need Advice: WTB after WR450F

 

Background: Neither professional bleeding nor changing to
a metal-mesh brake hose nor going up on the rotor-diameter
resulted in braking quality that i expect from my WR450F'03.
It's the second 450F (first one got stolen) and i do love
that bike and especially that engine very much. I guess
she's got the typical 20.000 miles on the clock now.

Wrenching buddy of mine claimed not trapped air but general
age (of the bike) is my enemy.  He suggests that I change the
whole front brake from master cylinder over hose to caliper
or else the problem will stay.

I took one step back, looked at the whole picture, and think
it might be time to get a new bike.  So what are my options?

I need :
- street legal (in europe)
- min. 400 cc
- under 300 lbs gross, if possible
- right side kickstart (no way around that)

I found - besides the '2009 WR450F -
  Suzuki RMX450 (what's that? is it an good)
  Aprilia RXV 4.5 (but it's an Aprilia!, w/o Kickstart!!)
  no CRF-X in Germany or Austria (is ok, I'm not a Honda man)
  EC450 (kickstartable EFi !)
  KTM450

Anyone in rmd land using a plated off road bike to commute?
The real beauty of the WR-F is that one can enter national enduro
races and not finish last and do Vienna - Florance (550 miles one way)
topping out at 100 mph on the freeway, year after year w/o any adverse
effects.  I do admire such versatility.


Rowdy

 

guten tag hair Rowdy

for street i liked the rz350 the best...
toomey pipes butt cup seat ect...
no other street bike made the trip "fun"
for dual purpose i liked my plated xr600r
or my plated gas gas ec250 i did
stopped riding street about the time my kids
arrived (life changing moment & priority shift)

have you thought about a wheel swap
off a street bike with nice brakes?
http://home.exetel.com.au/bkm/cast-wheels-motard-drz/faq-motard-parts-kit-wr450.htm
or something similar

john
    ktm 450/525 exc looks really nice btw <grin>
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/38/406/Motorcycle-Article/2006-ATK-450-Enduro-Comparison.aspx

 

Am 11.05.2010 14:39, schrieb john:

Morjen Herr Frühvogel!


understandably..


Too heavy, though i liked my TT600R, too.


The very moment they announce another emissions regulation
that would make new 2s bikes impossible to plate i'll rush
out and get me one of the last 250/300 EC/EXCs, promised!


http://home.exetel.com.au/bkm/cast-wheels-motard-drz/faq-motard-parts-kit-wr450.htm

Good advice, but that would "only" change the lever between rotor
diameter and tire radius.  Definitely resulting in an hefty increase of
braking power, but I'd still be able to pull the brake lever right up
to the throttle grip.  talk about sponge brake.


http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/38/406/Motorcycle-Article/2006-ATK-450-Enduro-Comparison.aspx

I'm beginning to lean towards these pumpkins. The 450EXC Champion
Edt. is a relabelled '09 with '10 VIN, the SixDays is noticably
more expensive so the 450EXC SF (sans fuss) gets into focus.


Rowdy

 



did you just call me a bird?


there might be better performers, but not as much fun nor sound as good....


I didn't notice much difference between it & the xr400
that said I think the earth moved under it as apposed to
the bike moving... gravity defying bike...


http://home.exetel.com.au/bkm/cast-wheels-motard-drz/faq-motard-parts-kit-wr450.htm

skinny grips might let you pull the lever an extra mm or two <grin>
wouldn't the extra braking power throw mere mortals over the
bars faster than asterix & obelix drink find themselves in a mess...


http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/38/406/Motorcycle-Article/2006-ATK-450-Enduro-Comparison.aspx

ktm seems to have a nice dirtbike you can street ride with
out to much discomfort/ modification...
john

 

Am 11.05.2010 16:39, schrieb john:

An early bird, presumably an East Coast bird?


XR400R, well.  Been there, tried that, refused to buy one.
Too small, too much same-like-the-old-stuff w/ less displacement.
Grabbing the first WR400F ('98 ?) was when i found My Bike,
and the midrange plus of the 450s is the icing on the cake. VBG


That's exactly my concern.  Said wrench once claimed that these
DOHC, five valve, 10K5 revving Yammies were the only bikes on which
you can do freeway WFO for hours w/o any expensive consequences.

He did claim though, that UniCam or simply any well designed
4 valve OHC will easily produce the same power, while even
saving weight compared to DOHC;  just not for my kind of
Real Dual Pupose Abuse. (RDPA (tm))

Hence I wonder whether KTM has finally arrive at Yamaha's
reliability, or if still bolts of finest Austrian craftmanship
will fall off it...

P.