16' CRF450R

Off for a 6 hour drive each way to pick the bike up...

Road trip ready...


Picked up the bike, fueled up the truck and ready to head home.

6 hours later and it was snowing when I got home.


Put on a ProCircuit T-6 Pipe so I could have a spark arrestor, and a quiet core when needed.




First trail ride on it, debug the bike, break myself in to riding again, and see what I wanted to change on it.

Knew I wanted different bars (bit more rise and a little less sweep), different gearing (51 tooth), softer grips and of course some protection. And a hour meter to keep on the maintenance.

Works Connection is about 10 minutes from my work, so made a trip at lunch to spend some money.





Care package from Mika showed up.



Trip to the high dez to try it out again with the new farkles...


Did some wide open 5th gear pinned fire roads, sand hill climbs, whoops, and riding down a river bed to explore some caves. Even did some super tight and technical single track. I was exhausted by the end, but the bike was amazing.

This was about the point I decided I was gonna run a coupe races. Time to order some graphics and numbers.

Beer, windex, wife's hair dryer, some tunes on the stereo, and hopefully I remember how to do this.


So far so good, saving the number plates for last... Worst part...



All done, kinda screwed the pooch on the left side plate, but the right one came out perfect.

So was going to order a STM slipper clutch, as I absolutely loved it when racing, made me faster and smoother on the track sliding into corners, supermoto, dirt track and motocross. After my dez ride with some single track, few stalls and lots of clutching decided I would consider a Rekluse. Gave them a ring, had some discussion about the performance in a SM/DT environment, and said they had some dirt track racers that likes them for reducing wheel chatter when they had the heavy springs in it. They recommended the heavy duty Radius CX for the abuse I am planning on it, said to give it a whirl, I would love it trail riding and should like it racing, if I don't send it back within 30 days. Cant argue with that, so I ordered up a Rekluse Radius CX clutch, should be here tomorrow...

Suspension, KYB PSF2... Hmmm, its not my favorite to put it nicely. Tried different PSI and clicker setting but didn't like the way it would ramp up, wanted more reliable for if I was 20 miles from the truck and it blew a seal.

Considered buying spring forks off a older model, but they are hard to come by on fleabay. Chatted with MX Tech, decided that I am going that route. After the 28th I will send them all my suspension, plan is do the the Lucky PSF2 spring conversion with Huck valve on the forks, and they will do a re-valve on the shock, but with their compression adjusters and go back to a traditional rebound adjustment.

Those are the plans for now, stoked to get back on the track and see if I still have it...

Lookin good man.

Clutch showed up. Got it installed, pretty straight forward.

Soaking the new clutch plates.


Out with the old...


New hub installed, machining on this thing is beautiful .

Clutch pack in, and the pressure plate on. Setting it up for "external adjustment".
Also swapped out for the blue, or stiffer springs for the SM race next weekend, will try the lighter springs for sooner engagement for regular riding. Stiffer springs are supposed to help with the rear wheel chatter.


Cover came with a new o-ring. Looks pretty, at least not all boot rashed like my OEM cover..


And ready for break in.


All broken in and got the free play adjusted... Practiced some holeshots. Kinda neat, can wait to give it a real try...

Threw the 17's on it today. My old 320mm front brake wont work with this bike, so gonna run the OEM 260mm, this is a all dirt "supermoto" so basically a TT race, we will see how bad the fade is. Bike has a rain on the front currently and a slick on the rear, need to change the rear out to a rain, I will get around to that at some point this week, I hate changing tires...

Got all the fluids changed, and everything safety wired.

Blasted around the property then took a lap out on the paved roads (im sure the neighbors were thrilled), clutch seems to work well, was able to slide it in a few corners without chatter, though the rear slick wasn't hot and is super old so its not getting the best traction... Currently have 13/44 gearing on it, feels a little tall, I will bring some sprockets with me and see where I am at once I get on a track, might go to a 46...

Its the little things...


And threw on some handguard, wont race without them... Took some situating of switches and levers and had to remove the standoff on the throttle, but they will be quick on and off in the future if wanted.

Looks good! Theyre good bikes.
I have a 13 which is similar to yours. The vortex ecu made a big difference. I also found a rhc cam on eBay awhile back that I like more than the oem one. I also liked the hc stage 2 cam. These mods helped from going flat in the top end like the stock ones do.

Polishhammer wrote:

Looks good! Theyre good bikes.
I have a 13 which is similar to yours. The vortex ecu made a big difference. I also found a rhc cam on eBay awhile back that I like more than the oem one. I also liked the hc stage 2 cam. These mods helped from going flat in the top end like the stock ones do.

Ya, down the road when the motor has some hours on it and its time to do a top end I was debating either a Crower or RHC cam. Ran the Crower in my 250's and absolutely loved it. Not a big fan of the Hotcams, had one that I had to re-press the timing gear on because it was off when I degreed it, talked to a engine builder and he said he had the same issue with a few of their cams, Im sure they have their QA figured out now, but that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Was looking at the Vortex, but might just end up sending my ECU off to Tokyo Mods to get re-mapped by them.

Twin Air Powerflow kit came in.

Polishhammer wrote:

Looks good! Theyre good bikes.
I have a 13 which is similar to yours. The vortex ecu made a big difference. I also found a rhc cam on eBay awhile back that I like more than the oem one. I also liked the hc stage 2 cam. These mods helped from going flat in the top end like the stock ones do.

novaman64 wrote:

Ya, down the road when the motor has some hours on it and its time to do a top end I was debating either a Crower or RHC cam. Ran the Crower in my 250's and absolutely loved it. Not a big fan of the Hotcams, had one that I had to re-press the timing gear on because it was off when I degreed it, talked to a engine builder and he said he had the same issue with a few of their cams, Im sure they have their QA figured out now, but that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Was looking at the Vortex, but might just end up sending my ECU off to Tokyo Mods to get re-mapped by them.

Vortex is great. Recommend it.
Motostuff do a 280mm disc setup for them. Lightweight and great power

Polishhammer wrote:

Looks good! Theyre good bikes.
I have a 13 which is similar to yours. The vortex ecu made a big difference. I also found a rhc cam on eBay awhile back that I like more than the oem one. I also liked the hc stage 2 cam. These mods helped from going flat in the top end like the stock ones do.

novaman64 wrote:

Ya, down the road when the motor has some hours on it and its time to do a top end I was debating either a Crower or RHC cam. Ran the Crower in my 250's and absolutely loved it. Not a big fan of the Hotcams, had one that I had to re-press the timing gear on because it was off when I degreed it, talked to a engine builder and he said he had the same issue with a few of their cams, Im sure they have their QA figured out now, but that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Was looking at the Vortex, but might just end up sending my ECU off to Tokyo Mods to get re-mapped by them.

Jrewing wrote:

Vortex is great. Recommend it.
Motostuff do a 280mm disc setup for them. Lightweight and great power

X2 on the vortex. And screenless air filter cage. Renegade sx4 fuel.

My 15 450r, et3 replica.

Recovered the seat right before the race so I wouldn't slide around.




Couple pics from the races. Bike did great, ripped off some fast laps that were where I needed to be, I just need to get in shape, died off at the end of the race, ended up 6th because I was so gassed, couple guys got by on the last lap. Time to send the suspension off to MX-Tech.