07 WR450 Opinions

[snowman02]

I love my 02 WR426, :banana: will probably never part with it, possibly hand it over to my son.

It is almost 8 months into the release of the 07 WR450 and I have yet to really see any threads here that have been dedicated to the performance of the 07 WR450, you know from fellow TT'ers who have had the pleasure of owning or riding one.

I personally would like to hear all the pros and cons about this bike from as many TT'ers as possible. From the few things that i have read, heard and seen, i do like the 07 but am not in any position to purchase a new bike as of now. Like I said me and my 426 are tied to hip till my son can beat me off it...? But in the next couple years I will be purchasing a new bike and it will be a yamaha, live and die blue.

Anyhow would love to hear thoughts on the 07's

Snowman

[RickSanson]

I'm with Snowman! I am trying to decide between an 03 WR450F and an 07 WR450F. So yes, opinions please!

[ffgman]

I had an 04 450 and now I have an 07. All I can say is there is no comparison. It feels 25 pounds lighter, has even a better more usable motor, alot slimmer also. This is the first bike Ive had a reckluse on and that made the bike even that much better. In the tight stuff is where I really feel the weight difference (or at least the much lower cg). I couldnt be more happy. The fit and finish is alot more like a honda, Less screws and more allen heads and all the same size. You wont be dissapointed.

[RickSanson]

Oh no!

[andrea420]

I'd love some opinions as well.. I'm going from an 04 CRF450R which I sold yesterday, and now I'm trying to decide between a CRF450X and the WR450F.. I checked them out yesterday, and the WR does seem lighter, less bulky and slimmer.. I love the pro taper bars and wave rotors.. I'm 5'4, 125-130 usually (9 months pregnant atm) so the WR is looking great to me..

[snowman02]

So what about the gas tank it's only 2.1 gallons.. I think I would miss the 3.17 Gal. that my 426 holds. And what about the suspension I know right out of the factory they are setup for about 150lb'er, I'm 240, would the rear have enough adj. or would a fat arse like me have to go to stiffer spring?

I am also thinking on waiting maybe to see if EFI comes out for "09"

[jams229]

Having owned both an '05 CRF450X and the '07 WR450, I feel I can offer some opinions. The WR is definitely "smaller." Feels smaller and lighter.

Lower seat heat. A little more cramped than the Honda. I am 6'1"/180 lbs.

The Honda fit me better, w/o an aftermarket seat. That being said, the WR handles the real tight, technical stuff better, IMO. Turns better. Softer suspension. The X shines more once you increase speeds. Better in the open stuff, and on the track for that matter. It jumps better. The '05 X was sprung pretty stiff. (They have since put softer springs on the X.)

They both offer great, usable power. Pros and cons are many.

The X's carb is much easier to access, but the airbox in a bit cramped.

Just the opposite from the WR.

The X's seat is better all around. I put a GUTS tall seat on my WR.

Gas tanks suck on both bikes. I put an IMS 3.2 tank on both.

There are definitley more aftermarket parts available for the Honda.

Finally, valve life. I did not have a good experience with the X's valves,

thus the switch to the WR. I have heard that the WR valves are better/last longer. Too early to tell.

[JSanfilippo]

\

The X's carb is much easier to access, but the airbox in a bit cramped.

Just the opposite from the WR.

I rejetted the bike with the carb in the bike w/o dropping the subframe or shock, it can be done ?

The bikes blow the way they roll off the showroom floor. Cutting the throttle stop, pulling the gray wire, and drilling the small little black baffle out of the stock tail piece makes them run suprisingly decent. With this configuration it'll do roll on wheelies in 1st and 2nd, snap on wheelies in third, and bring the front up a little in 4th with some body english. Hillclimbs are cakewalks as well.

With the airbox opened, pmb insert in the muffler, and a JD jetting kit (w/ thick o-ring) throttle respose is silly quick. No bog, no hesitation, just arm straightening pull across the board. The engine revs quicker and the pull off idle is much better than stock. ...probably 2 hp over stock at peak. In this configuration, its more than enough power for me and the type of terriain I like to ride.

