Looking at a 09 WR450F, opinions..

[PinHead]

Like it says, I am looking into an 09 WR450F. I did read about all of the free mods the thing needs to get some more power back from the motor.
Is there anything else I should look for? I haven't seen the bike yet, but it has 300 miles on it and was titled in NH so I can plate it here in MA. He claims it is mint!

[R7]

They're pretty solid bikes, so other than the normal wear and tear type things there isn't much to look for.
The obvious things, oil, air filter, chain/sprockets, tires, general condition, etc.
Also the WR doesn't have an audometer, only 2 trip meters that can be reset, so it's only his word on the actual miles.

The free mods from what i remember, didn't really make a big difference on mine. I ended up getting the Yamaha hop-up kit and another exhaust plug that went in the stock silencer. That's what woke mine up

[PinHead]

Sounds good so far!
I will have to check on the miles thing.

I have been doing a lot of reading over at the Thumper talk forums. I guess one of those JP jet kits is a must get too.
Seems this bike was de-tuned in a big way from the factory.

[R7]

All the brands modern 4-stroke enduro bikes are detuned. My WR ran surprisingly well detuned unlike my KTM 525 that hardly ran until it was jetted.
What type of riding do you plan on doing? New England woods riding isn't exactly the place to be looking for the hardest hit from a bike

The hop-up kit from Yamaha comes with a jet kit, a block off kit for the air pump, and instructions on the proper way to remove the gray wire..I think it was less than $40

[KB]

The only problem is that it is not a KTM.

KB

[PinHead]

Thanks for all the info Mark. I just found this too.. From the Yamaha Website.

Cool digital enduro computer offers speedometer, clock, tripmeter, etc., in basic mode or pace management functions such as timer, distance-compensating tripmeter, average speed, etc., when switched to race mode.

So it may very well be able to tell me the overall miles.
And thanks for the info on the hop up kit.

And you what, I will leave it de-tuned for a while. I haven't been on 2 wheels in the woods for a long time! The 4-wheelers are going and this is going to be the toy. And living so close to Foxboro, Wrentham and Franklin I have plenty of places to ride this vs. the 4-wheelers.

And no, not a KTM. Cliff's is a 10 min. ride away, maybe. I wont go in! Good shop, I am just a scared. Plus, the maint. required on the WR vs. any KTM doesn't compare.

[R7]

A distance-compensating tripmeter allows you to reset the trips to a certain point rather than 0. That's used for Enduro's and Turkey runs. It had me curious so I looked in my service manual, there's no mention of any total miles counted.
The condition will tell the truth of 300 miles or not IMO. I drop my bike more than the average rider and I'd say mine is in a little better than good condition and I know I'm well over 1,000 miles on it.

Just be sure to get the street plate, if it comes with a NH title now, it will be easy. You open up many more areas to ride, plus you don't have to worry about the new mass orv stickers everyone is bitching about. There's also Pachaug in Ct if you feel like doing a full day and not doubling up on trails.

The newer KTM's are better than the older RFS engines, at least now it's only 1 oil filter and the valves are shim under bucket. IMO the only advantage the KTM thumpers have over the Japanese thumpers is the ease of getting a street plate

[PinHead]

I do plan to get the street plate. That was one of the big things I was looking for which is why I looked for one that had a previous plate.
I just found a complete kit at Rocky Mtn. that has all the goodies I need to make it streetable. For under $200 bucks!
Now I am getting excited and I didn't even see the bike yet. I better cool it down in case this bike turns out to be a POS. It was owned by an older guy who mainly used it for commuting to work. That is why he said fuggit and got a street only bike.

[TTD]

errr... +1 to everything R7 said!

The last thing the WR450 needs is more power in New England!

Get the street plate and something to wipe the smile off your face... and call it a day!