"Bar-width" Woods for Honda CRF450R

lavaman

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Sep 21, 2003
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I like to ride almost exclusively "1st and 2nd gear lotta clutching for turns" rain forest type woods, rocks, muddy roots, etc... riding in Mililani, HI. There's some 3rd gear stuff and some hill climbing too. Thinkin' of dumpin' my old '94 YZ250 and jumping on Thumper Bandwagon and buying a new CRF450R.......Comments, Suggestions, etc.....anyone?

So...with this kind of riding, Will these tend to overheat and puke?
 
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truespode

Moderator / Wheelie King
Jun 30, 1999
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I ride my CRF450 in the woods with stock bar width and bark busters. I probably should cut them down but I don't ride enough tight stuff to worry about it.

The CRF450 is a good choice in slick stuff b/c it is smooth. However, I'm going with a 9 oz flywheel weight to help it even more. Since you are going to be doing a lot of clutching a Hebo hydraulic clutch may not be a bad choice. It will help keep the engagement point consistent.

Ivan
 

lavaman

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Sep 21, 2003
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True Spode,

Thanks for the reply...I also forgot to ask if "anyone had problems with overheating in the slow, tight, gnarly stuff where ya gotta use the clutch a lot especially in the turns."  There's some *rumors* of overheating in the stuff I ride in... heard that one dude uses some kinda blue(?) additive, water wetter and a *higher* pressure radiator cap which alleviated the problem.

I'm not really into riding MX tracks...Half a lap and I'm over the bars...hence the trails.  Therefore not much wide open stuff ya know. 

Good to hear its tractable in the slickery stuff!  A friend added a Magura Hyd. Clutch to his '03 CR250 and now its buttery smooth...

BTW after this friend had wimped out half way up a long ugly hill climb he asked me to ride the new Honda for him.  I thought okay shouldn't be too bad.  As I turned it around after putting it in neutral, the rear felt like it had locked-up in gear.  Boy was I wrong!  I just discovered what REAL brakes are!  HOLY SH!!TE...Same for the fronts... almost went A$$-OVER-TEETH as I rolled down hill.  As I blasted up the hill the front just wants to keep wheelie(k)ing...heh... on me!!...And I'm STANDING UP and way over the bars no less!!!  Now I'm thinking, "gotta get a Honda, gotta get a Honda"!  Geez, my YZ is a POS!  Maybe I shouldn't have hopped on the Honda?

Hey thanks again...

Terry
 

truespode

Moderator / Wheelie King
Jun 30, 1999
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As for overheating, I ride faster trails but I did a 4 hour team HS a month or so ago. My teammate and I used my bike for the entire 4 hours. I had added some Water Wetter to the radiator but that was it.

The bike did not overheat at all and it was hot and humid that day. The trails were 2nd, 3rd gear trails for the most part but there was some stuff that got you down in 1st for a ways. There was a lot of hills though and the CRF450 was made for that type of terrain. I just put in a gear I wanted and tractored up some of the biggest hills I've ever ridden.

I can't say you would or would not have overheating problems in tighter stuff but I know a guy who races a CRF450 with an auto-clutch in Alabama. He races a lot of HS and it gets really hot in 'Bama... he has not complained about overheating.

Ivan
 

lavaman

Back 2 riding 2-Strokes
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Sep 21, 2003
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Is this a new and/or experimental tranny?  I guess it might be a good idea to check the magazines once in a while, eh?  Thanks for the replies Ivan...

Terry
 
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