wr450 '05 or '06 (mechanically)

[simonreeves]

hi, first post so i'll try & keep it brief, I've just bought an '06 wr and my mate is looking for the same or similar. Dealer has got '05 model, brand new, for a good price but my mate wants to know if there are any mechanical upgrades or improvements other than the speedo etc. It can be difficult to get a straight answer sometimes from dealers, so i said i'd check with the people who really know wr's. thanks in advance for any advice, cheers.

[Just_a_trail_rider]

Nope no difference. The 06 has a different spedo. Thats it.

[clark4131]

Well...almost. There was a slight design change to the swingarm brake caliper mount and the triple clamp was changed so the handlebar perches are no longer cast as part of the clamp. Lastly, there were minor tweaks supposedly done to the fork internals. The motor is identical however...SC

[simonreeves]

Thanks for the help, i'll let my mate know the info, he didn't want the '05 if it wasn't mechanically as sound or reliable as the '06. We'd assumed it was the same but it's nice to know for sure, cheers.

P.S. great owners club.

[SXP]

Weren't there handlebar changes? Isn't 06 the year they changed to the regular size Renthal from the previous year OEM POS?