All-wheel drive is a curious rarity in the motorcycling world. Plenty of concepts exist, but few make it to production for everyday people to buy. This 2015 Christini AWD 450DS for sale at a U.S. General Services Administration’s auction is one of them.
At a quick glance, the Christini AWD 450 line of motorcycles look like modified versions of the Honda CRF450X — your eyes don’t deceive you. According to Dirt Bike Test, CRF450X parts bolt right onto Christini motorcycles. But unlike the Honda, the Christini has a trick up its sleeve that the Honda does not; it is AWD.
It’s not easy to find a motorcycle that drives more than a single wheel. You can get a Ural, but that becomes two-wheel-drive only through locking its sidecar’s wheel to the rear drive wheel. Aside from a Ural, your pickings are like the extremely rare Yamaha WR450F 2-Trac race bike or a Rokon, which is more like a minibike on steroids.
Steve Christini has been cranking out AWD motorcycles and kits for more than two decades. He built a patented AWD system that sounds crazy complex. The Christini site offers a handy explanation for how the system is supposed to work:
The tech is awesome, but don’t think that it’ll turn your motorcycle into an unstoppable machine that will climb walls. It works more like a Haldex AWD system. The system kicks power to the normally undriven wheel when slippage is detected. The idea here is that instead of sending power to a loose rear wheel, or losing speed because of a slipping front wheel, the system will keep the bike on the rider’s desired trajectory.
The company sells a few street-legal versions of its 450 line. Buyers can choose from a super moto with street tires, an adventure bike that can carry extra fuel and a go-anywhere dual sport.
The Christini for sale here at GSA Auctions in North Little Rock, Arkansas, looks a little tired.
It’s the 450DS dual sport model, and from the few pictures, it appears to be mostly all there. The listing says that the motorcycle’s mileage is unknown and that repairs may be needed.
But if anything, it would be a sweet project.
Christini says that the system adds only 12 pounds and it uses only 0.1 horsepower to operate. It’s also race-proven in tests ranging from the FIM World Enduro Championship to a couple of Red Bull events. These machines have a lot of credibility to back them up, and Christini says that they can be repaired with basic tools, too.
Bidding for the Christini AWD 450DS at GSA Auctions is currently at a temptingly low $555. This is a bike that was about $12,000 when new, but it’s unlikely sell for anything near that.
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