I know there's a few folks who have gotten their WR450F's plated and use them as dual sports and supermotos. I just bought an 08' that's plated and am hoping that it works for my dual sport'in needs here in the NC mtns. I've read some say that they aren't good as dual sports and others say that they are great. Getting the WR was my answer to upgrading my DRZ400S. I didn't see any reason to buy & install a new carb, big bore, etc. and still have a bike that was relatively heavy. Maybe I lost some durability, hopefully not too much? I'd like to hear from folks who ride them or have had them. Tell me the good, the bad, ect. Any tips for making them "better" and / or last longer?
The seat sucs!!! Just kidding! A friend has one and has... no...zero....nada.., complaints. But he does not do extended highway trips on his. Bundy
I had an '03, it was really great. Reliable as claw hammer, worked well with bag's and gear. Pretty good headlight, suspension that worked all around and a stock fuel tank that has a decent range. If you use it for DS fire roads and such and not too much slab, it's really great. The only extra mod compared to the usual stuff was I made was taking off a few ounces off the flywheel.
I've had an inmate buddy and also a local Yamaha mechanic, both warn me about the importance of checking the valves frequently. The mechanic said every 20 hours, and the buddy said each oil change. The mechanic said it takes him about 45 minutes, so I'd figure it will probably take me an hour after I've done it a couple of times. He also said it takes a lot longer if you have to change shims because the cams have to come out. He also show me a crunched piston that resulted from not keeping check of them. Aluminum pistons don't have a chance against a titanium valve. :eek1 My bike just passed inspection this afternoon. The Yamaha shop couldn't pass me because the tires aren't DOT legal, but I tried another inspector (not at a bike shop) and he didn't notice the tires. They both noticed my front brake doesn't accuate the brakelight, but they each let it slide. Funny thing is "I" won't let it slide, IMO it's more important than the rear one because I always use the front brake earlier on pavement. Tomorrow I'll pick up my plate. What experiences have you guys had dealing with the valves?
I was about 3 seconds from buying one over another DRZ when mine was stollen. Ended up with another DRZ just for the reliablity and the pain it the a$$ it is to title one in VA. That being said, I did some homework on them. Cut or disconnect the grey wire. This will remap to mimic the YZ Cut or buy a new throttle screw to open it up. It comes restricted from the factory to meet CA requirements Overhaul on exaust as it's pretty restricted too. Not sure if they come with a 13T or 14T front, but if 13T you may want to look into getting a 14T. It will take some of the pressure off the engine when running on the street. Not ideal for the trails, but its a litte give and take. Will require oil change more often for sure if your running street. Those bikes don't like to run high for too long either. It's something like 50-60 pounds lighter than the DRZ and has more power, so your gonna love throwing it around on the trails! This is only what I learned in my search for one, so not sure how much merrit my opinion has here. I've never actually owned one....just my 2 cents.
I had a plated 03. Good solid bike. The engine really is bullet proof. Since the bike is new to you, I'd check them now, then maybe again in 20-30 hours. If they haven't moved, you don't need to check them often. I only checked mine once per year, which was probably 60-70 hours, they were still in spec. Checking them at every oil change is a waste of time. The only negative of the WR as a dual sport bike is the 5 speed gear box. I always found myself looking for 6th gear on pavement or wide open desert/fire roads. I now have a KTM EXC with a 6 speed gear box and it's perfect. If the WR had a true wide ratio, 6 speed gear box, I'd still have it. BTW, the WR is a MUCH better bike than the DRZ all the way around. I've owned a DRZ, so I know them well. The DRZ would get me where I was going, the WR and the KTM get me there while smiling the entire way!
Checked the valves today and they were perfect. What a PITA, but I know it will be quicker & simpler next time. I will check them again, but not real soon. Installed a new spark plug which seemed to make her happy, cause she fired up almost before I pressed the button. The oil looks good, so I'll order some filters and change it in a week or two since she's new to me, but I'm planning on riding every day this coming week. TRED, Thanks for the tips I think they've been done, but I'll check. For now she feels like a screamer to me.
