2015 CRF450

This year Hondas new CRF450 needed to make some big changes if they wanted to be able to compete with the other dirt bike companies like Kawasaki, KTM, and Honda. The most noticeable difference in the new 2015 models is that the engine seem has more power all around compared to last years 2014 model. Also Honda took into account that they needed to get the weight of the bike and engine much closer to the center of gravity. This gives you a more controlled and lighter feeling to the bike. So what they decided to do was create a whole new exhaust system for the bike. The new exhaust system has bigger header bikes and is a lot of lighter. Its lighter because it is shorter and more centered on the bike then the 2014s.

Another upgrade honda came out with to increase the feel of the bike is there new fork system. The  KYB PSF fork system makes the bike a lot more controllable and easier to ride. They say when your going threw rough terrain like ruts out on the track the front wheel feels like it is planted into the ground. This new system will help the rider not have to move so much threw out the corners making the bike easier to ride. Although Honda is known for there bikes not being up to par while going down a straight away because it has a little twitchy feel to it, the 2015 makes up for that in the tight corners. This is Hondas strong point.

Hondas 2014 CRF450 was also known for having a extremely tough cloth to pull, so this year they made the clutch smoother and easier to pull. Even though they improved the clutch it is no where near as nice and smooth as competitors like Yamaha and Kawasaki.

New 2015 RMZ450

Every year four-stroke dirt bikes are getting faster and faster it seems like there is nothing more they could change. But with all the money for research going into four-strokes and not into two strokes they have developed pretty impressive improvements.

After reading a few articles it seemed like Suzukis main goal for tho year was to improve the feel of riding the bike. To make it not as harsh and heavy as talked about in reviews. They started this out with a big improvement in the chassis, the new frame that Suzuki changed to increased the amount of flex to give the rider a nicer feel on the bike. Another big improvement was in the forks. This year they changed from spring forks to air forks like Yamaha and Kawasaki are now using. It takes a little bit longer to set up the bike to your weight and height standards but after you they say it feels like a whole new bike. These new forks are said to take out almost all the harshness and depending on the situation even take out all the harshness making it almost like riding a RMZ250.

Four strokes have always been known for being hard to start when cold, and even harder after they have been warmed up. So one aspect of the engine Suzuki changed was the kick starter. Some of  changes they started off was a longer better angled kick starting lever, a different starting gear ratio, a redesigned de-compressor, a all new revised camshaft exhaust all just to make the RMZ start up easier.

The major change Suzuki made this year was adding a HoleShot Assist Control lever for the starts of your races. When you turn this lever on the bike controls the amount of wheel slip your bike gives, but after 1.2 seconds right around when you would reach third gear it automatically shuts of. This is the first year ever for Suzuki to put this on a production bike!

2015 RMZ450^

2015 Kawasaki ZX6R vs 2015 Honda CBR600rr

For both Kawasaki and Honda this was a big year for there 600 c.c (cubic centimeters) motorcycles. I would say more for Honda because Kawasaki has spent so much money on research for there brand new supercharged 1000 c.c H2R. Kawasaki over the past three years have been the 600 c.c class champion, but Honda says they are ready to take the spot.

The first thing they changed was the steering. They added a brand new Honda Power Steering Damper, this new design not only reads the handle bar deflection speed but also calculates the vehicles speed. As for power they added dual fuel injectors to every piston that way there is no lost of power in the high rpms range or the low rpm range. This is the first year any sport bike has had eight fuel injectors instead of just four.  The suspension also got upgraded to smaller sized pistons that way you can keep the viscosity of the oil higher making it more customized then ever before. The last upgrade they made was in the break calipers. They have mounted them radially instead on direct bolts giving you more stopping power and feel for the breaks.

With Kawasaki being on top of the 600 c.c class they did not make that many changes at all. Some of the little things they added are a new three way traction control system. Also they added to engine modes, a low speed mode and a high speed mode. They also added a clutch to give it more of a slippery feel to it.

zx6r^                                                                          cbr600rr^

Two Stroke Vs Four Strokes

In the dying industry of two stroke motocross bikes, Yamaha is the only Japanese company to  continue to build them. Even though the amount of money spent on research and development for two strokes is far less then of its rival four strokes its still nice to see a company producing them. Currently I race a 2011 YZ250 with a all new exhaust system, reed valves, racing piston and I love it. The power band in a two stroke is so much more powerful in the higher rpms so it make for a much snappy quick paced ride.

One of the main reasons people love or hate two strokes are because of there signature sound. They are more high pitched and sound almost exactly like your weed wacker or edger for your lawn. Compared to the four strokes which have a much deeper sounds to them like a truck.

My dad currently rides a 2014 RMZ250 which is Suzuki’s fuel injected four stroke and that bike is by no means slow. But the way it rides is so much different then a two stroke, it is so much more controlled. Me and my dad always compare his bike to a Bentley because its so smooth and controlled, and mind to a Ferrari because it only wants to go fast! The reason this is, is because four stroke have a much stronger low rpm range so this mean it doesn’t have as strong of a top end rpm range like a two stroke does. But when it comes to two strokes there is almost no low end power because all the power is in the high rpm range. So all it really is, is a personal preference. Wherever the four stroke lacks the two strokes make up, and where the two strokes lack the four stroke make up.

2014 YZ250 ^

2014 RMZ250^