450x Baja Build

[Frenchytoast]

7 hours ago, Jim Dettman said:

Don't take this wrong and I don't want to come off as being a nay-sayer, but this thread is not exactly what I was expecting for a "Baja build".  I thought you'd be showing us what you've done to it so it could stand up to the rigors of Baja.   Maybe I misunderstood the intent though.

For example, it would be nice if you outlined some of the reasons why your changing out some of these parts.   ie.  the rear sprocket....for increased wear?  save weight?   Both?  Did you change the material type? How much weight did it save?   Was there a purpose being coating the forks? etc.

 Some of it is obvious like the radiator work, but things like the sprocket or exhaust are not (least to me anyway).

Jim.

Thanks for the tip Jim, I will elaborate a little more on the content that I post. 

As far as the sprockets and suspension and exhaust I will break down a little more for you. The DDC sprocket is a steel sprocket that is chrome coated, a lot of the top baja guys and offroad guys are running these sprockets because they are seeing a longer life out of them. The exhaust that I posted is actually a 450x race exhaust from pro circuit that is not available to the public. It is considered a OX motorsports "spec" pipe. It is very different from the JCR pipe that anyone can go buy. The OX pipe has a double walled header, a bigger TI mid pipe instead of stainless, and a shorter TI muffler with a bigger core than the JCR pipe. On to the suspension now, the coating on the fork legs are actually there to reduce stiction and make the fork legs last longer and be more resistant to scratches. The DLC coating (Diamond Like Carbon) is what all the high end showa kit forks usually have. I am just coating everything on the bike to make it look nice for a couple appearances it will have. Otherwise everything being done is what are considered the best bullet proofing modifications for a 450x to make them stand up to the brutal conditions of baja. Im just simply trying to build the best looking and performing bike to race, pre-run and use as a fun dual sport desert weapon. 

[Jim Dettman]

Thanks for filling in the details....just trying to understand what really goes into a bike to prepare it for Baja.

Jim.

[5Rs]

That bike is gonna be a looker. Can you explain the benefit of the double walled header?  Noise/sound reduction? Iirc that sprocket is chrome moly steel. You mentioned it will make some rounds, Long Beach motorcycle show this November?

[BMRFlagstaff]

Holy crap, with the wife's 2 bikes, my two, trail 90's, and a 5yo I'm lucky to hose the mud off!  Our 450x's are goers not show-ers with 300 and 600 hrs ea.  Heading to Cabo starting Thanksgiving for my bikes 4th trip and the 2nd on hers, I'm thinking positive.  

IMS tanks, TRX valves, Scotts stabilizer and oil filter, IMS pegs, Tusk 14/48 steel drivetrain,  Tusk clutch packs w refreshed rekluses on both, FMF pipes and the straightest headers we have.  New Kenda Parkers and TuBliss bibs for this trip, historically the thickest tubes I could find w slime.  Service the suspension and keep the guts clean, did all of the uncork mods to the carb and Rotella in both sides of both.  Aluminum skid plates, sturdy hand guards that attach to the triples, and other random guards that were on the bikes when we got em.  Hose safety wired around the brake pedal, we scored some amazing bulletproof diesel clutch covers, and bulletproof design chain guide braces. Check spoke tension, maintain brakes, rotate good shorai batteries through, basic trail tech computers, and cables/hoses/bearings as needed.  Mine has a sub mount for the Scotts and an 02 R cam with a BD squadron pro set up, she has the BD plug n play LED light on the oem stator.  I wrestled with the valves before I sent them to the doc, now not an issue... Once changed a head in BOLA without feelers and the same shims, a day or two later Colton (pretty sure he knows Hondas) rolled up and let me know my valves sounded a bit loose, yep, never again, ideally.

I have laid it out here, others have different approaches, something may fail but I'm pretty good with our current builds. Props to FrenchyT and the thread, I'd love to get there someday but for now those are our 450x baja builds. Pics of the lil pigs and yes, the wife carries her wine in an aquafina bottle and I maintain em occasionally.  Someone asked what the build would be for the rigors of Baja,  our builds keep 2 B riders on the trail.  Back to the eye candy!!

Edited October 12, 2018 by BMRFlagstaff

[Doug.]

