[Tonner]

Firstly, can I just say this forum is an absolute wealth of knowledge and information... I have learnt more about my Bike, and Dirtbikes in general from here in the last few weeks, than I have my whole life previously. Great Job Everyone (especially Ken, great forum mate!)

A few months ago I bought a CRF 450X completely by accident... serious! It was my friends Spare Bike (he also has a Yami WR450 and a Buell), and he had taken us out Riding a couple of times, and he had given me this bike to ride. Well we were out for dinner and Mic meantion he had just bought another bike (a 650 for doing the Canning Stock Route in Western Australia unsupported (look it up, FULL ON!)), and was going to put the CRF on Ebay/Gumtree to sell it off to help fund an overseas trip. My wife and I had just said in the car on the way there, how much we enjoyed spending the day on the bikes with these guys and perhaps it's something we should look at getting into in the future. Well my wife and I looked at each other similtaniously, and then back at Mic without saying a word... he stopped talking, thought for a second and then the lightbulb came on... "but I'll sell it to you for half what I was going to put it up for!" (with a big smile on his face). He said it was great, he hadn't lost a bike, he'd gained another riding buddy. I think I got Played!

So now I own a CRF. I don't have much dirtbike experience, I grew up on a sheep farm in the South West of Western Australia but we had mostly Quads and Trikes. I have spent some time on mates' 2 wheel Ag Bikes as a kid, but they are nothing like the CRF... not even in the ball park (from a handling and power perspective, 2 wheels is where the similarities end!). I'm a Big Guy, 6'3" tall, and around 220 lbs... and I'm reasonably fit, not very much of the 220lbs at all is Beer Belly (I'm serious... stop laughing!). I'm a Boilermaker / Fabricator by trade (though I work in Management now days), but I have my wits about me mechanically from growing up on the farm and from Drag Racing and Drift Racing my 600 RWHP Supercharged VZ Holden Commodore Ute (it's like a sedan front end with a Flat top tray for the back end for your Americans). I'm pretty much a clean slate, what I need to start learning about is the following:

- How to set the Bike up to best suit me and my experience?

- How to Maintain the Bike, the CRF 450X specifically?

- How to ride the bloddy thing (let me tell you... I'm not riding it, it's riding me at the moment!)?

The Bike is bog stock as far as I can tell, except for the 13 Litre Safari Fuel Tank... because you can't really go anywhere in Australia without going a reasonable distance. It is Licensed here in WA, so it's got all the Australian ADR requirements and setup that may or may not be on the models you guys have in the states, not sure what difference thats going to make.

I've had a blast on this thing already, which would lead me to believe It will only get better once I have my head around how to wrangle the bike and make it do what I want, rather than it running the show.

Anyway, thanks very much in advance for any tips you guys might be able to give me on any of the point above.

GO...

[crfsonly]

Welcome to CRF's Only! Congrats on your new ride!

I'm also 6'3" and this is what I do to my bikes.

1. Pro Taper FMX Bar
2. SUB mounted Scotts Stabilizer (raises the bar mounts 1" and provides better control)
3. Fastway pegs in the low-boy position (1/2" back and 1/2" lower)
4. Tall Seat - Guts tall foam and seat cover
5. Suspension - Get the correct springs front and back first. If you have a good local suspension guy get it valved for your riding and skill level.
6. Get the carb jetted correctly. The JD Jetting kit we offer is outstanding for plug and play jetting.

This will help with ergonomics for a tall rider like yourself. The suspension is key for safe and enjoyable riding.

Maintenance: Run clean oil and oil filter. Keep the air filter clean and oiled.

I would also recommend you get good boots, knee guards, elbow guards, chest/shoulder protection and helmet. You will crash and you want to make sure you minimize injury. Don't ride over your head. If you can ride frequently do even if it's just for an hour or so. Frequently is best for muscle memory.

Have fun and just enjoy the riding. Again, welcome.

