How does someone who has ridden less than 2000 miles on this motorcycle express an opinion about it...and is even too lazy to pull the yellow button for a cold start, and dares to complain about the imperfect cold start...
The vortex was very transformative for my bike. Really changed the throttle and stopped the random flare outs which can be dangerous when off-roading, especially climbing.
What I really enjoy about your content is you think outside the box and find your own solutions to include fabbing solutions. A great 1 year review Alex!
I tried everything on this bike short of another ECU prior to getting an AIM. JD Jetting "tuner," G2 Throttle Tamer, etc. You can't understand the difference until you ride with an aftermarket ECU. The AIM transformed the bike. Plain and simple.
In all honesty I haven't tried a 450L/RL with an aftermarket ecu of any kind, I would be curious to compare, but with my riding environment I don't have a reason to switch.
@@lexdfoxyes you do bro. I went from a drz400sm to a husqvarna701sm with a full exhaust and remapped ecu. When you try going above 39-43 hp on your supermoto you will see what everyone is talking about
Thanks for the follow-up video on this I saw your 450 x header and exhaust install and it inspired me to try a similar system. I made sure to give you credit in the video for the idea but it's great seeing fellow TH-camrs and 450rl owners enjoying this bike as much as I do
I've watched a lot of videos on this bike and this video is probably the best I've seen yet. Very well described about the pros and cons. I also have this same bike with lots of upgrades. I mostly ride off road with mine. Absolutely love my bike! Great video
I've had mine full stock for 4 years here in new Jersey. I got used to it, plain and simple. I am getting the aim ECU though and going to see what the hype is about. Getting here on Wednesday lol
The little brother has a 2023 -- i think the dealer put on a 47 tooth rear sprocket -- i know he went down several teeth -- he commutes 30 miles each way to work -- mostly 55-65 mph traffic -- fabricated a carry rack for a rotopax on the back -- i know he loves the bike - i've ridden it once in town & it was a bit tall for me but still a very nice bike
I have a 19 crf450l completely stock. Flame ours stopped around 1-1.2k miles. I'm 7k miles now and haven't had one since. I have videos posted of me on single track on my channel as proof.
I have a 2021 CRF450RL. As for the throttle response, I was prepared to ride it stock as far as that goes because while I could feel the abruptness of the ON/OFF, I also thought it wasn't so bad I couldn't live with it. However, I eventually decided to order a Vortex ECU as well as an FMF Megabomb head pipe and Q4 muffler. The main reason I did this is because I was curious to see just what all of the gushingly positive reviews were all about - was the hype justified, or was it all exaggerated? Turns out the rave reviews were justified, and it was definitely worth the purchase price. Although I could have ridden the bike with the stock ECU and exhaust system, making those changes does make the bike more enjoyable to ride simply because you are no longer having to compensate for the abrupt throttle response. Now, I enjoy smooth and absolutely normal throttle response as with any other bike I've owned, and that actually improves the ride experience. Too bad the Honda factory could not make the stock bike like this. As a bonus, the tone of the exhaust is very good and not loud at all. It actually gets compliments from the pleasant, deep tone. Another major benefit is the heat-throwing cat from the stock muffler is replaced with merely normal exhaust heat, a welcome change. Another change I made that effects ON/OFF throttle response was to remove the stock throttle cables and install 2021 CRF450R genuine Honda throttle cables. These are shorter in length and instead of routing along the right-hand side of the headlight and looping in a big arc back to the throttle body, the shorter cables merely exit the throttle grip, go down behind the handlebar, route just above the radiator, and then back to the throttle body. The shorter and more direct routing removes the great variation in throttle grip free play while turning the handlebar from center to full left to full right. With the stock setup, I had to dial in more free play than I wanted to avoid there being no free play when the bars are turned full lock, something that robs precise throttle control. With the shorter cables, I can run the minimum slack and there is no change from lock to lock that results in insufficient free play. May not sound like a big deal, but while actually riding the bike this allows much more precise throttle application and control. Well worth it for me and my bike. In fact, I find it amazing the bike stock required so much free play. Other things I like with the bike are the suspension performance, great stability over rough ground, and strong power and torque.
