YZF 450: a better WR450!

[Gatorbiker]

I have a 2006 WR450 and I think it a wonderful bike. However I race Hare Scrambles in Canada (here we call them EnduroCross) and I believe I would perform better and enjoy myself more on a YZF450 (the white ones are nice ? ).

I would like to modify the YZF to make it more appropriate for trail riding in muddy conditions and riding in tight woods with rocks and roots. What do you recommand?

- heavier flywheel: how much heavier (6 oz like the wr)?

- closing a bit the holes of the air box?

- spark arrestor

- hand gards and engine gard: a must

What do you think?

[Way Fast Whitey]

I have a 2006 WR450 and I think it a wonderful bike. However I race Hare Scrambles in Canada (here we call them EnduroCross) and I believe I would perform better and enjoy myself more on a YZF450 (the white ones are nice ? ).

I would like to modify the YZF to make it more appropriate for trail riding in muddy conditions and riding in tight woods with rocks and roots. What do you recommand?

- heavier flywheel: how much heavier (6 oz like the wr)?

- closing a bit the holes of the air box?

- spark arrestor

- hand gards and engine gard: a must

What do you think?

i think nix the flywheel weight, it will rob power and not really help you in any way. hands gaurds(or barkbusters) are a must, yes, as well as a skid plate, frame gaurds, engine gaurds. leave the airbox stock, its fine.

you may want a bigger tank, depending on your trails. ?

i could get you a link if you wanted, IMS makes nice tanks

[barch88]

Way Fast covered most of it, but you could also get a headlight for it.

[ncmountainman]

smoothing the power is more what a FWW does,it doesn't really rob anything it just helps put it to the ground better;which in a harescrambles is a good thing. the moto cross hit of the 450's has been tamed over the yrs but in the tight woods it can still be a little much. i run a +6 on my 05 yz450 along with a rekluse clutch. this and every bottom end enhancement i could come up with,along with 13/52 gearing,seems like a perfect combo to me. it'll chug like a john deere and scream like a banshee it's about the best of both worlds ? about the airbox,i don't know about the 06's but on the 05's they have a drain with a clear plastic tube thats pinched off. there is a xr600 one way drain tube that lets water out but not in,its about a 1/2" nipple.its only like $5

[tammie]

i put a heavier flywheel weight on my yz400, i race harescrambles and enduros in ontario.........the fly weight weight and 13/52 sprocket combo make it great in the tight stuff, no stalls!!

also i put an electrex lighting coil, wr seat and tank.......and stock wr headlight and get an enduro tail by UFO.....or acerbis....if you want the tail light.......trail tech computer for speed and timing.....i also put a trail tech kickstand on and a flatlandracing skid plate.....Summers racing components high pressure rad cap as well........

bike is perfect in the trails.....

[almostinvincible119]

just wait for the 07 wr...its the 06 450, with a light and a smoother motor

[Gatorbiker]

Thanks for the info. Personnaly I am a believer in the heavier flywheel. It costs about 250 cdn so I will give it a try. The 13/52 combo seems to be popular, how does it compare to stock.

As for the 2007 WR 450, it's a beauty but still somewhat overweight...

Thanks for all the advice.

[ncmountainman]

in the woods,with comparable riders; the properly setup yz will smoke a wr ?

[rooster wrooster]

Here you go Gatorbiker, endurofied 06'

The only thing missing from the pictures is the pmb kickstand I put on afterwards.

[Gatorbiker]

Here you go Gatorbiker, endurofied 06'

The only thing missing from the pictures is the pmb kickstand I put on afterwards.

Gorgeous!!! A wolf in sheep's clothing! I wonder how much weight all that has added?

Have you done anything (like adding a bottle) to recuperate the engine coolant? Does it tend to overheat in tight woods?

[rooster wrooster]

Its great, everyone mistakes it for a WR. It puked fluid once, about a month ago on some steep, WFO, wheel spinin hill climbs, but that was the only time. It was in the low 80's. I rode this past sunday doing almost the same stuff and it was in the low 90's with no coolant loss.

I do plan on putting on an overflow tank but I can't put it where the WR one goes because the kickstand gets in the way. I may have to do a ghetto mod like by ridding buddy and zip-ty a pop bottle in front of the radiator. Seems to work good for him.

I'm sure all of the mods added a couple of extra pounds but I don't notice a difference. Plus all of the added weight is down low.

I did go one modification too far though. I am in the process of rectifying the situation.

[Gatorbiker]

I agree with you, it's one mod too many! (it so fugly!)

[LJ]

That's a pregant YZ! When's she do? Who's the father? Do you have a registry at ThumperTalk?

I'll take one of the pups, yellow in black would be nice...