2022 Honda CRF450RL

[richard310]

So this near brand new 2022 CRF450RL landed in my garage to keep my CB500X company because you can't have just one. Luckily, the Harbor Freight hitch carrier was sturdy and stable enough to haul it across Los Angeles County, and hopefully out to trail heads in the near future too.

My current plan is to use this CRF strictly for dirt adventures, and keep the CB500X in its Rally Raid configuration but relegate it to road based rides. Not sure how I'd like to outfit this one but KISS principles will be in effect with this bike. It comes stock but has a Vortex ECU to help with CRF's known issues. Firstly though, I need to take this out to some dirt and ride it to get some seat time and get acclimated.

Speaking of seats, a Seat Concept low seat is on the radar to help my short 5'7" 30" inseam stature. I can comfortably just tip toe on one leg with me shifted off on the oem seat at a stop but it's just. Wearing running shoes allows the flex but boots are a whole different story. The 1" less height seat should give me just enough drop to have the ball of one foot rest comfortably on the ground. Also, having the suspension adjusted to my weight is going to need to happen as well, since it's setup for someone slightly heavier than I, but at the very least I can set the preload for now.

Work has been eating up a lot of my time lately, but I'm going to try and get out as much as I can to get acquainted with the new addition to the stable!

Until then, stay tuned for more updates!

 

[nsfw]

congrats! i always like the crf450, just could not justify getting one since my trusty 2003 xr400 has provided me all my needs. 4-wheeling was my main passion until i got into dual sport riding. i live in Burbank, maybe one day while the weather is still nice, we meet and ride.

 

[richard310]

Thanks @nsfw . I'm pretty n00b when it comes to riding offroad but id be up to finding people to ride with locally and learn stuff.

Btw, are you same NSFW on advrider?

 

[nsfw]

Thanks @nsfw . I'm pretty n00b when it comes to riding offroad but id be up to finding people to ride with locally and learn stuff.

Btw, are you same NSFW on advrider?

that's me Richard. just browse the site and you'll see many of the rides we did. i normally prefer mellow rides and making new friends. what's your user handle at the forum?

i have a yt channel, contains nothing spectacular.

from last weekend.

 

[richard310]

that's me Richard. just browse the site and you'll see many of the rides we did. i normally prefer mellow rides and making new friends. what's your user handle at the forum?

i have a yt channel, contains nothing spectacular.

from last weekend.

I'm under the same handle, but I don't post much, mostly reading and researching/shopping. I'll pop into the regional forums more and hopefully find some time to link up with you guys on some local rides. The Pahrump Rally in Oct looks enticing too.

 

[richard310]

Coming down the pipeline:

• Seat Concepts low comfort
• Race Tech 0.42kg fork springs
• Race Tech 4.6kg shock spring

Being such a light weight requires quite a bit of modification. Even after trying to set sag with gear on, I'm barely heavy enough to compress the stock suspension to get it in the ballpark. The spring rates I ordered from Race Tech are on the more softer spectrum as per their recommendations on the website, which I'm hoping will cure many things... but hope it's not too soft.

 

[richard310]

Wow that was easier than I thought it'd be, even though it took me a little over half a day to complete.

I replaced the OEM springs with the Race Tech's that came in yesterday. For the rear spring, I kept the rear shock attached in the frame and just removed the lower linkage bolt and lower shock perch. Dropped down the OEM spring and slid up the new one. Easy peezy.

For the forks, I dropped out the tubes from the triple clamps, flipped them upside down to disassemble and replaced the fork springs without a drop of oil spilt. Tons of YouTube vids to make me certified.

I set the sag appropriately once i was finished, and tomorrow I'll be heading out for a ride ro check the difference! Of course no install is complete without some sticker bling.

Now I continue to wait for the Seat Concepts low comfort seat to arrive and that should help better plant a sure foot on the ground.

 

[nsfw]

good progress there. the SC seat is a significant improvement, i just installed one on my XR400. i have the low seat from them (i could feel the seat pan) but i decided to move to the normal height. way too tall and could barely touch the ground, i ended up taking it to an upholstery shop and shaved about an inch. rode the bike today and i like it. slightly taller than the old one but manageable, just avoid stopping on an off-cambered ground or use the sidewalk curb if possible.