Just picked up a new 2012 KX450F - haven't ridden it yet and new to KX's.

I have been looking through various forums and posts related to this bike and pre-2012 KX450's.  A few little things I think I need to look out for and keep an eye on include the following:

• Oil filter cover -- one of the bolts might only be marginally long enough -- a longer bolt might be needed
  
• Oil pump screen (?) might need to be checked after 20-30 hours for debris accumulation
  
• Chain guide will wear out quick
  
• Small 8mm drain bolt is sensitive to tightening -- don't over-tighten

Wondering if anyone can chime in with other general quirks to look out for and keep an eye on for damage control purposes -- thanks --

your going to love it!!! I have 6 hrs on mine and it is awesome! love it more every time I ride it!

chain guide is starting to wear down, it is a bit noisey too...

tear apart your new bike and grease ALL the bearings! Not sure what the factory uses but I wouldn't call it grease...maybe butter...

#1 and 4 are things I have not heard/read...going to look into those my self...I already did my first oil and filter change and didn't notice any problems there...

oh yea....your going to want to buy new handlebars and throttle tube when you are ready for new grips! They use some space glue from NASA to install the factory grips...that Sh*% is way over kill!!

Thanks for the feedback.  Also looking to lighten the bike a little bit if possible.  The best bang for the buck seems to be an aftermarket exhaust to drop a few pounds.  It isn't like the motor needs any help, but dropping a few pounds always helps.

jlmotox, on 16 April 2012 - 03:15 PM, said:

HAHA yes all my kx450f have been like that. only way Ive made work is grab a brand new olfa knife blade and slowly take it all off. But Im with you. Ill replace mine with a alloy one cause I tend to break mine alot!

Edited by ColinSiR, 17 April 2012 - 02:06 PM.

I lost a whole night of riding to those grips, throught I would quickly change grips to the protaper ones I bought with the bike.  Started to take the throttle side off, no luck so figured I would cut a notch into it and blow some air.  An hour later with a utility knife, file and sand paper I had left what apperared to be a throttle tube.  Glued on the new grip and ended up getting glue inside the tube so now the throttle was sticky... 45 minutes later she was all ready to go and it was dark outside.  Moral of the story the grip and tube are to be treated as one piece, get a new tube before you even thing of new grips.  I've ordered a protaper aluminum one.

Owned mine now for just over 2 months. Been changing the oil every other ride, just because Im OCD. The last one I did, when I removed the oil filter cap I found the inside edge broken into pieces! Now, as someone had posted earlier, the bolts tend to loosen up on this bike, so I have been tweeking them down often, I "may" have over tightened them. But I did find another post addressing this issue. So it has happened to someone else as well. The bolts on the oil filter cover dont need to be OCD tight, just snug enough so no leaks occur. I do not own a torque wrench so....

Yeah, I have done a couple of oil changes, and man, that filter cover is tight! I just put a light film of grease on it and get it in there, then I press it in tight while I snug the bolts down.

I have read that people suggest tightening the cover down to "pull" the cover tight against the outer case cover, but I think that would tend to knarl up the threads.  You are really fighting the tension and stress of that little spring behind the filter.  I think that getting it pressed on tight and then snugging down the cover is the best way to do it.

Looking ahead, doing frequent oil and filter changes seems like an accident waiting to happen with that cover.  I think all we can do is be patient and diligent with it, and maybe consider doing the filter change with every-other oil change -- would probably be okay, although I'm sure some will disagree --

I change my oil every ride.  (about every 2 to 3 hours)  I replace the filter every 10th oil change.

For several reasons, money, time, and the main one being,  I have never seen enough of anything in there to restrict oil flow.

For you guys that struggle with changing the filter, you could certainly skip it a few times to make your life simpler.

Hey KX450f63, thanks for that feedback on changing the filter every 10th oil change.  Makes sense, and gives me some peace of mind that skipping a few filter changes while keeping the oil clean is a good way to go -- much appreciated --

By the way, what kind of oil do you use and what is your benchmark reflll amount (cc's) without changing the filter?

I realize the manual has a recommended amount without a filter change, but just curious to hear people's experiences -- thanks --

I must admit I am not too concerned about having just the rite amount of oil in the case on changes.  I can't quote the manual spec. but I putt in one quart with or without the filter change.  When I change the filter I would be surprised if more than an ounce comes out with it.  If one ounce makes a difference in how long this thing lives... then I'm out of luck.

I wouldn't want to run them with less than 3/4 of a quart or more than 1 1/4 of a quart but within 2 to 3 ounces of a quart plus or minus I believe you are OK!

kx450f63, on 17 May 2012 - 08:50 AM, said:

I'm considering the new KX450F soon. How often are you guys actually adjusting your valves? I had an 09' KX250F and I never adjusted the valves but I only kept it about a year. At 39yrs old I'm not as agressive as I used to be so I'm not wringing its neck the whole time like I used to.

I had a 08 450 that I rode until the 2011 came out. Never had to adjust a single valve. I still have my 2011 and have never had a valve move. Keep your air filter clean and your oil changed and these bikes will treat you right.

Sweet! Thats what I wanted to hear.

By the way, a friend bought my 08 and it still hasn't had a valve issue..