.

shade

Well-known member
Do you have to change out the factory 450l header pipe to put on the FMF Q4 muffler? If it a must I'd probably do the factory 450X header to save a few bucks.
Either change to an X header (OEM or aftermarket), or use an adapter to make an X muffler fit the OEM L pipe.
 

Halligan

Adventurer
Shade, I move pretty quick when things annoy me and need fixing or modification. I want this bike running smooth so I ordered the FMF Q4, Honda X header with gasket, shield and hardware along with the Vortex. Hope that smooths out the engine issues!

Beyond that I've already ordered and received skid plate, radiator guards, grips, throttle tube, fender bag/mounting plate, hand guards, mirrors, clothing/safety gear, air filter with cleaner and oil, chain cleaner/lube, and engine oil/filters.

My wife advised me I have done my part helping keep the economy going and I should let others help now. I agree with her so from here on out it's riding, camping, relaxing and paying credit card bills.

I'll let you know how everything works out once I get it all installed.

Good luck with your bike!
 
Last edited:

shade

Well-known member
The new seat fits & feels great, and the tail bag is a good match for the bike. I like how Enduristan did the attachment straps, but I may try a pair of Rollercams to make it a little easier to install, and to make it easier to lash something else on the rack, if needed. More work tomorrow.
 

shade

Well-known member
Shade, I move pretty quick when things annoy me and need fixing or modification. I want this bike running smooth so I ordered the FMF Q4, Honda X header with gasket, shield and hardware along with the Vortex. Hope that smooths out the engine issues!

Beyond that I've already ordered and received skid plate, radiator guards, grips, throttle tube, fender bag/mounting plate, hand guards, mirrors, clothing/safety gear, air filter with cleaner and oil, chain cleaner/lube, and engine oil/filters.

My wife advised me I have done my part helping keep the economy going and I should let others help now. I agree with her so from here on out it's riding, camping, relaxing and paying credit card bills.

I'll let you know how everything works out once I get it all installed.

Good luck with your bike!
I think we were about even until you went V. :)

If you haven't seen this, enjoy. I don't think a different ECU would've helped.

 

Halligan

Adventurer
Wow, I feel bad for that guy. You can tell in his voice he's mortified by the whole thing and I give him credit for owning it. There is no question this bike has some serious power and it takes milliseconds to eat crap.
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
I used to like his channel but he's gotten a little arrogant and his content isn't what it used to be. I remember when that happened, I think he got a press pass solely because of his channel and you can tell that he feels as if he doesn't belong there. Regardless, what an embarrassing thing to have happen and it definitely made him look like a squid.

This bike can easily get away from you if you aren't careful and depending on what kind of surface or terrain you're riding in. I almost had a glorious eat $hit moment in Arkansas a few weeks back and luckily the throttle actually saved me from an epic off.
 

shade

Well-known member
Wow, I feel bad for that guy. You can tell in his voice he's mortified by the whole thing and I give him credit for owning it. There is no question this bike has some serious power and it takes milliseconds to eat crap.
No doubt, on all counts. His saving grace is that no one was hurt.

I used to like his channel but he's gotten a little arrogant and his content isn't what it used to be. I remember when that happened, I think he got a press pass solely because of his channel and you can tell that he feels as if he doesn't belong there. Regardless, what an embarrassing thing to have happen and it definitely made him look like a squid.

This bike can easily get away from you if you aren't careful and depending on what kind of surface or terrain you're riding in. I almost had a glorious eat $hit moment in Arkansas a few weeks back and luckily the throttle actually saved me from an epic off.
He's probably on a special list at Honda. Other than that video, I haven't watched his stuff, so I'll take your word for it.

Time to get back in the garage.
 

Halligan

Adventurer
Not trying to hijack your thread Shade but no sense having another CRF450L thread going since you and Tex got em covered pretty good. I added tha Flatland Racing carryall rack and DoubleTake Enduro mirrors today. Tomorrow maybe I’ll install the Works Connection radiator guards. I know, everyone likes pictures. 689F914D-3715-45B9-815D-62E1135E2C36.jpeg
 
Last edited:

shade

Well-known member
The Flatland rack is so nice I hate to hide it under a bag. I usually buy parts unfinished so I can knock down all of the edges, but that wasn't required on the rack. They milled a radius on all edges to prevent it cutting into straps, and the powder coat is flawless.

