PROJECT BIKE SPOTLIGHT: BAJA 1000-WINNING SLR HONDA CRF450X

Mark Samuels takes us through the SLR Racing Honda SCORE race bike

Since the beginning of time, Honda’s Baja effort has been a strictly in-house effort, but Mark Samuels (SLR Racing) and the crew at San Diego Powerhouse have changed all that. Although Honda is still a part of the entire process, the program is now managed by Mark Samuels and Bobby Young.

1. The Squadron light setup on this bike is from Baja Designs but will only be on the bike during the day and early evening, being switched out for a dual LED Baja Designs unit for the night portion of the race. 

2. SLR uses the proven Dunlop Desert AT D739 rear tire and the all-new AT82 Dunlop in the front. 

3. Gray in color, the Nitromousse Platinum is designed to give the rider a feel that is equivalent to a tube filled with 10–12 pounds of pressure but with 100-percent flat-proof technology.

4. Acerbis’ full-coverage skid plate and Acerbis’ lightweight, MX-style, plastic Uniko handguards are all about full protection of the rider and motorcycle. 

5. The team uses white, standard, full-waffle ODI grips that feature a soft compound and ODI Podium Flight handlebars.

6. A complete Hinson billet-proof clutch system for the CRF450X is a great upgrade from stock, CNC-machined out of T6 billet aluminum that is then Akadized for five times the wear resistance.

7. The Dirt Tricks rear sprocket was designed and patented by Dirt Tricks president and engineer Greg Burns using his knowledge of aerospace steels, heat treatments, as well as FEA stress analysis to be lighter and stronger than anything else on the market.

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Ryan Pursley and his son Brandon at Throttle Syndicate worked together with SLR to come up with a very clean, factory-looking custom graphics kit that showcases all the team’s sponsors.
A Scotts steering stabilizer on top of a BRP mounting kit has been a part of Honda’s Baja setup for decades because they stand up to punishment and come back for more.
An IMS 3.0-gallon tank fitted with a quick-dump system almost doubles the OEM fuel capacity and can be filled completely in less than 10 seconds. IMS is another company that has been a part of the Honda Baja effort for many years, and there’s a reason for that—they make a quality product that works great!
Shark-fin rear disc guards have come a long way since Ty Davis first invented the two-piece design. The Zip-Ty Racing fins are made from 78,000-psi Zycral, hard-anodized, light like titanium, and tougher than A56 steel.
The Pro Circuit T-6 complete exhaust system on the Honda factory machine is very similar to what Pro Circuit offers to the general public with some slight upgrades in key areas for protection and performance.

The post PROJECT BIKE SPOTLIGHT: BAJA 1000-WINNING SLR HONDA CRF450X appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

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