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Couple of SM450R Questions...

2K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  desmo_speeding 
#1 ·
Well,

I do love my new Husqvarna very much, even though I can tell it will have more "personality" than my Honda sportbike which is virtually maintenence-free. For some reason I was sitting at a stoplight on a warm day while out in the city trying to put on some mellow break-in miles and the thing just died. Tried to start it back up and it took a while to go again. Weird, never had a bike do that. Too rich perhaps? It does pop quite a bit with the throttle closed.

Perhaps this is normal for a bike that has not been broken in yet? Hopefully I've been following the correct procedure since I've just been putting around at slower speeds, trying to keep the revs up a little within reason and varying the load a little bit, never giving it more than 1/2 or 3/4 throttle. This is in accordance with the manual and I try to baby it so I don't see a problem. The dealer I bought it from did rev it more than I thought he should have, but I don't think it was enough to hurt anything.

After 2 days of slow starts the battery seems to have drained and it's out on the charger as we speak. When I tried to start it the battery would just make clicking noises but lacked the juice ot turn it over. I've bump started it once which was easy but mostly I have been using the kick starter, which even takes quite a few kicks. After doing some more break-in riding and trying to vary the load and RPM a bit the bikes seems happier and does not appear to want to die at lights anymore. I figure I might do one more break-in ride and then change the filter and oil just to be sure no junk is floating around, which brings me to my next question...

I want to do my first oil change soon and so here's the often heard question: which oil to choose? I know my SM450R has Agip Racing 10W-60 full synthetic from the factory but my dealership gave me some Castrol Act-Evo semi-synthetic 10W-40 to use since it costs half as much. Is this better or worse for a street tard?

Thanks for reading my big questions! :bowdown:
 
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#2 ·
I wouldn't go cheap on the oil, not with an exotic, high revving european single cylinder bike. Stick with the Agip, Cagiva/Husky/Ducati motorcycles were developed around that lubricant for many years, so unless you are absolutely broke, use what they suggest. AS you point out, this is not a Japanese bike.

Ducatis kill their batteries all the time too. This is usually down to a weak charger, which does not recharge the battery at slower revs - if you say that you've been taking it easy on the bike, this might explain things. My old 900ss would not charge the battery below 4000rpm. You have to keep these bikes on a battery tender, imho.

Bike dying for no obvious reason, weak battery charger, expensive oil - yep, you bought an Italian bike!

:)
 
#3 ·
Your battery and fuel problems could also be heat soak. Are you spending lots of time in traffic and red lights? You could get vapor lock in the fuel line and the battery electrolyte could of been boiled off as well.

Best to get a sealed unit battery, then if you drop it acid won't leak out.

kww
 
#6 ·
You really don't need to stick with Agip. The factory uses a certain name oil for largely economic reasons, as they will get a contract with a manufacturer to supply their oil. Have you noticed that Ducatis use Shell oil now? Agip is still just as good as it ever was, but Ducati got a better contract with Shell. So just buy the proper weight oil from Mobil, or Castrol or whomever you like, and make sure you change it often. Really.

Why it stopped at a light? Did you blip the throttle for fun? That can kill the motor sometimes. Otherwise who knows, could be the carb is a little out of adjustment. The bike is set-up pretty lean from the factory, so I'm guessing it's just that. No worries.
 
#7 ·
SMR said:
You really don't need to stick with Agip. The factory uses a certain name oil for largely economic reasons, as they will get a contract with a manufacturer to supply their oil. Have you noticed that Ducatis use Shell oil now? Agip is still just as good as it ever was, but Ducati got a better contract with Shell. So just buy the proper weight oil from Mobil, or Castrol or whomever you like, and make sure you change it often. Really.

Why it stopped at a light? Did you blip the throttle for fun? That can kill the motor sometimes. Otherwise who knows, could be the carb is a little out of adjustment. The bike is set-up pretty lean from the factory, so I'm guessing it's just that. No worries.
agreed.
If mobil were refined in Italy, we'd have Mobil in 'em from the factory.
Buy good oil, and change it often: Best advice.
 
#8 ·
Idle speed

wescoas1 said:
Well,

I do love my new Husqvarna very much, even though I can tell it will have more "personality" than my Honda sportbike which is virtually maintenence-free. For some reason I was sitting at a stoplight on a warm day while out in the city trying to put on some mellow break-in miles and the thing just died. Tried to start it back up and it took a while to go again. Weird, never had a bike do that. Too rich perhaps? It does pop quite a bit with the throttle closed. QUOTE]
Your bike has an idle adjust (throttle stop) cable below the left side of the carb - try speedin it up a tad while you're breaking it in. Your carb has an accelerator pump, so revving it can sometimes kill it - be smooth, and patient - it's still brand new. It'll run better (and faster) soon, I promise.
 
#9 ·
Cool, thanks guys :) I just got back from another ride, just out reminding myself to take it easy, which is no easy thing when you really want to rally all over the place. It seems to be starting much easier (it loves throttle) and it's running smoother by the day. Once I get my oil it will be time to freshen up my little black beauty. I don't think this bike will ever get old. Oh yeah, I charged the battery on the tender and now it's happier again too. Took my first very short highway run today and it handles well at speed for what it is. I could see where gearing would be an issue though, I didn't want to go over 58 MPH or so to keep the revs down.

Anyways, how long before I can start cracking this thing open? 600 miles? 2 hours? I hear different times from different people and am not sure what is best, but I am thinking a few hundred miles at least for a street tard.
 
#10 ·
My 2-cents. Change the oil. Then just ride it, run the motor through its full range, fast and slow, shift it up and down, change the revs, high, low, but be smooth with it. Don't wack the throttle to full stop, or keep one RPM for miles and miles and miles and miles. Don't bog the motor in low revs but don't rev the piss out of it either.

Babying the motor wont get you anything really, nor will just abusing it for the first couple hundred miles.

Maybe this image will help ya...I ride a new bike like I'm on my first warm-up lap on a track, a new track. I'm warming myself up to being on a bike, that bike, and getting used to the feel of it, rolling the throttle on smoothly, but fully, to get some heat into the tires, get a feel for the suspension etc etc. The end result is your using the bike/motor but your doing so in smoother, slower motions. You aren't limping around but you aren't in race mode either.

Remember, your breaking yourself in too. You have to get used to how you as a human machine interact with the bike.
 
#13 ·
good to know it didnt need an adjust.
I'm going to bust out the feeler gauges tomorrow, see "what's what".

Everything came in today from SME, those guys are really on the ball when it comes to shipping.
Nothing from Motostrano yet, nothing from motoxotica yet either.
maybe tomorrow. I'll post up some pics when it's all back together again.
 
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