Not many people could say they shot down an Me 262. Impressive.
 
Last edited:

Halligan

Adventurer
Wow shade good eye. Depending on what you read he got credit for 1.5 or 2 Me 262’s. Now that’s really rare, like a dozen or so pilots rare. Chuck Yeager is in that rare club as well.

Also I agree the rack is very nice. I have their skid plate to install after I change the oil this week.
 
Last edited:

shade

Well-known member
I finally installed a bunch of little things, and made use of a Tusk lift to make it easier to tuck my bike into a tight spot in the garage. The lift is pretty darn handy, and made well enough that I think it really can support 300 lbs well enough not to kill me.

I'll eventually find a way to block the lift that leaves my bike's wheels an inch off the ground. For now, I lower it fully when parked, so there's a little bit of weight on the tires. I'd rather unload the jack on a stop and still be able to dolly the bike around. The only downside to it is that you may have to manually lift your bike to get it on the platform - I did.

1595239994138.png

I've also been watching a lot of Lyndon Poskitt's Races to Places series. I've never liked the Ewan & Charley stuff at all, but Lyndon is likable, entertaining, and interesting. The way he turned around his Mongolian Rally was inspirational.

 

Wallygator

Adventurer
Safety will drive my purchase more than anything, and if I find myself stalling frequently, I'll probably buy a Vortex to deal with the throttle & decel issues. To soften the blow, you can stick with the OEM exhaust and the Vortex should improve control. You can add the exhaust later.

Also, that price list is for all new parts. A quick check of eBay shows some used 450X parts, and I'll probably make my own heat shield before spending $53 on Honda's part. No way around the $700 price of the Vortex if you want the proven, do-it-all solution. You could try some of the other options to adjust the fueling and throttle response, but they still cost money, and don't fully address the problems. Frankly, I'd rather do it once, and do it right. A full ECU replacement fits that requirement.

On TT, there's been some discussion of an ECU piggyback from Bazazz: https://bazzaz.net/product/honda-crf450l-2019/
Maybe it's great, but considering it's in the same price range as a Vortex, and the V is a known-good solution, I'd stick with it.

As I mentioned before I put in the JD Jetting module and it has fixed about 90% of the problem. If you don't or are not going to eventually mod out the bike with a pipe, etc...then the JD module will really help you. If you plan on eventually going with a pipe and want more power than spend the money now on the Vortex.
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
I finally installed a bunch of little things, and made use of a Tusk lift to make it easier to tuck my bike into a tight spot in the garage. The lift is pretty darn handy, and made well enough that I think it really can support 300 lbs well enough not to kill me.

I'll eventually find a way to block the lift that leaves my bike's wheels an inch off the ground. For now, I lower it fully when parked, so there's a little bit of weight on the tires. I'd rather unload the jack on a stop and still be able to dolly the bike around. The only downside to it is that you may have to manually lift your bike to get it on the platform - I did.

View attachment 599745

I've also been watching a lot of Lyndon Poskitt's Races to Places series. I've never liked the Ewan & Charley stuff at all, but Lyndon is likable, entertaining, and interesting. The way he turned around his Mongolian Rally was inspirational.


Get the bike on your hip or far upper thigh and lean it over 30-45 degrees and it makes it nearly effortless to get up on the stand. Don't throw out your back or pull a muscle, it doesn't need to be that difficult. I am looking into a hydraulic full stand for the garage, once the T7 gets here it'll likely live on the thing when not in use.

I never minded the Long Way Down and Round, they actually inspired me to want to travel Africa and parts of Europe on two wheels but I watched all of that back when it came out well over a decade back. I haven't paid much mind to Lyndon's stuff but I know quite a few enjoy his content so I'll carve out some time to watch it soon. I do admire his journey and growth considering where he started. I thought with an American winning the Dakar this year that it might help boost the sport here in the states but so far I don't think its had much of an impact, sad really.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,538
Messages
2,875,655
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top