Ken

[JimDirt]

Since you know the prior owner , the first thing you need to know is his weight , and IF he had the springs changed for the larger tank , with that size tank its the same as a heavier rider , so it "should" have been done , if not your first step will be getting springs for the weight of the larger tank as well as your specific weight , if you ride with backpacks or panniers , add that weight as well , it will make the riding experience night and day better

The stock springs should be (i am not positive about euro bikes) 0.47/5.5 , going with springs just for your weight (about 0.49/5.7) might not be enough with that large of a gas tank , i would say around a 0.52/5.9 , but the only way to be positive is to check your sag , hopefully you got a manual with the bike , if not i would highly recommend getting one , it will give you most all the info you need for maintenance, setting sag , and setup as well as some riding tips

If the power is too abrupt for you , you can re-gear it slightly to mellow it out , by either changing the countershaft sprocket 1 tooth larger, or the rear sprocket 1-3 teeth , the latter will require a longer chain , this will help till you get used to the power then you can gear it back down if you like to get the snap back once you are used to the power

also with your height , you might want to put risers on it (provided the prior owner was shorter than you or had not done it) or taller bars , this will help you keep your weight balanced more on the bike as well as make it more comfortable for your back as you wont be as cramped or bent when riding


That should get you started in your quest to make the ride more enjoyable and safer for you , as riding a under sprung bike can become dangerous under the right circumstances , as the bike will not handle as well as it would with the proper springs for your weight (weigh yourself , then weigh yourself with ALL your riding gear on, including backpacks and food/water you carry on you , as well as add the weight for the extra fuel (i am not sure what the stock tank capacity is over there , i would guess it was 2.2 like over here , but you need to add the weight of the "extra" fuel beyond that , and IF you will be riding with a passenger , as that will all affect spring rate

anything else i forgot , i am sure others will add but this should get you started

EDIT: , just noticed Ken posted as i was typing , so there is already more info for you

[Tonner]

Thanks Fellas, keep it coming!

I'm onboard with the Protective Gear. We just got back from our Honeymoon in the States, and one of the stops was Revzilla in Philly, where we picked up a full set of kit that I'd ordered from Home before we left. We travel pretty light, so we had spare Bags on our Luggage allowance on the plane (saved massively of Freight) to get it home, and it was a hell of a lot cheaper than it is here in OZ anyway.... winning.

Got Alpinestars Tech3 Boots (on sale for 1/4 of Tech 8s), full Bionic body armour (neck roll, chest, back, arms, shorts, knees), Klim Pants, Jersy, Gloves, and a Shoei brain bucket. Picked up a big wheel bag to keep it all in too (and to get it home).

I to figure I'll be spending some time atempting to fly, and a lot more time using my face for breaks! I'm early Thirties these days, and I figure I don't "Fix" quite as well/quickly as I once did

[JimDirt]

Good move on the gear , its always best to dress to crash , saves some hospital bills later on , I'm going on 54 and have been riding since i was 5 , and trail and desert ride my 450X , and trail,desert and track ride my 450R , so your never too old to have fun , i only wish i was in my 30's again , wait till you get my age , you will enjoy the "fix" your body parts get now , when your over 50 you just count body parts to make sure everything is still attached then hope you can still get your leg over the bike to ride home and try again next weekend , enjoy your new ride's , since it looks like you got another good ride since she lets you buy dirtbike stuff , definitely a keeper , congratulations !

[Tonner]

Last Day at work (I work away in the middle of the desert in WA)... and tomorrow I get to fly home and have play for a week!

Haven't riden the CRF since I bought it, due to the trip to the USA and work, so I'm dead keen. Heading up to the Farm on wednesday for a play, armed with all the info and knowledge that you guys have been kind enough to bestow on me... see how we go!

[JimDirt]

Good Luck and report back after your ride !

[Tonner]

Well that was a great day... the big girl only threw me off 1/2 dozen times, but they were all low speed and expected as I was pushing my luck searching for the edge of my talent.

