Service

[buster024]

Hey 450er's,
My buddy just picked a brand new '07, and the dealer started "scaring" him about all the service that a 450 needs versus a 400. "A race bike versus a tank" was the quote. I'm fairly adept with service issues on my 400, but I'm totally unfamiliar with 450's. What's so different in terms of maintenance?

Also, I assume the usual basic upgrades apply to the 450's....filter, pipe etc? Pipe versus HRC kit? (I know, I could probably search it, but conversation is what forums are all about)

Thanks for any help!

[d3ktrix]

Change the oil, and adjust/check the valves a few times a season. Clean the air filter often.
First the first few months u might have to adjust the chain a couple times, after that it'll stay good.

If you keep it stock the top end should last at least 2 seasons, unless u the beat the piss out of it and never change the oil.

IMO it's not much different then a 400ex maintenance wise unless u mod it/race.
Oil changes should be done more frequent though.

Cleaning it after every ride is by far the most work -_-

[arTuReX]

Dealers do stuff like that when they get told to move certain bike or merchandise!
I wanted a TRX 450 but this dealer swear to me that the suzuki 400 they had (which was the last 07) had my name on it! and talk a lot of crap of the 450's when they sold that suzuki i came back and the story was way different!, they said that a Wolverine 350 would be my tailor made for me!, maybe a coincidence?? i dunno!.

[buster024]

Dealers do stuff like that when they get told to move certain bike or merchandise!

That's kinda' what I was thinking. I assume since I didn't get much response on the last few questions on my thread, that it is to noob to respond to eh?

Pipe versus HRC kit.....?

[reconranger]

All these modern engines that have little slipper pistons with short skirts and fewer rings need frequent oil changes. This is true of all of them no matter who the manufacturer is...not just the Hondas.

These engines tolerate a lot of compression blow-by, and hold very little oil to begin with. That means that the oil will get rapidly contaminated with fuel mixture and exhaust...it's just the nature of the beast! You start out with nice 10W40 oil, and if you neglect it you end up with useless 0W20 oil.....

My rule is to go no more than 10 hours between oil changes, and preferably less than that if possible. Oil changes are easy on this machine, and it doesn't hold that much oil, so it really isn't that big a deal.

I do a valve adjustment every ~50 hours.

Other than that, it is no more high maintenance than any other 4-stroke quad motor. I have lots of freinds way over the 200+ hour mark and nobody needing a rebuild yet....

[d3ktrix]

Agree'd ^

I put around 400 hours on my stock 05 top end with HRC kit and exhaust.
And in that time period I checked the valved 3 or 4 times and adjusted them twice.
(2 seasons of MX/Trails/Sandpit riding)

And when I took the stock piston out it was still going good, no smoking or anything.
Cylinder was still perfect and I reused it for my next piston.

[reconranger]

Good read on oil for your R: http://www.thumperfaq.com/oil.htm

Pay particular attention to the section, "The Changing Lubrication Environment": http://www.belray.com/scripts/futurearts.dll?CollectBinaryData?loc=belray&coid=55180&moid=20156&fauuid=b6c30da5-6537-41d7-b921-64a4cf6d0144