|
A
FEW
CRF450R
&
CRF250R
MAINTENANCE
CONSIDERATIONS
If
you’re
one
of
the
fortunate
handfuls
of
riders
to
own
one
of
these
berm
blasters
make
sure
to
follow
the
manufacturer’s
recommended
maintenance!
Yeah,
I
know
you’ve
heard
it
before,
but
I
know
many
of
you
out
there
still
don’t
really
believe
Honda’s
maintenance
requirements.
The
main
reason
you
bought
the
bike
in
the
first
place
was
because
of
the
useable
power
it
produces,
incredible
handling,
etcetera,
right?
Well,
that
kind
of
performance
comes
at
a
price:
more
maintenance
than
that
ole’
2-stroke
you
traded-in.
One
of
the
many
maintenance
items
to
think
about
and
a
common
scenario
to
consider
if
your
bike
seems
down
on
power:
lapping
the
valves.
Do
not
lap
the
titanium
intake
valves
on
either
of
these
bikes,
a
big
no-no.
If
you
lap
the
valves
they
will
prematurely
wear-out
due
to
the
special
oxide
coating
used
on
these
new-age
4-stroke
motocrossers.
If
you
re-cut
the
valve
seat
properly,
there
is
no
need
to
lap
the
valve.
Dirt
is
a
major
enemy
of
any
combustion
engine
and
the
CRF’s
are
no
exception.
You
can
prevent
premature
wear
of
the
oxide
coating
on
the
valve
by
keeping
the
air
filter
clean
and
properly
lubricated;
this,
of
course,
is
really
important
for
the
life
of
your
piston
and
piston
rings
as
well.
Remember
the
valve
clearances
need
to
be
inspected
and
adjusted
often:
every
6
races
or
15
hours
of
use
(whichever
comes
first)!
Strict
adherence
to
this
manufacturer
recommended
service
interval
would
help
prevent
the
need
for
premature
valve
replacement.
If
the
valve
clearances
are
too
loose
you
may
hear
them
clicking;
this
clicking
sound
usually
is
the
valves
slamming
into
the
valve
seat,
possibly
causing
valve
deformation
(not
good).
If
the
valves
are
too
loose,
or
too
tight,
you'll
want
to
get
them
adjusted
very
soon
to
avoid
engine
head/valve
damage.
Conversely,
when
valves
are
too
tight
they
won’t
warn
you
with
a
clicking
sound;
valves
that
are
too
tight
can
lead
to
poor
performance
issues:
carbon
build-up,
inefficient
heat
transfer
and
valve
warpage
(really
not
good).
If
ignored,
these
aforementioned
issues
can
ultimately
lead
to
a
catastrophic
engine
failure,
eventually.
In
addition
to
the
valve
clearance
inspection/adjustment
you
will
also
want
to
keep
a
close
eye
on
the
wear
to
the
piston
and
piston
rings;
they
will
need
to
be
replaced
sooner
than
most
owners
realize.
If
the
rings
are
not
inspected
and
replaced
regularly
than
the
rings
can
break
and
score
the
cylinder
wall
bad
enough
that
it
will
need
either
boring,
replating
or
resleeving
to
make
it
reusable.
The
bottom
line
with
these
high
tech
4-stroke
motocrossers
is
that
they
require
maintenance
by
someone
possessing
master
technician
status
to
keep
them
running
right.
The
good
news:
we
have
some
of
the
very
best
master
mechanics
in
the
business
working
for
us
and
we
be
glad
to
schedule
you
an
appointment
and
do
the
work
while
you
wait,
if
you
prefer
(valve
inspect/adjust
is
only
1.5
hours).
See
the
attached
coupons
for
the
deals
we’re
extending
to
help
with
these
necessary
procedures
and
keep
you
out
there
smiling
and
tearing-it-up.
Ken
DeFrees
-
Service
Manager |
