Off Road motorcycles operate in extremely harsh conditions. To extract the most reliability and performance from them, they require plenty of routine maintenance and can benefit from a few basic modifications. My 2007 CRF450X is widely regarded by all customers who ride it as the best trail bike they have ever ridden. A standard 450X is an awesome trail bike, being easy to ride and forgiving. The mods I’ve done to mine make it easier to ride and more reliable. I recommend performing most of these mods when the bike is brand new, unridden.

1)  Oversized Braking wave rotor

This 260mm disc has more power and better feel than stock and allows me to use just one finger for full braking power. This allows me to use the other fingers to hang onto the bars, increasing control and reducing fatigue. Perhaps the best performance mod on the bike. I’ve also used the motocross master cylinder and brake line that comes in the spares kit. The master cylinder has a much better lever than the ADR one that comes stock.

Oversized front brake rotor

2)  Pro Circuit exhaust

I use the standard header pipe but replace the stock muffler with Pro Circuits’ model 496 alloy muffler. It is lighter and fairly quiet. Most people remove the bung from the rear of the stock muffler chasing more power, which makes is quite loud. The Pro circuit is significantly quieter than a stock muffler with no bung. To get the most out of it, you really need to cut the top of the airbox out and re jet the carby. This is best done by taking the sub – frame off the bike, then using a hacksaw blade or dremel type grinder to follow the marks on the airbox graciously left to guide you by the Honda engineers. Remove the air cleaner first so you don’t cut it. Thoroughly clean the airbox of all bits of plastic before re fitting. Compressed air is the go there. I changed the main jet to a #160, lowered the needle clip one notch and turned the pilot screw out ¼ turn and the jetting is fine. Power is significantly increased, especially the bottom and mid. As a result, I’ve been able to raise the gearing by going to a 50 tooth rear sprocket (stock is 51) which has smoothed the power out ever more and I don’t need to change gears as often, which is great. My motor is faster and more user friendly than any other 450 I’ve ridden.

Web Pro Circuit 496 - Light weight more grunt not too loud

3)  Bash plate

A tough alloy bashplate is a must. There are a number of quality brands available.

4)  Radiator guards

I can ill afford to be let down with radiator issues in the middle of nowhere. The Force brand guards I use are very robust and easy to fit. I paid retail for them.

Radiator guards and bashplate

5)  Removing the rear ADR lights

I only use my bike in the bush. If you ride on the road, this mod will get you in trouble with the law. However the standard ADR tail light assembly, whilst much improved from earlier models, is fairly heavy and prone to breakage. The weight is also carried up high, which is no good for handling. I take the lot off and convert the standard LED tail light mounted in the guard to a stop/tail light. How to do this is discussed under ‘Tail light Mod.’

6)  Suspension

Dead stock. I set the race sag to 100mm, when I’m fully kitted up, including wearing all my riding gear and loaded with a fully packed bumbag and Camelbak. Note that suspension sags a little after a couple of rides and needs to be re set or you’ll find the front end pushes wide on corners because the rear end has sagged and sits low. I’ve increased the rebound on the rear shock by three clicks, to stop the bike from ‘pogo – ing’ during powerslides. Rebound now runs at 11 clicks out from fully hard. Otherwise, everything else is stock. I’ve ridden all other brands 450’s and find the Honda suspension is better.

7)  Wheels

From new, I remove them from the bike and modify them. I drill a new hole for the rim lock, four spoke spaces from the valve hole. This makes changing tyres much simpler. See ‘changing tyres’ for the method I use. I discard the rubber rim tape and use electrical tape to cover the spoke nipple heads, with two neat wraps being enough, each wrap overlapping the other and sealing against the rim to resist dirt intake near the nipples. I then fit Pirelli ultra heavy duty tubes, well covered in baby powder. I only run 12 – 13 psi and don’t get flat tyres. I somehow manage to dent rims from time to time, still without a puncture.

8)  Axle pullers

A mate has bronzed some steel rod to the axles, making changing wheels a much simpler operation. Cheap, tough and light weight.
 

Front Axle Puller

Rear Axle Puller

9)  Handlebars

I run TAG oversize fat bars, in CR Hi bend. They sit a bit higher than stock and offer a bit more room in the cockpit. They also resist crash damage better than the stock Renthal bars. I use them to store a spare front tube where the crash pad normally resides. I cut an old rear tube up and using baby powder, slide the front tube in there for protection, holding it down with a couple of strips of ‘sticks to itself’ Velcro tape, available from a sewing shop.

Web Spare front tube mounted on oversized TAG bars

For further information or bookings, contact Rod Lay at rod@onlinemotorcycles.com.au
or call 0407271548.