@@billingsfmx With a mixture of off-road and street riding, I get about 60 miles from full tank to the low fuel light coming on with the stock fuel tank. That's about 3 miles less than with the stock ECU and exhaust system.
My crf 300l has also a weird cold start, and it used to stall while doing a backfire(I resolved it by getting a straight pipe exhaust) ,but one thing you got to do is warm it up for about 5 min when its cold outside, and don't rev it cold , and specially you shouldn't just ride right after starting it , even in hot days I warm up for about 2 min
This is long shot but could you possibly post a short or something of removing the baffle/spark arrestor on the 450x exhaust? I’m possibly going this route to pair with my Jd tuner that I already have installed I really enjoy the oem+ look plus I don’t see the gain of a FMF/Yoshi being that much more so why not save a little money and I don’t really want it super loud. I have the factory baffle out of my stock exhaust so I figured it’s just a little louder with the bigger head pipe/no cat. Thanks! Love your content man.
Thanks! I'll look into it, should be pretty simple to remove the spark arrestor, I thing it's just 3 bolts for the end cap and a couple more underneath.
Awesome review of this bike, I'm sold on it on paper. I'm going this week to check One out! What tires are you using and how do they respond to street riding?
Have you ever once even thought “Hmm- the exhaust is actually a bit louder than I thought”. Or is it always “I can’t believe how fucking quiet this thing is”. I realize city traffic is way louder than your bike I’m just curious if starting that thing at 4am is gonna wake-up my neighbors wife because I don’t wanna piss her off. We got a good deal going.
I don't get it i have no problem with it starting when it's cold and it never has flamed out on me all the other reviews i see on this bike they have problems i have had no problems with mine at all
@@lexdfoxthat’s awesome. I’m definitely going to look into doing the same. I took the clutch and ignition covers off and ordered the Polisport set to replace them. The bottom bolts on both sides began to rust with them on. I’ve heard it’s a good idea to keep that spring protected.
Not sure if you’re aware but there is a very liberal gay pride 🌈 rainbow on ur bike 😮. Seems to be In the front right corner..Might wanna look into that 👍🏽
How does someone who has ridden less than 2000 miles on this motorcycle express an opinion about it...and is even too lazy to pull the yellow button for a cold start, and dares to complain about the imperfect cold start...
How? It's quite easy, I just hit the big red button on my camera and start talking! Duh...
@@lexdfox Yes, that's what I thought...
To be fair no one wants to pull out a yellow button …it is so darn far away …and what if he is colour blind?😅
Haters do what haters do… rolls eyes
Why do people always complain
The vortex was very transformative for my bike. Really changed the throttle and stopped the random flare outs which can be dangerous when off-roading, especially climbing.
Same! Totally agree 👍
What are flame out?
@@sevay696 a fancy way of saying they stalled it.
What I really enjoy about your content is you think outside the box and find your own solutions to include fabbing solutions. A great 1 year review Alex!
Thanks, Eric. It amazing the things you'll discover by bouncing ideas off others and just plain starring at the bike, lol.
I tried everything on this bike short of another ECU prior to getting an AIM. JD Jetting "tuner," G2 Throttle Tamer, etc. You can't understand the difference until you ride with an aftermarket ECU. The AIM transformed the bike. Plain and simple.
In all honesty I haven't tried a 450L/RL with an aftermarket ecu of any kind, I would be curious to compare, but with my riding environment I don't have a reason to switch.
where could I get one?
@@lexdfoxyes you do bro. I went from a drz400sm to a husqvarna701sm with a full exhaust and remapped ecu. When you try going above 39-43 hp on your supermoto you will see what everyone is talking about
What gas mileage u getting with the aim?
