2020 rmz450 vs 07 crf450

bad juju
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bad juju
Edited Date/Time 6/21/2020 9:03am
Is the old honda able to hang with a 2020 bike? 51 year old vet rider. Practice day rides, races vintage bikes. Are the 2020's that much better? Thanks.
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MZ193
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MZ193 6/18/2020 11:12am
6/18/2020 11:12am
No way.
Even tho the 2020 rmz 450 is a pretty "old" bike, those crf were dinosaurs. There's a noticeable difference, guaranteed.
You'll love EFI bikes instead of 4 strokes carburetors.
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Falcon
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Falcon 6/18/2020 11:17am
6/18/2020 11:17am
The '07 and especially '08 CRFs were pretty magical, though. Lots of people loved them. Someone (MXA?) called the '08 the best motocross bike ever, and this was in 2011 or something.
For a practice rider? Maybe a good choice. The RM-Z would be fantastic, as well. Pick the one you like and can afford, and don't look back.
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BroFoSho
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BroFoSho 6/18/2020 11:21am
6/18/2020 11:21am
So between a 2007 CRF and 2009 RMZ...I'd go Honda even though its a little older
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walent215
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walent215 6/18/2020 11:26am
6/18/2020 11:26am
No there not that much better. I have owned/raced countless 450s dating back to 06 and actually prefer some of the older 450s. Properly jetted 450s start/run great ! As mentioned above pick which bike you like/ can afford and run it!
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mxb2
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mxb2 6/18/2020 11:37am
6/18/2020 11:37am
Rmz all day long.
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inthebadboycorner 6/18/2020 11:50am
6/18/2020 11:50am
You may be talking from a performance veiw,
I can't imagine the wear and tear of the older bike no matter how good a condition it is in.
I would take the newer bike every day!
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DR176
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DR176 6/18/2020 12:36pm
6/18/2020 12:36pm
07 450 guy checking in here. I'm by no means a high level motocross guy and ride about 95% offroad at a decent B level I'd say. I can't tell you how much I love that bike and fall right in with all the 06-08 loverboys out there. To me and for me, I feel like it's just really rider friendly for your average dude. Sure, an EFI bike is faster and snappier, but properly jetted the thing still rips for my level and more importantly I just always feel like it's extremely stable and that is what I appreciate about it. It never does anything funny, tracks super straight, and to me doesn't feel heavy. Us boys love to push each other and dice, but to do that I have to feel really in control to push my pace and that's always where I have felt that the bike really shines compared to a couple other machines I've ridden in the past.
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Rotaholic
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Rotaholic 6/18/2020 12:54pm
6/18/2020 12:54pm
Suzuki is only 1 pound heavier than the yzf, has the most tourqe of all bikes and still puts out a respectable 55 horse power, for the money you can get them for they are an amazing bike. Best looking bike too. Pretty much a no frills workhorse
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Motofinne
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Motofinne 6/18/2020 1:26pm
6/18/2020 1:26pm
The reputation of the CRF450 of that era is getting out of hand. Of course the RMZ is a better bike.
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Gillboy67
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Gillboy67 6/18/2020 1:40pm
6/18/2020 1:40pm
This post makes no sense ...... You wanna compare a 2020 RMZ 450 to a 07 CRF?????? Really?? the 2018-2020 same bike will walk all over the 07 crf and for that matter all other 07s plus a new fresh bike. You can buy a brand new 2019 RMZ for 5499.00 right now ......DO IT!!!! I have been racing RMZs since 05 and currently have a 19 and LOVE IT like I did my 05,07,08,09,12,17,18 and 19 53yo vet B rider great low mid power great handling ya ya no e start but they start easy.
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crowe176
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crowe176 6/18/2020 1:41pm
6/18/2020 1:41pm
My 03 and 05 CRF's were great bikes. I'd love to take a brand new 05/6/7 CRF and ride it back to back with my 19 YZ450 to see how much they've improved since then. 15 years later, my YZ doesn't feel any lighter or better than I remember my 05 CRF feeling. They still suck to put on a stand after a long moto. They're still too heavy and fast for the woods I occasionally ride.

