2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Excellent info on the starting issue. I made the quick discovery that you just don't touch the throttle when starting this beast. If you do, the motor can kick back and the starter takes a big hit - I guess mine didn't blow up after it happened a couple of times.

Now I know to just hit the starter with the choke on when it's cold. It takes a while for the motor to really warm up - a lot more than I am used to. Oh, and my friend with a modded YFZ was quite impressed with the torque of the Honda motor. as am I. I can't wait to throw a few mods on it. So far I plan on the Hotcam Stage 2, green wire mod, and I'll see how the stock exhaust runs after jetting and airbox changes.

This quad rocks!

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Put in a few hours of hard a$$ desert riding on an 06 ER this weekend. There have to be some tricks to starting that we were not aware of, because starting was not the snap that one would think it would be with an electric starter. The thing made all kinds of scarry weird noises and you could see the oil getting darker all the time. I think we should have done an oil change, half-way through the weekend. I'm thinking about a CRF450X, so I am keeping a close eye on this engine..........

So far, I am glad to have my HRC, kick start 04 TRX, and I don't think I would want to give it up for an 06 at this point.

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Two things that I have learned from my 06-R in the short time I have owned it.

1. Never Never Never touch the throttle when starting or it will lock up the starter. Starts without the throttle will result in easy, almost instantanous starts. I just have to get used to not pushing the throttle when starting especially when I stall it and the pack starts passing me. I'm surprised I havn't damaged something.
2. In stock form, they are very lean and require a rediculous amount of time to warm up and that is in 50 deg weather. Sorek explains what the guys in cold climates do. Maybe the shop can make some "honda approved jet needle adjustments" that help or maybe a larger choke (starter) jet? Also, there is a accl pump on this carb so you can pump the throttle a few times to add some extra fuel. The normal procedure for meis: pull the choke - two or three slow pumps on the throttle and hit the starter.
2a. The HRC kit jetting corrects the lean run problem and makes for effortless starting in as low as 40 deg weather in my experience.

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I am very aware of the 15 hour piston replacement. My take on that is more like this: Most 450 engines could use a valve clearance check at 15 hours where as most will not need a piston. If you are John Natalie Jr. on the throttle you may need a new piston at around 15-20 races or so....per honda specs. Think of all the two-stroke quads and dirt bikes that are many years old on the orignal piston.....I think it is all about how YOU ride and maintain your ATV as to when the piston should be replaced. I have only seen piston failure in 3 cases of the TRX450R motor and they were all in 2004 when they had a problem with the oil seal between the transmission and the engine oils being installed incorrectly. However, If you are a backyard, trail type rider you will probably have to have new valves before the piston. My reccomendation would be to check your valve clearance at the specified times and when they go out of adjustment to where they will need to be shimmed, take the valve train off the unit and inspect the piston and rings. I try to tell people to do piston, rings, gaskets, and valves all at the same time. This may be not very cheap but in the long run it will be worth it. Just my .02
Sorek
Honda/Yamaha Tech

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Here is another tip for the new owners of 450ER's out there. I have been having alot of "dead" batteries in the 450R's lately. Pay close attention to the battery of your unit as it does not have a back up kick starter (DUMB HONDA DUMB!). The battery of the 450R is very compact and therefore kinda weak. Its like sending G.I. Joe to Iraq with a bb gun! I have to say that I think Honda will be putting a better ( higher strenght) battery in the 07. The best way to prevent this slow battery death (which is inevitable with all batteries) is to run your unit with the headlights on and when the quad is in storage use a BATTERY TENDER. This is a trickle charger that can double the life of your battery and only costs around $35. When u compare that to the cost of a new battery its pretty cheap. Just my .02
Sorek
Honda/Yamaha Tech

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I have on 06 Honda 450ER and have the HRC cam installed in it for now until I get my engine up to my sponsor Rossier Engineering. But I am running the HRC cam and a Rossier Engineering Pipe and SIlencer and I tell you this is up to 49.7 to the rear wheels on the dyno, not bad for just two add ons.
As for any problems, I will have to admit the battery sucks, I had a YFZ450 and it cranked alot harder then this thing does, but also think you can use the trick the YFZ450 riders do and they use a CBR600 battery that has more CCA and I am going to try this out.
Also I took off all the electrical that I could since I race TT/ST but remember you do have to have an on/off switch or it draws from the battery as well and what I did was put a toggle switch where the hot wire of your battery disconnects and now I have all electrical crap off and still a switch to turn off any current, my friend is a Honda Mechanic and we tested everything with a multimeter and without the key switch or a way to turn off the power it draws current from the battery, a $5.00 toggle switch fixes that.

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Another starting question...just bought an 06, jetted, K&N, higher comp piston than stock. WHen warm, the 450 usually starts with the starter (although it takes a few cranks). WHen cold, it's almost impossible to start (I'm going to try the hand over the intake trick you mentioned). If it stalls....it won't start with the starter. But all it takes hot or cold is a little bump start and it's running. Could the decompression clearance be off? And could you explain how the decompression works (I know what it does, I mean the technology that makes it work under 200 rpm).

Thanks.

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Note that the last post on here is from March.......still, good info and not a bad post to resurrect.

I (thankfully!) have the kick starter! On a cold start, I pump the throtle 4 times, to inject fuel into the carb. Set the choke full on. It will ususlly start first kick, but occasionally a second is required. The engine will race (not at all good for a cold engine), so I have to be ready to turn the choke off immediately. I then have to sit and baby it for a couple of minutes until it is fully warm.

For a hot start, just pull the hot start button, and never give it any throtle until it has already gotten going. Starts first kick every time.

I have not recently put any time on my buddies electric start R's, but I will make a point to in the future and help them refine the process., as they occasionally have problems.

A word to the wise......If I were buying a brand new 07 R, I would still get the kick starter! I have the start procedure so down now, that even my smallish girlfriend can easily start it.

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I know I have a dirtbike 450, but this is exactly how I start mine and NEVER have any troubles starting it now that I have the hang of it, and the CRF450's are the most tempermental version of that engine.

On the 1st start of the day I pump the throttle about 2-3 times, and then kick it over 1-3 times without ANY throttle. After it is good and warm and I go to refire it, I pull in the hot start without any throttle and in a kick it is running again.

I have found that a good thing to do is put your throttle hand on the middle of the bar so you are not tempted to touch the throttle.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

2006 Honda TRX450ER Notes! OWNERS OF UNITS LOOK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Good advice about where to put your hand! Every other quad or bike I have ever owned needed trottle while starting, so it's a hard habit to break..........