Thanks for the follow-up video on this I saw your 450 x header and exhaust install and it inspired me to try a similar system. I made sure to give you credit in the video for the idea but it's great seeing fellow TH-camrs and 450rl owners enjoying this bike as much as I do
Thanks, dude! Glad my vids are able to help!
I've watched a lot of videos on this bike and this video is probably the best I've seen yet. Very well described about the pros and cons. I also have this same bike with lots of upgrades. I mostly ride off road with mine. Absolutely love my bike! Great video
I've had mine full stock for 4 years here in new Jersey. I got used to it, plain and simple. I am getting the aim ECU though and going to see what the hype is about. Getting here on Wednesday lol
The little brother has a 2023 -- i think the dealer put on a 47 tooth rear sprocket -- i know he went down several teeth -- he commutes 30 miles each way to work -- mostly 55-65 mph traffic -- fabricated a carry rack for a rotopax on the back -- i know he loves the bike - i've ridden it once in town & it was a bit tall for me but still a very nice bike
I am one that can easily adapt to different throttle responses. I won't be swapping the ecu. Great info. Nice video. 👍
Thanks 👍
Great video thanks? Thoughts on the short highway spirts? Really just wondering about the speed on the highway not so much feel.
I have a 19 crf450l completely stock. Flame ours stopped around 1-1.2k miles. I'm 7k miles now and haven't had one since. I have videos posted of me on single track on my channel as proof.
Nice vid. I have a '20 I built up with a RebelX nav tower (and a bumch of other goodies...) and absolutely love the bike. Enjoy.
I have a 2021 CRF450RL.
As for the throttle response, I was prepared to ride it stock as far as that goes because while I could feel the abruptness of the ON/OFF, I also thought it wasn't so bad I couldn't live with it.
However, I eventually decided to order a Vortex ECU as well as an FMF Megabomb head pipe and Q4 muffler.
The main reason I did this is because I was curious to see just what all of the gushingly positive reviews were all about - was the hype justified, or was it all exaggerated?
Turns out the rave reviews were justified, and it was definitely worth the purchase price.
Although I could have ridden the bike with the stock ECU and exhaust system, making those changes does make the bike more enjoyable to ride simply because you are no longer having to compensate for the abrupt throttle response.
Now, I enjoy smooth and absolutely normal throttle response as with any other bike I've owned, and that actually improves the ride experience.
Too bad the Honda factory could not make the stock bike like this.
As a bonus, the tone of the exhaust is very good and not loud at all.
It actually gets compliments from the pleasant, deep tone.
Another major benefit is the heat-throwing cat from the stock muffler is replaced with merely normal exhaust heat, a welcome change.
Another change I made that effects ON/OFF throttle response was to remove the stock throttle cables and install 2021 CRF450R genuine Honda throttle cables.
These are shorter in length and instead of routing along the right-hand side of the headlight and looping in a big arc back to the throttle body, the shorter cables merely exit the throttle grip, go down behind the handlebar, route just above the radiator, and then back to the throttle body.
The shorter and more direct routing removes the great variation in throttle grip free play while turning the handlebar from center to full left to full right.
With the stock setup, I had to dial in more free play than I wanted to avoid there being no free play when the bars are turned full lock, something that robs precise throttle control.
With the shorter cables, I can run the minimum slack and there is no change from lock to lock that results in insufficient free play.
May not sound like a big deal, but while actually riding the bike this allows much more precise throttle application and control.
Well worth it for me and my bike.
In fact, I find it amazing the bike stock required so much free play.
Other things I like with the bike are the suspension performance, great stability over rough ground, and strong power and torque.
What kind of gas mileage are you getting now?
@@billingsfmx With a mixture of off-road and street riding, I get about 60 miles from full tank to the low fuel light coming on with the stock fuel tank.
That's about 3 miles less than with the stock ECU and exhaust system.
I love your stickers and wheels 👍🏼🖤
Thanks! The more color the better I say.
