Rzm450z
 

I picked up an RMZ450 a few weeks ago and nabbed some sumo wheels off a guy at SMJ for a decent price. But they needed to be laced. for the RMZ (he had them avalible for DRZ as well.

So I sent him what he asked for and he started lacing them.

I had this 11/20 track day I wanted to make with it so I told him as long as I got them a day or two before that I'd be fine.

Well...something was wrong and they had sent him the wrong laces :tremble:

Long story short, the wheels got to me 16 hrs before the track day (which was 3 hrs away)

Anyway, they came and look kick ass!!!

I friggin LOVE this bike

Dirt trim:
http://www.troybaker.com/dirt/rmz03.jpg

http://www.troybaker.com/dirt/rmz05.jpg

http://www.troybaker.com/dirt/rmz04.jpg

http://www.troybaker.com/dirt/rmz06.jpg



15/41 gearing on the track got me to 104 mph but still allowed for wheelies in every gear :rockwoot:

http://www.troybaker.com/drwb/cmp43.jpg

Looks awesome, Troy!

What is the Rockstar catch can for: coolant overflow or something else?

I can't believe that placement is the best location for it. Looks to me like that would be the first point of impact on the left side of the bike. :scratch:

Yeah "ghetto" overflow.

Not normally used, and it was last minute as hell....just a drink can, a washer and a connector with some pipe clamps, but I wasn't sure how picky these guys would be.

NESBA makes you use a catch. Got the idea from a control rider at NESBA when I did patriot

(see same location on his Kawi)

http://www.troybaker.com/mz/patriot15.jpg

I figured as long as I passed tech it could come off later

If it is just a catch can it's no big deal, as it shouldn't have much in it.

I was thinking of the bottle being half full in the event of a left sided drop.

Gotcha ;)

Yeah just an overflow catch

Plus I was running JUST water

I was in love with the idea of a YZ450 turned Formula 450 Roadracer, just too expensive however this looks promising...Can you walk me thru the process?
Just get some 17 in rims and add a gearing and a catch can? How 'spensive are the rims?

I dont have to ask if it is fun, just how can I get into it!

Supermotojunkie.com is your friend!!!

I was looking at the YZ myself, but found a great deal on this RMZ.

I was going to buy this one:

http://www.supermotojunkie.com/showt...uot-woods-bike

But had a guy call ME about the one I have now. Couldn't pass it up.

The right bike, and then a set of wheels. Best bet is to lurk on SMJ and find a used set. Normally a good set can be had for $500-$800

I got mine with slicks mounted for $875

Then you get a rotor from Motostrano: brake rotor and a Braking brand caliper bracket: bracket to upgrade the brakes (you're doing 100mph now...you need to STOP!!!!) and you're pretty set to START.

I plan to upgrade to the brembo MC & caliper eventually, but this worked VERY well this weekend.

I had NO trouble pulling a 600 (even being as big as I am) up to 80mph.....it was about 85-on when they'd walk me like a mutant puppy :lol:

But on the tighter more technical tracks (Patriot...etc) there is no chance in hell they can catch you.

Even on my 660 MZ motard (which I now know was slow as HELL compared to a 450 that's 1/2 the weight and almost twice the HP) I was cleaning house at patriot. I can't WAIT to hit it with this sucker!

Awesome. I am definitley going that way. The local tracks are to short and tight for my 1125. I wanna play at dirt in the winter, so...

thanks for the link, but a couple questions...


what kind of you suspension adjustment going back to dirt, then back to asphalt?

also how long does it take you to make the wheel/brake swap each time?

It would be best to have a set of fork tubes for motard time, with fork braces and everything so you just loosen the fork clamps and put the whole assembly in, and THOSE forks you can run with some heavier oil. But I don't have that to invest right now.....so I just upped the compression and rebound. I'll change the suspension to be softer for dirt. But I'd like a separate set of forks.

Also, the IDEAL situation is to have 2 rear rotors, 2 sets of bolts for the front rotors (since you now have a larger STREET rotor) and 2 sets of bolts for the sprocket (since you now have a MUCH smaller rear sprocket for the STREET)

So with THAT the change shouldn't be more than 20 minutes. Including time to pick the bike back up when it falls off the stand :lol:

Thanks for the 411. Now the sprockets are spinning in my head once again...Winter/Spring project planning time.

You bet!

It's a lot better (IMHO) to get a dirtbike and make it an occational trackday motard, than trying to get a dedicated motard street bike.

I HAD the street tard......and while it was sweet....it was a novelty at best. It ran it's course and I decided to sell it (like everyone with those DRZ400SM's do just as soon as they mod the piss out of em) after about a year and a half.

I now have a dirtbike that I can make a tard in 30 minutes or less :idk:

And it cost next to nothing when you consider the cost of a new(ish) sportbike.

Cost is part of it no doubt, but my closest track is just 1.8 mi 10 turn circuit and I have been around it a zillion times on SVs and 600s. I took my 1125R there this summer and it just inhales the straights. So I left thinking Motard? ninja 250? formula 450? aprilia or Honda 125? mD 250! But this way I can play AND have a dirt bike for when I cant or wont track. Like October to say April...

LOL That is a HUGE catchcan...

I would like to have a 450 motard/dirt, but I can't handle that size in the tight woods we got around here. I would kill myself.

I am selling the DRZ to get a WR250X

BTW you need to snag up one of these... That dirt front is "overkill" for the street.

http://www.motostrano.com/sufrfe.html

Sweet! I miss my sumo...

Yeah it's on the wish list...but having bought THIS bike, a DRZ125 for the boy, every stitch of gear from head to toe for me and the boy, and motard wheels.....my ass is broke :lol:

Hopefully you live somewhere where you can appreciate the dirt side of it during winter.

We started(and I returned) back to dirt riding last winter because trackdays ended :lol: Needless to say the obsession is back and now that my skill is, next year begins racing.

Oh dear oh dear. During my research for budget motard options I discovered Aprilia makes a SXV 5.5 and KTM makes a 690 SM LC4.
There goes the budget.

Watch the Aprilia

Had several friends with the 5.5 and the 4.5 and all of them had engine issues.

SUPPOSEDLY that was fixed with the '08 (help me out TYE) and newer, but I'd still be really weary

Also...note that the 640/690 KTMS are GREAT and all, but they ARE heavy. And weight makes a HUGE difference when you're on a motard.

If I could lose 60 pounds, I'd be sick stoopid fast! :rockwoot:

08+s were supposedly "fixed".

I'd straight up stay away from them period. Ever notice why no one ever went with a Vtwin motard setup before? And why even after 3 years Aprilia is still the only one with it?

If I'm going to perform religious maintenance, I want it on a bike where I just need to buy ONE top end as worst case scenario. Japanese dirtbikes are built cheap, haul ass and don't cost alot to fix. The Euro factory motards already come fairly trick, but can be a bitch to find parts for if you don't have a dealer in your area.

If anyone wants a road going motard there are still plenty of options from 450s to 690s. You're real choice is going to have to be if you want rock solid reliability or a hardcore balls-out "fast" machine or something kinda in between. Husquavarna, KTM, Husaberg, DRZ400-SM, WR250X, etc are places to start. Conversions can cost less, be equal to, or be more but I would really check with your states regulations on legalizing off-road machines.

Check out Supermotojunkie.com to see who's got what, who's selling, etc to get an idea of what's really out there.