Newbie with a CRF80

have you tried to find the black plastics for the xr80? That is what they were called up until this year and looking at the plastics they look the same. Did you rejet after the exhaust piece??? It might help.

Yes, a service manual made by a reputable company by the name of Clymer are highly reccomended if you are new to jetting. They have great pictures and wording for helping you to take apart your carburetor and rejet it. My son actually did it all by himself when he had his XR-100 and was ready to sell it, when he was 12 with very little knowledge about mechanics. So its not a hard job. I barely had to help him on the way :)

And onto the plastics, I am not entirely positive, but when they say that they changed the plastics on the CRF series for 04, they could have only changed the decals, and left the actual plastics the same. So make sure of that if you buy..