[matt2491]

I'd like to drop a ported '07-08 R head on my X to complement the '02 R cam I have in it.

Right now I know of CRF's Only, ~ Racing, and APE (Big Bore Thumpers) who offer ported CRF heads (using a new genuine Honda head, making it an outright purchase).

Question is, who's porting work is the best?

[JimDirt]

I would not say who is best so much as i would say who is going to give you the best deal on quality work and give you what will work best for your needs , not what works best for their profit margin , that is why i stay away from places like Pro Circuit , basically the work is not any better than Ken or anyone else , you are paying for the name more-so than the quality of work , , you have to ask yourself , what your budget is , and what you can get done within that budget , and find someone who can give you what you need within that budget and not a lot of extras you don't need

I would say , support the site and go with Ken , (i have no vested interest in this site , i am just a user like you , so i gain nothing from saying use Ken or someone else) , he does quality work and does it at a fair price , and will give you what you want as far as performance as close as he can within your budget , or you can go with someone local if you trust them enough , all i can say is i have never heard a complaint about Kens work or Customer Service , i have from "bigger" companies like the one i mentioned earlier (PC) , so its kind of a matter of finding who will give you what you want and need , at a price you can afford and will stand behind their work

As far as the actual question of who's porting work is best , its actually a lot more than that , its who can listen to what you want the bike to do , and be able to focus on that direction , not just make the ports bigger or smoother , its a matter of knowing what works in a given RPM range and applying that to the porting so the bike will do what you want it to , when you want it to do it ..... i would guess all the names you mentioned could do that otherwise they would not be in business , but the other factors i mentioned are just as important ....

[Aussiecrf230]

Jim is right, every thing has to work together to get what you want.
So find someone who listens to what you are after with the components you want to use.
The later heads are going to be fairly good to start with, so little material removal may be required. It is just the attention to detail especially either side of the seat. After all the valve is the largest restriction to flow.