2003 Honda CRF450R Motorcycle reviews

Before this bike I rode my brother's old XR80R. When he got my dad's CRF450R. my brother had me try his bike and after that I was sold. I bought mine used in 2010 and it is a dream. It's smooth and it just wont quit. We built a track and have had to repeatedly move the landing of our double back multiple times so we don't overshoot it. This bike has been my transportation to school on sub-zero mornings and it still runs great on those cold days. Even running it through mud holes and on slippery hard-packed trails after a rain, it can still be controlled and rides right through. The only problem I have with it is the stiff compression can hurt your foot if you don't wear racing boots and it quickly puts holes in the soles of your shoes. Show less

I initially bought a 2004 YZ 250 from the guy, but didn't feel that had enough power. I went back to the guy to see if I could trade for the 03 CRF 450 he was initially selling. He was cool with it, and so was I. I finally found a perfect weekend kicker bike in the woods. The CRF 450 has the perfect blend of smooth power with a grunt, and nimble handling. I'm 5'8" and 200 lbs, and the front-end pops up from time to time! Show less

As I recently purchased this bike used, I have only ridden it twice...but, I love it! So far, I have powered up steep, rutted, muddy hills like they were flat and dry. Blasted through tight, rutted, water filled, single track with ease and flew down fairly smooth, gently rolling connecting road sections. This bike is a blast to ride! Show less

I bought my '03 Honda CRF450R used last summer (05). What a great bike. Gobs of torque and power at any RPM. The bike is so light it dosn't seem like a 450 thumper. I have ridden it at all speeds over all types of terrain. Arizona has lots of great places to ride. I especially like hitting the soft stuff and just powering through it! My bro's that I ride with refuse to ride behind me because they whine that I am always roosting and hitting them with debri...yeeaaahhh! This bike has won me over and I would buy another one for sure if something happended to it. I recently put a Clarke 3.2 gallon tank on and it really helps. I bought one in the clear color to see the fuel level. Personally I don't think that there is a better dirt bike out there for the money. Show less

I have been riding atv's, streetbikes and dirtbikes for about 10 years and I have never had a bike that feels as comfortable as the CRF450R does when I am riding it. I used to ride KX250 and YZ250's but they don't have the torque that the CRF has. This bike is an excellent purchase but you have to be able to control the power of this machine. I am 240 pounds and 6'4" tall and the shocks have no problem handling my weight coming off of a jump. When I bought the bike I tightened the suspension one full rotation and now it is perfect. If you want a bike that is good for everything, this is your bike. Show less

This bike is awesome. I've been riding for only about four years and thought this bike would be too big but it was easy to ride. It is a very user friendly bike but the power isn't far away. I'm a 300 pound guy and as long as it's rolling even if I am leaning on the bars it will stand right up without a problem. However I can go easy and relax while riding. I think it might even be a little too big for the woods up here in New England. I think this bike is awesome and think that even though it user more user friendly than the YZF I think it is still for the intermediate to expert riders. Great bike and I don't know how to make it better. Thanks Honda Show less

I recently purchaced a 2003 CRF450, I was riding a KX 500 and picked the CRF up used. I wasn't sure how I would like it coming off a 2 stroke 500 but let me just say "HELL YEAH".This bike starts up on the first two kicks everytime. It doesn't have the power of the KX, but it will pull hard from any gear. The balance of the bike is great. I ride mostly desert, the rides are long and ever changing. This bike handles great up hills,in sand,through washboards. No arm pump, and very comfortable. I will say that the only thing I did notice was the vibration through the handle bars got to be a little numbing after awhile, but I plan to change the bars from the Renthal "Fat Bars" to the FASST Torsion ones. I also have trouble with the water pump leaking. I am looking into if that is a common problem with them. All in all I will have to say that this is a great all around bike with gobs of power and great suspension. Show less

I used to only ride 2 strokes and would never give a 4 stroke a chance, but I must say the CRF450 is the cat's meow. I love it. I will never ride my katoom again. I can do big doubles with no troubles Show less

Crf 450 4-stroke dirt bikes keep getting better especially the Honda CRF450R. This dirt bike wins shoot-out after shoot-out. So many riders switch to this dirt bike from the YZ450F and other motocrossers for one reason. It has an excellent power band, plush suspension and, unbeatable Honda brakes. The CRF's engine is one of its strong points. The 449 cubic centimeter uni-cam engine produces 55 horsepower and 36 ft-lb of torque. 449 cubic centimeters means that the engine could hold 449cc of liquid in the cylinder. This engine is called a unicam because it has one camshaft instead of the usual dual overhead cam. The engine weighs about 65lbs, which is good for a four-stroke engine. In addition to a great engine the CRF has plush suspension. The staff of Dirt Rider magazine says if an engine can pull smoother over bumps then the suspension will perform better. Hondas are well known plush suspension and the most comfortable seat on the market. So it's no surprise the CRF won the suspension portion of DIRT RIDER'S 250cc shoot out. Honda's dirt bikes are well known for their brakes. The CRF's brakes also perform well. You might think brakes don't matter, but when you're in 4th gear speeding down a straightaway and the racer next to you is trying to pass. Theirs a turn so he starts slowing down but your on a CRF so you wait till your right in front of the turn then you lock your brakes up and turn successfully, hit the last double and take the checkered flag. You win the race because you have better brakes. Still think brakes are unimportant? All in all the CRF 450 is a great dirt bike whether it's jumping, riding whoops, or straightaway speed. Yamaha started this 4-stroke revolution with the YZ400F and now their losing the struggle to come out on top, maybe someday Yamaha will make a good dirt bike to challenge the master. It's a good thing that people are riding 4-strokes because their easier on the environment than their 2-stroke counterparts. So are you going to take part in the 4-stroke revolution and ride a CRF or keep riding your polluting 2-stroke? Shawn Moleon Show less

I used to own CR250's until 2003 CRF'S came out and I bought one and after pulling 4 out of 4 holeshot's my brother and friend are looking to buy one. The machine is awesome all around the susp. is great (factory), it starts with no problems or tricks I haven't found a track that I needed fifth gear for fourth gear is very fast, I highly recommend one. Show less