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WR450 road-worthiness.

By motobikem1ke,
in WR400F/426F/450F

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motobikem1ke

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Hey all. I live really close to the mountains/trails here in Colorado, but I still trailer/haul my bikes to the trails. I was thinking of picking up a WR450 and riding it to to the trails instead, but I was wondering about the WR450's road-worthiness. If it is anything like my XR650R, it will work in getting me from one trail to another, but it is pretty uncomfortable. By the way, in Colorado, these WR's are super-easy to make street-legal.

So, my questions are:

1. Does anyone here ride their WR's much on the street or TO the trails? Does anyone COMMUTE with them?

2. If yes, what is the comfort/reliability level?

3. What kind of MPG do you get on the road?

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MountainMax

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I do both with mine, I drive it back and forth to work (on sunny days) and drive it to most of my favorite off road places, it's not the most comfortable ride, not like a KLR650 but I put a taller,softer seat on mine, taller handlebars, and lowered my footpegs and it made a world of difference for me, as im tall and heavy. You should put a Dual sport back tire on there if you want it to last any time though, mine got eat up fast on the road. Reliability is a given, it's a yamaha, if you do alot of driving you may want to go up one tooth up front if it's highway speeds for long runs though. Mine stock is pretty good for where i go, and the speeds i drive (average 100km/h on road)

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Teoke

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Mine is road legal (in australia) and i use it daily to and from work and to get to where ever i intend to play :ride: .

Its a bit hard on the backside if you go for a long period but for the most part i find it ok, i run hard compund dunlop moto tyres and they still get chewed to all shit on the roads but i want the grip off road so i have to chage tyres more offen, as for fuel i use about a tank full every week and a half which is roughly 220 k's to and from work and what ever i do offroad(never look to see the k's i do).i am useing a 99 wr400 with a heap of extras but they are all pretty much alike... up untill my carbie slide broke it never missed a beat and only oil chages every 1000k's it was super relieable...

steff.............

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motobikem1ke

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Thanks for the responses all, this is pretty much what I expected. It is truly challenging trying to find the perfect off-road/on-road bike, but I think the WR450 fits the bill very nicely, especially when you consider that you can still flog the bike at the motocross track if you want. You can check out my personal attempt at finding the "perfect" bike here... http://www.dirtrodders.com/perfectbike.html I also was thinking the new Service Honda CR500x would make one heck of a performer, but not sure all that extra maintenance would be worth it.

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06WR450FSM

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I commute from Lakewood to Boulder on Hwy93 frequently (using 17" supermoto wheels). The key is using the right setup for what you want to do.

The choice of gearing is based on what is the highest STEADY speed you want to cruise at. I find that 5000 to 6500 rpm is best at highway speeds. I modified a gearing speadsheet from 4strokes.com. A mile with your motor buzzing at 7500 rpm might be OK, but neither you or the bike will want to do that for a longer period of time. I don't have access to my spreadsheet right now, but the stock gearing with dirt wheels is probably good for cruising up to about 60mph and a 15T front will push that closer to 65. Sometimes I am lazy when switching back to dirt wheels and leave the 15T on when I ride at Rampart Range. The bike has plenty of torque to push the bigger gear on the trail.

There may be a limit with knobbies as far as safe handling is concerned too, but it's the tires, not the chassis that's the issue. I feel fine at 75mph with the supermoto tires and the bike has plenty of power to pass.

When I bought the bike, I immediately dumped the stock D739 up front for a more agressive tire for dirt riding. Surprisingly, the Pirelli Pro FIM tire I picked is DOT legal. Perhaps a less agressive dualsport tire for the rear would work OK and last longer.

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gary haskell

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"06" wr450 4500 miles Mobil V-twin 20/50 summer(hot)

15/46 final drive, cruise about 60/65mph.

The Yamaha 450 ATV clutch basket and crank drive gear (very important, torsion springs are built into this basket, smooths the single power stroke)

I use the recluse clutch, makes the gearing work in the mountains, I have glazed one set of fictions at about 3800 miles (not bad, for as hard as the bike gets used)

I run the stock knobbies, they work fine on the road and great on the single track trails, be sure to BALANCE them

I have ridden the bike over 300 mile in one day with no regrets

50 mpg plus, if you take it easy on the throttle.

Pro gel seat pad for miles of sit down riding.

Very smooth and reliable, ride to work, ride to the mountains ( 10 to 30 miles to mountains) very easy to put 150 to 200 miles on, with road, two track, and trail.

valve setting has not change (this is not a Honda)

I will buy a 2007 and setup as a dual sport.

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06WR450FSM

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Great input Gary!

Balancing the tires is important. www.dual-star.com has lead weights that fit over the spoke nipples that have worked well for me.

I get 50 to 60mpg on the highway.

The stock seat is OK to sit on for maybe an hour. For longer rides a softer seat and some kind of vibration absorption at the handlebars sure would be nice...

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face_plant

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I find out today ) West virginia inspection is sooooooo easy

fill out certificate of inspection

put on inspection sticker

take paper and title to dmv

vroommmm

anyway i may be thinking i should have got the 250 instead---need to learn to ride all over again........ test drive was with the FULL motard kit and 16/32 gears and i couldnt keep the front end down.....so i am buying leathers just in case

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bearwash

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I also was thinking the new Service Honda CR500x would make one heck of a performer, but not sure all that extra maintenance would be worth it.

What extra maintenance? I mentioned on another thread that my '86 CR500 still has the original piston and rings in it. We keep checking, but no reason to change them. I'm still searching for valves to check.

Having said that, I wouldn't really recommend the CR500 for dual-purpose work, although many Aussie riders do just that. Just too buzzy and dramatic for around town. For me it is basically two stroke off road and four on (although I have nothing against the WR450 or other 4s off road!).

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RichieGoatGruff

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Great input Gary!

Balancing the tires is important. www.dual-star.com has lead weights that fit over the spoke nipples that have worked well for me.

I get 50 to 60mpg on the highway.

The stock seat is OK to sit on for maybe an hour. For longer rides a softer seat and some kind of vibration absorption at the handlebars sure would be nice...

I used "TapeWeights, available at any good auto parts store...

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face_plant

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UPDATE: love it stock tires and wheels back on stock gearing my old commuter was diamo ls 200 and it was a cheap ds. the 05 WR is SWEEEEET after my initial O SCHT i am getting used to it. so far i can only say it "lopes" at consistant highway speeds, and if you take off on the road use second. it is very easy to smoke the tires off.

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motobikem1ke

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What "extra" maintenance?? 500s are so easy on parts it's better than a 4-stroke....unless you're a pro!

That's good to know... the CR500 guys are the ones that completely leave me in the dust, but it seems like they are ALWAYS having trouble getting them started or they are messing with them/fixing them. I have only owned one two-stroke before, and I had no complaints... I just assumed that the bigger the bore and the buzzier the engine, the more troubles one would logically encounter.

I will keep an eye out for you Boulder-ites!

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