Still More Tweaking of the 450X...

Check out my new weapon ... weapon of choice (with all due credit to Fat Boy Slim).

Customizing of my CRF450X continues!

To be safe on pavement (note I didn't say "legal"), I need a brake light. The CRF450X has a tail light, but it doesn't function as a brake light. I solved the problem by installing a hydraulic switch from K&S Technologies. It's a trick little bit of technology, replacing the banjo bolt on the rear brake line. Pump the brake pedal and hydraulic pressure throws the switch -- simple! Installation was easy, but I did have to bleed my brake line afterward.

Hydraulic Brake Light Switch.

Of course, the hydraulic switch has to actuate something. I bought a two stage LED light designed as a drop-in replacement for the CRF's petite little tail light (much more aesthetic than cluttering up the rear end with a huge bulb assembly). It's made by a Japanese company, Dirt Freak (like most of these things, though, I ordered it through CRFs Only). Not only is the new light assembly considerably brighter (8 hyper bright LEDs replacing the stock 4), but the LEDs are two stage, meaning they double in intensity for braking. Installation was easy ... after I figured out that the Honda goobers used black wiring for 12 VDC. Yeah, I wired it backwards the first time, 'cause everyone knows black is ground. Dweeee ... With an incandescent bulb, it wouldn't have mattered, but LEDs are forward biased, of course. (Sorry, my electrical engineering degree is showing.)

Anyway, I now have a brake light.

CRF's Only, your one stop for all things CRF. It's hard getting a free decal out of them, though...

I was having trouble muscling the 450 around at a standstill. With the 230 -- and most dirtbikes -- it's pretty easy to grab near the rear fender and hoist the ass end of the bike around, whether it's to put the bike on a stand or shove it against the wall of my overcrowded garage or to get it situated in the back of my pickemup truck. The 450's subframe doesn't extend back beneath the rear fender, though (Honda shaved off a few pounds in order to be more competitive, I'm sure), so every time I would muscle it around, it felt like I was putting too much stress on the plastic fender. Solution? The Tugger! Now I just grab the strap and heave the rear end of the bike wherever I want it. They make a strap for the front, too -- convenient for dragging your bike out of a bog, I bet! -- but I think I'm set with this one for now.

The Tugger.

The Tugger's nothing more than a nylon strap, so you could probably make your own pretty easily, but you'd need to come up with the nifty aluminum mounting hardware.

The high-tech forks on the 450 are supposed to have excess air pressure bled off periodically -- before every race, it says in the competition handbook that came with the bike. (Where this pressure comes from in a closed system is beyond me. Electronics I know, but fluid dynamics...?) Bleeding this fork pressure is kind of a pain, requiring that the front end of the bike be unloaded and a screw at the top of each fork be backed out. System Tech Racing makes these cool little push-button valves that replace the screws, rendering the operation tool-free. They even come in Honda Red.

Stock pain-in-the-butt screw for bleeding off fork pressure.

Fixed!

Needless to say, there's not a whole lot of room to carry things on a dirtbike, but I need a few key items to make tire repairs out in the boonies. I couldn't decide between the fender packs made by MSR Racing or Moose Racing, so I ordered one of each. Some people only carry a 21-inch tube; if they have a rear flat, they cram the 21-incher into their 18-inch rear tire. That's okay, but I always figure if I'm going to the trouble of changing out the tube, I don't want to have to do it all over again later to get the right size tube in there. Crammed into an 18-inch tire, the 21-inch tube's gonna have some folds in it, and I've found that tubes rub and wear along such folds. In other words, if you're smart you're not gonna leave the wrong tube in there forever. I'd rather put the right one in to begin with, which means carrying two spare tubes on the bike.

Moose Racing Fender Pack.

Buying both fender packs actually worked out rather well, as the MSR model was wider and fit the rear fender of the CRF better, whereas the Moose model was perfect for the front fender. I got lucky. Both bags seem equally well made. Only some rough trail riding will answer the question of how well they stay in place. I've seen riders lose such bags; worse, I've seen bags get tossed into wheels and chains, causing accidents. My front bag seems totally secure, but to make sure the rear stays on, I think I'm going to need to do a little Dremel work on my fender.

MSR Fender Pack.

Of course, carrying tubes is useless if you can't break down your tire. I didn't want to carry both tire irons and axle wrenches on the bike, so I opted for Blue Ridge Racing's T-7 Tire Tools in 22 and 32 millimeter sizes to fit the CRF. Wrapped in a rag so they won't rattle and drive me nuts, they fit in the MSR fender pack with the spare tube. Add a couple small wrenches for the CRF's pinch bolts and rim locks, a couple CO2 cartridges, and an inflation gizmo swiped out of my Progressive Suspension tire repair kit, and I'm set. These items also fit (with room to spare) in the MSR fender bag. (Nice thing about the MSR bag is its size. With a 21-inch heavy duty tube, the Moose bag is packed to the gills.) I'll probably toss in a patch kit as well for those truly exasperating rides with multiple flats.

BRR's nifty iron-wrench combos, CO2 cartridges from Moose Racing, and a refilling tool taken from the tire repair kit I carry on my other bikes.

Since the 450X has the magic starter button, I need a pigtail to connect my Battery Tender and keep things nicely charged. This is actually one of the first things I did to the bike, but I'm just now getting around to documenting it.

Pigtail for keeping the battery topped off.

Last item for this blog entry, I wanted to try these filter skins from PC Racing. They come in a 3-pack. Clever idea, works like a condom for your air filter. You oil these up and slip one over your air filter. Carry the backups in the ziplock baggy and when your air filter's dirty, replace the used skin with a clean one. When all three are dirty, just clean them up and prep them for the next ride. They should both extend my range and increase the life of the 450's air filter.

Filter Skins.

I'm almost done prepping the 450 to be my ultimate offroad weapon. I'd like to replace the plastic guards on the front and rear brake disks with something more substantial. And I'd really like to install a Trail Tech Computer. And maybe one of those bags that hangs on the number plate for stashing snacks, rain gear, my camera, etc. And maybe an aftermarket gas tank with a larger capacity. And maybe ... Heh heh.