Your Collection: 1982 Honda CR 480
Sunday, January 6, 2013 | 6:00 AM
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PrintThis weeks collection comes to us from Richie Sampson.
Good morning, Just thought I would share some pics of a bike I restored last winter. I live in New England and just plow snow in the winter. Not much snow last year so I decided to restore a 1982 Honda CR 480 like one I used to have as a kid. First time I've restored one.
Thanks for your time,
Richie
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Beautiful! Loved both the '82 and '83 480s. Left side kick and right side drive was odd but cool, and that big air cooled 2 stroke engine (4 speed on the 82, 5 speed on the 83) was a great motor.
There is one of these on Ebay right now for something like $800. Needs full restoration but the guy said everything is there. Wish i had an extra $800. I really want a vintage open class 2 stroke.
Very nice resto job !
Best motor ever. Period.
Nice job richie! Same richie Sampson from early 80's nesc? I recognize the number . Just telling my boys about borrowing jojo's 480 to get my expert card. Great memories.
Wow! Awesome job!!!
Nice ride restore !
Good job dood , I used to race agaist them in the open class on my YZ were they 465's or what back then? I dont remember? Yes you did a good job!
I dont remember how good it was- but that is a nice looking bike.
a great looking job. an awesome bike. thanks for sharing.
anyone ever notice the evolution of MX and SX? in the 70's and before that, the premier class was the open class and the 250's were second best and 125 didn't matter. Then the 250's being better handling bikes prevailed. Now in the 4 stroke era the big bikes have the power of the old open class and the 250's are going as fast since they handle better. With the technology that has gone into the 4 strokes the displacement rule should be changed so riders could use a 450 2 stroke against a 450 4 stroke and the same in the 250 class, the big bike class should be OPEN..... run what you brung.... see if you can hold on!
I had an 83 and an 84 CR480 and liked the 83 way better. There used to be an unwritten rule back then about Hondas, to get the ones on the odd numbered years. Not sure if that applied to the 82.
Kind of off-topic, but if you like old bikes, check out the video "One Chance To Win". I'm not sure how I had never seen it before, but I watched it this weekend and it was great. Its about the 1975 500cc championship. To say times have changed would be an understatement.
@mrwhirlwind That's kind of what I've been suggesting. Have it be the 250 class and the 450 class, period. Take out the 4-S and 2-S language entirely. How simple can that be?
I had one of these things (an 83 as well). It was fast but not terrifying. It was one of the big air cooled 2 strokes that you could jet to actually run clean through the whole rpm range. Now if you want a more eye opening experience .... jump on a crisp running and fairly peaky liquid cooled 85 or 86 CR 500 ... you could get in trouble very fast on one of those things. And pro's (even national level pro's) spent more time de-tuning them (longer head pipes, reed spacers, thicker base gaskets) than they did looking for more hp. Just too abrupt power and too hard to ride for long moto's.
Nice job Richie..bike looks fantastic. I remember visiting Southwick back then and seeing you turning laps on one just like it in the open expert class.
Well done Sir, gorgeous scoot.
I had an '82. The 4-speed was awesome. On a MX track, you would shift MAYBE 10 times.
Aesthetically speaking, the '83 was by far a prettier scoot.
But the "Holy Grail" of big bore 2-strokes was the fire-breathing dragon '86 CR500.
Nothing gets my heart pumping like a big 480, which is strange since I ride a 500AF now. The 480, for some reason, scares the crap out of me, which is the reason to ride in the first place. I love the restoration, and I would put that beast in my front room as a showbike, just to keep me humble. Beautiful job.
P.S. I would add a link to the chain and run the rear wheel as far back as possible. Loop outs are a real and present danger to us part timers.
Well, the '83 had the 5 speed, weighed something like 10 or 12 lbs less, had the removable subframe, the DLS front brake was re-done to be more progressive.
For it's time, the 82-83 CR480 was probably the best Japanese Open bike ever. The trick setup was to stick an 86 front end (cartridge forks and front disc brake) on an 83 and race it until they built a better one. That didn't happen until 1990 when they tuned-back the motor.... to be like the 82/83. But it weighed 20lbs more with the water-cooling. Didn't need it.
The bike I would love to see built right and tested vs the 450Fs: a CR480AF. Harder because of the right-side drive, but light light light and all the (right kind of) power anyone could use. Short shift it and ride it like a 450F. The 500AF guys used the wrong motor.