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My finished 2008 WR450F upgrade list. Sort of.

By FORMA MOTO,
in WR400F/426F/450F

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Grand Master

FORMA MOTO

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Posted

It's official.

 

 5 rides in a row with total overall success each time.

 

 

I think I finally figured out the magic combination, for me at least.

 

While there still is a flat spot at lower rpms (3500) and larger throttle openings ( bwuuuuuu-aaaah), it's much better, and I can safely say that all seat of the pants tuning is complete.

This flat spot does make it hard to pull the next gear early when at 'race pace', and that is my only gripe that is left. I have to stay above 5000 rpms to never feel it.

At non-race pace, it doesn't matter, as the carb tunings work fantastic at partial throttle. Torque for days.

 

Next will be the on-board A/F ratio meter to see if I can fix that flat spot....which I believe to be crappy cam timing by Hotcams, but we shall see.

 

What my bike will do that a stock WR would not do for me:

 

  • Climb any hill I have the balls for, without gearing down (14/51), and without worry of the rear end hopping around and loosing traction. 2nd or 3rd gear baby! 
  • Not shift so much on flowing single track. Shift up, use the clutch, and torque monster around everything.
  •  

              - Hot Cams YZ spec cam set, AS Racing Stage 3 port and polish, Ebay 2009 YZ carb (mine was getting bad), Dynatek ignition, map #2, Dubach Racing full

                Stainless exhaust (WR spec, not the short header YZ spec), FMF carb wing (intake only), air box cut to YZ specs

              - 165 main, 45p, R&D screw, stock YZ air/power/needle/needle jet(s)

              - TPS calibrated to .76 volts with slide closed 100%, 4.6 volts at 3/8 throttle opening (via Dynatek software+pc)

  •  Partial throttle control: the throttle tube now acts like a reostate(above 3500 rpms), and you can order power like ordering a pizza.   
  • Hold the front wheel up when needed: climing a slightly rutted incline, I can actually keep the front wheel in the air to keep from getting sucked into a rut. The rear does not wallow and mess up the wheelie, and the throttle control allows me to keep it going (for what is not very long  but seems like days)

              -  R&D powerbowl-2, FMF carb wing, Dynatek mapping

        

  • Snap to attention with throttle: the suspension tuning has given me the above rear wheel control, without any wallow or feeling of detachment, and no squating 
  • Hold a line! I am now able to set my suspension stiff enough that undulating terrain does not affect my holding a razor thin line, without killing my hands/shoulders 
  • Jump! I don't mean track doubles (meh) I mean water diverting ramps used all over so Cal hills to prevent water rutting. Now I can hit them with confidence and FLY.   Before, it felt like I was jumping a Garbage Truck....every landing was really messy.

             - Ebay 2006 YZ forks and shock / Steric Racing suspension tuning, with 30cc lower oil height than stock .56/6.3

             - backing off the high speed compression on the rear to 40% if max

             - 21.5mm offset DHR triple clamp set (came with bike)

  • Drift: I can drift for days, without having a problem when there is a drop out in the terrian. Even rocks. 
  • Two wheel drift: now I can come into a flat corner too hot, and control the front, rear, or both, like I knew what I was doing. It's a fvcking great feeling

          -  Kenda Milleville-2 120/100/18 rear tire , Bridgestone 90/100/21 front tire,  8lbs and 14lbs

  • Run in Fourth Gear where I usually ran in second. This allows for zero engine breaking, making down hills so smooth, and no rear wheel hop. (Brakes)

           - Dynatek ignition mapping

 

I probably forgot a few hundred other details, but that's the broad stroke.

 

Problems not solved;

 

Clutch drag (stock clutch pack and hole-ing it to solve?)

Flat spot at large throttle/low rpm (A/F meter for tighter jetting work)

Seat: my home made tall seat is a bit 'un-comfly' on long rides

 

RIDE RIDE RIDE

 

IMG_3801_zps9ed31221.jpg

 

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Grand Master

MidlifeCrisisGuy

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Posted (edited)

Nice !  Great to see your enthusiasm and effort building a bike that works good for you.

 

.56/6.3 ????  Isn't that really stiff ?  Lots of spring, less damping ?

 

Do you have more than stock rear travel because you run the YZ shock ?

 

I didn't know your bike was plated.

Edited by MidlifeCrisisGuy
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Grand Master

FORMA MOTO

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Posted

Nice !  Great to see your enthusiasm and effort building a bike that works good for you.

 

.56/6.3 ????  Isn't that really stiff ?  Lots of spring, less damping ?

 

Do you have more than stock rear travel because you run the YZ shock ?

 

I didn't know your bike was plated.

 

.56 is a little high, but I trusted my tuner. Normally I run .54

6.3 is normal for me in the rear.

I carry a 20lb back pack, plus me, plus gear, and it's getting up there pretty high.....

