The 07 Whip.

[a13x]

2005 Suzuki RMZ450
--------------------------
Built by Jeff Wood, Chris Arbor, and Doug Henry

-Behr wheels 17" x 5" REAR and 16.5" front
-Motomaster brake system with Magura lever/mc
-REP built motor
* port polish
* cut head
* twist cut valves
- White Brothers Ti / Carbon exhaust

Lots of insanely trick attention to detail
- Custom ram air airbox ducts
- Custom rear seat bracket to allow more airflow into airbox
- All nuts 6-way drilled and clip wired
- Suspension linkage drilled and grease gun fittings added
- Swingarm linkage drilled and grease gun fittings added
- Tubeless tires (all inner spoke nipples glued over)
- Custom made 16t front sprocket
- Custom cutdown Ti footpegs

- Works Pro-Circuit suspension by "Bones"

+ a bunch of other crap I can't remember but it's a sickass Sumo.


LOCATION: My garage.


3/11 - First SuMo practice at E-Town
4/1 - First SuMo race at E-Town
4/28 - First weekend at Loudon

[OreoGaborio]

[oreo_n2]

nice, we'll see how she does against a killer STOCK '04 yammy 450!

[WebCrush]

What ever happened to all those claims about it being mostly stock RMZ450?

[a13x]

What ever happened to all those claims about it being mostly stock RMZ450?

Mostly stock engine? I'd say it is. Cut head and port/polish is pretty minour stuff in the 'motard engine build' world. No stroker kit, no high compression piston, no fancy crank, no hot cams, no overbore, no overrev box, etc.

Otherwise it has suspension work, a pipe, and nice brakes, which um.. 9 outta 10 bikes at Loudon have.

[KB]

I hope it doesn't go KABOOM!!

I've haven't riden the Suzi 4stroke yet. Bet it rips with those mods.

KB

[a13x]

I hope it doesn't go KABOOM!!

I've haven't riden the Suzi 4stroke yet. Bet it rips with those mods.

Word. This was obviously a major concern of mine, so I spent a good 100 hours talking about it with Jeff (and cross-questioned Eric when Jeff wasn't looking).

Again: Word I've gotten from them (and various other quick Motard Loudon guys with mild/stock engines) is a stock motard engine, or a mildly tuned one (ie: my RMZ) will run for a good damn longtime without issue.

The Built to the Hilt motards tend to pop. Every motard that popped at Loudon this season was a Built one.. high comp pistons, heads, stroker kits, overbores, hot cams, all that shit. Mike Donovan built up a KTM to 75 HP and it lasted about 5 laps..

Jeff and Eric's CRF450 has the exact same motorwork as the RMZ and they have run it for THREE SEASONS at Loudon and a shitload of Supermoto races. It's finally getting rebuilt this offseason.

Obviously shit happens but this bike has about the same odds as blowing up as my Hawk does (which is VERY built). It's the game we play.


oh yea PS: I ran this bike in October 05 (see pic/avatar) and it was topping out on the front straight HALFWAY to startfinish outta 12. That's a long long way to go down the straight binging off the rev limited (not to mention back straight and 2 to 3). However, since then, Jeff got a 16 tooth front sprocket custom made and now it doesn't hit rev limited on front straight, with HIM riding it, so... I like that.

[WebCrush]

Seriously built engines pop, no doubt about that.

But even stock engines need standard rebuilds and maitenance for valves, bearings, and crank issues. These things weren't built for the kind of abuse we put them through.

Some tend to think that if you're going to be taking the thing apart all the time for maitenance you might as well put in the power-mods. Problem is a lot of people with the crazy built engines don't do the maitenance.

[a13x]

Some tend to think that if you're going to be taking the thing apart all the time for maitenance you might as well put in the power-mods. Problem is a lot of people with the crazy built engines don't do the maitenance.

Yea +1 on that man. I got my first four-stroke dirtbike this September so I did a shitload of reading up on 4st and their 'issues' before I jumped into that bike. My MX bike is a 2006 CRF250 and the 250F's are even more notorious for being pains in the asses. (rev higher and get beat on even more).

Seems the ticket is to really really keep up on oil changes, oil filters, and air filters. These 4st run on so little engine oil that it gets used up quick and any dirt that gets past the air filter quickly gets into valves and causes them to get all beat. Shit, my CRF250 has TWO SEPERATE oil areas in the engine.. so it reeeally gets hammered.

I change the MX bike's oil every 2 rides and air filter every ride. Average about 1.3 hours per ride. I think with the RMZ I'm at least looking at oil between every round, if not during the weekend. It's about a 5 minute job so *shrug* why be a goob and not do it.

I've also heard (and seen first hand) that 4st's tend to become very hard to start when the valves are out of spec. A clue that they might need a readjustment. My 06 CRF still starts first kick with 72 hours on the engine and 12 since the last valvejob. WOO!!

Some interesting stats: I already mentioned how the Wood CRF went 3 seasons without a rebuilt, that includes same crank bearings.. Crazy. Also just found out yesterday that Jay Root's CRF's (all stock engines) go full LRRS seasons without doing one thing to the engine other than change oil and filters (no valve checking, no tuneups, no piston/ring, etc). So nice to hear some Good Stories for every 100 Horror Stories you hear and read about.

[KB]

Yea +1 on that man. I got my first four-stroke dirtbike this September so I did a shitload of reading up on 4st and their 'issues' before I jumped into that bike. My MX bike is a 2006 CRF250 and the 250F's are even more notorious for being pains in the asses. (rev higher and get beat on even more).

Seems the ticket is to really really keep up on oil changes, oil filters, and air filters. These 4st run on so little engine oil that it gets used up quick and any dirt that gets past the air filter quickly gets into valves and causes them to get all beat. Shit, my CRF250 has TWO SEPERATE oil areas in the engine.. so it reeeally gets hammered.

I change the MX bike's oil every 2 rides and air filter every ride. Average about 1.3 hours per ride. I think with the RMZ I'm at least looking at oil between every round, if not during the weekend. It's about a 5 minute job so *shrug* why be a goob and not do it.

I've also heard (and seen first hand) that 4st's tend to become very hard to start when the valves are out of spec. A clue that they might need a readjustment. My 06 CRF still starts first kick with 72 hours on the engine and 12 since the last valvejob. WOO!!

Some interesting stats: I already mentioned how the Wood CRF went 3 seasons without a rebuilt, that includes same crank bearings.. Crazy. Also just found out yesterday that Jay Root's CRF's (all stock engines) go full LRRS seasons without doing one thing to the engine other than change oil and filters (no valve checking, no tuneups, no piston/ring, etc). So nice to hear some Good Stories for every 100 Horror Stories you hear and read about.

I have heard the same thing about Roots CRF's. He knows his honda shit. Good luck getting any tips out of him though. He's one secrective MOFO.

KB

[a13x]

I have heard the same thing about Roots CRF's. He knows his honda shit. Good luck getting any tips out of him though. He's one secrective MOFO.

KB

ahha Jay's the one that told me about his motah We are working together on some fun stuff for 2007 so he better fess up.. or I'll take 'my' toys and go home!

[Rick Lee]

I have heard the same thing about Roots CRF's. He knows his honda shit. Good luck getting any tips out of him though. He's one secrective MOFO.

KB

Yeah Roots a cool guy. Next time i get rubber im going with dunlop on his suggestion and he showed me a cool way of gaining a little clearance for the chain