Picking off riders one by one, I quickly realized that I had not even begun pushing this Honda to its limits. Its motor felt fast and smooth as I pinned it across the high-speed ski slope sections. The low-end power was not quite what I expected, but this beast really came alive in the mid to high range. The installation of Honda's HRC kit really woke up the motor and allowed it to be much more responsive in comparison to the stock setup. Even better, the handling characteristics easily matched the performance of the motor, which is often not the case. The new Axis piggyback shocks that I was testing greatly improved my confidence as I dove into corners at high speeds. This particular TRX450R excelled at keeping all four wheels planted on the ground through the bumps, twisty tight turns and gnarly boulders strewn throughout the track.
As I was making passes and pounding over the course, all of the butterflies and nervous energy literally disappeared. The quad felt dialed and my confidence level was high. I was on my way to a top-five finish, or so I thought. All of the sudden my fears of a bottleneck came true. An upcoming hill covered in an enormous sea of boulders, where momentum was needed to tackle it, was littered with quads. Finding a line through the crazy mess would not be easy as riders sat stuck in all possible lanes. Finally I'd had enough-I was on Borich's race quad after all, and it was time to see what this ATV was all about. So I just pinned it, and to my surprise, the Honda motored over all of the boulders with ease and little effort. The only problem was this fiasco put me back about 20 minutes. With the trails often only one machine wide, this would not be the last choke point that robbed me of precious time.
When I wasn't sitting in traffic or high centering on a rock, I was blazing through the woods with great confidence and a smirk on my face. The faster I pushed, the more stable and smooth this quad worked. As rough and brutal as this course became, my arms and shoulders did not develop nearly the burn and pump that I expected during the two-hour race. The Axis piggyback shocks and ARS FX A-arms were extremely impressive, soaking up any potential painful moments and allowing me to relax while the quad worked hard under my feet.
All Good Things Must End
As I approached the finish line, I was extremely disappointed this test was about to end. I may not have won the race, but I had a blast trying. Unfortunately for Borich, my day actually ended better than his. He suffered a collarbone-breaking crash that curtailed his day early and resulted in a parked Alba Action TRX450R for the next several weeks.
The ride aboard Borich's Honda was a magical experience as the machine floated over the worst of Maryland like a levitating carpet. The best part about this TRX450R is how close to stock it is-the majority of the changes were in the suspension department-allowing the 439cc engine to perform at its peak. Borich's theory is that more motor wears you down throughout a two-hour race. He feels faster and more confident aboard a machine that makes the best use of manageable power. That means if your pockets are deep enough, you can outfit your machine with the same mods Borich uses. And of course, I really appreciate Chris and Joey Borich allowing me to abuse their race machine and treating me like a pro pro rider for a day.
Borich's Honda TRX450R
Engine
Mechanics: Joey Borich, Chris Borich and John Rowlands
Tuners: Chris and Joey Borich
Displacement: 439cc stock
Bore x stroke: Stock
Piston: Stock
Rod: Stock
Crank: Stock
Porting: Stock
Valves: Stock
Cams: HRC
Carburetor: Stock with HRC kit
Radiator: Stock
Ignition system: Stock
Airbox: Stock
Air filter: Twin Air
Air-filter oil: Maxima FFT
Exhaust system: Alba Action
Oil: Honda
Fuel: Klotz