FEATURE
2014 HONDA CRF450F TUNE-UP
P74
makes the stock Honda sound
almost like a dual sport in com-
parison. Still, we would not say
that the FMF pipe is unreason-
ably loud. If you think it is, how-
ever, the system comes with an
insert to help tone things down a
bit if you want. We didn't because
it will also tone down power.
You might ask yourself why
Honda chose to go with dual
mufflers in the first place: It's
Honda's way of keeping the bike
extra quiet while also keeping the
weight of the shorter mufflers as
close to the center of the motor-
cycle as possible. In theory, this
improves handling, but we felt no
adverse handling affects with the
slightly longer (sticking out far-
ther in the back) but much lighter
FMF muffler.
Moving on. One of our biggest
gripes with the CRF450R con-
cerns its clutch. It has a heavy
pull, lacks good feel and only
gets worse with time because
the cable wears out quickly. Our
friends at Hinson Racing, how-
ever, came to the rescue. Their
advice to us was to reroute the
clutch cable, which comes from
the factory with sharp bends and
runs too close to the hot mo-
tor, causing the cable to wear
out prematurely. To reroute the
cable correctly, Hinson offers
an Actuator Kit (cable, actuator
arm, bracket and bolts) that we
installed on our bike that solves
this problem. The Actuator Kit
gives the clutch cable a more
direct, less curvy route between
the hand lever and the actuating
arm while keeping the cable clear
of the cylinder head. The result
is a smoother and more positive
clutch engagement. You'll notice
it right away. We did. And the ca-
ble will last much longer.
Unfortunately, the actuator kit
does little to alleviate the heavy
clutch-lever pull, which Hinson
says can be lightened with its SS
Series Single Spring Inner Hub/
Pressure Plate Kit, so we gave it
a try. Hinson also recommends
(Top) The FMF package comes
complete with a UFO-made left
side panel.
(Bottom) The Hinson clutch
actuator kit provides straighter
cable routing and keeps the
cable away from the hot motor.
(Top) Hinson clutch waiting for
assembly.
(Bottom) We had zero trouble
attaching the FMF exhaust system.
The techs at Hinson installed the
clutch in about an hour.
(Left) We like the narrower profile
of FMF's single-muffler system.