I JD jetted both my CRF's off the dealership floor and never had a carb/bog issue one time. (I actually preferred my 03 to the 05 aside from the valve issues)
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crowe176
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crowe176 6/18/2020 1:43pm
6/18/2020 1:43pm Edited Date/Time 6/18/2020 1:46pm
Motofinne wrote:
The reputation of the CRF450 of that era is getting out of hand. Of course the RMZ is a better bike.
I'm kind of with you. They were great because everthing before that were top heavy POS. After 15 years, I don't think they've improved off that platform as much as you think they would have though. I remember thinking in 10 years, the 450's will probably be just as lite as the 250 2 strokes at that time..
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Lightning78
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Lightning78 6/18/2020 1:55pm
6/18/2020 1:55pm
The shroud setup between both bikes liiks very similar
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BroFoSho
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BroFoSho 6/18/2020 2:26pm
6/18/2020 2:26pm
Rotaholic wrote:
Suzuki is only 1 pound heavier than the yzf, has the most tourqe of all bikes and still puts out a respectable 55 horse power, for...
Suzuki is only 1 pound heavier than the yzf, has the most tourqe of all bikes and still puts out a respectable 55 horse power, for the money you can get them for they are an amazing bike. Best looking bike too. Pretty much a no frills workhorse
Workhorse is right. You'll always be working on it haha
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Rotaholic
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Rotaholic 6/18/2020 3:09pm
6/18/2020 3:09pm
Rotaholic wrote:
Suzuki is only 1 pound heavier than the yzf, has the most tourqe of all bikes and still puts out a respectable 55 horse power, for...
Suzuki is only 1 pound heavier than the yzf, has the most tourqe of all bikes and still puts out a respectable 55 horse power, for the money you can get them for they are an amazing bike. Best looking bike too. Pretty much a no frills workhorse
BroFoSho wrote:
Workhorse is right. You'll always be working on it haha
I have had 6 RMZ450s and only ever put tires on them, absolutely zero issues with hardware or reliability.
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Gillboy67
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Gillboy67 6/18/2020 4:13pm
6/18/2020 4:13pm
BroFoSho wrote:
Workhorse is right. You'll always be working on it haha
HA Its always the guys that have not or do not own one with the neg comments. I have been racing moto longer than you prob have been on this earth sonny. I have owned and raced them all I have been on yellow since 05 and have never had any issues with any of them. They are great bikes! That said I have had no issues out of any bike I have ever owned since the the early mid 80s the YZs in the 70s not so much, but then again I stay on top of my equipment! I have always loved hondas and still do but I am a zook fan. These days it is rider pref at the amateur level IE beg-local pro. Pick a color and go race. In this case it is the same he rides track day so what do you wanna spend? 2500-3K for a used Honda or 5499.00 for a brand spanking new RMZ????
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nascarnate326 6/18/2020 5:59pm
6/18/2020 5:59pm
If I had my old CRF450R back I bet I would be faster than new RMZ. Something about those bikes was just goooooooood.
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Kyle978
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Kyle978 6/18/2020 6:03pm
6/18/2020 6:03pm
I think the further we get removed, the memory grows fonder. There is not a chance that 2007 is on the same planet as a new Zuk. EFI alone is a reason to go with the 2020.

Plus, I liked my 08 Yamaha a lot more than I liked my 07 Honda's.

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sf702/410
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sf702/410 6/18/2020 9:35pm
6/18/2020 9:35pm
Rotaholic wrote:
Suzuki is only 1 pound heavier than the yzf, has the most tourqe of all bikes and still puts out a respectable 55 horse power, for...
Suzuki is only 1 pound heavier than the yzf, has the most tourqe of all bikes and still puts out a respectable 55 horse power, for the money you can get them for they are an amazing bike. Best looking bike too. Pretty much a no frills workhorse
BroFoSho wrote:
Workhorse is right. You'll always be working on it haha
Rotaholic wrote:
I have had 6 RMZ450s and only ever put tires on them, absolutely zero issues with hardware or reliability.
Unfortunately I did have to throw a chain on mine the other day. Laughing Suzuki problemsLaughing
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davis224
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davis224 6/19/2020 2:58am
6/19/2020 2:58am
I'm one of the 5 people who loved the 09-12 Hondas more than the 07-08. My 07 felt like a tank and I couldn't shake the mid stroke harshness. I put a little more work into my 2010 than I did the 07, but even stock I knew it fit me way better.
nascarnate326 6/19/2020 3:25am
6/19/2020 3:25am
Kyle978 wrote:
I think the further we get removed, the memory grows fonder. There is not a chance that 2007 is on the same planet as a new...
I think the further we get removed, the memory grows fonder. There is not a chance that 2007 is on the same planet as a new Zuk. EFI alone is a reason to go with the 2020.

