Can you do away with battery on wr450?

[Daz wr450]

Hi all,this is my first post here,can anyone please help me.I have a wr450 '05 and wanted to know if the battery,starter etc.. can be removed easily? I never use the electric start and the battery has been knackered since i bought it so thought it would save weight to just bin it.Thanks in advance Darren.

[rich1167]

PM this guy : ncmountainman

He has done it and has lots of info.

Or do a search in this forum.

[Daz wr450]

Cheers,I've done a search and theres loads on the subject.Not sure if i'm more confused now than i was before though! ha ha.What with some people saying one thing others another,i'm thinking i might leave it as it is.

[snmhanson]

Cheers,I've done a search and theres loads on the subject.Not sure if i'm more confused now than i was before though! ha ha.What with some people saying one thing others another,i'm thinking i might leave it as it is.

I know how you feel. I have occassionally thought of axing my battery since the bike is so easy to kick but there is alot of differing opinions on the subject. Too bad it is next to impossible to get any advice directly out of Yamaha on the matter. Maybe someday I'll take a closer look at it and give it a try but until I can get a more definitive answer I guess I will just leave it in as well.

[ncmountainman]

its fairly simple....take out the batt,eliminate the junction block,ground the neg lead to the frame at the voltage regulator. wire nut/tape the positive lead. plug the hole where the starter used to be with a automotive emergency freeze plug. taken a step further you can pop off the flywheel and eliminate the starter drive clutch/gears. all this also allows the use of the yz airbox ( only $50,more flow and a lb less) 13 lb loss all together. also eliminate the on/off button,just cross over the ign wires.

[Daz wr450]

Thanks for your help.Could you tell me if this would be as easy...i've just found a second hand 2004 yz450f wiring harness/loom complete with cdi unit and coil/plug cap for sale cheap.Could i just remove the old wiring loom,battery etc and replace it with this?

[ncmountainman]

well i'm not sure if it'll fit or not,but i know the yz has no lighting coil so no lights. i think it would be easier the way i explained.

[handlebar]

It's not too hard to do away with the starter system but make sure your bike starts as easy as you would like by removing the battery,then try to kick start it.I have an 06 that was a beast to kickstart without the battery hooked up...you may need a battery eliminator.IMO what makes the WR450 feel heavy is the stock suspension.If you get the bike to handle good then it feels pretty light.I took my estart off and put it back on...could not tell that much differance and I like the estart for woods riding.Just my 2 cents.

I own an EXC300 also and it is more flickable than the WR

but the WR feels good and can be made fast in the woods.The WR only gives a little to my EXC300 in the very tightest type terrain.What I'm saying is the weight is not that big an issue if the bike is handling right.

[Daz wr450]

Yeah the bike is an excellent starter it kicks first time every time.I use it purely for motorcross and idealy would have gone for the yz but got the chance of the wr really cheap from a friend who was packing in after a nasty accident.I've removed all the lights so theres no need for all this wiring, i looked up the wiring harness in yam catalog and it looks to me that the yz harness would be a straight swap.Thanks for everyones help i'm not very good with the electrics and motor side of things i'm a panel beater by trade,i'm far more at home fitting a rear qtr panel to a 3 series beemer! ha ha

[ncmountainman]

the handling difference was huge to me,it was much more flickable not to mention the faster power curve with less FWW after removing the gears. there should be no difference in kick starting if all of the crap was eliminated and rewired correctly. correctly being the key word:thumbsup: