[fishfiles]

Don't know yet what to do with this one ,fix it or part it out , it is a 2000 TRX450FW , has a lot of mods in it , the cost I figure at $100 , the bike was purchased for $500 with the tires and rims that are on my Blue 300 in the last pic , I would say $400 is a fair price for those tires and rims , Outlaws and ITP's ------------ So it has a 500 head job , Wiseco piston , 4x2 Wide Open lick out , HMF muffler , carb kit and K+N air cleaner , Warn winch and plate , seat cover , shock covers , floor boards , snorkeled but pipe broke , I have never tried to start it yet , guy told me it ran but didn't sound good after it was freshly rebuilt , maybe tomorrow I will find out

 

[retro]

I'd tear it down before ever starting it up and fix it! Then before it went back together I'd trade that HMF exhaust off for a ham sam-mich, a bottled cold one, and maybe a soft cookie!

 

[fishfiles]

I take it your not a fan of HMF mufflers ?

 

[SamUK]

Any chance of a photo of the winch plate and mounting if it’s easily accessible?

 

[fishfiles]

Sure Sam I can do that , from what I remember I have at least 3 different design winch plates for a 450 , two look factory made , one looks custom made , I never paid much attention to whats on the project 450 , ithas a Warn , don't know if it even works yet > remember beside this 450 , I have 4 - 450 parts bikes , 2 are ES and 2 are foot shift , and seen a few winch plates in the pile of parts and they are all differently made , I actually had another yellow 450 for parts and couldn't fit it on the trailer when I picked up the pile and never did go back 75 miles each way to get it , sure it is gone by now ------ should have enough parts to build one good one

 

[SamUK]

Cool, thanks buddy.
I think you should build a good one from the 4 you have, see what parts you have left and build another to sell on, or even sell both.

 

[fishfiles]

Here are a couple of pics of plates on bikes , think both of these in pics are home made ----------- I have a couple of 450 plates that are off the bikes just have to dig them up

 

[SamUK]

Thanks for that. So in the first picture, there are two U bolts, one either side, holding the plate to the main frame down tubes and just after the bend in the plate are those two tabs (one either side) that fasten with the same bolt that hold the bumper to the frame?

 

[SamUK]

@fishfiles I spotted this online earlier

Belmont Stakes: Justify completes US Flat racing Triple Crown http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/44427656

https://www.racingpost.com/news/justify-secures-the-triple-crown-after-winning-the-belmont-stakes/334776

 

[retro]

I take it your not a fan of HMF mufflers ?

Nope, they've never given me a reason to like them. The way I see it, exhaust considerations should come near last in a motor build, else it can't possibly work with the design. I see them as expensive noise-makers and I'm probably too old to change...

 

[fishfiles]

Thanks for that. So in the first picture, there are two U bolts, one either side, holding the plate to the main frame down tubes and just after the bend in the plate are those two tabs (one either side) that fasten with the same bolt that hold the bumper to the frame?

Yep , that's it

 

[fishfiles]

I take it your not a fan of HMF mufflers ?

Nope, they've never given me a reason to like them. The way I see it, exhaust considerations should come near last in a motor build, else it can't possibly work with the design. I see them as expensive noise-makers and I'm probably too old to change...

This bike is suppose to have some internal mods , a Wiseco piston , 500 head and then externally a HMF muffler , carb jet kit to match and a K+ N air filter , I have been lied to before about what's inside on Old Blue , remember I thought I had a 317 and found it to be a Charlie Special , do you know I have learned more about that story since , Dick's told me that he did put a 317 kit in that Blue One for him and that when he blew that jug out and was in a hurry to get running again , he replaced it with a OEM jug bored with a Wiseco piston , so maybe Ray didn't really know what he had when he sold it to me and I will give him the benefit of the doubt as I am more than happy with Blue these days for what I paid for it

As far as I got was , to get it under the shed and put a battery charger on it , the fuel tank smells soured , the engine oil is clear as honey , a seal is leaking on the rear axle but the bearings are all tight , I am going to try and start it on a IV bottle of fuel and see what happens this evening -------like I had said before the guy told me a story about how it was just redone and they ( who ever it was that did the work , I never heard of them ) could never get it to run right , what ever that means , says he spent a bundle on this bike , hope that is not a contagious thing

 

[Jeepwm69]

If it's all there fix it. You know what you're doing, so all it will take is a little time.

 

[retro]

You have a lot of good spare 450 bike parts too, fishfiles! I know yer' itchin' to open up another project (aka personal challenge, who ain't?), so I think you should go for it! Don't let the sun go down on that bike! It'll be great fun! Besides, we've come to depend on your good humor (well, I have) and interesting experiences... head down, hammer down...!

 

[SamUK]

Yes, i have to admit that a build thread would prove useful to myself for future reference as it also would for all other members of the forum. I learnt a lot about 300’s from you Fish, are you preparing yourself for all the 450 questions as we speak?! Haha

 

[fishfiles]

I got home and tried to hit the key and see if it would turn over after being on the trickle charge almost 24 hours , nothing , not even a light on the dash , showing 1 volts on a meter , so I hooked a battery charge to it and the dash lights up , not enough juice to spin it over , just a click ------need a battery to go any farther , this one is stone dead

the milage and hours lit up while on the charger and I was kind of shocked , 515 miles and 501 hours -------

 

[retro]

...or 515 miles and 50.1 hours, hopefully?

 

[fishfiles]

I looked again and the hours are right , those hours seem possible to me , this bike most probably spent it's whole life on mud trails at the Mud Parks , where the going is slow , I can say an hour a mile is not out the box , especially at night , people are getting stuck , I know with me at night , the motor never gets turned off , even during pit stops ---- a couple of years back a friend bought a 350 with almost identical hours and miles

so being I was told this bike was rebuilt recently , makes me think it was sunk , I don't know how far they went into it during the rebuild , I am going to try and drain the oil then stick my camera into the oil dip stick hole and try to get to the bottom of the case and see whats down there

 

[Jeepwm69]

Just remember if someone leaves the key on, the hour meter runs, even though it's not running.

 

[SamUK]

Just remember if someone leaves the key on, the hour meter runs, even though it's not running.

Wow, I never would have thought that, thanks for the heads up.