Got my 450R friday!

[RedRacer44]

Picked up my new 450R friday morning. I've put about 5 hours of seat time on it as of right now and I love it. I've been riding a '86 FTZ 310 big bore 250R with PEP suspension and PRP chassis components and my 450 is a pleasant surprise. It accelerates very quickly and revs to the moon. I threw on some Renthal bars and grips, Maier handguards, AC bumper, and trimmed my fenders up a lil' bit so she's looking good. Saving $$$ as of now to buy a full Sparks exhaust, CRF cam, and K&N filter. Then after that, onto the suspension. I've converted my 310R to my dune quad and this is gonna be my MX race quad. Got a race in 2 weeks and i'm dying! I tried to put a hyperlink in below to RRiders where the pics are posted! Check it out! Tell me what ya'all think?

My 450R (http://www.rriders.com/trx250r_forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4010)

[sprtrx300ex]

nice 450

[86atc250r]

Rethink that CRF cam.... Most Pro engine builders with dyno time on this engine will tell you that you'll not only get more performance out of the HRC cam, but you may even lose overall power with the CRF cam --- Likewise, the HRC cam won't work well in the CRF bike.

[RedRacer44]

I was informed from a friend of mine who races Pro at the Nationals that the HRC kit is a waste, you pay $400 for a cam, different exhaust tip, a new airbox lid, and a shorter snorkel. The CRF cam worked well in his 450R that he raced at Glen Helen so I'm gonna give it a shot. As far as the HRC kit, i mean...........just think about it: you gonna throw your airbox lid away anyways once ya get a different filter and rejet, the shorter snorkel is pointless, and are ya gonna really pay $400 for a different exhaust tip which is all ya get? They take the spark arrestor outta the muffler when they do that, which I already did. Most people are gonna throw on an aftermarket full exhaust or atleast a slip-on anyways on this quad or at least I hope. Thats just my opinion on the whole deal, I dont mean any offense to anyone heh. I could be dead wrong and that CRF cam could just really whack everything out but who knows. I'm not sure if i'm gonna do it right away anyways...........I'm still in college and only a part time job so an exhaust system might be all I get. lata...

[86atc250r]

Well, you're off on a couple things...

First the HRC kit does not cost $400. It retails for $299. That's the most you should pay, many people, including myself have paid less.

2nd - It may be a "waste" for some - those trying to squeeze every last ounce of power from their TRX, but that does not mean it's a "waste" for everyone.

For instance - the way I looked at it, it was very inexpensive.

For approximately the cost of a slip on silencer, you open up the exhaust quite a bit - it removes two 180° changes of exhaust direction and allows a straight shot thru the stock silencer as well as removing two big restrictions in the exhaust path. It's not the same as if you were to change the end cap in a 400EX (which is pointless).

While it still will not flow quite as well as an open aftermarket silencer, it does flow pretty well and is quieter than most aftermarket silencers.

Of course you can just remove the stock spark arrestor entirely - but that creates two problems of it's own. Firstly, you no longer have a spark arrestor, which means you can't legally ride on public land. Secondly, it will give the exhaust a nasty sound compared to a HRC end cap due to the aerodynamics of the exhaust's exit path.

You also get a decent way to open the airbox, yet protect the filter from mud/water. That was something I would have had to fabricate myself like I did on my 400EX, so the kit saved me time here as well.

Throwing away the airbox lid entirely is a bad idea for a couple reasons. Firstly, it exposes your filter to water and mud splash - the filter will allow muddy water to pass.

On the 400EX, I found that on all my setups, removing the airbox lid entirely actually resulted in a power loss vs cutting a hole in the lid and installing a splash shield. I don't know if the same will hold true for a 450R, but it's entirely plausable.

Next, you also get a cam designed for this engine specifically.

The CRF cam was designed to flow best with the CRF's head characteristics. It has less low lift duration than the HRC cam to take advantage of the CRF's head design.

This means that the CRF cam will not allow the TRX's head to flow as well as the HRC cam.

Likewise, the HRC cam will cause a serious low end power loss in a CRF engine due to killing the velocity by allowing too much flow.

Building power is all about matching your components. If you just blinding start mixing and matching parts, you can bet your engine will not perform as it should.

Lastly you get the jets and needle to make this all work correctly.

Even if you intend to modify further in the future, the HRC cam and intake setup will likely work for future modifications and the kit make an inexpensive interim solution.

So.... Are you wasting $300 by purchasing the HRC kit? Depends on your goals & what your time's worth. For many people, the answer is no.

[joe1l]

lets not forget the HRC cam will keep the manufacturers warranty valid!

[kazpr]

Red what bend are those bars?? Were they easy to make them fit?? Thanks alot

[RedRacer44]

Yeah, that is true about the warranty. But its only a 6 month warranty but that will lost through the race season this spring and summer so its cool! Like I say, I'm not gonna have enough $$$ to get the cam just yet, going with a full exhaust system, K&N filter, and jetting first off. I'm sure it'll be fast enough then to pull the holeshot heh! Gotta get my suspension and chassis stuff on too!

Those are CR High Bend, if i remember correctly. They were a breeze to mount up man! No problems! If ya wanna keep your key though, you'll have to find a place to put it. I just un-plugged mine from the wiring harness. Still starts and runs, just kills your headlights which doesnt matter to me a whole lot!

I threw on my MX fronts and rear beadlocks last night, dropped the quad down a few inches! Feels a lot better....not so high up in the air! Looks a helluva lot better!