Best 5 Mods to a New '06 CRF450X?

[mystrdylan]

I just bought a new CRF450X. I'll be doing mostly desert riding in the southwestern US. I'm interested in eventually racing long distance off road races (SCORE events like Baja 500).

If you had to pick the 5 most important modifications to a 2006 CRF450X, what would they be?

Also, should I go with the K&N or a foam Air Filter? Is there one specifically designed for quick changing?

Thanks,
Dylan

 

[Danman]

Stick with a foam type. Not a fan of the K&N. Use skins on it. I say where your riding suspension is the single most important (set it up for your weight and riding style). Maybe a tuner could help you out there. Also, a damper (scotts or GPR) to cut on fatgue and big rock hits. It's got plenty of engine and you and don't want to compermise reliablity. I would stay pretty much stock with it. I say dial it in your elevation with a jet kit. Maybe gearing if it doesn't fell right. Other than that guards: skid plate, rear disk guard, and some good bark busters to keep the brush and tall cactus off your hands. Just ride the hell out of it.

 

[mystrdylan]

Thanks - More Questions

I added the Acerbis Rally Pro (wraparound style) hand guards yesterday, and they look great.

Stick with the foam type. Not a fan of the K&N. Use skins on it.

What are skins? Also, which foam brand air filter would you recommend?

Is the front disc guard not as important as the rear? Should I get an aluminum guard for both of them?

Are aluminum skid plates worth the expense/weight, or is plastic enough? The stock plastic ones don't fully cover the frame (which I don't like), but I saw the 450X that won the most recent Baja 500 used the 650's big plastic skid plate that covered everything.

Thanks for the response Danman,
Dylan

 

[76GMC1500]

#1 is most certainly a steering damper.
Do the usual unplugging of the bike so it runs better
Radiator guards, stiff bark busters, and things that make the bike not break when you crash it (don't want to get stranded in the destert).
Big gas tank
Everything else should be things to make you comfortable on the bike if you're going to be riding long distances.

 

[Danman]

Skins are like pantyhose that go over your filter. If you doing multiple days in dusty areas you can get a day out of the skin. Then take it off and get a day out of the filter before cleaning.

I just can't seem to trust the plastic skid plates. I'd be affraid they would allow rocks to flatten you bottom frame rails or only be good for a couple of hits before they would crack. Yes, the honda teams use plastic, but the riders don't pay for the bikes either! I forgot about the rad guards and big tank (both good mods for the desert)

 

[mystrdylan]

Radiator Guards

I've seen two types of radiator guards, are they both necessary? I can't tell what the second type does.

1) There are the ones that cover the surface of the radiator (replacing the white plastic ones).

2) There are also the ones that go under the front red body piece on the side of the gas tank.

On the CRFsonly.com site, they have a how-to for both types. The second type was called a rooster rad guard.

-Dylan

 

[decade377]

I also just bought a new 06 CRF450X,(3 weeks ago). My brother and I will be doing both the SanFilipe race and the 1000 this year on it. I did'nt do any mods to it until I had put 3-4 hours of break-in on it. Then I did the air pump block off kit,breather tube mod,(both from applied racing),then the Honda power up jetting mods. After the jetting I opened up the airbox and pulled the baffle from the stock exh can,(Note;The exhaust is much louder without the baffle and most likely won't pass a sound test. I have a Pro Circuit spark arrester on order.). The bike really came alive after these mods but still has that annoying popping/backfiring from the exhaust. I have a BRP top clamp/steering damper on order. Next will be a 3.2 gal fuel tank with a dry brake system and the HID headlights/helmet lights. Radiator guards are a must. My brother crushed the left rad on his CRF250 this last weekend during a tip over in the rocks. Leave the motor internals alone and focus on protection and function. Good luck, I hope to see you out in Baja!

 

[mystrdylan]

Baja - SCORE

Thanks for the reply Decade, I saw your post on another thread yesterday and thought, HEY THAT'S JUST WHAT I DID!

I'm also from So Cal, did you get your bike at LA Cyclesports? They had great prices, I think I saved $1500+ just for buying an '06 model. :cool: The only difference I could find on the official Honda features page was updated decals and a minor change to some linkage in the carb.

Check out the September (I think) 2006 issue of Dirtbike Magazine "109 mph on a 450X!". It has some details on the 450X that won the Baja 500.

Keep me updated on what mods you choose. If you're looking for bark busters, I just put on the Acerbis Rally Pro guards. They look great and are ultra-strong. I was testing them by sort of "karate-chopping" them from the front and the side and they didn't budge.

-Dylan

 

[YZFrider42]

dampner

the dampner i have used is GPR its really well made and preforms great it looks trick too

 

[decade377]

I bought mine from Mountain motorsports in Ontario. They had 1 "06" left,in the crate, $5699 before taxes etc.
My brother and I both ordered the BRP top clamps set up for the Scotts steering damper.
We were checking out the 450X that won the 1000 this year. Honda had it on display at the bike show in LongBeach. I took a bunch of pics of all the mods,(external),they did to it. It had a 130/80 18 DOT rear tire with a 47 tooth rear sprocket!
I had the Rally hand guards on my CR250R and would'nt moto without them. After I put them on, I never broke another lever and was fearless going into the 1st turn :coocoo: ! That 1st turn at GlenHelen's REM track can get intense.
I'm hoping that the Bigsix GP at Taft will be my 1st race on the 450.

 

[76GMC1500]

Rally guards are good. I have a pair on my TT. I haven't put any on the CR250, yet. I punched a tree pretty hard doing some single tracks, today. I wish I had those bark busters. The Rallies did cause me one problem, I looped the TT out doing a hill climb (don't ask how because that bike has no power). When the bike hit the ground, it folded the bark buster over the clutch lever. Because they're stiff aluminum, there was no way for me to bend the buster back. I now carry the 2 allen wrenches required to remove the bark busters at all times.

 

[decade377]

I had a similar thing happen during a moto. I slid out out and lowsided which rotated my left guard up and I couldn't move it down. I solved that problem by not having the hand guards so tight. The next time I dropped it I could just bang it back into place with my fist.

 

[76GMC1500]

I keep my levers loose for that same reason.

 

[mystrdylan]

At first I couldn't get the bark busters to stay in place, because I was using a allen screwdriver. A ratchet puts on enough leverage to really dig the friction fit expander into the handlebars.

 

[450X]

i too leave my levers loose so they can fold under. i was also told to drill a small hole from the top down in the lever about 2/3 of the way out, that makes a weak spot in the lever right there that way if the lever does break you have 2/3 of the lever left so your not stuck with a stub to try and grab. also if you are going to race desert race or any other off-road race an aluminum skidplate is a must to protect your engines vitals.