[[email protected]]

I feel a little guilty about this but I have never checked my valves.

You shouldn't feel guilty,your bike starts and runs great.
Once the shimming starts the coating is worn off and things go downhill in a hurry right ? My X at 70 hours never needed any shimming,and the R is still young. What I will do is once that starts I 'll shim them once then get the new head and valves coming.Once shimming starts valves getting thin around the edges is next ,so why would I want to run an engine like that?
Like I said, I don't get all the theorizing,hand wringing and intellectualizing, all the bs really. What's the big deal ?We wanted fast and light thumpers,with 10K rpm,50hp, so 450 bucks every few years is some kind of crisis ? Most of us have more add-ons and bling than that ! (Do I ever ) I think DD posted about the real cost of running two strokes,well they're sure cheaper to re-build but it isn't free,and it needs done a lot more often.
These are great bikes,we all were blessed with the means to buy any dirt bike wanted to buy,and we all picked Honda CRF's. The real measure of satisfaction is that most of us wouldn't even consider buying anything else if we had to go buy a new one tomorrow. Doug

[Dust Devil]

I feel a little guilty about this but I have never checked my valves.

You shouldn't feel guilty,your bike starts and runs great.
Once the shimming starts the coating is worn off and things go downhill in a hurry right ? My X at 70 hours never needed any shimming,and the R is still young. What I will do is once that starts I 'll shim them once then get the new head and valves coming.Once shimming starts valves getting thin around the edges is next ,so why would I want to run an engine like that?
Like I said, I don't get all the theorizing,hand wringing and intellectualizing, all the bs really. What's the big deal ?We wanted fast and light thumpers,with 10K rpm,50hp, so 450 bucks every few years is some kind of crisis ? Most of us have more add-ons and bling than that ! (Do I ever ) I think DD posted about the real cost of running two strokes,well they're sure cheaper to re-build but it isn't free,and it needs done a lot more often.
These are great bikes,we all were blessed with the means to buy any dirt bike wanted to buy,and we all picked Honda CRF's. The real measure of satisfaction is that most of us wouldn't even consider buying anything else if we had to go buy a new one tomorrow. Doug

I can say that there is no doubt that the ONLY bike I would consider would be another CRF 450 X...nothing else comes close.

Best offroad bike ever offered to the public.

[1fordman]

I feel a little guilty about this but I have never checked my valves.

You shouldn't feel guilty,your bike starts and runs great.
Once the shimming starts the coating is worn off and things go downhill in a hurry right ? My X at 70 hours never needed any shimming,and the R is still young. What I will do is once that starts I 'll shim them once then get the new head and valves coming.Once shimming starts valves getting thin around the edges is next ,so why would I want to run an engine like that?
Like I said, I don't get all the theorizing,hand wringing and intellectualizing, all the bs really. What's the big deal ?We wanted fast and light thumpers,with 10K rpm,50hp, so 450 bucks every few years is some kind of crisis ? Most of us have more add-ons and bling than that ! (Do I ever ) I think DD posted about the real cost of running two strokes,well they're sure cheaper to re-build but it isn't free,and it needs done a lot more often.
These are great bikes,we all were blessed with the means to buy any dirt bike wanted to buy,and we all picked Honda CRF's. The real measure of satisfaction is that most of us wouldn't even consider buying anything else if we had to go buy a new one tomorrow. Doug

I can say that there is no doubt that the ONLY bike I would consider would be another CRF 450 X...nothing else comes close.

Best offroad bike ever offered to the public.

Amen brother

[[email protected]]

Best offroad bike ever offered to the public.

I couldn't agree more. Funny,now that it's winning big name races and has established it's durability from it's reputation with owners with a grip on reality,racers and long term testing results it's popularity is growning,and I think it will become a legend status bike.
All this bs is almost funny. The mouthiest critics have never owned the bike,or are nervous lemmings who just bought one,and some get this neurotic obsession with the valves.
It is just beyond me why in the world people don't get it,that their is always going to be a maintenance bill with this kind of performance,and these bikes are showing themselves superior to their competition.
Doug

[paul turner]

I feel a little guilty about this but I have never checked my valves.

You shouldn't feel guilty,your bike starts and runs great.
Once the shimming starts the coating is worn off and things go downhill in a hurry right ? My X at 70 hours never needed any shimming,and the R is still young. What I will do is once that starts I 'll shim them once then get the new head and valves coming.Once shimming starts valves getting thin around the edges is next ,so why would I want to run an engine like that?
Like I said, I don't get all the theorizing,hand wringing and intellectualizing, all the bs really. What's the big deal ?We wanted fast and light thumpers,with 10K rpm,50hp, so 450 bucks every few years is some kind of crisis ? Most of us have more add-ons and bling than that ! (Do I ever ) I think DD posted about the real cost of running two strokes,well they're sure cheaper to re-build but it isn't free,and it needs done a lot more often.
These are great bikes,we all were blessed with the means to buy any dirt bike wanted to buy,and we all picked Honda CRF's. The real measure of satisfaction is that most of us wouldn't even consider buying anything else if we had to go buy a new one tomorrow. Doug

I can say that there is no doubt that the ONLY bike I would consider would be another CRF 450 X...nothing else comes close.

