2005 WR450F for Dualsporting?

[AHRMA17L]

I have aways ridden Yamahas as race bikes from my 1974 MX250 to my current 2006 YZ250, but I have always ridden Honda XR's for off-road/dualsport/Baja use.

I am seriously considering a new leftover 2005 WR450F as a dualsport bike, but here is the deal...

Our rides are fairly extreme, typically 250-350 miles per day (usually about 8 solid hours of running time), for several days, mot of the time in very remote areas. Sometimes we go down to Mexico and ride the entire penninsula and back, about a 2600 mile trip.

Here's the most recent: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=369729&highlight=cedarville

The bike is always fully serviced after one of these rides, however there is little opportunity for maintenence during the rides.

So, does anyone have real experience with the WR450F with this type of riding, with upwards of 10,000 miles on the clock?

Thanks, I appreciate your objective comments in advance.

[face_plant]

i have close to 14k on my bike now

9500 miles and my first top end

1 set of fork seals

1000 mi oil changes klotz 20/50

water pump seals about 8k miles

and routine maintainance

[AHRMA17L]

i have close to 14k on my bike now

9500 miles and my first top end

1 set of fork seals

1000 mi oil changes klotz 20/50

water pump seals about 8k miles

and routine maintainance

That sounds pretty good. Did the valves hold up well? A top end at 10,000 is acceptable to me barring any other repairs.

[face_plant]

valves? my bike got valves???

i dont think so sir

?

checked them 15-20 times NOT 1 ADJUSTMENT

when it starts making noise i check always within specs(noise is usually my brain telling me my bike is dysfunctional)

[123BigcoopDawg576]

i have close to 14k on my bike now

9500 miles and my first top end

1 set of fork seals

1000 mi oil changes klotz 20/50

water pump seals about 8k miles

and routine maintainance

im with face plant...i hit 10k this past weekend on a baja ride (so did my dads wr) and all we do is change the oil and clean the filters EVERY 300 miles or asap afterwords. my bike is running strong with no valve adjustments either!

[WR250F Captain]

my friend bent his WR450 in half at glamis, rode it 20 miles back to camp after 4 guys helped me bend it somewhat back enough. started first thought of the estart. never gave me a problem, except the scotts stabilizer hitting my boys, had to ride over the bars to keep the paddle from hitting the exhaust that was moved to the other side

[Derek00]

+1 on trouble free riding here in the states. 10,000+ mi on my 04 with only routine maintenance (and crap that gets broken through operator error) The one thing I did hear about the WR is that the carbs don't like the cheap gas you get out of milk jugs in the back of pickup trucks down in Mexico. I don't have 1st hand experience with this. It's just what a guy at a motorcycle tour company told me when we did a Mexico trip last year. (we rode rental CRFX's) Has anyone taken their WR to Mexico and ran the milk jug gas? How do they do?

[cwimilan]

+1 on trouble free riding here in the states. 10,000+ mi on my 04 with only routine maintenance (and crap that gets broken through operator error) The one thing I did hear about the WR is that the carbs don't like the cheap gas you get out of milk jugs in the back of pickup trucks down in Mexico. I don't have 1st hand experience with this. It's just what a guy at a motorcycle tour company told me when we did a Mexico trip last year. (we rode rental CRFX's) Has anyone taken their WR to Mexico and ran the milk jug gas? How do they do?

i ride baja once a year 800-1000mi 4-5 days usually,no problem with the carb. at all. i do remove the bowl drain if i suspect dirt. all i do is oil the chain and ride,mine is also a 04 wr 450 about 6k miles on it.

[JSanfilippo]

Our rides are fairly extreme, typically 250-350 miles per day (usually about 8 solid hours of running time), for several days, mot of the time in very remote areas. Sometimes we go down to Mexico and ride the entire penninsula and back, about a 2600 mile trip.

Here is my take on this.

As long as you do an oil/filter change with a quality MC synthetic (not sure I trust Rotella 5w-40 in this bike longer than 200 miles) and pop in a clean well oiled airfilter after each ride day the bike will be golden.

These bikes hold a little over a quart. The trans and clutch in these bikes rapes the shear stability of the oil. For play riding with 150-200 mile drains, the rotella is fine. If you want to get 350-500 miles out of an oil change strongly consider the Amsoil MCF (or whatever grayracer513 uses) or the Maxima Maxum 4 full synth (purple label/black bottle I think)

If I were to D/S one of these things I'd probably do an oil cooler.

[OUTERLIMITS]

+1 on trouble free riding here in the states. 10,000+ mi on my 04 with only routine maintenance (and crap that gets broken through operator error) The one thing I did hear about the WR is that the carbs don't like the cheap gas you get out of milk jugs in the back of pickup trucks down in Mexico. I don't have 1st hand experience with this. It's just what a guy at a motorcycle tour company told me when we did a Mexico trip last year. (we rode rental CRFX's) Has anyone taken their WR to Mexico and ran the milk jug gas? How do they do?

Maybe check with Trailboss tours. I believe they run WR's for their business. Never heard of any problem with gas from milk jugs and that's all you have to work with in many places down there. I'm a die hard Honda guy, but went with the WR over the X for a few reasons, but the main reasons were due in respect to longer rides (Baja):

1. One oil cavitity instead of two. How many times have we heard of KTM or 450X's having issues with oil migratingvacating from the tranny side and heading for the engine side leaving the tranny too low? Simple is good.

2. The valve train has an unequaled reputation for durability as far as high performance 450's go.

3. Have not seen pictures on TT of broken cam chain guides on the bottom end case on WR's unlike what I've seen on the X.

I sure hate the color blue on a bike, but I can deal with that.?

[123BigcoopDawg576]

I sure hate the color blue on a bike, but I can deal with that.?

you feel the same way i do about my xrr...love the bike hate the color...all the while i wish it was a yamaha

all in all the wr is a great durable bike...i have been using the shell rotella for some time (5000mile) and have change it every 300 or asap after the that.

it all boils down to taking care of it with simple things. heck i just put a new rear tire on last night and my bike is ready for another 500 miles of baja next weekend and shes got 10k miles on the clock...i am 100% confident she will bring me home:ride: