First GNCC race first race in general crf 450

[jamesrm125]

I have been riding for 6-7 years now and I am registering for my first race which will be the unadilla gncc in September

I am 18 6-3 175 pounds I am in pretty good shape and generally ride my buddies full track and tight woods and ATV trails I ride at a medium/fast Pace on the track and am able to clear all the jumps including our 70 foot table top and really haul ass in the woods because that's all I had to ride my first 4 year of riding

2005 crf450 24 Hours since I completely rebuilt it all bearings in trans shift forts cylinder head piston crank water pump balanced ect

Mods: 2008 (crank head piston carb update) applied triple clamps warp 9 wheel sets red hubs black rims, fmf power bomb header, a crfx450 big gun Eco muffler with the spark arrestor screen installed devol radiator guards and moose wraparound bark busters Works connection fuel screw, Twin Air power flow billet cage and filter I just installed a Barnett clutch basket pro x inner hub and Hinson fibers (one of my old fibers started to grenade) and run engine ice coolant mixed with Honda hp and Rotella T in both sides

After talking to the Dunlop rep he recommend a geomax mx 51 rear for the each which I have a brand new spare I have been running 13-52 gearing but I also have a brand new 48 50 51 rear I can use

I am looking for any advice to set up my bike for this race (on the cheaper side) and what I should be expecting on race day, what class I should be racing in (I'm assuming c class) and bike pre race prep ect any advise is welcome

[OLHILLBILLY]

One thing I don't see mentioned is an over sized fuel tank. You're going to be constant big gas on a thirsty bike for 2 hours, I would wonder if 2 gallons will go the distance. 

[iMOTO189]

One thing I don't see mentioned is an over sized fuel tank. You're going to be constant big gas on a thirsty bike for 2 hours, I would wonder if 2 gallons will go the distance.

30-32 miles per tank is a fairly safe number for racing the woods on a carbed crf450. Anything beyond that you risk the dreaded "I'm in first place in my class and just ran out of gas" scenario. Shiddy feeling. Lol.

[jamesrm125]

We are allowed to refuel at the pits I would only make it an hour and 45 mins from what I've tested

[tvalliere220]

I've heard your not suppose to mix engine ice and regular coolant because they are quite different and may become acidic. Not sure if its true but i would just run one or the other.

 

Q: Can you mix Engine Ice with other products or types of coolant and antifreeze? 
A: We recommend you never mix ANY TYPE of coolant and antifreeze products. One reason is that propylene glycol and ethylene glycol do not mix well together. Another reason is that just because the base fluid may be similar, other additives and ingredients may not be. Just as you would not mix oils, and for the same reasons, you should not mix coolants and antifreezes.

 

Q: What do I do in an emergency if I have an issue and need some Engine Ice Hi-Performance Coolant on the track, trail or side of the road? 
A: If you have lost coolant and are in an emergency situation, we recommend you add only water, a good bottled water preferably, and once you get the chance make any necessary repairs, flush the system and replace with 100% Engine Ice for optimum results and protection.

 

 

http://engineice.com/f-a-q.html

Edited August 16, 2014 by tvalliere220

[MELK-MAN]

+1.. DO NOT mix Engine ice with regular coolant. 

Lots of info on how to offroad (harescramble/gncc/enduro) prep bikes. I would search . I personally have posted a bunch of stuff in the past. One thing you are gonna want to consider, is softening up the suspension. Just backing off clickers is one way, and that may get you by till you figure out what you want to do. I will say this machine will not make an "ideal" harescramble/gncc weapon, but hey.. have fun. That is the main thing.

[jamesrm125]

I ride a lot of woods and the suspension is perfect right now not too hard and doesn't bottom out on the high speed hits and flat landing jumps so that's not too much of a concern, I'll switch back over to all engine ice I was just using Honda hp coolant to top off and I didn't notice a Difference when I drained it to rebuild the clutch so I wasn't concerned but I'll do what is recommended, What about class selection and riding with slower/faster riders. Also I thought my bike was a great woods weapon because it adds the difficulty to keep it moving(cool) and the snap of the power is nice for logs and hill maybe just being a tall lanky guy it's good for me haha thanks again for the heads up on the engine ice and any advise is highly appreciated

[EnglertRacing]

You wont notice the difference in the coolant but a ph test strip might.

Anddddd

I think he was saying to soften up because you will be tired as faulk by the end of the race

[MELK-MAN]

^^ yes. James. you want to set up the suspension for the majority of your course.. not for the single biggest jump. The course will deteriorate with many riders going over the same area. Lots of rocks and roots get exposed. Something close to a true mx valving is going to beat you up for the 2+ hours. An mx course doesnt' have the sharp edged stuff (roots). Braking bumps? sure.. but that isn't the harsh sharp edged hit that a root is, and , it's one thing to tackle braking bumps for 30 minutes (1 moto) vs. 2hours.

