[darbyhodges]

Hey guys,

couple of questions. I just bought a left over 2010 CRF450R. It only had about 5 hours on it. I love the bike and the power (just came off of a 2005 CRF250X) but I can't get comfortable with the suspension. It is super harsh. I think I am going to send out the forks and shock and have them revalved for my weight (175) and riding style (mostly trail occasional track). My question is where should I send the suspension and how much can I expect to spend? I'm not looking to turn this into a race bike, I just want it to be plush and stable to have fun on. I am willing to spend the cash to get it like I want it because I keep my bikes a long time. The 250X was really plush off road but didn't have enough for the track. I'd like to fall somewhere in the middle. I'm not a fast rider on the track. I just like to hit a few of the safer jumps. I want the bike to soak up some of the braking bumps and not feel like its riding so high in the rear… Any suggestions will help!

Thanks,

Darby

[JimDirt]

There are lots of places you could send it , Ken right here could do it for that matter and his prices are decent as well as his work

The issue your going to have mostly trail riding is that the 450R suspension will be stiffer no matter what you do compared to the 450X or 250X , because the tubes themselves are more rigid , you can get it to be really decent , but it will never be like a X just because of the construction of the forks themselves

Honda put too much preload in the KYB Mid Speed Stack ,which took away the progressive characteristics of the valving , so unless your a Pro rider its going to be stiff with stock valving

You can add some sag to the rear , this will take some of the pressure off the front and give a slightly softer ride , this along with a re-valve , front AND rear , should get it tolerable for you , its won't be a Cadillac but it will be much better , you also should do Compression AND Rebound valving , not just the Compression stack like most people do or have done

You could also try a softer fork spring ,this will allow the bike to use more of the stroke , because of the stock stiff valving the forks ride higher in the stroke all the time and this is what contributes to the harshness , a softer pressure spring will help as well and is what i did to my 02 450R to make it more trail friendly (i re-valve my own bikes) , i think the 2010 comes with a 2.1 Pressure Spring , i went with a 1.76 , which takes away a lot of the harshness and initial hits


Anyway , talk to Ken and see what he thinks he can do for you , either way no matter whom you choose , you need to converse with them first to make sure they can get you what your looking to achieve (as best as possible with what MX suspension allows)

Another thing to consider is shipping , if the suspension is not right after its done , you will have to ship it back and forth till it is (at your cost usually) so make sure where your sending it can get it to YOUR needs as best as possible , hopefully the first time

[darbyhodges]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Thanks for the reply. What is the ball park figure for doing what you spoke of? just looking at how much I need to expect. I can live with it being stiffer than the X model I just want it to be a little softer than it is now. I'm no pro rider and my main concern is that it is smoother on the smaller stuff. I absolutely love the power of the 450 and I am getting used to it being stiffer. I ran my X a lot stiffer than the stock settings and I had added 5cc more oil to the forks on it but since that time I have had a wrist injury and honestly on the X my concern was more with making it a little stronger. The 450 doesn't need any help in that dept so I am going to put that money into the suspension. Am I looking at $300-$400 or $2000? Thats where I'm at. I really don't want to spend more than around $600 if possible. After that the wife starts asking those dreaded questions like "So you bought a new bike and now you need to put new suspension on it?" Trying to explain that to someone who doesn't ride is near impossible...

[JimDirt]

The price honestly depends on who does it , and what exactly is done , shops vary in price for the same services , as well as what they charge for parts , there is no set "re-valve cost this much"

A ballpark is going to be around $600 , usually re-valving is in the $150-$200 per end , and approximately $100 per end for main springs(if you don't need main springs for your weight then the price goes down $100-$200) , $30-$40 for Pressure Springs (i would recommend getting them to help address your specific issues), plus oil,seals, wear parts , additional labor costs , etc , so expect $600 as a average , it could be less , or quite possibly a few hundred more , it just depends on the shop itself and the actual work performed and parts purchased

[darbyhodges]

Thanks,

Ballpark is all I was looking for so I could plan for it a little. I want to get the bike right so I can really enjoy it. I've learn over the years that good suspension set up makes you faster than a really expensive/loud pipe and good looking graphics...

[JimDirt]

Yea i hear ya , though my bikes do look good , i did the suspension along with the bling , riding a 02 450R with stock suspension is sketchy at best , the way it is now , (it took me a few tries to get it where i like it) , it makes my 55 year old broken body feel 35-40 when i ride it , instead of my age plus my injuries , 3 broken backs and a broken neck and arthritis and bursitis , tends to force the need for plushness