Just ordered a new 08 CRF 450X

[MK II Mark]

Hi I am new to the site and looking forward to getting some hints and tips for my new bike what should be ready next week.

[Dangerous_Dave]

Nice!

Can't wait to see the pics.

[meljordan]

Great bike. Far too good for my skill level. The 250 is as much yeehaaaar as i can deal with. (though i hope to get the 450 as soon as i can organise my mid-life crisis ) So i will wait for your write ups with interest.

[russellt]

Well I can tell you a bit about mine . I purchased it in December 05 second hand from with low milage but with oil leaking from the output shaft . I figured that this woudl only need a new seal and Paul Edmondson who races the 250 confirmed that they do go , a bit of a gamble but it paid off and no trouble since.

The bike is a focused enduro bike , that means its high hard and fast .I am a trail rider who does the odd trail bike rally , I was pleased to find that for trail riding its pretty tractable and happy to trundle along at trail speeds. Its a bit noisy and I ride with standard exhaust and baffle as I dont like noisy bikes and I find the engine clatters a bit , particuarly from cold.

I love riding the bike and prefer it to the KTM 400 my brother used to have though that felt lighter , however I do love my mates crf250x as well .

The best thing I did was to have the suspension sorted out , other than mess about with the settings myself on other bikes I have never had this done professinally before , I took it to a speacialist who revalved the forks and who reckoned that the standard springs are still too hard for me and I weigh 16 stone on a bad day, prior to having the forks done a days riding left me feeling like I had been beaten up .

In tight going the bike can be hard work , it feels pretty heavy , in Rally's I freqeuntly find myself fighting the bike due to the power it makes and simply trying to stop the back end from breaking away , howerver have to say I am not very fit nor a very accomplished rider .

All in all I am very pleased with the bike , the lack of lighting is a pain I had to get an MOT this year which I managed but depending on your eletrical skills not easy but kits are available .

Its a Honda so build quality is good , I have had absolutley nothing go wrong save that the rear mudguard dosent have a lot of support which is probably ok when you just have the led but I have added a rear light and no plate , I have found that it wont support a tool bag and you have to check the mounting bolts to make sure they are tight on a reqular basis .

All the best see you on the trail

[MK II Mark]

Thanks for the comments guys, I can't wait to pick it up. My dealer has already taken my bike off me so I don't have a ride for Sunday nonetheless I think that sometimes the anticipation is as good as already having it. I chopped in a RMZ 450 which was road registered and that was a bit of a handful so the CRF should be little easier on me and I won't feel so stiff the day after a ride.

[DaveS]

Can't wait to see the pics Mark.
I remember that new bike feeling well, although its a fading feeling.

[RapidMK2]

I just sold an XR400 and looked at the 450X...Ended up settling for a Beta 450rr 2007.......Suspenders like you would wet dream for..WOW....Makes the KTM feel like a hardtail chopper.....

On the engine front Beta have some how tamed the power.....It is some tracable...like an XR!

We all rode yesterday and are close to saying its the ultimate green laner....stabil at speed, intricate over rocks...Yesterday we were out on a WR250 / CRF250 and a KTM400 to compare....

I'm 6Ft 1" and its perfect for standing on pegs but at the same time my chum is 5Ft8" and he could comfortably touch the floor.

Ofcourse everybody questions the build quality BUT every single dealer I spoke to said they really are spot on with the worst issue being about rear wheel bearings........So like a KTM

Will update you more...have you seen the 2009 Beta RR's

[MK II Mark]

I just sold an XR400 and looked at the 450X...Ended up settling for a Beta 450rr 2007.......Suspenders like you would wet dream for..WOW....Makes the KTM feel like a hardtail chopper.....

On the engine front Beta have some how tamed the power.....It is some tracable...like an XR!

We all rode yesterday and are close to saying its the ultimate green laner....stabil at speed, intricate over rocks...Yesterday we were out on a WR250 / CRF250 and a KTM400 to compare....

I'm 6Ft 1" and its perfect for standing on pegs but at the same time my chum is 5Ft8" and he could comfortably touch the floor.

Ofcourse everybody questions the build quality BUT every single dealer I spoke to said they really are spot on with the worst issue being about rear wheel bearings........So like a KTM

Will update you more...have you seen the 2009 Beta RR's

I know what your saying Rapid, there is some awsome looking bikes out there. I saw a new Husqy 450 the other day out on the tracks and it looked wicked, the euro stuff does look good but I would rather go with Japanese reliability and build quality. My mates KTM 450 just done another head gasket, whoops

[DaveS]

So where is it then?
You coming to join us at Ubley Drove on 11 October?

[MK II Mark]

So where is it then?
You coming to join us at Ubley Drove on 11 October?

I spoke to the dealer today and it is going to have its SVA test tomorrow and when its passed its test and the paper work is sorted out I will be picking it up hopefully before the weekend.

I won't be joining you at Ubley Drove as I live on the Isle of Man.