The CRF doesn't have the tightest cornering abilities, but turning is still decent and works well at high speeds. The suspension setup gives the bike a long feel but works great over large jumps. The rear end bounced around a tiny bit in whoops and extremely rough sections, but this just calls for more of an over-the-rear-wheel riding style. It's clear Rodrigues is constantly finding traction, because there's no stopping the bike once it hooks up! The FC machine is an outstanding motorcycle, one I'm very grateful not to be racing against. -Chris Denison
Team Sponsors and Bike Modifications
Chaparral
Honda
Napster
Rockford Fosgate
Shift
Shoei
Gaerne
Scott USA
Etnies
PF Gyms
Bridgestone tires and tubes
Cycra front and rear fenders, shrouds, number panels and vented front number plate
EK 520 chain
Ferodo 892 SG front pads, 2139 SG rear pads
Hinson clutch (complete)
One Industries graphics and seat coverPro Circuit cam, valve train, head mods, T4 exhaust and clutch springs
Renthal 997 handlebar and half-waffle soft grips
Showa works fork and shock
Sunstar front 13T and rear 51T sprocketsVP Pro 4 race fuel
Wiseco prototype piston
Works Connection glide plate, engine guards, clutch perch/levers and fill caps
Amsoil SportFilters and oil titanium footpegs
Vortex ignition
Honda works 260mm front brake
Honda works standard-offset fork clampsFactory Connection fork lock downHayden oil cooler (for selected events) Fluidyne radiators
Amsoil 10w40 synthetic engine oil and Super Shift transmission oil
Jason Thomas'
Subway Honda CRF45OR
It has been just a little more than three years since the Subway team made its debut at the Anaheim supercross with James Polvony and Ted Campbell. Since then the team has grown more powerful with outside sponsorship. Today it's a two-rider effort, with Jason Thomas and Jeff Gibson. Bikes and replacement parts come from American Honda, with a boatload of aftermarket attention to detail.
I've watched Thomas race for years, but until I rode his racebike I never realized how short he is. The subframe is cut and lowered; the seat foam is much thinner than stock. He uses IMS footpegs raised a full inch to shorten the distance from the seat to the pegs. The bike rides so low that when I was standing up the seat rested below my knees at the top of my boot. I like to ride using my knees to control the bike, but that's not possible on JT's bike. It made me feel like an out-of-control giraffe; hindering me more was the bar's low bend. The suspension settings were a bit stiff, but the harder I rode the bike, the better it worked. Being a top-level pro, JT puts demands on the suspension I never would. One interesting fact is the suspension uses the stock outer tubes; no works kit stuff, just an MB1 revalve. The motor is very meaty-it felt like the thing had 70 horsepower. It hit hard and quick, not linear at all. I like the immediate throttle response, but the bike is a serious handful and had me searching for additional skills more than once. -Corey Neuer
I know the 250cc class is a struggle for power, but with the 450cc bikes it is all about getting the right kind of power. Thomas likes his power served in big strokes and large quantities. In fact, this bike feels more like a big-bore bike than "just" a 450. It reminds me of the '03 CRF450R in its style of delivery, with bigger, more traditional thumps on the bottom, keeping the hefty power pulses all the way up top. It never goes into that blurry rev a stock '05 CRF does, instead making a lot more boost the whole time. It feels as if every bang of the spark plug pushes the bike a little bit farther than it should, making it truly hard to hang onto in the upper Rs. I was riding into turns and letting the bike chug down too low, and I stalled it a few times. Even though it feels as if it has a big flywheel, it doesn't; yet I didn't want the power level that came with the additional downshift and added throttle position.