13
The owner of this bike is stepping up from an older CRF450R; knowing he wanted lower gearing, he slipped on a Sunline 49-tooth sprocket to keep the chain and sprocket wear consistent.
14
When the wheels go back on, the axles need a light coating of grease. The axles don't turn inside of the wheel, so the grease isn't for lubrication. It's to prevent the axle from rusting to the wheel bearings.
15
It doesn't matter whether you use a bike for motocross or off-road. If you're buying your own sprockets, use an O-ring chain. Installing an O-ring chain, like this Sunline unit, while the sprockets are new will greatly extend chain and sprocket life.
16
When the fork tubes go back in the clamps, the bolts should get grease or anti-seize on the threads. Then follow the torque specifications in the manual. The Honda specifies 19 Newton meters for the fork and axle clamp bolts.
17
This will be an all-around bike, but even if you only ride moto, hand guards are a good idea to minimize roost abuse to your hands. Sunline, Acerbis and Cycra all make guards that are light and mount easily.
18
Staying with the same brand and model of bike let this owner save some cash by swapping his triple clamp and oversize handlebar over to the new bike. He installed push-button fork bleeders at the same time.
19
An hourmeter is almost indispensable for a new four-stroke. We found that we save money by not changing the oil too often. It takes longer for the hours to add up than you'd think. Recording the stock suspension settings is a great help.
20
Since this bike will see some off-road use, it was necessary to make sure it was legal. The owner researched the options and he felt the Pro Moto Billet end-cap would best suit his needs and budget. It installed cleanly and easily.
21
Another potential savings is a glide plate (motocross) or a full skid plate (off-road). Current lightweight engine covers are more prone to damage than ever. Put better protection on while the frame tubes are still straight and the cases are whole.
22
Radiators are the Achilles' heel of modern bikes, but there are clever innovations in radiator bracing from complete cages to light, one-sided units. We prefer maximum protection that allows use of the stock air-guide louvers.
23
Some riders pull off all of the stock plastic and replace it with a complete aftermarket kit like this one from Acerbis (www.acerbis.com). When they sell the bike they put the new stock parts back on.
24
For off-road or rocky motocross tracks, an upper fork protector can save big bucks. These Light Speed (www.lightspeedperf.com) units are as light as air. Dicks Racing (www.dicksracing.com) has super-tough ABS units for more extreme protection.