3 hours ago, 5Rs said:

That bike is gonna be a looker. Can you explain the benefit of the double walled header?  Noise/sound reduction? Iirc that sprocket is chrome moly steel. You mentioned it will make some rounds, Long Beach motorcycle show this November?

Titanium, although lighter than stainless steel, is much more brittle. By 'double walled" he means another layer of titanium is added onto the head pipe to decrease the chance of a rock denting it.

[Frenchytoast]

3 hours ago, 5Rs said:

That bike is gonna be a looker. Can you explain the benefit of the double walled header?  Noise/sound reduction? Iirc that sprocket is chrome moly steel. You mentioned it will make some rounds, Long Beach motorcycle show this November?

The double walled header is basically just added protection to the header.  And the sprocket I think is chromoly, They claim to have the longest lasting sprocket out there and they also donate a little of each sprocket back to protecting land for riding use. And right now the bike is going to the Sema show and maybe the motorcycle expo in Long Beach. After it gets all its beauty shot obligations done it is off to the desert to put it through its paces. 

[Frenchytoast]

17 minutes ago, Doug. said:

Titanium, although lighter than stainless steel, is much more brittle. By 'double walled" he means another layer of titanium is added onto the head pipe to decrease the chance of a rock denting it.

Actually Doug on all the race pipes they use a stainless header, TI mid pipe and TI muffler. They just add a little extra piece in hopes that it will protect it a little better from rocks. 

Edited October 12, 2018 by Frenchytoast

[Frenchytoast]

2 hours ago, BMRFlagstaff said:

Holy crap, with the wife's 2 bikes, my two, trail 90's, and a 5yo I'm lucky to hose the mud off!  Our 450x's are goers not show-ers with 300 and 600 hrs ea.  Heading to Cabo starting Thanksgiving for my bikes 4th trip and the 2nd on hers, I'm thinking positive.  

IMS tanks, TRX valves, Scotts stabilizer and oil filter, IMS pegs, Tusk 14/48 steel drivetrain,  Tusk clutch packs w refreshed rekluses on both, FMF pipes and the straightest headers we have.  New Kenda Parkers and TuBliss bibs for this trip, historically the thickest tubes I could find w slime.  Service the suspension and keep the guts clean, did all of the uncork mods to the carb and Rotella in both sides of both.  Aluminum skid plates, sturdy hand guards that attach to the triples, and other random guards that were on the bikes when we got em.  Hose safety wired around the brake pedal, we scored some amazing bulletproof diesel clutch covers, and bulletproof design chain guide braces. Check spoke tension, maintain brakes, rotate good shorai batteries through, basic trail tech computers, and cables/hoses/bearings as needed.  Mine has a sub mount for the Scotts and an 02 R cam with a BD squadron pro set up, she has the BD plug n play LED light on the oem stator.  I wrestled with the valves before I sent them to the doc, now not an issue... Once changed a head in BOLA without feelers and the same shims, a day or two later Colton (pretty sure he knows Hondas) rolled up and let me know my valves sounded a bit loose, yep, never again, ideally.

I have laid it out here, others have different approaches, something may fail but I'm pretty good with our current builds. Props to FrenchyT and the thread, I'd love to get there someday but for now those are our 450x baja builds. Pics of the lil pigs and yes, the wife carries her wine in an aquafina bottle and I maintain em occasionally.  Someone asked what the build would be for the rigors of Baja,  our builds keep 2 B riders on the trail.  Back to the eye candy!!

You've got some good seat time on two very well oiled and dialed in 450x's. I cant wait to get mine down in baja with Colton and the AHM guys. Also I am very jealous of those sweet bullet proof diesel covers they are very had to come by now a days. Im going with the stock clutch per Colton and Brandons orders and am just gonna run the Hinson clutch cover. But with the 450x valves they will sure tell you when they are out of spec they get real loud. But I would have to second guess that Colton knows the 450x platform haha ( My build sparked from his and Brandons knowledge of the bike). Im just building  my dream bike with all the parts that Colton and Mark run on their race bikes but just making it look pretty at the same time. What trophy truck and 6100 team do you help out with? I cant think of what truck those two numbers are for. 

