Honda CRF450R 2011 User Manual

Suspension Adjustments for Track Conditions
134 Adjustments for Competition
Suspension Adjustments for Track Conditions
Soft Surface
On soft ground, sand, and especially mud, consider
increasing compression damping front and rear.
Sand often requires a bit more rebound damping to
minimize rear end kick. Although sand bumps are
usually larger, there’s more distance between
them, giving the shock more time to recover.
You may want a little bit stiffer front suspension
for sand tracks to help keep the front end up and
improve straight-line stability.
In a muddy event, stiffer aftermarket springs front
and rear may help, especially if you are heavier
than the average rider. Your CRF may be under-
sprung because of the added weight of the clinging
mud. This additional weight may compress the
suspension too much and affect traction.
Hard Surface
For a fast, hard track with no large jumps, you can
probably run the same spring as normal, but run
softer damping both ways-compression and
rebound. If you run softer rebound damping, the
wheel will follow the rough ground and small
bumps much better, and you will hook up better.
With a lot of rebound damping, the wheel returns
very slowly and doesn’t contact the ground quickly
enough after each bump. The result is a loss of
traction and slower lap times.
CRF450R.book Page 134 Thursday, July 8, 2010 9:34 AM

Honda CRF450R 2011 Specifications

General

Engine Type	449cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke
Bore x Stroke	96.0mm x 62.1mm
Compression Ratio	12.0:1
Transmission	Close-ratio five-speed
Final Drive	#520 chain; 13T/48T
Front Brake	Single 240mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Rear Brake	Single 240mm disc
Front Tire	80/100-21
Rear Tire	120/80-19
Trail	114mm (4.5 inches)
Induction	PGM-FI, 46mm throttle body
Front Suspension	48mm inverted with rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.2 inches travel
Rear Suspension	Pro-Link single shock with rebound and compression damping adjustability; 12.4 inches of travel
Wheelbase	58.7 inches
Seat Height	37.6 inches
Fuel Capacity	1.5 gallons