17 CRF450X

[ebbivv]

Just picked up a leftover 17 450X, and looking for recommendations for mods needed for the Baja 500/1000 etc.. basically i need a list of what and how much to build a bullet proof desert bike.

 

[Total Loss]

Probably finish with a stock one. Just swap out for a good light.
Mines been pretty bullet proof since 07.

Steering stabilizer, hand guards and a big tank are a must though IMO.

 

[Clay Flippin]

Agreed with total loss.
Steering stabilizer, Renthal Fat Bars, IMS desert tank, Acerbis hand guards, Pro Action Suspension, stock engine with a FMF Pipe and Silencer, Renthal or Talon Sprockets, a good O-Ring Chain, Fluidyne Radiators, Bridgestone Ultra Heavy Duty tubes or moose bib (solid rubber tubes), Maxxis Desert IT Tires, 18" rear wheel, skid plate, shark fin (rear rotor guard) and some good LED Lights...should about do it!
That's what I would do...!

 

[AZ7000']

SS valves


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[BANNEDFROMBAJA]

GPR stabilizer, Moose bibs, ims tank, baja designs light, health insurance

 

[TwistyItch]

Carefull on the bib mousse inserts. They destruct from high heat at high speeds and I don't think that issue for desert racing has been worked out by any of the current brands - but I could be wrong - do research. I use TuBliss system and put 1100 baja miles on my tires this year with no pinch flats or punctures. If you do use/test TuBliss, use slime in the outer tire and carry several of those little gas canisters and a tire patch kit. If you do not know what I am talking about, PM me. I punctured my tire twice in MOAB last weekend and automotive tire plugs work well. I got a front flat slamming into sharp rocks above tree line in my last enduro race and did not carry the fix kit. I still rode that tire for about 60 miles and it did not leave the rim nor was my rim destroyed. The inner tube seals the outer tire on the rim even if you have a flat, but it is like riding on 1psi and sucks for rocky technical single track. In 3 years I have never had a rear flat using that system. These recent flats were only because the tire carcass was absolutely shot (1500 miles) and I should have had a fresh tire but did not. I knew better but the tire still looked good - moron move on my part. Goldentyre 216AA is what I rode 1500 miles on and until I rode it for 60 miles flat was an awesome tire and wider than typical - good for the desert. But hard to go wrong with a 6-ply desert tire of whatever brand.

I'd also get wider foot pegs. One of the first things I did to my 450x when I owned one.

Definitely a Scott's Steering dampener - others leak and the internals are sometimes just a paddle that swings through fluid. Scott's gives you a wider range of adjustment than just basic dampening of the steering head.

 

[lil manny]

Check out Champion Adventures... it’s Colton Udall’s business he’s prepping bikes for Baja races and I’m sure a 5time winner knows why you’d need! I know I saw it on Instagram but not sure if there’s a website or anything.

 

[Honda48X]

Depending on cost if you want to ride the sportsman class just the basics. A steering stabilizer, desert tank, skid plate, hand guards, a good FMF Pipe, some good desert tires, wide foot pegs and some good LED Lights. drink plenty of water, be in shape, have good riders and a good support team.

Enjoy the best bike made for desert racing and riding.

 

[ebbivv]

Thanks for all the info guys, Any tips on jetting? The modern age ruined me as i'm now used to simply modifying the fuel curve with a computer lol. Since the X still has a carb unfortunately, is there a general configuration that works best when installing a pipe and doing the airbox mod?

 

[Total Loss]

I forgot to add dez tires and ULTRA HD TUBES ! The tubes are a MUST....if you don't want to go the moose bib or tubliss route.

As for jetting...I spent like 40 hrs of tinkering to get mine right ...wore out a freakin tire spinnin around the hood.

You can keep it simple...or you can go with a full blown EXPENSIVE race bike. Your call.
IMO- you could slap 2 tubes in the thing and finish the 500 if you wanted to. 450X is about as bulletproof as you can get in stock form IMO...pretty much like the XR650. We had several thou in that one though.

Suspension is the key to comfort and speed in the dez...the sky's the limit there.

 

[TwistyItch]

As for your question on jetting, I use a Lectron carb. I can easily cover 60 miles in the desert on my 2-stroke 300cc Husky with the stock 2.8 gallon tank. With that carb and a large tank you should be golden. Plus there is no jetting. I have said it elsewhere, I rode it in Baja for 6 weeks and took it home to Colorado and ride at 5,000 to 12,000 feet with zero adjustments. Others might have made minor adjustments, but for me it works as is everywhere I ride.

If you do decide to get bib mousse, then be sure to use this fitment chart to get the correct one for your chosen tire. Apparently fitment is important to good perfomance and probably longer life. https://tinyurl.com/Bib-fit-chart

 

[BajaboundMoto]

A rainy morning here in La Paz on our drive home after 1640 miles riding south (20 moto wheels on the ground, all Bibbed, all perfect).

X....
An almost totally stock X is more than most people can handle and they’re bloody bulletproof.

For a Baja 500...
Big tank, big pegs, handguards, skidplate, 14/15-48 sprockets, Bibs front and rear (you’re a fool if you don’t Bib up).
With that stuff it’s a totally fine basic race bike.

Fancier...
Add a steering damper.
Drybrake.
Remove the smog sheet and jet it.
Add a muffler, but only because the post-‘08 stock muffler inserts are dumb. Or put in a ‘05-‘07 insert and you’re fine.

