[450xRod]

Hello Folks,   I just purchased a 2008 CRF 450X.  Previous owner said that the valves had just been done (which I believe since the cam chain tensioner is new).  Bike starts with only 2 kicks of kick starter and runs strong (thing is a beast !!!).  I have a few questions to pose and thought that you guru's might be able to help me out..
1) The starter worked after charging the battery, however, after a 2 hour ride, it now just clicks the relay. (battery is good).  I checked the power at the starter lug and it does get 12 volts when the button is pushed, so I think that my issue is with the starter...  The manual says I need to pull the jug to get it out, however, you tube shows that it will come out with either pulling the cam chain tensioner, or pulling the starter case bolt and lossening the power lug bolt enough to rotate it out...   has anyone done either of these methods ? 
2) As I was checking out any potential wiring issues, I saw that the harness that comes from the tail light has a black, grey and a red wire... only the black and grey are connected to anything and the red was just sitting there...  I taped up the end of the red wire, however, the wire diagram in the manual shows only the black and yellow wire.. nothing about a red wire !!  Any ideas ?
3) The bike runs really strong and starts well (with the kickstart), however, I notice that there is no baffle in the exhaust (still factory).  I believe that a previous owner must have done away with the baffle/spark arrestor at some point...  Would doing this require a jetting change ? (I would think so..).  I haven't pulled the carb yet to see what is in there for jets, but if it still is factory, any suggestions as to what I should run with the factory exhaust and no baffle ?
4) I'm 5' 10" and weigh 212 lbs...  Any suggestions about what settings I should set the suspension clickers to ?  I imagine that the fork springs are stock, so in a perfect world, I would upgrade them to the "firm" ones... maybe down the road..
I'm not likely to be doing any racing or big whoops.. just mainly trail riding with my young lad, a few wheelies and the odd little jump here and there to fool myself that I'm not 50 years old and have to work the next morning....
5) I have been doing a bunch of reading on this forum and others.. it seems that many people add more oil to the trans than the recommended amount. Apparently putting a full quart in the trans is the norm.. is this actually true and are there any issues with putting more oil in the trans than what Honda indicates ?

Any help or suggestions to these questions (or other items to watch for) would be greatly appreciated.  I'm not looking to restore this bike, or put a ton of cash into it.  Just want to have a reliable playtoy.  FYI - I am fanatical about keeping things clean and also oil and filter changes regularly !!
 
Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Rod 

[JimDirt]

Welcome to the site !!

(1) To remove the starter , *Lift the subframe up* , *Pull the shock out* , *Remove the carb from the head and pull it as far back as it will move*, *Pull the Cam Chain Tensioner out* , The starter will come out with a little work , rotate it slightly CCW and pull out.

Also read the following link

viewtopic.php?t=37558&sid=455fc3bdee3c8 ... f5b70eb087

(2) For the Red wire , i would guess that someone has put a Brake Light kit on it and or a Tail Light itself with a Brake Light in it (for street legal conversion)

(3) Usually the mods are Open the TOP of the airbox (by cutting the top off or removing the snorkle) , Removing the Baffle (but leaving Spark Arrestor) ,Putting a Switch inline with the Pink Wire or unplugging the Pink Wire located just inside the airbox side door , and re-jetting for your altitude and replacing the Fuel Screw with one that is more easily adjustable , like the R&D Flex Jet (which i use) or one of the aftermarket Fuel Screws , Ken sells here or at your local shop , and putting a O-Ring on the adjustment lever of the Accelerator pump linkage located under the black cover on the right side of the carb where the throttle cables are.....Jetting is based on the elevation and temperature you ride at , the following chart (below) lists the jetting you want for the elevation and temp you will mainly be riding at , you can adjust the fuel screw to compensate for some elevation changes at the extreme ends of the elevation your jetted for , but will need to re-jet if it goes beyond either extreme of each spec

Jetting Guide for Main Jet:(pilot 45) CRF450R/X

Sea level....165
2000 ft.......162
4000 ft.......160
6000 ft.......158
8000 ft.......155


Temperature/Elevation:
One main jet size (up/down) for every 2,000 feet or 25 degrees in temp.