Went on a long hard ride yesterday. The WR did great, really soaked up the rough stuff and blasts up hills with plenty of power. I could/should have chosen an easier trail for the end of the day, it was brutal. Miles of football sized rocks & boulders climbing up & up. I'd been down that trail before, I just figured the mighty WR and my buddy's new Berg 570 wouldn't have any problems, but gravity is a HUGE factor, in both dirrections! At 38.5 miles I had to switch to reserve! My bike began surging bad towards the end of the day. The WR FAQs on TT say I need to work on the Throttle Position Sensor. Guess I'd better look at the manual....
It's funny reading your story, Glenn, in that I recently sold my heavily modified DRZ400S and picked up a plated 2005 WR450F yesterday! The DRZ had just about every performance mod there is short of a big-bore kit and was still falling short for me. I'll be awhile jumping through all the hoops to get the bike plated in Kentucky but can't wait to get it on the road! Check out the WR450 Mods List over at thumpertalk.com for a good overview of what needs doing: http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/180299-2005-wr450-mods-list/ This thread needs pics, so here's mine strapped down to the truck yesterday:
Ghost, Sweet find. Good luck with the plating process. The WR450's are bad-ass. You're going to love the handling and power. For peace of mind check your valve clearance asap. Mine were perfect. Yours will be too, but check them because a head with 5 titanium valves isn't cheap to repair. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with your new bike. Besides a larger tank, a rear rack, and a good seat I don't think I'll need anything else.
Got a particular rack in mind, Glenn? That's a definite need for how I plan to use the bike, but I haven't even looked to see what's available. The need for a big tank and better seat seem to keep coming up, too.
Luckily mine came with a billet aluminum rack and an Acerbis 3.3 gallon tank included. The rack looks top notch & cost $187. I really like it, but would probably have "cheaped out" and bought a low end one. I'm glad it was already on the bike. The Acerbis isn't installed yet, it has a stripped mounting nut and the bolt won't come out, so it's time consuming to tighten it onto the radiator. I'm have issues with the TPS which I need to fix and will need to pull the tank a few times to work on it, so I'm waiting to permanently mount the tank. If choosing a tank I'd go with whichever brand is largest because the WR is a thirsty bike. For my needs if I was choosing what to buy first it would probably be a larger tank. And your butt will demand a seat asap. I went with the Seat Concepts for the DRZ and was very happy, so I'll be calling them next week for the WR. Hopefully you won't have trouble with the TPS. It causes the ignition to stutter at low throttle, high speed cruising, like when you're riding on the highway. If you haven't yet, go find some big offroad hills to climb. The WR has so much power it just blasts right up them! I can't believe Yamaha didn't offer these plated. I'm really surprised how few DRZ guys decide to try a WR450 before pouring so much into modifying their Suzukis, especially in states where it's easy to plate them. What do they spend trying to reach the performance of a WR? Isn't 50 hp the "ultimate goal" for a DRZ? I think an uncorked WR is about there.
I don't see myself avoiding the larger tank for long. The best setup I've found for an '05 is the IMS 3.1 gallon tank for around $275 new. That should get me safely into the 100 mile range, wouldn't you think? I could tell within the first 50 feet that the WR's power delivery has almost nothing in common with the DRZzzzz. Wow!
It would be easier with an odometer. My oil looked new on the dipstick when I bought the bike, so I rode it a couple of weeks and just changed it yesterday. Do you have a copy of the manual? You can get a pdf copy from the Yamaha Australia website (can't find the link, got it on TT, I think) The manual says every 1000 km (621 miles) , but also has a disclaimer at the top of the page that says to adjust your intervals depending on conditions. So, easy riding in a clean environment means less often and hard riding (racing) in muddy or dusty conditions mean more often. I'll just plan to change it every month during the riding season, checking the oil level and color every few rides. When it turns dark it's time to change.
Here's a direct link to Yamaha's Australian website with all available manuals in pdf format. Just select your model from the drop down menus and have at it: http://www.yamahaownershandbook.com.au/?r=0 According to page 3-1 of the manual (Regular Inspection and Adjustments, Maintenance Intervals), oil changes after break-in are to be every 1000 km (621 miles).
My manual states 1000km oil changes race schedule. My oil would look like tar after that in singletrack kms
Riding singletrack is harder on oil than racing? What am I missing here? Just got my WR so have no experience with this bike to speak of, but that sounds counter intuitive.
if I raced 1000km it would probably look like paste as of now I am going to change it every 7-10 hours. I go by hr meter