Best offroad bike ever offered to the public.

I just wish i was half as good as my bike!
I have one intake valve at the minimum. only checked them once at an estimated 2k miles.
Sometimes i find myself staring at my bike, is that wrong?

paul #1

[gj2slick]

Hey no prob be glad to help!


1.PRO HONDA GN4 SYNTHETIC BLEND

2.NO SMOG

3.100-200max miles or after every weekends ride

4.SHELL PUMP 91 UNLEADED

5.Havent even had to shim yet but it will be complete topend when or if ever needed.

6.Im at 165lbs soakin wet & my bike is A few pounds lighter than stock.

7.14/51

8.110/100/18 Dunlop 756

SLICK...

[nminus1]

Ditto DD, I feel guilty too, I have never checked my valves either in about 1500 miles but:

My bike runs great, starts easily EVERY time.
I use top shelf synthetic Maxima red label oil, and change it regularly with filter.
I use only name brand premium fuel and add a little 100 octane AV fuel.
I clean my air filter regularly and take care of it.
I DO NOT hit the rev limiter. There is no reason for it, I aint no racer.
I just found a shop recently I trust, my valves will be checked soon.
So far the X is one of best bikes I have ever owned(30 plus bikes) and that includes my Ducati which is phenomenal.

[palmrider230]

Did I miss something here?Pauls got Hanks

picture,Hanks got Pauls picture,Pauls in water next to

dry land,Hanks on dry land next to water.Is this some

kind of wacked out conspiracy?Are you guys sending us

subliminal messages?And whats up with all these

UFO's...

[paul turner]

Ernie

we're just reminding people where a bit of Heaven is located.

paul

[adams]

Ernie

we're just reminding people where a bit of Heaven is located.

paul

Didn`t know you guys rode down here, we`ll have to hook up for a ride. Hee hee. On the valves, It seems there is is no real issue so just ride and stop fretting.

[[email protected]]

1. What oil did you use? Synthetic or organic or a blend? HP4 w/Moly at first,Maxima red label now.
2. Do you still have the smog pump hooked up? N/A
3. How often did you change the oil? every third ride usually
4. What gas did you run? Pump gas and what octane? If race gas, what motor octane and specific gravity was it? Unleaded 91-94 pump gas.
5. When you have the valves replaced, did you replace the valve guides and stem seals? If so, with what? Are you seeing deposits on the valve base after the replacement.haven't replaced the valves yet
6. What is your weight? How much do you feel you added or subtracted from your bike?. 250lbs added weight to bike
7. Is your gearing stock? If not, what was the tooth count? stock
8. Do you run a stock size rear tire? If not what size? Did it grip better than the stock tire? stock

[PhilM]

You know I love my bike. I ride the snot out of it. My wife loves hers. I was just looking to see if I was doing something wrong! Thats all. No conspiracy no fretting. I just don't like to do things wrong twice especially on something that I depend on. That would be a weekend with the family. I spent a lot of years building and destroying high end racing motors. This was something I was not looking forward to with a trail bike. By the feedback, it is apparent that I have an isolated issue. That in itself is more reason why I should answers and see if what I am doing is incorrect.

I use the best VP unleaded fuel in mine. I use shell 91 in my wifes. I use nothing but Motul synthetics for fluids in all my bikes.

I see why this always turns into a poo flinging fest. Someone sincerely is looking for answers to a problem they are having not "a friend", someone gets butthurt and turns it into a lets climb aboard and stomp this guy thing as you have done Doug. I don't understand why, but I guess that is why is happens.

Would I buy another? You bet and I did. That makes 4 so far. I feel confident that I am very well versed in maintance. I would really like to be a set it and forget it guy, but I am gun shy. I am sure that the head swap cured that, but I still have two that are fairly new. If a change in my maintance program was in order, so be it. That is what I was looking for. Thats all.

[[email protected]]

Hey sorry Phil, my statements weren't directed personally at you and if you felt like they were I aplologize.
It does get to be a drag ,it's true. The reason is is because there is so much disinformation out there on these bikes that it's unlike anything I've ever seen,and it's entirely undeserved.
I'm sure you know what you're doing and take great care of your bikes.
If I was the dictator at Honda I probably would've had at least the 250X and probably the 450X built with steel valves, just to avoid all this stuff.
It'll b einteresting to see how the Yamahas do with them going with 5 titanium valves,because the Yamahas are already so much more expensive to rebuild before they did that. Doug

[PhilM]

No problem Doug. Didnt take it that way. But someone may and figure Im the village idiot for even posting something like this as they may not understand my ture intentions. Sometimes when we have somethng that works is realiable then someone comes up with something off the wall then it escalates in many other forms, it gets old. Especially when it evloves to the point as the valve thing has with the x bike and is mostly based off poor maintance habits or heresay. I completely understand. I was real reluctant to even post this as I have read the valve bashing thing over and over. I for one hate beating a dead horse, but I felt like I had my head up my arse on this one.

[[email protected]]

but I felt like I had my head up my arse on this one.

You didn't, and I know because I do so weekly. Or daily ! Doug