how to slow down yz450f

[bigred455]

I don't know what the woods are like out in Joisey, but in the west taller gearing in the woods is not a good idea

Going taller on a 450 in the woods will keep things smooth and not abrupt down low. Riding the woods all day on a 450 geared for down low will just kill you,in the end you will be less tired. Or are you one of the spodes who thinks you need a big bore kit for the 450 and a spiffy aftermarket pipe. You have Joisey all wrong friend,you have no clue where I live in Jersey,do not speculate. Go buy your accelerator pump cover and aftermarket pipe for that 450 that will get you going.?

[grayracer513]

You explain to me, how are you going to make the motor smoother coming off the bottom,by going up teeth in the rear.Yes I do know it requires more clutch work going taller in the rear,but he wants it smoother . If you are only working with sprockets going up to a 52 rear is not going to make it smoother. Please lets not debate on something so SIMPLE.?

Here's what he said he wanted:

i have an 06 yz450f that i am trying to slow down for trail riding with the kids. (I would)like to make it a little smoother at slow speeds without slipping the clutch to much.

If you think going to a higher gear will do either of those things, then you are in a club without many members.

I grant your point that higher gearing dampens the sharpness of the engine's response to throttle, but that does not fit in the stated parameters of slowing the bike down or reducing the amount of clutch slip, does it? Of course one needs to be more prudent than usual with the throttle with lower gearing, but that accomplishes the speed reduction and clutch engagement requirements. The fact simply is that you can't get "smoother" with slower unless you add flywheels or otherwise change the character of the engine.

And please kindly refrain from calling people spodes in my forum, thanks.

[bigred455]

I would like to have it a little smoother at slower speeds is what he said. Going taller in the rear (less teeth) will get you smoother at slower speeds.

What part of that don't you get,sure it doesnt mean you will have to use less clutch,but it will definetly smooth things out PERIOD. I will refrain from writng on this boring subject anymore. You go right ahead if you want.?

[biznet1]

i have an 06 yz450f that i an trying to slow down for trail riding with the kids. i have already changed sprockets to 14/52 but would still like to make it a little smoother at slow speeds without slipping the clutch to much. has anyone tried a heavier flywheel and what do you think of the results? any suggestions on making this a better trail bike would be appreciated.

A rekluse will definitely smooth is out for the trails. I've had one before and absolutely loved it. Have you considered trading it for a 250?

I would like to have it a little smoother at slower speeds is what he said. Going taller in the rear (less teeth) will get you smoother at slower speeds.

What part of that don't you get,sure it doesnt mean you will have to use less clutch,but it will definetly smooth things out PERIOD. I will refrain from writng on this boring subject anymore. You go right ahead if you want.?

....and he will still have to slip the clutch even more.

[cowboyona426]

Going taller on a 450 in the woods will keep things smooth and not abrupt down low. Riding the woods all day on a 450 geared for down low will just kill you,in the end you will be less tired. Or are you one of the spodes who thinks you need a big bore kit for the 450 and a spiffy aftermarket pipe. You have Joisey all wrong friend,you have no clue where I live in Jersey,do not speculate. Go buy your accelerator pump cover and aftermarket pipe for that 450 that will get you going.?

Show me where in any of my posts in this thread I claim to know anything about Joisey, or "speculate" about Joisey.

I don't know what the woods are like out in Joisey...

I do, in fact, have an "aftermarket spiffy pipe" on my YZ so that I can legally ride it in the woods (can you say spark arrestor?) If that makes me a spode so be it.

It seems like you aren't quite up to speed on setting a bike up for woods riding. Gearing it higher will only make the engine work harder and cause you to have to slip the clutch and beat on the bike more. Gearing it down will make it chug up the hills easier and be a lot easier to ride. It will give you more torque down low, which is never a bad thing in the woods.

Come out west with your tall gearing- I'll show you around and have you wishing for lower gears to keep from stalling your bike every 100 yards.

[OldSkool]

I have a flywheel weight in a 04 YZ450. The bike never stalls on me in the woods and I ride some very tight single track with many hill climbs.

I think the best mod out there is called the "rider" mod. Learn good clutch control and there is no stalling the bike out. I don't do much slipping of the clutch at all. It's either engaged or its not. Learn to ride the bike in first gear going slow and to keep the bike always moving in the woods.

I had a YZ250 smoker woods machine... flywheel weight and thats it. I rarely stalled that bike, and to compare the two bikes, the yz250 needed much more clutch work in the woods. IMO, much harder to ride in the slow tricky stuff than the 450 is.

[XR Dad]

i didn't want to cause so much controversy. the yz450 is new to me i traded in an 06 xr650l for it. i didn't ride the xr much on the street so i figured i would loose 100+ pounds and get a dirt only bike. i rode cr125's and 250's back in the mid 80's and liked them both,but now I'm 60ish pounds heavier so that is why i went with the 450. i didn't realize how big a difference there is between 2 and 4 strokes. i know that the yz will never be the ideal trail bike but i just wanted to make it as trail friendly as it can be. i guess the biggest improvement i can make is more seat time so i can get used to it. thanks for the help.

[cowboyona426]

XR Dad, you didn't cause any problems- the only way to get answers is to ask questions!

I disagree with you, I think the YZ is the ideal trail bike- it has everything I want and nothing I don't, weighs less than a WR, has tons of power, and will go anywhere. Taken care of properly it will last forever also.

One mod you might consider if you do a lot of slow riding is a boil over tank for the radiators- I know on the old 426's you could fit a WR puke tank pretty easily. I haven't looked at a newer WR so I don't know how hard it would be, but there are other options for one as well besides a WR unit. I've never boiled mine over, and I only boiled my 426 once when I was riding behind a youngster on a TT-R 90 so it may not be an issue for you. Just something else to consider.

[kevin nichols]

Buy a WR

[cowboyona426]

Buy a WR

Bah, no need to swap to a WR when a few simple mods will get him where he wants, and with less weight than a WR tugs around.

[hillclimbguy]

i didn't want to cause so much controversy. the yz450 is new to me i traded in an 06 xr650l for it. i didn't ride the xr much on the street so i figured i would loose 100+ pounds and get a dirt only bike. i rode cr125's and 250's back in the mid 80's and liked them both,but now I'm 60ish pounds heavier so that is why i went with the 450. i didn't realize how big a difference there is between 2 and 4 strokes. i know that the yz will never be the ideal trail bike but i just wanted to make it as trail friendly as it can be. i guess the biggest improvement i can make is more seat time so i can get used to it. thanks for the help.

XRdad. The YZ450 is a great bike for the trails. Everybody has input. Its all good. Your right. More seat time will help. Get the jetting right too. If its hard to start, that can make for a really rouph day.

I run Evans coolant in my 450 and dont have an overheating problem, but I run the stock cap not a higher pressure cap. I dont fill the radiator to the very top only about a half inch from the filler neck.

I would run a heavier flywheel weight. You'll have to try different weights that work for you.

Running that slipper clutch will be a big help but does have disadvantages.

For me I didnt like it but for your style of riding you might like it.

Take the time to set your bike for you. It will take some time, but when your done it'll be time to by a new bike. Good luck