why even ask the question here? All you are going to hear is how many valve issues the CRF has. Hands down if you want stone cold reliablilty then get the WR.

My dad and i both put over 11k miles on our 06 WR's with no issues heck we didnt even do one valve adjustment. These 11k miles were hard baja, dual sport and desert rides too

But what do i know...let see what the rest of the boys have to say...?

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zimak

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If your buying new you really cant go wrong.

I prefer the Yamaha but that is personal preference. Have had a 06 WR450, 07 WR450 and have swapped out with a buddy more than once and ridden his 07 CRF450X

Dependability really isnt an issue any more with either of the bikes. The CRFX does come stock with that snazzy steering dampner (which I havent tried yet) so that may be a plus or minus depending on if you already want to swap for a Scotts or GPR. The CRFX also feels a lot more sporty and tighter on the suspension...also curable easily on the WR.

I do prefer the fit and finish over the WR's (pegs, bars etc.)more than the Honda, of course you have to do a lot of greasing and some uncorking out of the box but thats fairly standard across the board.

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mightymart

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Check my previous threads, Ive been red since i could ride a bike but after reading about the many bad issues with regards to the CRF I went for the WR.

I went to the Dirtbike show last month & got to look closely at ALL the new 2009 bikes & came away thinking that my WR450 07 is still the best dirt bike on the market at the moment.

I really like the look of the CRF & even now I would like one but on closer inspection the finish is not what i would consider the great Honda quaility like my XR & other previous bikes, but the WR is tried & tested, the engine is the same as they have used for years, same as they used in the steel frame models (if it aint broke dont fix it ? ) The 2009 WR is the same as the first ali frame that came out just different graphics & coated side caseings !!! Its says it all really dont you think ?

I know that Honda have a great following & the the die hard fans wont have anything bad said about them ( I was the same ? ) do your homework : CRF valves, gearbox troubles etc etc WR : Bullet proof, reliable.

Its all on here !!!

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martinr77

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I have been riding since 1969 (59yrs old) and can ride with just about anyone.....here is my thoughts: I just sold a 05 CRF450X which I rode hard for 3 years - very reliable bike - however, I went to a 08 WR450 a few months ago. The difference for me is huge. 1) front end sticks and works well in sand vs the Honda 2) bottom end is unreal - you can almost be down to a stop before you kill the motor - the Honda would not do this and riding in tight rocks/single track this is a big deal 3) power overall is very smooth no matter what gear you are in - the Honda was also smooth, however did have a hit in mid range.

Overall, I like both bikes! For me, riding a combination single track, rocks, sand washes and rocky jeep trails the Yamaha is the way to go. If I was riding open desert, then I like the Honda even though the Yamaha is very fast and stable. So, choice is yours......just thought I would add my 2 cents! ?

Ron

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Grand Master

OUTERLIMITS

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I was in the same position and struggled with this a long time before I bought. You will get mostly WR over CRF replies here, but you already knew that. I too have been a long time Honda guy. I have owned a number of different brands, but Hondas have always been my ace in the hole and it has not been because of problems (except the KTM) of the other brands, just a preference based on perceived comfort with the brand and knowing they produce rock solid, durable bikes. I've had an XR650R for 5 years and loved it in every way, but wanted to move to something smaller and more manageable in the tight stuff. I read review after review on the net and the magazines along with all the "problems" or lack thereof of the CRF's and WR's. I can't begin to tell you how much I wanted to choose the Honda over the Yamaha. But I could not come to grips with the stories of the valve problems and I had seen enough photos on TT of the inside of CRF crank cases where the timing chain had broken a piece of guard off from inside the cases causing further problems. There were the reports of gearbox problems and that you had to add more oil than the manual said. Ultimately, it was what I read about the competence of the WR along with almost a complete lack of catastrophic problems that the CRF seemed to have been reported with from time to time. It was a plus that the WR came with pro tapers and a real odometer and I like the fact that it has one oil tank rather than two separate chambers. I realize the benefit of two, but honestly, how often have we heard about oil migrating from one to the other in both Hondas and KTMs? This was not acceptable to me for a bike that I planned to do long rides on in the desert or in Baja.

So, I went with an '08 WR in May. At the time it was $200 more than I would have paid for an '07 CRFX, but about $600 less than an equivalent '08 CRF. Honestly, I won't tell you it's better than a CRF because I have not ridden one. I will say that I am completely happy with it and was pleasantly surprised that it was still very stable like the 650R (really does not need a stabilizer). It does not have the big thump of a 650, but what 450 does? It has plenty of power and I ride almost exclusively desert, good suspension and handles like a dream to me.

With all that said, for my next bike I will still look at the Honda first just because that's the way I roll, force of habit. But it will only be a quick look if none of the issues I listed above has been addressed at that time.

The WR is just a great all around bike that is hard to beat for the money. ?

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jams229

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I have owned both - an '05 CRF450X and an '07 WR450.

There are pros and cons to both. I prefer the WR for these reasons:

1) Dependability, so far so good. My Honda's transmission seized on me while in 5th gear, and it needed new valves before it was 2 years old.

2) The WR is better in the tight, technical stuff, The Honda was more stable at speed.

3) The WR "feels" lighter and easier to control.

A few dislikes of the WR are as follows:

1) The TPS is a pain in the ass.

2) It requires some "work" (Free Mods) to get running correctly

3) The carb is hard to get to

4) Two rim locks is a pain when changing tires

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Grand Master

cubera

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hey cubera...question how many times have you rebuilt your X? ?

Let's see. First top end was at around 265 hours when the Ti coated intakes zeroed. The piston was in good shape but I decided to replace it since the top end was apart. Head was rebuilt with KW SS valves which are still in good shape but have about 1000 hours on them so I replaced the whole head and kept the old one for a spare. The piston has been replaced a half dozen times and only once because of piston failure (cracked). The crank finally got so sloppy at around 1200 hours that it nuked the inner clutch hub and stator. The crank, bearings, seals, piston, and head are all new now. The new head I got on Ebay for $10. It was trashed. It's an '05 R head that Agent Smith worked his magic on with porting and polishing plus SS TRX intakes and OEM steel exhausts. It has an R cam and high compression piston and I think that's why the original crank wore out so fast at around 1200 hours and 30 desert races. I have a new '07 450R which is very fun to ride and an '02 YZ250 with a fresh motor which is also fun to ride but my '05 450X is my ride of choice for desert because of performance, comfort, and reliability. It'll be making its 4th season of desert racing next month. It's my favorite bike of all times. ?

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Grand Master

cubera

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If my average speed during those hours was 30mph it would be around 8000 miles. So, I would guess then between 6,000 and 8,000 miles. The moon dust in D38 racing is killer on Ti coated valves and that's why it only went 265 hours. Never shimmed once during that time. SS intakes make CRF450 motor bullet proof IMHO.

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davegod

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love my 05 wr450.it's been dependable and i only adjusted 2 intake valves when it had about 25 hours on it. they were'nt out of adj completely but i wanted them all in the middle of the specs.haven't moved since.lots of oil changes and filter cleaning are the secret.grease the headstock and swingarm and shock linkage prior to riding and once a year since and have needed no replacements.i did have to re-spring for my fat ass and added a scotts damper but those are persona preferences.even the chain and sprockets held up well.i love this bike and though the aluminum frame is enticing i'll stick with this one.100+ hours and running great.seems like not that many hours total but i ride my 01 cr250 a lot and have been racing my vintage bike every 3rd or 4th weekend.?

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