450cc Super Single

[DakotaCBR]

Has anyone here built a 450 monoGP? Do you think they could be competetive in Lightweight classes, or maybe Ultralightweight Superbike?

I'm interested in putting one together, but I'm not sure if I could swing all of the custom machined parts that it seems like it would need. A few spacers here and there would be fine, but I don't want to be forking out tons of cash for machine shop time if I have to manufacture all of those parts myself.

I'd like to put one together for WERA specs, so that if I decide I can't afford it or want something different, it can be sold to a racer who will use it for what it was rebuilt for. I'm mainly interested in transforming a Honda CRF450X.

Here's a bunch of specific questions:

- What kind of parts were you REQUIRED to manufacture? Spacers, brackets, etc.

     * I'm guessing I'll need to make rearset and bodywork brackets, axle spacers, battery tray, and maybe triple clamp spacers

- What kind of wheels off of what bike did you use?

- Which axle for the rear was used and did it require modification of the swingarm?

- Who the heck did your suspension? I've seen Racetech is building kits, but the cost looks expensive. Can a decent tuner do it for me?

- Were you able to use the stock exhaust or did you have to fab one up?

- Which triple clamps and bearings did you use?

- A rough estimate of total cost? Mine right now says about $9,000 including a used 450X, suspension work, and used parts from ebay.

[Ducmarc]

it used to be popular to use a blowed up tz 125 or 250  but they seem to be getting scarce although someone just parted out two rs 125's on ebay that's what I'd start with the only obstacle maybe not being a street bike but you get a real gp chassis and a nice aluminum tank

[stickboy274]

You order a 17" spoke wheel like you were setting up a motard, 4.5" or 5". Then you take a front end off a CBR and mod the triples to fit into your frame. Mount some bodywork, make some rearsets. Call Thermosman for suspension and see what it does. Use the highest gearing you can find and back down from there.

[roadracer162]

This will be a good place to start to make things easier.

http://www.rolandsandsdesign.com/

The CRF450 is a great platform and in capable hands is a formidable bike that will run near the front if not at the front in Ultralight. I have seen it run some very fast times in Thunderbike and lightweight classes in the Florida region( Gaviria). With that in mind it will take a considerable effort to put one together to be at the front but even in it's stock incarnation runs pretty good.

Mark

[DakotaCBR]

Thanks guys. Can't tell you how many times I've been to that Roland Sands site and it was under construction. I stopped visiting and that's when all the stuff goes up.

Looks like the steering stem will need some machining, but besides that the rest of the machined parts are what I've figured. Sands is using his own CNC wheels, so I'm still searching for the right bike to pull them from. I'd rather run tubeless tires instead of buying up a spoked wheel from a motard.

I've been checking out the WERA boards hoping to see someone doing a step-by-step of the build, but I can only find talk and the basics. I'd really like a "This is what you need and here's how to do it" sort of thing. I hate getting half into a job and finding I need to spend a hell of a lot of money to get one piece to work right.

[LongDogRacing]

get in touch with Geoff @ GP Tech (www.gptechllc.com ; 269-671-4915)  he puts together 450 super singles out of a YZ450 and has all the necessary parts and know-how.  you may have seen their ads in RRW...

[Kurlon]

So, now that SV650s are going to be allowed into ULSB, does a 450 Super Single still make sense to build?

[Super Dave]

So, now that SV650s are going to be allowed into ULSB, does a 450 Super Single still make sense to build?

No, but I would struggle to even make sense of building one regardless.  A 125GP bike would pretty much be faster and cheaper to buy.

[grasshopper]

Brian Lacy built one didn't he? And then he proceeded to crash it horrifically. He may or may not share his experience about building it though.