[Frenchytoast]

Went to go work on my bike tonight and got side tracked with helping Brandon get his 450x and Colton's 450x ready for them to take on the 24 hour of glen helen. Both of these are baja ready machines that will dominate the pro class this weekend at the 3 brothers 24 hours of glen helen. Brandons bike (the one with the stock headlight shroud) will be running all the day time hours, Then they will swap it out for Colton's bike with the Baja Designs dual head race light set up. 

[BMRFlagstaff]

Thanks, the 24hr race sounds like a blast! I am lucky enough to sit right seat in the Billy Wilson TT #15 on the second shift for the long ones, The Bevly Wilson team puts Chad and I in their spec truck too, can’t thank the team enough.

 

I’d love to go Oem on the clutches, I’m “thrifty”??? for the plates and lazy with the rekluse,ha! Should be around 20 days for November down there. VIVA Baja!

 

 

 

[Doug.]

17 hours ago, Frenchytoast said:

Im going with the stock clutch per Colton and Brandons orders and am just gonna run the Hinson clutch cover. 

Interesting! I was going to go with a full Hinson setup on mine but then decided to just run the stock clutch for now since it's new, with the Hinson cover. Do you know why they said that? Kind of surprising!

[Fordfan1]

Any pictures of the bike? Hows the build coming? Are you building this bike for racing the 1000 this year or just a prerunner? I hope that wasn't a 30 pro class number I saw on that bike ? ha ha. I help out with a team in that class. Hopefully I'll see you down there in November!!

[Frenchytoast]

On 10/22/2018 at 8:05 AM, Fordfan1 said:

Any pictures of the bike? Hows the build coming? Are you building this bike for racing the 1000 this year or just a prerunner? I hope that wasn't a 30 pro class number I saw on that bike ? ha ha. I help out with a team in that class. Hopefully I'll see you down there in November!!

Im still wrapping the bike up, waiting on a few items to get back from the coater to start a reassemble. Im building it as a simple prerunner and fun bike to go race hare and hounds and dual sport rides. And those race numbers are from the 24 hour of glen helen 

 

Edited October 24, 2018 by Frenchytoast

[Frenchytoast]

It is finally time to start putting this beast back together. The boys at AHM are making sure this thing will be ready to tackle anything thrown at it. 

Edited October 25, 2018 by Frenchytoast

[Frenchytoast]

The motor is in and the bike is getting finished up tomorrow morning. Its all looking really good minus the silver valve cover ( I have a cerakoted one to match the cases) 

[Frenchytoast]

Here are a few more pictures of the final assembly. Also one of the seat cover finally on and of that double walled header mentioned in an earlier post. Once again I cant thank the boys at AHM Factory Services enough for building me such a killer X 

[pilote13]

Great build man! I got my suspension done by AHM, and I totally love it. The only thing I missed was my AHM T-shirt lol. Quick question what’s the jetting specs, piston, and valves that you’ll be using?

[craig hammon]

1 hour ago, pilote13 said:

Great build man! I got my suspension done by AHM, and I totally love it. The only thing I missed was my AHM T-shirt lol. Quick question what’s the jetting specs, piston, and valves that you’ll be using?

Cam and porting also?

[Frenchytoast]

3 hours ago, craig hammon said:

Cam and porting also?

 

4 hours ago, pilote13 said:

Great build man! I got my suspension done by AHM, and I totally love it. The only thing I missed was my AHM T-shirt lol. Quick question what’s the jetting specs, piston, and valves that you’ll be using?

Haha Brandon has been a good buddy for years and I think this build is finally gonna get me a T-Shirt. 
 

The motor specs are 450x head ported and polished by Racetech, 02 R Cam, Stock Piston, Stainless valves, and R carb. Then the jetting is all gonna depending on the environment. 

[craig hammon]

2 hours ago, Frenchytoast said:

 

Haha Brandon has been a good buddy for years and I think this build is finally gonna get me a T-Shirt. 
 

The motor specs are 450x head ported and polished by Racetech, 02 R Cam, Stock Piston, Stainless valves, and R carb. Then the jetting is all gonna depending on the environment. 

I plan to do the same mods but also a J.E. 12.8-1 piston so it will have more torque to be able to pull 14-47 on slow technical hill climbs.

I know Brandon  at AHM. suggests OEM. but I am not building a Baja race motor.