Plus, I liked my 08 Yamaha a lot more than I liked my 07 Honda's.

Some people still have them and are not “removed”

EFI didn’t shave 4 seconds a lap off my times. I couldn’t ride a 125 to it’s full potential let alone a carb 450. EFI is nice but your fooling yourself if you think EFI is the reason you ride as fast as you do.
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Kyle978
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Kyle978 6/19/2020 8:32am
6/19/2020 8:32am Edited Date/Time 6/19/2020 8:34am
Kyle978 wrote:
I think the further we get removed, the memory grows fonder. There is not a chance that 2007 is on the same planet as a new...
I think the further we get removed, the memory grows fonder. There is not a chance that 2007 is on the same planet as a new Zuk. EFI alone is a reason to go with the 2020.

Plus, I liked my 08 Yamaha a lot more than I liked my 07 Honda's.

nascarnate326 wrote:
Some people still have them and are not “removed” EFI didn’t shave 4 seconds a lap off my times. I couldn’t ride a 125 to it’s...
Some people still have them and are not “removed”

EFI didn’t shave 4 seconds a lap off my times. I couldn’t ride a 125 to it’s full potential let alone a carb 450. EFI is nice but your fooling yourself if you think EFI is the reason you ride as fast as you do.
I am talking more about ride experience than speed.

The throttle response, power delivery and tuning flexibility of EFI improve the experience exponentially. I'll never forget the feeling of my first ride on my 2009 Kawi 450 in 2008. I knew dirt bikes had just taken a big leap.

Add in modern suspension with fresh components and tight tolerances, modern ergonomics (thinner, not as top heavy as a 07 CRF), better brakes etc., to me it's a no brainer.

I would be willing to bet OP has worked very hard in his life, and is enjoying the fruits of his labor. Might as well make the experience as best as it can be. If it were me, I'd open up the budget a bit for a bike with a button.
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BikeGuy321
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BikeGuy321 6/19/2020 8:58am
6/19/2020 8:58am
Totally different bikes. The Zook carves inside lines, and is busier at high speeds, also the frame is more rigid. The Honda needs a little more effort in tight corners, but it's more stable. The Honda revs out better too, so it can be a lot faster depending on your skill level. The Carb'ed Hondas also weigh about 10LBs less than the Zookie.

I'd buy the Honda if it's in good condition.

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Park Boys
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Park Boys 6/19/2020 10:00am
6/19/2020 10:00am
I think Ping did a test with the 07 Honda vs a 17 Honda I want to say and everyone was within two seconds a lap and a couple guys were faster on the old one. In a sense it’s amazing to think how little we have come since then. Are the new bikes better, yeah. Are they that much better, no. I had an 07 Honda for years, the bike was not holding me back in anyway. Outside of the EFI, there pretty damn close to a modern bike. You can make the argument that the Honda 450 was the first modern bike.
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Natester551v
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Natester551v 6/19/2020 10:03am
6/19/2020 10:03am
EFI all day long....Keihin flat slide carbs were good...until they were slightly out of tune....and that dreaded cough! I'll never go back to a carburetor
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Park Boys
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Park Boys 6/19/2020 10:05am
6/19/2020 10:05am
Motofinne wrote:
The reputation of the CRF450 of that era is getting out of hand. Of course the RMZ is a better bike.
I think it’s justified, especially for it’s day. If you compare them to a new bike of course the new ones are better. You go to 05 let’s say. The difference between the Honda and the Yamaha and KTM was huge. Then Suzuki and Kawi just copied Honda. For it’s time they are easily some of the best MX bikes of All time, there is no debate about it.
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peelout
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peelout 6/19/2020 10:09am
6/19/2020 10:09am
i'd buy the '07 Honda no doubt about it. besides my 300 that was my favorite bike i've ever owned. that motor would still hold up today (minus EFI of course).

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