New Bike - correct first steps....

[NightLite]

Greetings!

So I have a new 14 wr450... My first new bike, yahoo!

Thumpertalk is the greatest for info and I've spent the last year or so reading what's posted in the WR section, soaking up all the info I can...

Am looking now for thoughts on the first steps with the bike. I know about the aftermarket stuff ( bar guards, radiator braces, frame skid plates, etc) so am not looking for suggestions there... Yet anyway..

The bike has less then one hour on it.. I have the comp ecu, the programmer for it and an FMF Q4 slip on.. So questions...

1) break the bike in with new ecu and slip on or break it in totally stock? How many hours until motor is broke in?

2) Dino oil or synthetic during the break in? (Don't need an oil/brand debate) The bike will run an all synthetic oil for everyday usage, in snowmobiles it's not good to run synthetic during say first hours in order to get the rings to seat (2-stroke). Does same apply to the thumpers?

3) grease everything - neck and swing arm bearings/linkage.. Besides those two areas, anything else I should focus on?

4) adjust the CO2. Um, seems all of my semi local dealers have no idea what this means or how to do it... The service shops seem to know everything and look at me like am crazy when I bring the subject up.. Can I ride this with out doing damage/wear to stuff w/out having the CO adjusted? I have a big ride out of state middle of May and won't have time to rent the tool before I go.. (60deg days, 40deg nights in minnesota) from what I've read, seems to just be an issue with the electric start once it's hot... How concerned should I be about this CO issue?

5) best way to break it in.. Couple of idle/heat cycles (full warm up/full cool down) before riding it? 2strokes need lots of varied rpm durning break in with out any WOT pulls for several hours.. thumpers similar?

6) lastly... Tell me what I don't know ?. Anything not touched above.. Please throw it at me.. Long term mods for the bike can be another day, just want to focus on the first 20 hours/what ever break-in period is...

Awesome site, awesome people, thanks everyone for all the great info I've learned here!!!!

[FORMA MOTO]

1. install the GYTR ecu now, and get an exahust!

2. Doesn't matter anymore. Rings seat in the first 15 min. Too late now.
3.  Yes, plus axles, brake pivot, lever pivots, and THE CABLES. The cable ship dry, and need lube, but not WD 40. Use graphite.

4. There are map threads in this forum that will tell you how to tune it based on your exahust type. 

5.  Break-in and ring-seating are two different things. Rings seat in the first 15 min. Break in is for the rest of the motor. Ride it in agressive bursts with lots of deceleration. Heat cycles are not needed.

6.  Sag setting, HD tubes, Anti-seize on any two fasteners of unlike metal (rear wheel adjuster, plastic shroud fasteners, etc etc)

[NightLite]

1. install the GYTR ecu now, and get an exahust!

2. Doesn't matter anymore. Rings seat in the first 15 min. Too late now.

3.  Yes, plus axles, brake pivot, lever pivots, and THE CABLES. The cable ship dry, and need lube, but not WD 40. Use graphite.

4. There are map threads in this forum that will tell you how to tune it based on your exahust type. 

5.  Break-in and ring-seating are two different things. Rings seat in the first 15 min. Break in is for the rest of the motor. Ride it in agressive bursts with lots of deceleration. Heat cycles are not needed.

6.  Sag setting, HD tubes, Anti-seize on any two fasteners of unlike metal (rear wheel adjuster, plastic shroud fasteners, etc etc)

Sweet.. Just the kind of info am looking for. Thank you.

To follow up - change out oil now for synthetic am going to use over life of the bike?

When you say exhaust.. Do you mean the header pipe? I've got the FMF Q4 slip on already.. Header pipe on this no good?

I've got the week here before I can ride it, so other then picking up from dealer, it has no time.. Also been in a crate till 2 months ago at dealer warehouse.. So I don't think it's been ridden other then at the time they set it up.

Thanks again!

[FORMA MOTO]

header is fine

Dont' worry about oil. As long as it is MA rated, you can use ANYTHING you want. Just keep it clean and changed.

[mikenash]

KRANNIE nailed it! Only a couple of other things to keep an eye on the spokes, remove rim band and replace with duct tape and you should be good to go!! I also have 14 WR 450 and I can't say enough good things about it. Just use the FMF setting on the programmer. Best of luck! 

Edited April 29, 2015 by mikenash

[FORMA MOTO]

While duct tape is effective, it SUCKS if the wheels get wet, as the tape turns to goo......

 

Gorrilla tape is better, but it too eventually becomes a real hassle to remove.

[NightLite]

KRANNIE nailed it! Only a couple of other things to keep an eye on the spokes, remove rim band and replace with duct tape and you should be good to go!! I also 14 WR 450 and I can't say enough good things about it. Just use the FMF setting on the programmer. Best of luck!

Ok, so this is my first new bike, but have had several other used ones... What is the logic behind removing the rim band and replacing with tape (gorilla or duct)?

[RMK800]

Ok, so this is my first new bike, but have had several other used ones... What is the logic behind removing the rim band and replacing with tape (gorilla or duct)?

I'm interested in the reasoning also.

[FORMA MOTO]

The rubber strip shifts when you install the tire, usually out of place, allowing a corner of the spoke head to be exposed, causing a kind of pinch flat, as well as stretching and breaking....

 

If you use a PREMIUM rubber strip (Bridgestone, Pirelli, etc) they are wider and tighter and last longer

 

Duct tape is very effective, but it's an all day project to remove it from a rim that is a few years old.....