Fancier yet...
R head, R cam, full exhaust, chop-up the air box.
But, is that stuff really going to help you?
Probably not.
But it doe$ help the economy and makes your air filter dirtier quicker.

1000...
Baja D wind your stator and good lights.

Other than that obvious stuff we put a lot of hours into prepping an X for a big race, lots of tinkering.
And over 55 race rentals to racers and 100% finish rate in SCORE and Vegas To Reno.

Did I mention I have like 10 sets of bad-asss race headlights I want to sell?


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[Baja Dad]

MY 450x Baja & BITD N1 Race bike:
Complete Percision concepts off-road suspension valving and cryo-heat treated with anodized fork tubes and shock body and Seal savers
Complete Percision concepts race motor
450r Head &cam
450r carburetor
Mild porting
Valve train mod
External oil cooler
Complete Hinson clutch
Pro Circuit exhaust
Baja Design high output re-wrapped ignition
Custom powder coat frame
Carbon fiber fork guards
Carbon fiber frame guards
P3Carbon fiber skid plate
Warp 9 custom built wheels
Rear cush hub
Oversize front rotor
IMS 4.0 gal Tank
BRP 24 mm upper and lower clamp kit
BRP lower chain guide
Race co swingarm modification
15-47 Super Sproxs sprockets
Zip ty axle blocks
Zip ty rear disc shark fin
RK O ring chain
TMD Swingarm arm slider
BRP chain guide
XR only countershaft guard
AME grips
Attack Handlebars
Attack shifter
Attack brake pedal
Hand guards
GPR v-4 stabilizer
DT one extreme air filter
Ims rally pegs
Complete rally seat Suede
Cooling fan kit
Stock Radiator guards with screen
CV4 silicone radiator hoses
Tokyo Mods carburetor hose kit
STI desert tires
Nitro desert bib mousses
RALLY LED secondary tail light
Kick ass twin HID Race lights

 

[Baja Dad]

But you should listen to TIM !!!!!!

 

[BajaboundMoto]

But your bikes BDad are over the top. Anyone asking “what” doesn’t need and can’t use your kids bikes ;-)

Those cush rear hubs would probably be a good thing on our high-use Baja tour bikes to help save the transmission’s...


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[A Vance]

Baja Dad that is a long list that most racers done need. We race two x's and the list is not as long. Like Tim said most of that stuff is bling or over kill for most racers. Tim how do you feel about the cush hub. I know guys use them on the 650's but never seen one used on an X desert bike.

Our bikes that we race open expert BITD have

Bigger valves on x head
complete exhaust
shocks revalved and sprung
Scotts stabilizer, had too many GPR failures to even use it if it was free
Bibs
skid plate
radiator braces
bigger tank
bars and handguards

The rest of the bike is pretty stock.

 

[ebbivv]

MY 450x Baja & BITD N1 Race bike:
Complete Percision concepts off-road suspension valving and cryo-heat treated with anodized fork tubes and shock body and Seal savers
Complete Percision concepts race motor
450r Head &cam
450r carburetor
Mild porting
Valve train mod
External oil cooler
Complete Hinson clutch
Pro Circuit exhaust
Baja Design high output re-wrapped ignition
Custom powder coat frame
Carbon fiber fork guards
Carbon fiber frame guards
P3Carbon fiber skid plate
Warp 9 custom built wheels
Rear cush hub
Oversize front rotor
IMS 4.0 gal Tank
BRP 24 mm upper and lower clamp kit
BRP lower chain guide
Race co swingarm modification
15-47 Super Sproxs sprockets
Zip ty axle blocks
Zip ty rear disc shark fin
RK O ring chain
TMD Swingarm arm slider
BRP chain guide
XR only countershaft guard
AME grips
Attack Handlebars
Attack shifter
Attack brake pedal
Hand guards
GPR v-4 stabilizer
DT one extreme air filter
Ims rally pegs
Complete rally seat Suede
Cooling fan kit
Stock Radiator guards with screen
CV4 silicone radiator hoses
Tokyo Mods carburetor hose kit
STI desert tires
Nitro desert bib mousses
RALLY LED secondary tail light
Kick ass twin HID Race lights
View attachment 194952

Nice Bike!!, Do you have a photo with a better view of the tank? I'm debating between the 3.2 and the 4 gallon

 

[Baja Dad]

Baja Dad that is a long list that most racers done need. We race two x's and the list is not as long. Like Tim said most of that stuff is bling or over kill for most racers. Tim how do you feel about the cush hub. I know guys use them on the 650's but never seen one used on an X desert bike.

Our bikes that we race open expert BITD have

Bigger valves on x head (ok)
complete exhaust (ok)
shocks revalved and sprung (OK)
Scotts stabilizer, had too many GPR failures to even use it if it was free ( WHAT A JOKE !)
Bibs (ok)
skid plate (ok)
radiator braces ( BAD IDEA !)
bigger tank (ok)
bars and handguards (ok)

The rest of the bike is pretty stock.

That is a good list to start with !

Bling! I don't think so;
so answer me this:
What Magazines has you bikes graced?
What races have you WON?
What Championships have you WON?

I have been doing this for over 40years

 

[Baja Dad]

Nice Bike!!, Do you have a photo with a better view of the tank? I'm debating between the 3.2 and the 4 gallon

hear are two pics
one of my my 2014 Baja 1000 class 50bike and one of my sons 2015 BITD BIKE

BITD bike

 

[Honda48X]

Some basic add on and works fantastic.