(4) Springs will be needed for your weight *eventually* , you can get away with stock for light riding , but you will get a much plusher ride if you actually go to a stiffer spring combo , as the stiffer springs will keep the suspension UP in the softer part of the stroke , the further down into the stroke you are riding (the more the forks/shock get compressed) the harsher the ride will be , so stiffer is actually softer , for your weight i would recommend a 0.48 Fork Spring and a 5.7 or 5.8 Shock Spring **stock would be 0.46/5.5 made for a 160 or so lbs rider** (if you're going to be wearing a backpack full of goodies and drinks i would go with the heavier of the shock spring i listed as your weight in gear will be closer to 235+ with a backpack full of stuff) , when i was 212 last year , i used (its still set the same way even though i now weigh 186/188 , but i am a B level rider *and just turned 58 years old* and i revalved my suspension (myself) so i can get away with even stiffer springs) and i run a 0.52/5.8 in my X , i run , as an example , 0.47/5.8 in my 450R (the R is 40+ lbs lighter than the X

(5) The 1 quart deal was mainly directed at desert and street and Supermoto riders that are running their bikes in 4th and/or 5th gear a lot over open fast terrain consistently , the oil galley where the gears rest is very small and tight around the gears , what would happen is the speed of the gears spinning at the faster pace would evacuate all the oil from around the gears and bearings and the tranny would either seize up or break gears and destroy the engine cases , running the full quart mostly eliminated that issue ................ with that said , it has become "common" practice to just run a full quart in the transmission side ONLY , as it will not hurt anything , and will actually aid in cooling the transmission , so you get no bad effects from doing it , and you only have to "measure" for the engine side and just dump a quart in the transmission side and your done

Hope that helped answer your questions , and welcome to the CRF-X family !!

[450xRod]

Hi Jim,
Thank you so much for the very comprehensive reply to my questions !! I really appreciate it !! I will certainly look at changing out the springs as per your suggestions. Went for a ride with the young lad last week (22kms each way)over some different terrain and I did find the one section that had lots of larger stones(river rock) to be somewhat punishing and a lot of work !! My arms were still sore the following day after wrestling the bike through that stuff ! My 15 year old son, riding the TTR230 had no issues with it. I figured it was just 'cause I was old and inexperienced.. now I can blame it on the suspension set up !!! lol
Ok.. few more questions if you don't mind.
1) you mention the adjustable fuel screw.. when I bought the bike. the guy threw in a boyson quickjet3 that he had not had the time to install.. is this what you are referring to ?
2) In the mods, you mentioned the O ring on the accelerator pump linkage.. does doing this mod still give benefits for the 08+ models ? Thought that I had read somewhere that Honda had fixed that issue for the 08 model years and up.. I could be mistaken as I've read so much that my head is kinda swimming !!
3) The jetting list you included is great !.. Is that listing for bikes with all the mods you mentioned, or is that the stock jetting list ? With my bike having only the baffle cut out and generally riding at 630 ft, Should I be sticking with the 165 Jet, or move to the 162 ? Should I stick with the 45 Pilot Jet ?
4) Regarding the removal of the cam tensioner.. must the bike be at TDC before I release the tension on the chain (with the center screw) and remove the tensioner ?
5) Do our bikes have a "safety" where the clutch MUST be pulled in at all times before the starter will engage, or will it start (with the e-start) when the bike is in neutral and the clutch is not pulled ?
Thanks again for all your help on this !! I hate no knowing what previous owners have done (wiring/mods, etc)... my preference is to get a completely stock bike/car that no one has messed with and go from there.. example is the taillight... it sure looks stock, but I think that you are right as there seems to be no reason for the red wire in that harness !!

