Got a smoking deal on an 08 WR today

[sundrerider]

Hey everyone, just joined the board. I've been riding offroad for years but thought I would try some hare scrambles this year for the first time.

Thought it was time to upgrade my 02 WR 426, and was sorely tempted by the new Husabergs, but then the deals on the 08 WRs caught my eye.

Anyway, today I purchased a new 08 WR 450 for $6350 plus GST - it was hard to say no at that price. That's about $800 less than I had seen anywhere else and a more than a couple grand off list.

Excited about the new bike and doing some racing this year.

Now I have to decide what mods I want to do to get the bike ready - I hear the AIS kit is pretty much mandatory to get everything out of the bike.

Anyway, thought I would introduce myself and say hello.

[dirtyboy]

That sounds like smoking deal! Hope you enjoy the bike.

I"m sure WR_Dave or the other Blue guys will chime in but in the mean time, here are my thoughts:

Get a YZ throttle stop or cut the WR one to the YZ length. I know you want full throttle.

Depends what kind of power you want, but if you come from a 426 then you probably want a fair bit so you might want to disconnect the grey wire, and remove the tiniest restrictor in the muffler (to go from 89 to 96 db). I know for myself, I like smooth power (think traction) so I'd leave these things as is.

Also, most important is to get the proper springs for your weight.

And then some protection for the bike. Rad guards, bark busters and skid plate.

I hope it warms up one of these days so that you can ride that machine.

[sundrerider]

Hey thanks for the input - much appreciated.

As for swapping the springs - not too familiar with that - I'm about 250, so i would definitely be heavier than what they are set up for from the factory.

Do you think I need to swap them, or can I get where I need to be just through adjusting the shocks?

[steve-o]

Do you think I need to swap them,

Yes you need new springs all around. I never used to buy springs suited to my weight until a couple of years ago. It will be one of the most appreciated investments you make!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sundrerider]

In the mags I read about shops that will do the suspension tuning etc. for you. I have no problem doing the work myself, but figured that the first time at least it would be good to get some professional help. Are there shops in the Calgary area that do this kind of work? I've seen a few guys mention Seizco in Okotoks, but not too sure - any thoughts?

[steve-o]

I've seen a few guys mention Seizco in Okotoks, but not too sure - any thoughts?

SeiTzco is good I guess.

Changing springs isn't all that hard to do. You should do it yourself if you say you've done it in the past, you'll find it easy.

After that it's just getting the sag, compression and rebound right for your style of riding.

[Ricktc]

Welcome to the board. I'm going to be relatively new to racing this season as well, hope to see you out there!

I have a set of Race Tech springs for a WR450 that are suited to 230-250 lb riders, if you're interested PM me. They're a bit too stiff for me, since I weigh a staggering 165!

-Rick

[sundrerider]

Whoops, I guess Seizeco wouldn't be a good name for a bike shop.

No, I have never really touched a bike suspension but have rebuilt cars, etc. so I'm pretty comfortable around the wrenches.

Thanks for all the info.

[dirtyboy]

sundrerider,

The last Yamaha that I had was an '05. It came with an awesome technical manual that showed how to replace the springs. It also had a chart that showed the correct spring rates for various rider weights. Hopefully the '08 came with a similar manual that you can use.

[DXL77]

I also have an 08 WR 450 and the manual that came with it is great. It will explain everything. If you are comfortable with the wrenches than just do it yourself. May as well get comfortable working on the bike.
Also as DB mentioned, do all the mods to bike as it will make a huge difference in performance. I am about 210 and really noticed the difference.
Don

[sundrerider]

Yeah, the manual is awesome - was just reading the section on the suspension and think I'll give it a shot myself.

Was going to take her for a spin today, but we got a foot of snow.