Handling is awesome. The suspension out of the crate handles 50 mph whoops great even with my lard ass on it. It turns very quickly and once moving the bike feels just like a YZ 450f. 30 ft tabletops are a bit much for this bike, but thats what YZs are for. The bike is very stable at speed too. I'm comfortable at 55-70 mph without a stabilizer. I'm sure 80+ is a little hairy though

For me and what I expect out of a bike, it gets a 10/10

[WR_Dave]

I went from my great old '02 WR 426 to the '07 this year ,and while I wouldn't switch back, the 426 had some fine points. It was dead reliable and when jetted properly was a 1st or 2nd kick starting engine. I changed the stock tank for an aftermarket one anyway to get the bike slimmer and lower the weight. I think the 426's tranny felt like it was built stronger to me. I think that is just that the new bike is using lighter weight materials, not that there is anything wrong with the tranny. Now the '07 feels lighter when riding, turns way better, stops better, when all mods are done and the jetting is sorted out it has more power although it is a bit higher in the range than the 426 tractor. The carb is a PITA to get to , but after a few times it gets pretty easy. An IMS 3.1 tank and the required YZ shrouds is a good addition but you lose some of the air intake capabilities of the much larger WR shrouds. I waited at the MX track one night and got the busted off shrouds from a YZ and trimmed them and mounted them to extend the existing shrouds. I don't think you will be disappointed with the upgrade, but if you keep the 426 you will never have to regret it anyway. Depending on what type of rider you are you may get away with the stock suspension, but I suspect that you should upgrade the springs for your weight. I'm still not sure I would like to be the "first year" owner of an EFI bike,for the areas I ride anyway. As far as the valves go, just make sure to do regular maintenance ,with a good oil, and valve clearance checks and you should get many many miles out of these engines. WR Dave.

[RickSanson]

'm 240, would the rear have enough adj. or would a fat arse like me have to go to stiffer spring?

I'm with Snowman once again...

Does anyone know or can anyone point to spring specifications for this bike? I don't know much about suspension setups so appologies if my ignornace is showing...

[WR_Dave]

For spring specs you can go to Race Tech's website or call them to discuss what you should go to for springs. There are many others as well . One thing I should mention that I think we should all do religiously is , at the end of every ride or engine run session, we should all be putting the engine at TDC. I do this by hand with the kick starter. When the engine is at TDC while it is sitting , the valves are all closed and no excess tension is on the valve springs or can buckets or rockers. I believe this is good practice for any color of bike and it helps the valve train live much longer due to not being under any stress while the bike is sitting waiting for the next ride or for spring in my case. WR Dave.

[ckroto]

I have had my 07 for about 6 month or so. FMF megabomb w/4.1 ti can, JD kit, GPR damper, flatland guards all over the place, IMS tank, etc. I came off of an 06 WR250 and I could not be more pleased. The 450 is great!

[snowman02]

Thank you all for all the great posts. Please keep them coming.

Snowman

[snowman02]

Went and looked at a 07 WR450 today and one thing right off the back I didn't like was there are no hand holes in the side number plates to get a grip of the bike from the sides, does anyone see this as problem?

Snowman

[JSanfilippo]

Went and looked at a 07 WR450 today and one thing right off the back I didn't like was there are no hand holes in the side number plates to get a grip of the bike from the sides, does anyone see this as problem?

Snowman

I just pick it up by the rear tire to put it on the stand. If the bike is cold I'll grab it by the exhaust where it bolts to the subframe

For me its not an issue partly because its lighter than the pig put put bike I came off of.

[RickSanson]

I saw that too! I'm gonna fabricate a blue nylon strap to drag the thing around...

Oh, and I told the dealer to have mine ready for me to pick up Monday or Tuesday...

[JSanfilippo]

Oh, and I told the dealer to have mine ready for me to pick up Monday or Tuesday...

Is it fresh out of the crate? Those are the best

[RickSanson]

Yep! Farm fresh! My buddy just talked me into riding my second Hare Scramble with it next weekend...

Sorry for the hi-jack!

[snowman02]

NP Rick your not hijacking here. I want to here all I can. Enjoy your new WR, GL in the scramble, and please keep us updated on results.

Snowman

[ccoates445]

Snowman,

Where do you ride?