It's all about throttle control... so I figured out the hard way a couple of times. Kept having to reset my grip, as for some reason it kept creeping over the top of the grip as I rode which tended to go badly if things got a bit bumpy or a little out of control. This I can learn.

I did struggle a little with Clutch Control however, the clutch seemed too heavy to operate with one finger, yet with 2 I felt I didn't have enough control over the bar... Are the 450X know to have heavier Clutches, if not is there potentially something wrong with it, or do I just need to toughen up and grow some muscles in my hand/finger?

[Tonner]

... Oh and the Gear / Armour... best investment ever, woke up the next day a little muscle sore, but not one uncomfortable graze or bruse anywhere on my body. Considering I did stack it right at the top of a decent hill climb and tumble all the way back down to the bottom, i though that was pretty good!

[JimDirt]

Glad to hear you survived the ride !!

As far as clutch goes , i use the 2 finger pull as well , the key is to grip with your knees not your hands , you should have a light grab on the grips , and hold your position on the bike with your knees , when you ride relaxed you will find you will have less spills as you need to let the bike go where it wants and just point it in the right direction

As long as there is momentum and the front wheel is pointed in the direction you intend to go , the bike will "mostly" stay upright and go there , with or without you , also dont look where your at , look where you want to go , ignore most everything in between , and you will find yourself getting to your destination without going to the ground on the way , ride loosely on the bike yet hold yourself to the bike with your knees , the tighter the grip on the bars, the more you will be prone to spills

Watch this , it is a place i enjoy riding , because its so fun , i usually ride by myself here as most of my friends dont like the slight challenge of the rocks , and watch how i go thru the rock gardens , what i do is keep momentum , and hold on to the grips lightly , i let the bike dance around , and easily go thru and over rocks that you would think would put you on the ground , the key is to relax your body and grip ...oh , and i will be 54 on the 16th of this month , and am no where near in shape at 5'10" 205 lbs
http://vimeo.com/70304420

[Tonner]

So I'm getting geared up to Service the CRF when I'm home next, and before I take it out again. I've read the review on the "Billy Who Man-Funnel" and was wondering if they are suitable for the CFR-Xs as well as the CRF-Rs? Also the "Billy Who - Factory Fill Bottles" look like a great idea as well, but I couldn't find them on the Online CRFOnly Shop... Ken could you please advise on both these products?

[crfsonly]

no 450x manfunnel was ever created. they are out of business now and the only manfunnel still available is the '02-04 450r version. the factory fill kit is also no longer available. billy who, the inventor, is now an insurance salesmen.

[Tonner]

Bugger! Thanks for that Ken

I'm putting a wishlist together, and will likely hit you up in a month or so with an order.... what are your international shipping charges like mate?

[Tonner]

Couple of addition questions guys...

1 - My Bike has the Honda Factory Steering Stabiliser fitted (it's mounted on the Front of the Triple Clamps), I haven't played with it yet, but are they any good? I'm trying to priorities my Mods, and want to know if this will do the job for a while while I sort some other more pressing issues out?

2 - From all the advise I've got (mostly here, but from other sources as well), if you keep fresh oil and clean air up to these things and don't rev them too hard... they go for ever! Does anyone have any feedback on the K&N Filters for these Bikes? Keeping in mind I DO NOT need to make anymore power out of this thing just yet (or for the forseeable future), so I'm look for a robust very effective filter that will take some punishment rather than a high flow bit of kit. I have K&N filters in my Ute (that I Drag Race, Drift, do the occasional Burnout with and street drive), and they perform really well there. I also already have the cleaning / oiling gear to suit as a result. WOuld like to know if they are any good for the 450Xs?

Thanks in advance Guys!

[crazybrother]

I use the K&N on my 450x and have not had any issues with them, I've used them for quite a while. As long as you keep them clean, well oiled and make sure that you have a good tight seal then you shouldn't have any problems.