k im one those guys switching back into bikes i used ride and i had a 88 trx250r loved it but now coming back into riding after driving my boosted hatch with 500whp i want a 450r and liking four strokes im woundering buck for buck is the 05 the best year and whats the year to year changes? id be mild building it and just woundering whats so great u know??
i just found this site three a friend on youtube so yeah haha sad i kno nothing about these bikes or these motors expet its a honda and i trust it

Really any year you find is a good year..... i'd look in the 05-present range. You can find built 450's done for pretty cheap. Just gotta look around, i'd try to go to as many of these forum sites as you can to look in the classified ads. If someone is tryin to sell junk, theres usually someone who chimes in and tells them how it is, and why are they tryin to sell crap for a million bucks. I raced an '88 250R that was built, had a nice Sparks motor, and Laeger arms..... and my 450 is fast. I cant say its faster cause the last time I rode my 450 it had stock A-arms and shocks (that has changed now though) and my 250R had a badass front end. So handling wise my 250R was better. But we'll see when I get back from Iraq and on to my re-built 450R. The power on these quads are just retarded. The 250R I had to sit up on it, and work it alot. The 450 power is nice, you can come into a turn in a higher gear, and just use the entire throttle to power through the turn without blowin your tires away. I like it........... yes I'm going to say it............ more than my 250R. I just said that...... anyways... These things are alot of fun, I have yet to ride mine in the dunes, all I did was race MX. ut we soon shall see. So long story short, get a Honda 450R, and be done with it. You'll never regret it.

All years are great bikes. However, the year you get depends on what you want out of the bike. Are you gonna go for all out power? or reliability? do you want electric start or kick start? if you want elec start you need an 06+. I assume you being in Oregon you're a sand junkie so that will factor in as well. Also if money will be an issue a 04/05 may be the better choice. I got an 05 because that's what i could afford back in March so.

Those are some things to think about. I'm no expert about the differences in the R between 04/05 to 06+ so i'm sure someone will chime in and enlighten you.

Merry Christmas!

Id say an 04 or 05 because i've got three different buddies that have a 06,06,07 and all of there starters have went out and one of thems just went out again for the 2nd time.

WIth the 04-05 you are able to get more power out of it, whereas the the 06-08 you get more power when the bike is stock. There are two main differences in the engine between the two, the 04-05 has a weaker piston whereas the 06-08 has a stronger one (performance wise). And the cams are different in each of them as well i believe. So if you are looking to spend a bunch of cash either one would be good, however if you just want to mod it slightly and leave it like that i would go with an 05 because after a exhuast, intake, jetting, piston and a cam that baby will be rocking! Even though there is still more power to be unleashed. You wont be diappointed in either one both are great bikes becasue of course they are Hondas, and my post will be a little more towards the 05 cause i have one. You could also get an HRC kit for them and that could be all you do and still have a REALLY mean bike.
Best site for the 450r right here, so ask away.

yeah i been told 05 are the best because they are the lightest bike and they didnt have valve problems but i really dont know i plan on getting a 450 how many hours can one of these motors last if i beat on it preaty hard but maintian it really good

oh yeah dude thanks i cant wait to just be able to ride and not mess with all the picky s troke jetting and overheating the bike from only one run...
to jet these motors do u just do a plug reading?

thanks allot yeah i just dont know how long these motors last and i know there great bikes but im just unsure and what do i look for in these motors to tell if its crap like my buddy says his dad has a 05 and it has maybe 200 hours on the motor with piston slap and it still starts in one kick or two so what sounds whatever do i look for to see if it really does have the claimed low hours????

you're welcome. yep, a plug reading will put you in the ballpark

one thing you can look for is rub marks on the stator and/or clutch cover. thats usually a good indication of the amount of hours.

just look at the overall condition of the bike... plastics, underbody, see if the clutch lever has a lot of free play... these are a few things to look at