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Model(s) covered: 2005 Honda CRF 450 R
If the old racing adage, “what wins on Sunday sells on Monday,” carries any truth, there must have been a lot of foot traffic in Honda dealers this year. Riding the CRF450R, Honda rider Ricky Carmichael did the unthinkable, winning every race of the 2004 AMA National Motocross Championship—a perfect season. Anyone who knows the level of talent and the caliber of machines that line up at the starting gate each weekend at those races understands the statement Honda has made with their race-bred 450cc 4-stroke.
First things first: The CRF450R will frighten the meek and toss the disrespectful. At the same time, it will elevate the willing novice, enthrall the astute intermediate, and level the playing field for the expert rider.
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Model(s) covered: 2005 Honda CRF 450 R, 2005 Suzuki RM-Z450, 2005 Yamaha YZ 450 F
Over the past few years motocross technology has come on like gangbusters. Of course, Yamaha sparked the competition-based thumper revolution in 1998 when Doug Henry legitimized the four-stroke by winning the Outdoor Nationals aboard a YZ400F.
Over the next few years, Yamaha would go on to develop the YZ426F and then YZ450F with little competition from the other Japanese manufacturers.
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Model(s) covered: 2005 Honda CRF 450 R
The CRF450R has been winning races since it was first unleashed in 2002 to challenge Yamaha's YZ450F, the progenitor of the class. The mighty CRF has gone on to win not only Supercross and Motocross national races in the hands of Kevin Windham and Ricky Carmichael, it has also won national-level dirt tracks, TTs, GNCC enduros and desert events. And the CRF already has a supermoto championship under its belt, with Honda claiming nearly 60% of the entrants in the field.
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