shade
Well-known member
I have a pair of BD lights on my truck, along with a Rigid light bar. My only concerns were about power & tickets. Thanks.
2019 Honda CRF 450L
- Thread starter Tex68w
- Start date
shade
Well-known member
Would you still go with the S2 combo pattern, or the double spot pattern? The lights are so bright it's impossible to tell exactly what's going on in the videos I've seen. I'm thinking amber on the S2 is a good idea regardless, since it may get a little more attention on the road without burning retinas.Mo light = mo bettah!
shade
Well-known member
As good as the OEM light is, I figure more light on the road is a good thing. I'll pick an amber pattern after I see how I like the clear combo.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
NW Arkansas was a good time. We covered 320 miles over two days, 80-90% of it was off-road. We hit the infamous Oark Cafe, crossed multiple slippery creeks and streams and ran alongside of the King's and Buffalo Rivers. We had three 450L's in the group and a 250L to close it out for an all Honda group. Overall we lost a muffler mount bolt on one of the 450's and a signal screw on the 250 most likely from all of the vibes on the dirt and gravel roads, but other than that the bikes ran well and without issue. My buddy dumped his 450L in one of the creek crossings but luckily he got it back up before the air box was swamped. Eureka Springs is a really neat town that you could easily loose yourself in for a weekend, I am definitely looking forward to returning in the fall.
shade
Well-known member
@Tex68w - I'm finally putting my Rack N Ride together. Did you have some missing & spare parts? One glaring omission is the flat-4 plug. My light kit terminates with four tinned wires. Not a big deal to fix, but it's a drag considering the price of the rack.
I like the construction, but they really need to improve their assembly instructions.
I like the construction, but they really need to improve their assembly instructions.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
I want to say that it doesn't come with it because it is made for the AUS market. I bought the 4 way pigtail at the store and wired it on to the end.
Instructions aren't the best but it is pretty straightforward. Best rack on the market regardless.
shade
Well-known member
Could be, but I don't think they mean to ship the light kit without a plug. The AUS site says it ships with a plug, and the US site says the "carrier is supplied with everything needed to use it." They have to leave the plug off for the wire to be fed through the rack, so it makes sense not to ship it installed. I have a good crimper and the rest, but not everyone does.
No doubt it's a premium rack at a fair price. I just see room for improvement to get them from a 9/10 to 10/10 product. My guess is that the extra holes are there for other products, like their bicycle racks. That's smart of them, but with the small selection of models they ship, it wouldn't be difficult to reflect the changes on the instructions.
It's a minor thing to you and me, but a little extra effort would make their racks even closer to perfect. My friend with a terminally parked BMW lost his mind when the exhaust changed colors after a few hours of run time on The Precious, and complained about it to the dealer. If he ordered this rack, I'd get called over to fix it before he threw it away in frustration.
I'm currently debating a 450L myself and reading this has given me some insight. I haven't owned a bike since I was 15 when I had a mid 70's Yamaha DT250 I used to bang around on. Several years ago I took the safety course and got the motorcycle endorsement for my license. I've ridden a few Harleys on occasion that belong to friends but other than that I'm pretty green on 2 wheels.
I'm a big guy at 6'2" 265 lbs and don't want to buy too small of a bike. Like was said here I figure I could grow into the 450L vs going smaller and then trading up. I suppose I'll need to tune the suspension for my fat ******** and swap the tires. Any guesses on what those upgrades will cost?
I'm a big guy at 6'2" 265 lbs and don't want to buy too small of a bike. Like was said here I figure I could grow into the 450L vs going smaller and then trading up. I suppose I'll need to tune the suspension for my fat ******** and swap the tires. Any guesses on what those upgrades will cost?
shade
Well-known member
Around $300 (or less if you don't buy a complete seat): https://seatconcepts.com/pages/product-result?rq=yr_2020~mk_honda~md_crf450l
You could probably get away with just swapping the rear spring and adjusting the OEM suspension until you get a feel for the bike. Rear springs run around $100-$150.
There are lots of ideas about how to spend your money here: https://advrider.com/f/threads/honda-crf450l-mega-thread.1343265/
Tex68w
Beach Bum
Congrats on taking the plunge and deciding to get back into riding, it's hard to stay away lol.
In regards to a Dual Sport segment bike it would be hard to long for more than what the 450L will provide, if you need more from the bike then you need a different bike altogether and should be looking at the middle weight ADV segment instead. One of the guys I ride with also has a 450L and he's 6'2 285 lbs and he has over 4,000 miles on his and absolutely rides the piss out of it so I wouldn't sweat your size and weight.
Tires range from $50-125 each depending on brand and model and suspension could be as cheap as a DIY spring swap at $250 all the way up to $1500+ for a full on overhaul/rebuild with fancy coatings and such. I did a complete overhaul with respring and revalve and I was at $750 which is pretty competitive as most shops wanted north of $1K for the same work. I'd set aside $1000-1500 for tires, suspension and a better seat, the rest will come in time as you see what you need and as things wear out.
Call around to multiple dealers in your area, you might get lucky and find some deeply discounted left over 2019's, those savings would cover the upgrades you mentioned.
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Tex68w
Beach Bum
Nearly 2500 miles on the Elle and so far I couldn't ask for a better bike. Everything is holding up well and I don't have any regrets in regards to any of the mods I've made so far. I wish that the spokes on the factory D.I.D. wheels didn't corrode (seems pretty common) and the factory plastics are starting to look a little boogered, I really wish that the aftermarket plastics companies would get with the program and offer some restyle sets for this bike as factory plastics are pricey and special order at this point. Fasst Co. Flexx Bars and new rubber both front and rear are up next but I am hoping to get one more weekend out of the current set before I strip the bike down for those upgrades.
I have 1950 miles on the Goldentyre GT216 AA Fatty up front and I hope to squeeze another 200 miles or so out of it before swapping it out. I couldn't be more pleased with how well this tire has performed in all terrains and more so how well it has worn, I never expected to get 2,000+ miles from it. The rear is a Goldentyre GT333N and it's currently sitting at just 700 miles and it's looking pretty hammered, I'll push it another 200 miles or so but it hasn't worn as well as I had hoped. That said, both of these tires have given me the ultimate in performance and durability over extremely varied terrains and conditions and that's really all I could ask of them. Tires are disposable items and I'll take amazing performance over wearing like iron lol. I will go back with this same pair for my all around setup but I think I will try the MotoZ Tractionator RallZ (paging @MVI) for the TAT and any BDR's it might see in the future.
Finally washed and all cleaned up and polished after the Arkansas Ozark's trip.
I have 1950 miles on the Goldentyre GT216 AA Fatty up front and I hope to squeeze another 200 miles or so out of it before swapping it out. I couldn't be more pleased with how well this tire has performed in all terrains and more so how well it has worn, I never expected to get 2,000+ miles from it. The rear is a Goldentyre GT333N and it's currently sitting at just 700 miles and it's looking pretty hammered, I'll push it another 200 miles or so but it hasn't worn as well as I had hoped. That said, both of these tires have given me the ultimate in performance and durability over extremely varied terrains and conditions and that's really all I could ask of them. Tires are disposable items and I'll take amazing performance over wearing like iron lol. I will go back with this same pair for my all around setup but I think I will try the MotoZ Tractionator RallZ (paging @MVI) for the TAT and any BDR's it might see in the future.
Finally washed and all cleaned up and polished after the Arkansas Ozark's trip.