Regards,

Rod

[JimDirt]

Hi Jim,
Thank you so much for the very comprehensive reply to my questions !! I really appreciate it !! I will certainly look at changing out the springs as per your suggestions. Went for a ride with the young lad last week (22kms each way)over some different terrain and I did find the one section that had lots of larger stones(river rock) to be somewhat punishing and a lot of work !! My arms were still sore the following day after wrestling the bike through that stuff ! My 15 year old son, riding the TTR230 had no issues with it. I figured it was just 'cause I was old and inexperienced.. now I can blame it on the suspension set up !!! lol
Ok.. few more questions if you don't mind.
1) you mention the adjustable fuel screw.. when I bought the bike. the guy threw in a boyson quickjet3 that he had not had the time to install.. is this what you are referring to ?
2) In the mods, you mentioned the O ring on the accelerator pump linkage.. does doing this mod still give benefits for the 08+ models ? Thought that I had read somewhere that Honda had fixed that issue for the 08 model years and up.. I could be mistaken as I've read so much that my head is kinda swimming !!
3) The jetting list you included is great !.. Is that listing for bikes with all the mods you mentioned, or is that the stock jetting list ? With my bike having only the baffle cut out and generally riding at 630 ft, Should I be sticking with the 165 Jet, or move to the 162 ? Should I stick with the 45 Pilot Jet ?
4) Regarding the removal of the cam tensioner.. must the bike be at TDC before I release the tension on the chain (with the center screw) and remove the tensioner ?
5) Do our bikes have a "safety" where the clutch MUST be pulled in at all times before the starter will engage, or will it start (with the e-start) when the bike is in neutral and the clutch is not pulled ?
Thanks again for all your help on this !! I hate no knowing what previous owners have done (wiring/mods, etc)... my preference is to get a completely stock bike/car that no one has messed with and go from there.. example is the taillight... it sure looks stock, but I think that you are right as there seems to be no reason for the red wire in that harness !!

Regards,

Rod

Rod , the Adjustable Fuel Screw is NOT located on the Boysen Quick Shot , the fuel screw is located on the front underside of the carb , in the center , so if you looked under the carb on the Intake side (the head side) at the front of the float bowl right where it joins the carb body , you will see the fuel screw , it should be between 1-1/4 to 2-3/4 turns out

(2)What the "mod" is for , is IF you have a bog when grabbing a quick handful of throttle while riding and the bike bogs or stalls , the O-Ring will prevent the majority of it , along with proper jetting

(3) Generally the jetting on the list is to run properly ,regardless of mods done , the bikes are very lean from the factory in order to pass emissions , so the reason for the jetting is to get the correct amount of fuel to the engine at the elevation your riding at , the first on the list is starting at Sea Level

(4) It is always good practice to have the engine at TDC when doing any removal of engine components , though in this case , its not mandatory as you are not disassembling anything internal in the valve train , so simply removing it and replacing it afterwards is usually sufficient

(5) The bikes come stock with a "Safety Switch" located on the clutch perch , some people disconnect it and wire the 2 wires directly together eliminating the need to pull the clutch every time (mine is still hooked up) , the engine will not start unless either the clutch is pulled or the switch is bypassed ....As for the Tail Light , the aftermarket one with the brake light added "looks" and functions just like the original one with the exception of the extra wire and , if hooked up , the brighter LED light tied to the Red wire , if its not hooked up , it will not harm anything ......

No problem with the help , glad to be of some service to your questions while i can ... that is what this place is for (i am just a enthusiast like you) , i will not be around for the next few days , so hopefully others will be able to answer any of your questions if you have any more , as i am going in for removal of part of my right lung on Tuesday (possible cancerous nodule) , ............................. so anyway , hopefully someone else can help you out for the next few days if you need any more info or run into issues you can't figure out ...........

[450xRod]

Hi Jim,
Thank you again for your responses ! I can't believe that you would take the time to write such in depth responses when you obviously must have so many (and far greater) things on your mind !!
I look forward to picking your brain again when you return from your treatment.
Stay strong and be well !!

