OK, here's the number one, biggest thing that I DISlike about the CRF450X. I don't have one.

 

bunch of local talent got together and decided to race baja last year, they all bleed orange and were sponsored by a dealer that sells ktm. Guess what bike they prepped and took down there? a 450x, LOL Even funnier was one of them said the factory ktm team even used honda's for their prerunners. Guess they have become the defacto standard down there for being competitive, reliable and affordable to race,

 

in the motorcycle world honda owns baja and the xr650r is king down there even with it being out of production for so long the honda a team uses the 450x but there are a listers still useinf the old beast and as far as it goes in the atv world too the trx450 still owns baja it does say something about their product

 

Many Honda bikes are great bikes, but it's not really so much the bike anymore that makes the success in big racing events. It's the backing. In the Dakar, the backing is with KTM, and you see the results there. In the ATV category in the Dakar, the backing is with Yamaha. Yamaha wins. Just about all the major manufacturers make some good hardware now. The biggest factor is almost always who has the strongest backing in a given sport or category. Even in the cases where a really great rider is dominating, someone is paying him to ride their bike.

 

Pro Motorcycles
1. Kendall Norman, Quinn Cody, Logan Holladay (Honda) 14:14:25 (Class 22)

2. Shane Esposito, Robby Bell, Steve Hengeveld, Bobby Garrison, David Pearson (Kawasaki) 14:24:55 (Class 22)

3. Colton Udall, David Kamo, Timmy Weigand (Honda) 14:31:10 (Class 22)

4. A.J. Stewart, Donald Stanley, Justin Morgan, Corey Freeman, Kevin Johnson (Honda) 17:00:59 (Class 22)

5. Francisco Arredondo, Nicholas Burson, Justin Morrow, Ryan Dudek (Honda) 17:13:24 (Class 21)

6. Trent Burgiss (KTM) 21:28:24(Class 22)

7. Felipe Prohens, Chris Ridgway (Husqvarna) 22:00:22 (Class 40)

8. Jim Owens, Arik Swan/Eric Pucelik, Bobby Bartholomew (Husqvarna) 22:00:22 (Class 21)

9. Rory Sullivan, Joey Lancaster, Miles Warren, Anthony Cenitti (Honda) 23:20:53 (Class 21)

10. Jack Lundin, Lukas Lundin, Peter Lofuerius/PG Lundmark (Honda) 23:21:55 (Class 21)
Pro ATVs

1. Wayne Matlock/Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif./Wes Miller, Los Angeles, Honda TRX700XX, 18:43:21 (37.66 mph) (Class 25)

2. Brandon Brown, Umatilla, Ore./Jorie Williams, Longview, Wash./Kenny Sanford, Tacoma, Wash./Richie Brown, Dahloneca, Ga./Jamie Kirkpatrick, Olympia, Wash., Honda TRX450R, 19:00:21 (37.09 mph) (Class 24)

3. Juan Sanchez/Angel Sanchez, Chula Vista, Calif./Gerard Ibarra, San Ysidro, Calif./Christian Rojas, Santos Perez, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda TRX450X, 19:43:06 (35.75 mph) (Class 24)

4. Heriberto Marquez/Julio Gomez/Adrian Lopez, Ensenada/Raul Cano, Tijuana, Mexico, Stefano Caputo, San Felipe, Mexico (Italy), Honda TRX450R, 20:23:33 (34.57 mph) (Class 24)

5. Rafael Torres/Juan Naranjo/Damaria Maduena/Carlos Cansteneda, San Felipe, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 21:01:39 (33.53 mph) (Class 25)

last years results for the 1000, keep in mind 90% of the race is about getting all the way to the finish most don't make 50% you are right with backing being a big part of it but when they have most of the stuff crossing the line i don't think that is just a coincidence

 

Doesn't Honda pay more contingency money to privateers in the Baja racing venue?

 

Another factor is there are so many teams and honda support down there, either private or factory, that help or assistance or parts etc is right around the next corner. It's a good bike to be on.

 

i haven't seen anything about it in the last 7 years i've been running it lol but i'll have to look for something, and honestly anything with wheels shows up, i had a friends team i was hooked up with so we could double our pit crew size and make better use of resources the were running a rm-z450 and it had a cam let go at 250mi in, they swiched to honda the next year, and to be honest about it to be a contender you need lots of cash having the suport for the mahhine really helps i saw a few ktmgetting motors swaped around the 500mi and 750mi marks and for the little guys that not something we can do all the time i have a spare everyting when we head down but i can usually run the whole race on the one motor and 5 sets of wheels(140 across a dry lake kills tires) and some wicked talent but in the end it comes down to if the machine can make it, and i'll say as much that you see tons of stuff at the starting line but in the bike and atv classes there is more red at the finish and it may just be a coincidence but its what i've seen personally