crazy-Just how has your bike been ridden??? It sounds like you have been racing it? If so, tell us about it. Has it been abused compared to what the average recreational rider would??? Stock 450 frames are standing up to desert endurance racing, just fine!

 

reconranger, i've been thinking what you just said. i ride my 450r pretty hard, and i doubt that my frame is cracked, but i'm gonna check this weekend just to make sure. a cracked frame, especially on a weld, would be one of the last reasons that i would ever sell my quad. especially if i don't even have the crack, and i was jus afraid of it. on another note, i need to change my oil. the problem is that i've only put about 60-70 hours on the bike and it needs the oil change already, so what oil do u guys use? i was running maximum 4 15w-30 (i beleive that was the viscosity). i usually ride at the beach, so that viscosity works good, but the oil jus doesn't last.

 

Honda HP4M in the engine, Honda HP4 without Moly in the tranny.

 

cro-I run Honda HP4M (a slick JASO MB oil with moly) in the engine, and Honda 80W/85W HP Trans Oil in the transmission. Please don't tell us you are saying your bike has 60-70 hrs. on it and you NEVER CHANGED THE OIL YET??? See this thread. http://forums.atvconnection.com/mess...R&keyword2=oil

Read this great article. Everything that pertains to the CRF's, also goes for your 450R. These high reving engines will be very hard on their oil. Change that oil OFTEN, like every weekend! From the article: "The downside is that the oil quantity in each chamber is reduced (to approximately 650cc), increasing the need for more frequent oil changes. Any oil loss, no matter how small, becomes critical when you have a small pool to draw from."

http://www.thumperfaq.com/oil.htm

 

"I run Honda HP4M (a slick JASO MB oil with moly) in the engine, and Honda 80W/85W HP Trans Oil in the transmission"


Same here....

 

The Honda recommended oil change interval is 100 hours. Granted, I'll change mine sooner than that but those of you changing yours after every ride/weekend with just recreational riding are just wasting your money.

Also, the TRX motor is not like the CRF. The piston is longer and has a 3rd ring. I pretty sure the compression is also lower. The wear will be considerable reduced. I've run probably 25 hours on this change of oil so far and it hasn't even dropped one bit in the sight glass. The CRF motor actually burns oil under normal conditions.

 

I think cro rides mostly Pismo. I know when I go to Pismo, I easily ride 10 hours on a long weekend. Lets see, at an average of 40 mph, that is ~400 miles. Time for an oil change!

 

i would rather change it early and prevent future problems...

 

And, Honda has a vested interest in making their vehicles apear to be "low maintenance", so they are going to go with the longest oil change interval possible. 100 hours is nuts!

 

dude, i totally agree. i know people that can weld better than factory.

the problem is getting someone that knows how to do it right. nothing wrong with a weld - of course its welded to begin with, but it just shows that honda didnt want the cheap, easy way out to solve your problem; they wanted the best way to solve your problem. i wast just trying to salute them on that.