02 CRF 450R Help!

[Skrilla]

Hi all,

new to the forums, and am in need of some help. :yikes:

So i am looking at picking up another bike and found a good deal on a 2002 Honda CRF 450R. The bike is $2500 Canadian. I spoke to the dealer and he said they just replaced the water pump bearing? Anyways, he told me he just wants to get rid of it as hes not into Hondas. He said it needs new fork seals, which isnt a big deal.

My problem is, i am not to familiar with this machine as this would be my first 4 stroke bike. I had this engine in my 05 TRX 450R and had no issues with it but this is the first year of this bike.

Does anyone know of any major issues these have? Also things to look out for and check into before buying. They have put fresh oil and did a inspection on it.

Any help would be great :cool:

 

[Rich Rohrich]

A seven year old CRF450 that has been ridden regularly will likely need the following :

- cam chain tensioner (2004 model is the best replacement) This is an item that should be replaced every year.
- valves, valve springs and a valve job ( the size of the intake shims will be a dead give away on how badly worn the valves are)
- it's likely due for a top end (piston, rings and cylinder honed). The CRFs use a single compression ring piston with a very small skirt. Two seasons of riding is a LONG time for this setup.
- water pump shaft, seals and bearings. This is also a yearly replacement item
- check the roller on the exhaust rocker for excessive wear, and check the cam roller bearings for wear

Overall the CRF450 engine has proven to be very reliable. The major weak points are the intake valves, valve springs, cam chain tensioner, and the water pump shaft, bearing & seals. The titanium intake valves tend to wear and get cupped from bouncing off the valve seat as the springs wear and lose seat pressure. The exhaust valves are made of an inexpensive grade of steel and get corroded from the deposits present in pump gas. The quality of the stock Honda head is good. The valve guides and seats are very hard and wear resistant , but the exhaust guides need to be checked for wear when you get a lot of hours on the engine.

The exhaust rocker arm tends to wear the roller over time, and the cam bearings are also prone to wear if oil changes aren't done frequently. Both are easily replaceable and can be checked by simply turning the bearing or roller and feeling for notchy movement. If the fixed bearing on the cam is bad, then you have to replace the camshaft. Hot Cams makes both a Stage 1 & 2 cam which feature powerband changes with more low to mid-range (Stage 1) and more mid-range to top end (Stage 2) (about $150).

Installing the 2004 and later Honda cam chain tensioner (about $45) is the standard fix for the tensioner and Kibblewhite Black Diamond valve train kit (about $325 for the parts) is the standard valve fix. The Kibblewhite kits include 4 stainless steel valves, 2-stage racing valve spring kit with titanium retainers. A fresh valve job along with the Kibblewhite kit gives you a pretty bulletproof valvetrain.

With these minor changes the CRFs can last a very long time. My 2002 CRF450 is still going strong.