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Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
Edit: I'll sell them to you if you want to try a set. I am going to buy some fat bars
Got the suspension pretty dialed, which included going up a rate on the rear. Did wonders for balance and being able to properly get through whoops.
Just like you read about, this bike is very sensitive to changes. I found the sweet spot with my high speed comp and a quarter turn either way changes everything in a very negative way. Same with sag! It seems if you do any slight adjustment to how high/low the rear sits, it results in dramatic changes. It's pretty crazy compared to my YZ where it seemed like sweeping changes netted barely perceptible differences.
The good news is I've ridden a few different tracks now and I keep ending up back at or near my base/comfort setting that I established at LACR. Even at Glen Helen this past weekend, which is a wildly different kind of track, I ended back where I was except going a little slower on rebound in the front. I'm leaving it at this setting for an LACR private day next week to see if it is yet a positive difference there and can be the new "base".
Good thing I like tweaking with settings... I could see other folks throwing in the towel with this bike.
To sum it up, the bike is now generally comfortable everywhere on a track, but still somewhat rigid through the frame in chop. I tried Keefer's alternate torque settings and can say it helps a bit. Maybe I'll try some of those fancy engine mounts?
Oh, and I now have my buddy's Twisted Development tuned stock ECU installed (he has a vortex now). It made a huge difference in power delivery. Way cleaner off the bottom and pulls all the way through smoothly. At first I ran it with no TC... It ended up being a bit too much for me, especially in flatter slick corners. TC1 ended up being the ticket. It's perfect. I won't touch it again.
The Shop
Honestly I'd like to have both, or even a 125 to play around on and do one-off races.
A lot of people say a 450 is "easier to ride", but I don't really buy into that (for my skill level). Maybe easier to jump certain things out of corners and recover from mistakes, but in race situations where I'm trying to push it, it can be a handful. I can't confidently say I could do more hard laps on the 450 compared to my YZ.
I also haven't done a scientific comparison, so for all I know I could ride the 450 at 80% and do the same laptimes as what I would get on the YZ. I just don't FEEL any faster on the 450....Yet.
As you know though, both definitely have pros and cons and are both enjoyable to spend time on. In a perfect world I'd have a 125, 250 and 450 to choose between each time I ride, haha!
Glad you're enjoying the new bike and have it pretty dialed in! I was planning on joining you guys next weekend, but it has to be postponed a few weeks. Are you heading up for practice Saturday?
A “general” will work great for just about anything. But finding the sweet spot that does is is an absolute PITA haha
I’m honestly not sure if it’s the chassis, the suspension or everything because the newer Showa stuff seems to be sensitive to changes.
If you do go with engine mounts, take my advice and don’t waste you money on the lowers. Just get the medium or soft uppers and run the oem aluminum lowers. It makes for a very forgiving chassis, probably the most forgiving aluminum frame I’ve ever ridden so far.
The Honda really rewards precision and smoothness. It punishes me hard when I get a little wild with it... and that's actually the one area where I really miss the 2-stroke. I often had cool moments in races where I would push the YZ really hard and outside my comfort zone and it always paid off. It made me feel like a badass haha. There's no way I'm doing that on the Honda... I'm just not there yet with comfort and it has scared me a couple times.
On the flip side, the Honda chassis is actually EASIER to flick around in the air than my YZ was. That is probably the most surprising feeling I've had with it so far. It is extremely easy to move around and make mid-air corrections. it makes for some really fun jumping!
I'll be out at LACR Thursday for the private rental I booked. Still have 2 spots on that if you want to come down. Then I'll be at American MX Saturday-Sunday for practice and the race.
I know some guys who have gone up a tooth on the rear (the "Jody") to get more lug. I don't see a reason to do that because I came off a 2 stroke and this bike obviously pulls way harder than my YZ did... It works awesome for me.
Pit Row
Now running 3rd in most corners, 2nd still good for tight corners and revs plenty for jumps out of corners if you leave it in second, but also can slip clutch and pulls 3rd well.
Although mine is a TMR 315 stroker two stroke, it's still far easier to push it hard. Even though on the YZ450F I can keep in 3rd gear all the way around the track. The 450 just makes so much damn power everywhere, even on the "smoother" maps it just hooks up and goes.
I guess growing up riding two strokes, the slightly more disconnected rear wheel steering just suits me a bit better.
There isn't a moment I get on the Honda and feel any sense of regret or longing for my old bike, haha. I'm having a blast getting to know it and yes, make it even better with different adjustments. I'm very much slow playing adding parts and making changes as I want to be 100% cognizant of what affect any changes have.
The one thing no one will convince me of is that the bike isn't twitchy or nervous. That stock 22mm offset with 5mm of fork height is extremely twitchy imo. It's an easy fix though... Flush fork height and 105mm sag calmed my bike down significantly. Everyone is different though and I came off a bike that was as stable (and slow turning) as a couch. For the Honda, I've been riding a lot of high speed tracks and there's no way I'd run the stock setup.
Post a reply to: Something New For '22 (CRF450)