YZ and WR shock have the same dimensions and travel.

 

I gotta get some video of fat old me racing up Break Trail 

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Proficient

JDLowrance

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Posted

Hey Krannie,

 

Good to see you got your bike sorted. Haven't ridden in literally months. Damn work getting in the way. I'm totally jonesing to get back out there as soon as possible. Just got my suspension back from FC, waiting on a Magura clutch to arrive and will be buttoning her back up.

 

Will be OOTO for a couple months starting mid October and would like to get a good squirt in before that. Let me know if your headed out for a putt.

 

Cheers

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Grand Master

MidlifeCrisisGuy

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Posted (edited)

Krannie, I just have to say  how much I appreciate your involvement in this forum.

 

I don't always agree with what you say, but you are respectful, you contribute a ton of insightful information and your posts are always interesting.  I thank you for that.

 

I really like how you have developed your bike over time.  And I like that you come out and share what you've done and say that it works well for you.  Good on you.

 

Nice bike too, btw.  I can see why its awesome for your conditions. 

 

There are lots of other good posters on this forum too, I just though I'd take the opportunity to highlight you.

 

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Edited by MidlifeCrisisGuy
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Grand Master

FORMA MOTO

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Posted (edited)

Krannie, I just have to say  how much I appreciate your involvement in this forum.

 

I don't always agree with what you say, but you are respectful, you contribute a ton of insightful information and your posts are always interesting.  I thank you for that.

 

I really like how you have developed your bike over time.  And I like that you come out and share what you've done and say that it works well for you.  Good on you.

 

Nice bike too, btw.  I can see why its awesome for your conditions. 

 

There are lots of other good posters on this forum too, I just though I'd take the opportunity to highlight you.

 

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

 

 

did-we-just-become-best-friends-yep_zps6

tumblr_mfhka4tRml1rugv7po1_500_zpsf90ec0

969209_10151941962784056_1326080361_n_zp

 

rick_zpsc88e292f.jpg

Edited by Kah Ran Nee
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Grand Master

MidlifeCrisisGuy

Posted
Posted

So back to your springs, Krannie.

 

If you punch your weights and riding style into a spring calculator, say at Race Tech, does it spit out those spring rates ?

 

Or have you or your tuner come up with your spring rates a different way ?

 

What are your sag settings at ?

 

And if you are running (longer stroke) YZ forks in the front and your YZ shock gives you WR travel, how did you drop the front or raise the rear enough to have a balanced bike ?

 

BTW, did you really buy a <cough> orange bike <cough> ?  I won't hassle you for doing so, I'm just interested.

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Grand Master

FORMA MOTO

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So back to your springs, Krannie.

 

If you punch your weights and riding style into a spring calculator, say at Race Tech, does it spit out those spring rates ?

 

Or have you or your tuner come up with your spring rates a different way ?

 

What are your sag settings at ?

 

And if you are running (longer stroke) YZ forks in the front and your YZ shock gives you WR travel, how did you drop the front or raise the rear enough to have a balanced bike ?

 

BTW, did you really buy a <cough> orange bike <cough> ?  I won't hassle you for doing so, I'm just interested.

 

The eye to eye dimensions of the YZ and WR shock are the same, as are the stroke of the shock. The YZ linkage is different.

Having a supposedly .56" more travel on the front means nothing to me. I don't belive the numbers in the first place

I run 102/25 sag.

 

Race tech numbers imply that you are using 16lbs of riding gear, according to them. I use more than double that.

If you use the Kayaba or Showa or Precision Concepts, or MX-Tech caclulators, they are all slightly different.

 

I have found that using a spring rate one step higher to much better than using one that is one step lower.

The disadvante is that there is much less satic sag, front and rear. 

As you get up in weight, you options dimenish greatly, so sometimes you don't have any real choice but to use the springs that are available.

 

So, dending on which backpack I use (9lbs vs 25s) there are a lot of variables.

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Grand Master

FORMA MOTO

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...it was too new and too cheap to pass up....

Came with all the protection equipment and Scotts damper set up already installed.

 

I am acutally turning it into a 70/30 Street/Dirt bike; I already bought a second set of wheels for it.

 

My Honda and my WR-YZ are more like 5/95 Street/Dirt.

 

 

IMG_4144_zpsc460eb48.jpg

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Grand Master

FORMA MOTO

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You run 8lbs on the rear, what kinda of tubes do you use? Have you ever ran the Michelin Starcross MH3 in the rear?

 

I've never used any Michelin tires

 

I run 8 in the rear with the XHD Brigestone tubes and  that el-cheapo Atrax tire (basically free)

Probably will run more when I switch to the Kenda Millville-2 

I run 5 in the rear with Tubliss

I go up 2lbs when in the desert, averaging 45mph +

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