Had my first real dune trip (to Glamis in CA) this weekend, after installing the HRC kit. While the 450R was obviously a big step over the 400EX, it was a little disappointing to me, probably because my last quad was a significantly modified Banshee.
My friend has a piped, jetted, ported Banshee. He spanked me at the hill, easily. He has a 250R also, which he loves. I had him try out my 450R, and asked him what he thought of it. His answer was "do you want to know the truth?" Although he's a two-stroke fan, he recently tried out a Raptor for the first time. It was piped and jetted, and (so he says) was faster than my 450R. This guy is not a Yamaha partisan, either. If he could have said anything to make me feel better instead of worse, he would have.
Another friend has basically stock 400EX, and he tried out my 450R. After the ride, he said "give me that engine in my chassis." He hated the way the 450R steers, or perhaps doesn't steer is more accurate. I have ITP Sand Stars all around, and the fronts just don't seem to bite. Numerous times I had to bail out of hills I was traversing, because I couldn't get the steering to turn uphill. I can't turn nearly as tight as I could on the Banshee, either.
To add insult to injury, I rolled the 450R, not once but twice. The first time, I was heading down a hill that caught me off guard. I have no idea what happened. Right front wheel reached the bottom first, and then my face was in the sand with the quad rolling over me. The only thing I can figure is it was a combination of my being out of practice (been riding a buggy for 2 years), and the possibility that I hit the rear brake by accident.
The second roll was even more bizarre. I was trying to do a quick turn to change direction and follow a friend, and next thing I knew, the 450R was on its side, and I was on the sand! Fortunately I had my helmet camera running, so at least it was good for a laugh! I'll post the video eventually.
I was bummed.
On the positive side, the 450R soaked up the whoops like a pro. It wheelies like a champ, if you like that kind of thing, and it feels great in the air and landing jumps.
So, I'm a little sore and a little confused, too. Hondas are known for being the best handling quads, but I don't have warm and a fuzzy feeling about the handling or the engine right now.
So, I'm not sure where to go from here. I need some more ponies to make the 450R feel right, but I don't want to lose all my low end, either. And I need to make it a little less tippy. Maybe a wider axle? I don't want to sink big bucks into new A-arms, especially if that means new shocks also. As for the steering, I guess I can live with it. I suppose it comes with the territory when you're dealing with a light quad and lots of torque...
My friend has a piped, jetted, ported Banshee. He spanked me at the hill, easily. He has a 250R also, which he loves. I had him try out my 450R, and asked him what he thought of it. His answer was "do you want to know the truth?" Although he's a two-stroke fan, he recently tried out a Raptor for the first time. It was piped and jetted, and (so he says) was faster than my 450R. This guy is not a Yamaha partisan, either. If he could have said anything to make me feel better instead of worse, he would have.
Another friend has basically stock 400EX, and he tried out my 450R. After the ride, he said "give me that engine in my chassis." He hated the way the 450R steers, or perhaps doesn't steer is more accurate. I have ITP Sand Stars all around, and the fronts just don't seem to bite. Numerous times I had to bail out of hills I was traversing, because I couldn't get the steering to turn uphill. I can't turn nearly as tight as I could on the Banshee, either.
To add insult to injury, I rolled the 450R, not once but twice. The first time, I was heading down a hill that caught me off guard. I have no idea what happened. Right front wheel reached the bottom first, and then my face was in the sand with the quad rolling over me. The only thing I can figure is it was a combination of my being out of practice (been riding a buggy for 2 years), and the possibility that I hit the rear brake by accident.
The second roll was even more bizarre. I was trying to do a quick turn to change direction and follow a friend, and next thing I knew, the 450R was on its side, and I was on the sand! Fortunately I had my helmet camera running, so at least it was good for a laugh! I'll post the video eventually.
I was bummed.
On the positive side, the 450R soaked up the whoops like a pro. It wheelies like a champ, if you like that kind of thing, and it feels great in the air and landing jumps.
So, I'm a little sore and a little confused, too. Hondas are known for being the best handling quads, but I don't have warm and a fuzzy feeling about the handling or the engine right now.
So, I'm not sure where to go from here. I need some more ponies to make the 450R feel right, but I don't want to lose all my low end, either. And I need to make it a little less tippy. Maybe a wider axle? I don't want to sink big bucks into new A-arms, especially if that means new shocks also. As for the steering, I guess I can live with it. I suppose it comes with the territory when you're dealing with a light quad and lots of torque...
