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.

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^

Kawasaki H2

So this week I will be talking about the new Kawasaki H2 and H2R. The new H2 is the first ever out the box supercharged sport bike. This bike is one of a kind. With the H2R having 280hp stock and the H2 having 240hp these bikes are ridiculous. 0-100 times averaging four seconds and top speeds of 280 miles per hour… There  is nothing like it.

To get your hands on ones of these bikes you have to spend around $25,000. But its not as simple as just writing a check and picking it up at the store the same day. You have to go to the dealership and give them a $15,000 down payment. Then they start on the process of building the bike. After you wait about 5-6 months you will have your bike made and on the way from Japan to your local dealership.

The reason you may ask why no other company has thought to super charge a sport bike is because of the high rotations per minute a motorcycles driveshaft is at. When you are running 16,000 rotations per minute on the drives shaft, your moving parts REALLY FAST! So now you are adding a super charger that gives the bike another 110 horse power, there is a lot of room to break parts. Now if you are lucky enough to get a H2 you better know how to work on it. The maintenance on these bikes is ridiculous. You have to check the cam timing every 30 hours. You have to check your drive shaft every 40 hours, and change the oil after almost every ride, or three hours. Basically what I’m trying to get at is this in not a bike for everyone, even though many people would loves to feel the amazing power a bike like this has if you have the money and want it, you will probably end up dead…  KAWASAKI H2!