My crf 300l has also a weird cold start, and it used to stall while doing a backfire(I resolved it by getting a straight pipe exhaust) ,but one thing you got to do is warm it up for about 5 min when its cold outside, and don't rev it cold , and specially you shouldn't just ride right after starting it , even in hot days I warm up for about 2 min
This is long shot but could you possibly post a short or something of removing the baffle/spark arrestor on the 450x exhaust? I’m possibly going this route to pair with my Jd tuner that I already have installed I really enjoy the oem+ look plus I don’t see the gain of a FMF/Yoshi being that much more so why not save a little money and I don’t really want it super loud. I have the factory baffle out of my stock exhaust so I figured it’s just a little louder with the bigger head pipe/no cat. Thanks! Love your content man.
Thanks! I'll look into it, should be pretty simple to remove the spark arrestor, I thing it's just 3 bolts for the end cap and a couple more underneath.
@@lexdfox yes it’s just the three Allen heads holding on the endcap and then 3 8mm on the spark arrestor!
Awesome review of this bike, I'm sold on it on paper. I'm going this week to check One out! What tires are you using and how do they respond to street riding?
Sir what microphone do you use with your gopro? Great video 😊
Purple panda, thanks!
have you had a chance to ride any of the Husky/ktm 500's? curious how they compare. I used to ride a husky '07 SMR 510. Loved that thing.
Not the 500s, I ride a friend's 701 and really liked it, but would love to do a side by side comparison of an equally modded 500.
@@lexdfox I hope you get a chance to do a comparison video one of these days! I'm following now!
Have you ever once even thought
“Hmm- the exhaust is actually a bit louder than I thought”.
Or is it always
“I can’t believe how fucking quiet this thing is”.
I realize city traffic is way louder than your bike I’m just curious if starting that thing at 4am is gonna wake-up my neighbors wife because I don’t wanna piss her off. We got a good deal going.
I don't get it i have no problem with it starting when it's cold and it never has flamed out on me all the other reviews i see on this bike they have problems i have had no problems with mine at all
Lol. The wind deflection is your face.
Shweer vid man
Have you riden the 300L if so how does it compare? Also how tall are you, not sure if this bike is to tall for me.
I haven't ridden a 300l, but would be curious to see the difference! I'm 6ft so the height has never been an issue for me.
When are you going to make more when are you going make more panels with the hole for the usb port?
I plan to make another batch hopefully this month!
Hows It Safe To Ride A Sumo Off Road With Them Slick Street Tires
Are you riding thru out San Diego?
All throughout!
do you have a plan for 30k overhaul? Does honda service offer air oil filter and 30k engine part for free??
Hondas warranty is only a year, I plan to do the 30k overhaul myself when the time comes, but I'm barely 1/10th of the way there, maybe in 10 years!
Where did you get that guard for the rear brake lever spring?
Made it from cutting and bending the front reflector, lol.
@@lexdfoxthat’s awesome. I’m definitely going to look into doing the same. I took the clutch and ignition covers off and ordered the Polisport set to replace them. The bottom bolts on both sides began to rust with them on. I’ve heard it’s a good idea to keep that spring protected.
Does the bike still suffer the backfiring and stall.
No stalls and no backfiring, it does have decel pop when it's cold, but that's normal.
completely 100% wrong about twitchy throttle....go ahead and ride a bike with a ecu .. smoothest bikes ever with tons more power...
So stock ecu and x pipe
👍👍
👍
What wheel set and tires and size etc
It's a 17in warp9 set with Dunlop gprs
You Turns It N2 A Sumo
Stock ecu
Your ride technically wrong.
Amateur hour.
Definitely is! But don't worry, with a camera and a few uploads you can get there too one day.
This comment made me laugh. I don’t have an opinion one way or the another but saying that is funny af
Not sure if you’re aware but there is a very liberal gay pride 🌈 rainbow on ur bike 😮. Seems to be In the front right corner..Might wanna look into that 👍🏽
Astute observation