Regards,
Rod

[JimDirt]

Yea , no problem , glad to help , besides it keeps my mind occupied , and i love dirt bikes and working on them and riding them , yea the last year has been rough , last August (2016) i severely broke my wrist , almost lost my hand , its my left hand and of course i am left handed , the only difference between then and now is its not over the bones like it was and its somewhat where its supposed to be as best they could get it back with the damage done , but its almost not functional , no upwards and only 10% downwards movement , and i can't place the palm of my hand up so its facing me , i can't make a fist and i can't straighten my fingers out , and i will still need at least 2 more surgeries , but they had to wait because of the heart attack ...i hope you did not think a broken wrist was enough for me to go thru

E.R. X-Ray


Then on new years , i had a heart attack , and had 2 blocked arteries , they had to put in a Stent in the main coronary artery , 1 artery is still 100% blocked but has feeder veins so it should be ok , i also have A-Fib and Tachycardia , so my pulse goes from 32-49 , then to 170 all while i am sitting down doing nothing , then while i was in for the heart attack , they found the nodule in my lung along with severe Emphysema , they could not do a biopsy because i was on anti-clot medicine because of the stent , i was to be on them for 1 year , it is 9 months and they had to take me off them so i can have this surgery because its not safe to wait any longer , so after surgery ,then they put me back on them till January , the nodule had been kind of dormant since they found it in January , then after getting scans every 3 months , in August (my 2016 Aug birthday was spent in surgery with my wrist) of this year (last month) about 2 days after my birthday ,(58) they said it had grown from 1cm to 3cm in 3 months , then the scan they did , they inject Radioactive sugar , if there is cancer in your body it goes right to it and they can follow it during the scan , well , it went straight to the nodule in my lung , so they are pretty confident its cancer (they are 99.9% sure it is)

So then they will remove the nodule , and while i am laying there in the operating room , they send it down to Pathology , and do a biopsy , if it comes back non cancer (doubtful , but hopeful) then they staple the lung up where they removed it and life gets back to normal in a week or so , if it comes back bad , then they have to remove the entire lobe its in (right lung has 3 lobes , so 1/3rd of the lung then they remove 1 lobe and staple whats left back up and keep me for 2 to 3 days , then 2 weeks recovery at home , then i can hopefully get back to normal life without restrictions , if any good is in this , its that the Emphysema is in the upper part of the lungs , so if they remove the complete upper lobe as they think they will have to , then it also removes that portion of the lung that has emphysema , so they think i should have little change in my breathing ability (hopefully) , but i am still stressed , as this was a bad year and nothing about it was easy , but i did manage to hit the MX track almost every weekend since June after i got a custom wrist brace , and then had to modify it to make my hand not move at all , to keep the pain to a minimum ... and the Dr actually said that the riding is good because its keeping my lungs working hard , which will help me recover better.................So anyway , tons of stress , but being in the forums , and messing with my bikes , and keeping occupied is helping relieve some of the stress , well that and Xanax .... , so now i have a 85 mile drive to get bloodwork done and meet with the surgeon to go over the surgery and recovery , etc , then Tuesday 5:30am , i check into the hospital (getting a ride) and let them get this stuff out of me ....

[450xRod]

Hi Jim,
Wow ! you certainly have had a challenging time of things ! I believe in life's balance... as such, you are definitely due for a few years of multiple lottery wins and good health !!
All the best !!

Regards,
Rod

[Leardriver]

The quart of trans fluid was a band aid to fix an oiling problem with the '05 models. You can run 700cc +/- and never have a problem.

I would be surprised if your starter was bad. A poor connection somewhere, sure, but these starters are sturdy.

These bikes are not finicky about jetting. You can be 8 sizes off and they still run so well that you think you are spot on. If you use a 45 pilot and 165 main, with the fuel screw about 1 7/8 turns out, jetting will never be a problem near sea level to 3000 feet, regardless of mods.

The carb linkage was redesigned in 2007, and the O ring mod wasn't necessary. I am not convinced that it was ever needed. It was the diagnosis of the month long ago, and had a healthy bandwagon following. I could see the lean spot show itself on a dyno, but you had to try, and you couldn't duplicate those conditions during a normal ride.

I bypassed my clutch safety switch, but I have a Rekluse clutch.