Posts
105
Joined
8/22/2019
Location
Chardon, OH
US
Edited Date/Time
5/7/2021 7:21am
With the popularity of KTM's 350 platform i'm surprised i've never seen a "small bore" 380-400cc kit offered for any of the Japanese 450s. Not everyone wants a KTM. Most people don't need the full 450 power and would rather have a quicker and higher RPM spread like the 350s. A 400 kit would probably have more low-mid torque then the 350 but more Rideable and rev happy then a 450.
Am i alone? Has anyone attempted to make something like that?
Am i alone? Has anyone attempted to make something like that?
But I’m not an engineer or skilled mechanic. This is a really cool idea though.
I think an Italian company built it?
No idea what happened with that project.
The Shop
So, it's been done before, and, as noted above, about Redmoto Honda, it's being done now. I'd be surprised if a few other companies don't offer de-bore kits.
In this day and age of EFI and so much E tech on bikes, with a little bit of effort, often with just a tuner app, or even a throttle cam or flywheel weight, you can make a 450 into a mellow, yet still very fast, Teddy Bear, or going in the opposite direction, a fearfully violent Monster.
I race a YZ250FX with a 270 kit in it so I'm in that bikes target market. I may have to start looking for a CRF450.
I rarely ride my 450s. On my 250fs i feel like i'm pushing it hard and really putting in effort to get through the track and clear everything which makes them a lot of fun. On the 450s i feel like i'm at 1/8 throttle and barely in the midrange half the track and even though i'm going faster, it FEELS like i'm going slow. Just gets boring to me not needing any effort to clear a big jump out of a corner and such. Also the heavy feel and huge power just wears me out so much faster. My 350s seem like the perfect compromise but the choppy WP suspension and high vibration is hard to ignore compared to the Japanese bikes.
If they don't hit the cylinder the valve clearance cutout's will be somewhere in the piston rings.
Not happenin.
Upscaled 250: much, much more feasible.
If that’s generally true for most brands, it would seem to make sense that a big bore/upsize kit would make more sense than trying to downsize, especially if it’s due to a 450 being too tiring the more you ride.
I suppose that there would be exceptions to that idea, though.
Pit Row
I have rode the Husaberg 390 and it wasn't bad.
I have only rode 2 stroke Beta's and I won't be buying one. I'm sure it is a decent bike but the 3 people near me who have them have all had problems with the electronics on them.
Hope I got those formulas right.
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