06 foreman 450?
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
Joined
·
38,589 Posts
your 100% correct, I seen some sport models listed, but 2004 was the last year Honda made the plain trx450 foreman.
Joined
·
38,589 Posts
from what little seat time I've had on my 2003 trx450fm ?, it's a solid atv !. mind you, I do not mod my atvs, I keep them stock as much as I can ?. I up grade to better tires, maybe add a warn winch ?, but its stock. I restored my 2003 trx450fm from the bottom up, the engine was already in great shape, everything else was damaged, or worn out, but this is normal when owners don't take care of them. your bearings, seals, brakes, all normal wear and tear stuff. mine has the 2wd-4wd electronic engage to work the front end, easy to flip the switch from 2wd to 4wd. not sure how long they last ?, but to me, anything that uses switches ?, wears out. the front differential uses a magnet to work the front pinion gear to operate the front end, time will tell how good it is ?, but so far, seems to be a very solid atv to me. my 2005 trx500fm is pretty much built the same as the 2003 trx450fm, just bigger cc's is all, a little more weight ?, not much. if it's a utility trx450fm ?, and not ragged out ?, go four it !. I can't speak for the sport models ?, I don't ride them.
Joined
·
8,309 Posts
ALL the 450 foreman's were solid long lasting atv's in STOCK form
biggest KNOWN weak link on them is there left rear axle seal bearing, a know weak link and to fail and if NOT caught in time, runs the whole rear axle, rusting out its splines!
I will wager about 80% of the members here will tell you IF its a E shift model, well, there MORE likely to have issue's with the E shift, they just have WAY more problems than basic foot shift versions of same atv!
this is also true on almost ALL electronic shift HONDA atv';s NOT just this model!
some LOVE it, and NEVER have an issue
but forums like this are burred in treads and posts about problems with them, so take this with a grain of salt!
NOW< finding a 450 foreman in STOCK condition and treated well its whole life, , since they ain't made them in 14 yrs now, is NOT going to be easy!
as in buying ANYTHING used, your at the mercy of what the sellers tells you(most ALL LIE here) HOW good you are at spotting issue's or possible issue's OR poking holes in the seller's Story!
IF it has BIG mud tires, a snorkel, or looks like it was used heavy in MUD
HIGH odds this atv has been sunk in its life time
Modern ATV owners all over today think ATv' s are part boat
and as such many sunk them, they seem to NOT care and call it the price to PLAY,
have to ask your self, HOW well can YOU fix things , as if it needs to go to a sealer, they get costly fast at 75-100 bucks an hr
so keep this in mind when your getting a price and thinking of what its worth or NOT
Check everything for wear and abuse before you buy! Take a lot of tools with you when you are considering a purchase, including a compression tester. Check every moving part on the machine. All that said, the 450 Foreman is a very solid and powerful work horse. If you can find one unmolested and with low miles/hours on it, I'm sure you'd be very happy with it.
Yeah, I guess asking prices may be high depending on the area you are in. In my area I can buy a 450 Foreman for from $2k-$2.5k in nearly mint, unmolested condition. Bikes like you pictured commonly go for way less than $1k, for parts or rebuild project machines. When I see one roughed up I tend to forget that others may not be as lucky as I am.
The 450 Foreman I had was a very reliable bike. All I ever done to it was routine maintenance, a set of new tires and two new battery replacements over the course of 7 years or so. I severely overloaded it all the time hunting with it, several times loaded heavy with over 400 lbs stacks of game and gear front and rear, and with two humans (another 360 lbs) sitting on those stacks of stuff climbing it up a steep river bottom bank a couple miles back in the woods where we hunt deer and bear. I worked it hard when I worked it. I winched & hauled stuck vehicles out of the mud and drifting snow banks many times with it too. It was a beast that did whatever I asked it to and never bent or broke. It left my place in great condition, still worth over $2K. Can't say all that about many other ATV brands or models, thats for sure!
Wish you good luck in your search,
The 450 Foreman I had was a very reliable bike. All I ever done to it was routine maintenance, a set of new tires and two new battery replacements over the course of 7 years or so. I severely overloaded it all the time hunting with it, several times loaded heavy with over 400 lbs stacks of game and gear front and rear, and with two humans (another 360 lbs) sitting on those stacks of stuff climbing it up a steep river bottom bank a couple miles back in the woods where we hunt deer and bear. I worked it hard when I worked it. I winched & hauled stuck vehicles out of the mud and drifting snow banks many times with it too. It was a beast that did whatever I asked it to and never bent or broke. It left my place in great condition, still worth over $2K. Can't say all that about many other ATV brands or models, thats for sure!
Wish you good luck in your search,
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
