Overall, the '07 Honda is still the same CRF we've loved, but it seems more confident whereas last year's bike ended some statements with a question mark. If you waited for Honda to work out the quirks of a big carb and twin silencers, pat yourself on the back. If anything, it got easier to ride and just one step more refined. If your wallets are thick enough to pop for one of these babies, throw the tiedowns and ramp into the truck and go get your new toy. If you're still undecided, then wait for our upcoming 250F shootout, in which the improved Honda will defend its title against some exciting challengers.
Opinions
Honda hates it when I get off the bike and say, "You made it smoother and easier to ride." The PR guys would rather me spill out something like, "The new aggressive build of power lets the bike pull harder and really makes me haul around the track." But I don't work for the company's ad agency, despite what the Internet forums claim. Honda tells us how elements like boosting the power, giving the bike a more aggressive delivery and improving the overall performance make the bike faster, greater and able to leap tall jumps in a single bound. Hey, this one pulls a little better a little lower and still has the same good top-end, so it is smoother and easier to ride. Bog? I was that guy last year, and I can't replicate it this year. Plus, as on our '07 CRF450R, whatever the engineers did to the fork makes the shock feel better. My biggest issue with the bike is that I really feel the stock rear tire's carcass flexing. Just goes to show how much feel you get from the twin-piped rear end and through the aluminum chassis. I can easily change a rear tire to a stiffer one.-Jimmy Lewis/5'10"/180 lb/Vet Pro
I have an '04 CRF250R and the new bike feels completely different. The '07 feels like it has a lot more bottom-end and can jet out of a sandy corner as if it were on packed dirt. I also liked the suspension; it handled great in rough straights and fast downhills. The cornering is much improved, sticking better. On my '04, you have to work a lot harder to corner and stay there. Powerwise, the mid pulled hard, but it seemed like I was hitting the rev-limiter before I could shift-maybe it was because I've been riding 450s a lot lately and I just wanted more. The braking on the bike is awesome. The front brake doesn't lock up; it drags nice and smooth. The rear brake's not real sticky-it just brings you to a nice, consistent stop.-Chris Dvoracek/5'11"/165 lb/Intermediate
Specifications
MSRP: $6349
Claimed dry weight: 204 lb
Actual weight (ready to ride, no gas): 215 lb
Seat height: 37.3 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 20.5 in.
What's Hot
* Bog is gone.
* Improved throttle response.
* Easier to ride fast and just plain easier to ride.
* New front tire.
What's Not
* Price keeps inching up each year.
* Springs are on the light side for many of the riders who want this bike.
* You won't stand out in the crowd.