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Yet another WR450... Rebuild.

21K views 93 replies 11 participants last post by  Borg 
#1 ·
Earlier this year, I snapped up a cheap 2004 WR450F, with dirt and SuMo wheels.

It was a non-runner, sitting in a garage for about 3 years.

I saw the bike roughly 3 years ago for sale, but at that time it came with 2 frames, and was about 50% more expensive.

This bike came with a TON of spare parts, including a complete wiring harness, extra gas tank and full plastic kit, spare carb (which I regret selling, I'll make a post about that), a complete second rear brake, and... a FULL Tusk Enduro Lighting Kit.

I'll try and make posts about progress that I made to it a while back, till current state. I've already been riding the bike, and put about 2000 km on it, and fixed a bunch of stuff that I list below.

Picture below, is how the bike was as I bought it, in it's non-running state.

And some of the parts I received with it.

The bike also is grandfathered in to be road legal in Ontario :)

The List:
Get Running
Install Enduro Lighting Kit and Vapor Dash
Fix Exhaust
Fix Suspension (Front too hard, rear too soft)
Partially re-make the entire wiring harness, and remove erroneous items (Clutch switch, kill switch, wires for ignition light, etc...)
Paint/Powder Coat the frame black
Paint the engine to make it looks nice
Dye all the plastics black
Buy/Install Seat Concepts seat
Possibly new rads and rad guards
Possibly get a nicer headlight
Replace steering stem bearings
Maybe get new tires (The Pirelli's are 10 years old, and never used, but not dry...)
Upgrade to Fat Bars
Get proper hand guards (Zeta or Emperor Racing that mount to the bar clamps)
Big maaaaybe is upgrade the front brake
As well as one day get a new carb (This is a long story)

Snow is going to fly any day now, which means I'll be pretty busy with work, so I've got all winter to finish or get this project back on the road.

This WR450 replaced a Husaberg FS550 which I rebuilt the motor over last winter to flip the bike, sure the WR is a little slower and a little fatter, but it won't need nearly as much maintenance.
 

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#30 ·
I had an epiphany today.

Realised when I had the shock spring off, that I could compress the shock and it didn't rebound back.

Put my bicycle shock pump on the schrader valve.... 0 Psi... great.... pumped it up to 150 psi... take the pump off.. Hsssssssss

Turns out someone loosened the valve core? Or if I want to be hopeful... someone rebuilt the shock and forgot to tighten it? Yeah I'll sick with that for now.

Good news is, that new spring I got should need less pre-load :)

I doubt I'll ever fill it with nitrogen, it's only being used on the street.
 
#32 ·
Nah, I tightened the valve core, it was loose.

Got my black plastics in the mail today ;)

And one of the brake parts I decided to go with.

If it's too wooden with the caliper I bought, I'll just replace the reservoir pipe and lever and probably sell it.. can probably make a profit off it.
 

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#34 ·
Picked up this Brembo 4 pot caliper from a KTM 640 Supermoto for quite cheap, included a SS brake line, that I won't be using, anyone want to buy it?

I already know I'll have to grind it down, do the KTM's really have that much wider front ends?

Also new rotor you can see in the background, because the EBC rotor will not work with a Brembo caliper. EBC rotor and adapter for sale!
 

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#36 ·
Been super busy with work...

Got some stuff in the mail again.

Taiwan Pazzo Knockoff levers, they shipped really quick, and they look AWESOME... paid $28 CAD for them shipped.

Bought a set of an R1 since I want to use this Brembo master cylinder. So if anyone needs an R1 clutch lever let me know :p

Tusk bar clamps to replace the GYTR ones that came with my upper triple clamp, bolts were too short on them and non-removable.

Flatland Racing rad guards to replace the broken in several places ones that came on the bike.

Galfer line was on sale... why not.

New throttle tube, mine is broken-in pretty bad.

Gotta start building this bike.... but still waiting for swingarm and head bearings.
 

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#38 ·
Quicker turn?

I don't need that.

I've got the new swingarm bearings sitting on my desk, just need to take it to work and press out the old and in the new ones.

Then I can put the motor in and start assembling.

Hopefully next weekend I can pickup the new seat, and head bearings, handguards, and a few other things.
 
#39 ·
Finally had some time after working 12 days straight with some 18+ hour days in there. Tow truck life is tough some times.

Got the new head bearings and swingarm bearings installed.

Motor is in now!

The swingarm bearings must have loosened up after being powder coated... I used a 19mm impact socket and hammered out the old ones, they came out really easy.

Put the new ones in the freezer, and barely had to tap them in with the socket again, worked awesome.

Most annoying part was sanding all the powder coating off for the swingarm and linkage bolts.

I've gotta buy a big bin/can for the Dye next, and dye the plastics black, I'm really hoping the white number plates work out, no idea why that particular plastic piece is so expensive.

Also replaced the shrader valve in the shock, it was leaking, and since it's just being ridden on the road, I probably won't bother with the Nitrogen charge.

I also found out that fancy clutch lever won't work with the factory cable... it doesn't use enough length from the adjuster to the pivot, so I'll have to figure something out, maybe I can get the cable shortened?
 

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#44 ·
Got the speedo mostly mounted up, need to get some nicer bolts with nylock nuts so it doesn't vibrate loose.

Not sure on clutch cable routing yet, also need to possibly get the cable shortened to work with my China clutch lever.

This morning I shortened the Tusk Enduro Lighting harness, it was about 10" too long, and I didn't like the bunched up mess, or the tape they used to wrap it, so that happened too, didn't take pictures of that, looks the same as before I shortened it pretty much.

The Vapor power wire is wired into the lighting harness, as well as new wiring for the headlight to run on DC power, both of course are switched with the key. As mentioned in a previous post, the tach sensor is wired into the main bike harness.

There is so much more room behind the headlight now, it's glorious.
 

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#50 ·
Yesterday I finally picked up my Seat Concepts kit.

While I was doing that, he had a bunch of NOS items.

Got some SCAR footpegs, and a KTM black/silver anodized gas cap that fits on my Beta, and used the black vent tube/cap on the WR to replace the ugly faded blue one. Was only $60 for pegs and gas cap.

I got the gas cap because the Beta one has a funky rubber seal that always gets caught in the threads... making it near impossible unless you're the Hulk to get the damn cap off, this aluminum one doesn't do that.
 

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