MX/SX suspension valving dampens from the begining, as you need it to take over from big jumps, and from slamming into whoop faces over and over. Offroad valving is typically softer in the initial part of the stroke, to soak up more of the roots and nasty trail trash without transmitting the feel of it all directly through the bars. And a gncc course typically won't have a 70' table top to negotiate either.. lol.. It may incorporate a local mx track, but that will be 10% of the entire loop.. you won't be doing that mx track over and over.

You want that thing SOFTER than an mx bike. It may not be possible to get it ideal with stock valving, but do yourself a favor and back the clickers off a fair amount at minimum.

 

when you need to top off Engine Ice, just use some bottled water.. not honda coolant. One is ethyl glycol, the other is poly glycol.. When mixed, it will gel. Not what you want.

Edited August 17, 2014 by MELK-MAN

[jamesrm125]

Okay will do, thanks for the responses I'll post back with how I made out with the suspension and how well the race went

[jamesrm125]

Also what gearing should I run

I have easy access to 100 octane low lead av gas is it worth it ? 6.50$ a gallon with stock piston,

Would it be better to be running Rotella t6 synthetic in engine side and regular Dino oil in clutch (I have been running regular Rotella t in both sides) ?

[MELK-MAN]

Also what gearing should I run

I have easy access to 100 octane low lead av gas is it worth it ? 6.50$ a gallon with stock piston,

Would it be better to be running Rotella t6 synthetic in engine side and regular Dino oil in clutch (I have been running regular Rotella t in both sides) ?

 

i ran running rotella t6 on both sides for years. I started running a rekluse auto clutch about 3 years ago, and the engagement was a little slower with the t6 with the rekluse. I switched to regular rotella 15/40 on the trans side only. Why not keep running the t6 on both sides.. it's good oil, if ya get an auto clutch, see how it works. ya may need to run a non-synth , ya may not.

 

i have race "A" class for years on pump gas. If you ride every week, and the fuel isn't sitting in there for a month or more, i would just run pump gas. if you can get non-ethanol, that would be better. I drain the float bowl (i have an 04 and an 08) after riding.

[jamesrm125]

Sorry I did forget to mention that the av gas is ethanol free my friends family owns an airport so I can just ride up and refuel since he has the code

[MELK-MAN]

Sorry I did forget to mention that the av gas is ethanol free my friends family owns an airport so I can just ride up and refuel since he has the code

 

i don't know what the jetting implications are with AV gas. find out if it's ok to run with current set up (i suspect it's fine), and yea.. i think it would be better than pump. Not that you need more power. i''m telling you, a 450 is a handful offroad for 2-3 hours. i would be more concerned with getting a suspension setup that you can ride for that long vs. fuel problems. but av gas is likely way better for the carb than e10 (typical 10% ethanol blended pump gas) .

 

for those reading, unless your pump specifically states "ETHANOL FREE" , the fuel has ethanol in it. Many states are NOT required to put the "contains up to 10% ethanol" stickers on the gas pumps.

Edited August 18, 2014 by MELK-MAN

[jamesrm125]

I know the suspension is not stock...let's just say the bike was rode hard and put away wet before I got it by some hardcore racer and the suspension was Redon at some point (had faded sticker and markings of oil height rebound spring weight ect ect of course none of it was actually readable) and is actually spot on for me in any situation I have thrown the bike into so far of course I haven't really ridden hard and fast for over an hour and a half but I'm usually only sore when I ya know...flip the bike on top of me or burn my Leg on the header or have the rear tire hit me in the back of the head give me a concussion then proceed to burn a hole on my bunz... Any ways this race really will be a test of how well the suspension is set up for my riding style

[jamesrm125]

And though I am in search of the most powerful bike on two wheels lol (sort of my addiction) the av gas idea is more for a cleaner more complete burn assuming it is a higher quality since it's used in air planes and to avoid carbon build up and basically gunk in my engine since my jetting is probably only 90% right not 100% due to the constant changing temps from 45-88 degrees and 100% humidity and rain this summer in New York

[Sheepdogmarine]

Do yourself a favor and just run 93. I had an 06 450 when I started doing hare scrambles. When it stalled, it was hard enough to start when it was hot. I had tried 100 octane Avgas at one point. Then, if the temps were cold, it was REALLY hard to start. It is not needed and a waste of money.

 

The good thing about riding a 450 is that after a year of riding it in a race scenario, it will make a better bike so much easier to ride.

 

I am not knocking your bike, it is a great bike. Just not ideal for offroad racing where it gets real tight. 

 

You will have a blast!

[jamesrm125]

If it was hard to start cold with higher octane that's just a jetting issue probably the fuel screw I personally haven't had a problem cold starting with it yet