Red Alert: ChapMoto's Almost Race Ready 2017 CRF 450R

The announcement of Honda's brand new CRF 450R for the
2017 model lineup brought a lot of smiles to motocross fans. A
total ground up revamp and sporting a host of performance
enhancements to improve the bike's power output and handling was
exactly what every dirt bike fan wanted to see and Honda
did not fall short. Some of the highlights of the redesigned model
include an 11-percent increase in top end power thanks to some
crafty internal work with more valve lift, a higher compression
ratio, a more direct flow for the intake system, and a revised
cylinder head. Knowing that hole shots are key factors to winning
races Honda engineers addressed the low down as well with improved
torque performance and a 5-percent bump in acceleration off the
line.
A great performing engine is useless unless it's cradled in an
equally strong chassis. So to that end Honda built upon its legacy
of great mx frames and created its seventh generation aluminum
frame. More compact and with a lower center of gravity, the
aluminum frame was designed with a shorter distance between the
swingarm pivot and the rear wheel, which according to Honda, the
new package equates to unprecedented levels of rear traction. To
keep the bike light, agile, and streamlined Honda added a new
titanium fuel tank and then dressed the bike in sleek new plastics.
In the suspension department, Honda drew back to what worked well
in the past and ditched the airfork from the 2016 model for a 49mm
Showa steel spring front fork. This change alone can mean the world
of difference for riders, as many are still finding the airforks to
be tricky to dial in.
While all these features are great and all, probably the most
important new news to many enthusiasts for the 2017
450R was the availability of an optional electric start. The
addition of electric start could play a major factor into whether a
race is won or lost due to a damaged/broken kicker pedal or an
exhausted rider that just doesn't have the energy to kick over a
stubborn bike.
We have a hive of Honda fans on staff and the Chaparral Motorsports
mod team was eager to get its hands on one of these fresh new
machines; so as soon as the delivery truck arrived with the first
shipment one of the crates was hauled into the backroom where a
collection of new aftermarket parts and accessories could be
installed.
Our offroad apparel
manger, Travis Snyder, is a huge Honda guy so he was stoked when he
was tapped to lead the charge with the parts selection for this CRF
450R project which has been dubbed, Red Alert. Travis owns and
races a 2007 CRF 450R, so he was pretty confident on exactly what
he wanted to do with the build. "I wanted the bike to basically be
race-ready with everything a rider would want," Travis stated. "The
only thing we didn't do was mess with the engine or the suspension,
those kinds of changes are more based on rider preference so we
left that to the new owner to address."
Starting with the wheels we
ditched the stock hoops and went with a more durable setup put
together by our friends over at Dubya. Travis had them lace up a
set of black DID Dirt Star Rims with matching black spokes and
silver nipples and then tie everything together with red anodized
Talon hubs. Outfitted with the stock Dunlop GeoMax tires, before the
wheels were installed the swingarm was sent out to get baked in
black powdercoat and the stock triple clamps were replaced with
Ride Engineering clamps. While Ride Engineering offers the clamps
in several offset options Travis stuck with the stock 22mm offset
to keep the handling the same. Machined out of 2024 T6 aluminum the
new clamps are a little bit lighter than stock and according to
Ride Engineering they offer more flex on the bottom clamp, have
revised steering stops, and a larger profile top clamp, all of
which equates to better handling.
In the braking department the stock components were upgraded with a
mix of goodies from Galfer and Ride
Engineering. Up front one of Galfer's massive 280mm Tsunami brake
rotor kits was mounted to the wheel and at the fork leg a Ride
Engineering Billet Caliper was installed with a Galfer steel
braided brake line. This combination of components was chosen
because it would drastically improve braking performance with
better modulation, less fade, and much improved heat dissipation
via the over-sized rotor and larger pistons and cooling fins cut
into the backside of the caliper.
Even though the engine was
left untouched, the 450R did get a boost with the addition of a
full Signature Series RS-9T FS TI-TI-CF Exhaust system from
Yoshimura. An all-new system designed to complement the new Honda
engine package, the system features an extremely light weight
titanium header and tail pipes with dual tapered mufflers capped
with carbon fiber tips. This exhaust is not only 1.4 pound lighter
than stock but has been dyno tested to provide much improved
throttle response, broader power, as well as better mid-range and
top end power.
As mentioned earlier, the 2017 Honda is available with a
dealer-installed electric start, so naturally we went with this
option and had our guys slap in the push-to-start kit. Actually
it's not that simple, installation takes a couple hours and
involves dipping into the top end, but the end result is much
quicker and easier starting when in a hurry. Obviously a battery
was required for this setup, so to keep thing as light as possible
we reached for a Featherweight Lithium Battery from WPS.
We did break into the
drivetrain to upgrade the standard clutch package with a
Billetproof Conventional Clutch Kit from Hinson. The complete
clutch assembly features eight plates (one more than stock) and is
designed to deliver a host of improvements such as smoother clutch
engagement, better heat dissipation, longer life for the individual
components, and better all-around performance. Gearing was
addressed as well with the stock 13 tooth sprocket left in place
and the rear 49 tooth replaced with a 50 tooth red Talon sprocket
wrapped in a DID 520MX Gold/Black chain. This slight change in the
gearing ratio will help give the new owner a tad more lower end
power and acceleration for hole shots and digging out of
corners.
In order to stay abreast of service intervals a Works Connection
Hour Meter and Maintenance Timer with a tach was mounted to the
frame just behind the steering head. To keep tabs on the heat being
generated several CV4 Temp sticks were added to the radiators and
engine. Speaking of the radiators, a set of Works Connection
Radiator Braces were installed as an added layer of protection in
the event of a tip over or crash.
When it came to the
hand and foot controls Travis set the bike up with a Renthal RC
Bend Fatbar mounted in Ride Engineering bar mounts. The bars were
outfitted with Ultra Tacky Dual Compound Renthal Half Waffle grips
and Arc Folding Levers. Down below the stock shift and brake levers
were left in place but the footpegs were tossed aside for a set of
Flo Motorsports footpegs. Made from high grade 7075 T6 aluminum and
precision machined, the Flo pegs have a wide platform and stainless
steel replaceable cleats to deliver exceptional performance and
improved handling.
While the 450R received new
plastics for 2017, Travis decided to change it up a little by going
with an all red plastic set from Acerbis and a Red Factory Edition
Stadium Number Plate from Cycra. To matchup with the black
powdercoated swingarm the stock red lower fork guards were switched
out for a black set from Acerbis. To give the bike a more
race-ready appearance, the plastics were sent out to Magik Graphics
for a custom red, white, and black graphic design. A host of
accessories were thrown at the bike to add a bit of a factory look.
We added Works Connection Fork Guard Titanium bolts, Works
reservoir caps, axle blocks, and oil filter cover, Ride Engineering
ignition and timing plugs as well as a Ride Engineering dip
stick.
Lastly, the bike was capped
off with a Think Technology Lite Seat Foam wrapped in a custom seat
cover done up by Magik Graphics. The seat is a significant upgrade
to the bike as the foam from Think Technology is the same material
that's used in the aerospace industry and weighs only 3 ounces
which is nearly 1-1/2 pounds lighter than the stock seat. The seat
makes for a significant amount of weight savings from an often
overlooked component on the bike.
So that pretty much covers everything that was changed or added to
what we've come to call the Red Alert Honda CRF 450R. Many people
on staff have fallen in love with the bike and hated to see it roll
onto the sales floor. They were able to find solace in the fact
that more than likely someone local will purchase the bike, so
they'll probably get to see it in its natural environment on one of
the nearby tracks.
Parts List
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