 

I just stick to the good rubber strip, usually held in place by electrical tape on each side....

[NightLite]

The rubber strip shifts when you install the tire, usually out of place, allowing a corner of the spoke head to be exposed, causing a kind of pinch flat, as well as stretching and breaking....

 

If you use a PREMIUM rubber strip (Bridgestone, Pirelli, etc) they are wider and tighter and last longer

 

Duct tape is very effective, but it's an all day project to remove it from a rim that is a few years old.....

 

I just stick to the good rubber strip, usually held in place by electrical tape on each side....

Awesome, thank you.

Greasing the above parts, should I order any seals or can I grease everything and not hurt any seals?

.

[FORMA MOTO]

Awesome, thank you.

Greasing the above parts, should I order any seals or can I grease everything and not hurt any seals?

.

 

The wheelbearings are already greased.

The axle comes dry, and you grease it to prevent corrosion and installation problems

Don't leave visible grease at the seals, as that will pull in grit.

Read up about 'front wheel alignment / setting axle clamps' so you don't get fork binding.

[SLOSupermoto]

The wheelbearings are already greased.

The axle comes dry, and you grease it to prevent corrosion and installation problems

Don't leave visible grease at the seals, as that will pull in grit.

Read up about 'front wheel alignment / setting axle clamps' so you don't get fork binding.

 

Krannie,

 

Picked up my 2017 WR450 last weekend and haven't ridden it yet (took a lot of self control). Been waiting for all my protective bits to come in (which I'll install tomorrow), before taking it out on it's maiden voyage...

 

Been reading posts like crazy, and so far your's seem the most in depth and knowledgable (thank you for that).

 

One question I was hoping you could help me with... I don't have the ECU yet (they are currently back ordered), so my plan was to replace the throttle screw, pull out the pea shooter in the exhaust, and possibly the tea kettle from the air intake. In your opinion would I be causing any potential harm to my new bike (and first new purchase ever) by "uncorking" it without the ECU?

 

Thanks in Advance! 

[FORMA MOTO]

If you remove the throttle stop, you will be fine.

If you remove the exahust and intake restrictions, you will be slightly lean.

Nothing that can cause any damage, unless you run the bike to overheating, often. You will have exhaust deceleration popping.

The new ECU will advance the timing and fuel right out of the box, and you will get even better running and performance.

[SLOSupermoto]

If you remove the throttle stop, you will be fine.

If you remove the exahust and intake restrictions, you will be slightly lean.

Nothing that can cause any damage, unless you run the bike to overheating, often. You will have exhaust deceleration popping.

The new ECU will advance the timing and fuel right out of the box, and you will get even better running and performance.

Thanks buddy. That's what I figured... Have a Baja trip coming up on Wednesday so I'm a little worried about getting it hot, but I'm sure it'll be fine.

Any leads on who might have a 16-17 WR450F GYTR ECU in stock?!?! My searches are coming up empty...

Edited September 30, 2016 by SLOSupermoto

[FORMA MOTO]

Thanks buddy. That's what I figured... Have a Baja trip coming up on Wednesday so I'm a little worried about getting it hot, but I'm sure it'll be fine.

Any leads on who might have a 16-17 WR450F GYTR ECU in stock?!?! My searches are coming up empty...

 

www.partsfiche.com

[SLOSupermoto]

www.partsfiche.com

Either I'm retarded(which is very possible), or the ECU isn't on there site...

[SLOSupermoto]

header is fine

Dont' worry about oil. As long as it is MA rated, you can use ANYTHING you want. Just keep it clean and changed.

Krannie,

 

What grade and type of oil would you recommend after break in for the first oil change? Pretty sure I want to run Yamalube, but there's so many choices (dino, semi-synthetic, full synthetic with ester), and there's a ton of grades listed in the manual (10w-40, 10w-50, 15w-40, 20w-40, 20w50)

 

I'll be riding along the west coast in northern Baja, temps should be between 80-85ish.

 

Sorry for bombarding you with questions...

[FORMA MOTO]

Krannie,

 

What grade and type of oil would you recommend after break in for the first oil change? Pretty sure I want to run Yamalube, but there's so many choices (dino, semi-synthetic, full synthetic with ester), and there's a ton of grades listed in the manual (10w-40, 10w-50, 15w-40, 20w-40, 20w50)

 

I'll be riding along the west coast in northern Baja, temps should be between 80-85ish.

 

Sorry for bombarding you with questions...

 

It doesn't really matter that much, as long as it's 40w protection or so ( eg: 10w/40) and it's MA rated, and you change it often. 

 

I use Torco semi synthetic T-4 oil. On sale by the case/gallon.

 

If max protection is parmount (to far from the support vechicle...!) then use double ester fully synthetic oil, and forget your troubles.

[lbk454]

ECU - I have a '17 and been waiting to get ECU from dealer for 6 weeks. Told yesterday they are back ordered until October 27th (been told several times it is coming but never showed up). I found one on Bike Bandit and ordered. I also saw one on Amazon. Google "Yamaha GYTR Competition Kit 2GC-E9500-V0-00". Hope this helps.

[Super_Davee]

Wouldn't it be better to use 50w in hotter climates?

 

 

It doesn't really matter that much, as long as it's 40w protection or so ( eg: 10w/40) and it's MA rated, and you change it often. 

 

I use Torco semi synthetic T-4 oil. On sale by the case/gallon.

 

If max protection is parmount (to far from the support vechicle...!) then use double ester fully synthetic oil, and forget your troubles.