Installing a Hotcam...

[fox945]

I ride a 05' TRX450r and honestly it is the newest quad I have ever owned and i'm wanting to get a Hotcam Stage 1 to put in it and was just wondering if anybody out there that has done one have any tips or important info that I need to watch out for.

I've worked on plenty of quads and rebuilt them from bottom up but like I said nothing this new and quite frankly kinda nervous to tear into it. Anything special I need to know about this quad that may be really different from others. Latest things i've worked on are later 90's 300ex's and 400ex's. Going to read thru my repair manual but figured I would ask somebody that has already done one before.

[jkulysses]

There's a lot of cool write ups on this page, http://www.trx450r.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=29267.

What kind of riding do you mostly do? I would strongly consider the hot cam stage 2. It pretty much pulls through the entire powerband. The stage 1 is going to be mostly bottom/mid cam. I would take the 06/07 hrc cam over the hc stage 1 or the 02 crf cam is popular. Here is a link to all the diff cams. http://www.trx450r.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=51080

[WilRideAnything]

The cam installation is easy. You will need a shim kit to set the valve clearance.

[fox945]

I do nothing but trail riding typically. I don't race, well at least professionally. I occasionally hit an area to really open it up and wind out all gears. I also like to do a lot of hill climbing. Figured I would go with the stage 1 for the bottom/mid since a lot of hills I climb I never get a chance to keep the RPM up real high.

Been too many instances that I've just about bogged it completely down and had to clutch the hell out of it to keep it going.

Thanks so far for everybody's input.


"jkulysses", There's a lot of cool write ups on this page, http://www.trx450r.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=29267. What kind of riding do you mostly do? I would strongly consider the hot cam stage 2. It pretty much pulls through the entire powerband. The stage 1 is going to be mostly bottom/mid cam. I would take the 06/07 hrc cam over the hc stage 1 or the 02 crf cam is popular. Here is a link to all the diff cams. http://www.trx450r.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=51080

Thanks for the site info, very useful.

[400exrider707]

The cam swap itself is a little more involved than a 300ex/400ex. You have a tower that holds the cam, just know that the cam is held in the tower with a large circlip, I've seen a few people try to hammer them out thinking they were pressed in... dont do that haha. Just take your time, its still just an overhead cam motor, just nuts and bolts man.

I loved my stage 1 hotcam. It is almost identical to an 02 CRF 450 cam btw.

[hondarules]

i love my stage 1 an i do about the same riding as you..i also went to a 13 tooth front sprocket that helped alot too

[fox945]

Originally posted by 400exrider707
The cam swap itself is a little more involved than a 300ex/400ex. You have a tower that holds the cam, just know that the cam is held in the tower with a large circlip, I've seen a few people try to hammer them out thinking they were pressed in... dont do that haha. Just take your time, its still just an overhead cam motor, just nuts and bolts man.

I loved my stage 1 hotcam. It is almost identical to an 02 CRF 450 cam btw.

Thanks for the tip on the circlip. I've noticed there were quite a few differences from what i'm used to by pictures i've seen.


Originally posted by hondarules
i love my stage 1 an i do about the same riding as you..i also went to a 13 tooth front sprocket that helped alot too

I've gone to a 13 tooth in the front already and it did wonders. Definitely something I recommend for anybody with stock sprockets doing an type of slow or tight trail riding with a 450r.

Also does anybody know if a shim kit is required for the HC stage 1 cam.

[KEVIN132]

hotcams kit is 78$ and its priceless to have
cams a easy one !

make sure your at top dead with cam lobes on angle towards rear of motor:) :)

need kit regardless!!! and always TORQUE everything!!!
loktite cam sprocket bolts!!!