Cycle News

VOL. 51 ISSUE 12 MARCH 25, 2014 P75 its Billetproof Clutch Basket with kickstarter gear and cushions, but you can retain the stock clutch basket if you want to save some money. In fact, the major- ity of Hinson's parts can be used in combination with stock parts. All of their components are built to stock specs so you can, as your bank account allows, build up your stock clutch pretty much one Hinson part at a time. Hinson says its clutch basket is stronger than stock and reduces clutch chatter. We also installed Hin- son's own fiber and steel clutch plates, which they claim has im- proved friction action. Hinson's single-spring clutch system basically replaces the en- tire CRF's stock six-spring clutch system. It's similar to KTM's sin- gle-spring clutches and we all know how light clutch pull is on KTM's off-road bikes, but KTM also uses hydraulic method for actuation. Hinson claims that the single-spring system versus the Honda's six-spring system has many advantages: It allows the pressure plate to disengage flat- ter (resulting in less clutch drag and heat buildup), eliminates fric- tion between the coil springs, pressure plate and inner hub spring post (for smoother clutch- lever action), and improves heat dissipation and durability. All good stuff, and all things we can vouch for, at least on the track. What a difference! Sometimes you just don't realize what a dif- ference a good clutch makes over a mediocre one. It makes life a lot more enjoyable on the track that's for sure. "The Hinson clutch made big improvements on both feel and performance," said Abbott. "The stock unit would fade too fast, had an inconsistent feel and would chatter under a heavy load. Now, clutch pull and feel is impressive and just what the doctor ordered for the Honda. The lever pull gets lighter as you squeeze the lever, which transfers to less stress on the rider and more bite on dis- engage. With the new clutch, I couldn't detect any chatter even under the heaviest of loads, and it had a strong consistent feel. Fade was minimal, there came a point in the test that I started getting purposefully brutal on the clutch just to see how far I could push it. Turns out, pretty darn far." The Hinson clutch even passed the start-it-gear test. One kick and it fired right up. Put it all together and you, in- deed, have what Abbott says is a much better and easier-to-ride CRF450R. The FMF exhaust sys- tem pretty much awoke a sleep- ing giant. Yes, one or two horse- power gain doesn't seem all that drastic on paper but on the track and when you factor in the four- pound reduction in weight, which indirectly translates into more po- nies on the ground, you certainly feel the difference. You now have a Honda that's nearing the same roost league as some of the other heavy-hitters in the class. Factor in the upgraded clutch, which im- proves total feel of the bike and gives you better control of the motor and its power delivery, and you have a motocrosser that Ab- bott says is far more fun to ride and, more importantly, far more competitive, too. "With the Honda, the FMF exhaust and the Hinson clutch combo was, in my opinion, the missing link in engine perfor- mance and durability." CN GOTTA HAVES: >FMF Factory 4.1 RCT titanium/ carbon SL (slip-on): $599.99 >FMF Megabomb Titanium header: $349.99 >Hinson SS Series Single Spring Inner Hub/Pressure Plate King: $599.99 >Hinson Billetproof Clutch Basket w/ Kickstarter Gear and Cushions - $314.99 >Hinson Clutch Fiber Plate Kit: $99.99 >Hinson Clutch Steel Plate Kit: $69.99 >Hinson Actuator Kit: $199.99 ALSO EQUIPPED: >Maxxis Maxxcross MX IT Tires JUST FOR KICKS: >Hinson Billetproof Clutch Cover: $159.99 >Hinson Engine Plug Kit (4 pieces): $69.99 >One Industries FMF Graphics Kit: $125.00 >Factory 4.1 RCT titanium/ carbon SL (slip-on) $599.99 with our Titanium Megabomb header. $349.99 (with the UFO slim side panel, included)

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