UP CLOSE: COOPS HONDA CRF450R RACE BIKE
After Round 3 of the FOX New Zealand Motocross Champs, Cody Cooper regained the lead of the MX1 championship from Australian rider, and current MX1 #1 Kirk Gibbs. Riding a 2019 Honda CRF450R, Cooper looked good at Pukekohe and so did the #121. We take a closer look at the bike that Coops is piloting in his campaign to regain the MX1 title for Twenty-Nineteen
Using the base of a 2019 Honda CRF450R is a great place to start when building a race bike. But as you will see in the following pictures, this is anything but a stock Honda with a plethora of parts that Cody says makes the bike better and makes him more comfortable out on the track.
Starting from the top down, it looks like Cody is using the stock Renthal bars that come on the Honda. Interestingly, you can’t but this bend off the shelf. It is a Honda OEM part so if he is using the stock bend, don’t crash them as they might cost you a truck load. Cody likes the Renthal Kevlar grips (lock wired on) and a Works Connection front brake lever by the looks of it too.
Cody has been in Kahuts with Roger from DR Trim for a while now and even took the seat covers to America for his 2018 campaign on the AMA Nationals. The Ribbed Gripper seat is a standard around the pits and works great even when its a total mudder. the red with black ribs looks great too and makes the whole package visually.
Tucked in behind the right side shroud is a small canister which looks to be an overflow bottle to catch coolant should the bike overheat. We can only assume Cody might be running a higher compression in the engine to get more power, which would in turn create more heat. The CRF450R isn’t prone to overheating but I guess you can never be too careful, right. Plus the radiator cap has been beefed up from 1.1-psi to 1.8-psi to again help with the threat of over heating. The Vortex ignition would change up the engine characteristic too so it could possibly just be precautionary.
A Works Connection clutch perch is seen as the best in the business. Its smooth action and fantastic feel through the lever and fingers, plus the easy to use on the fly adjuster sees it being used by the majority of riders in America.
Cody runs the EZ3 triple clamps, which we have to admit we don’t know much about. EZ3 is product made by an Australian company that specialises in CNC aftermarket race products.They have a similar look to the X-Trig brand and no doubt adjust the rigidity of the front end to Cody’s liking. M-Spec dial Cody in on the suspension front which we believe is new For Cody in 2019.
Hinson Racing clutch and clutch cover will allow a little more oil inside the engine and provide better wear and longevity over OEM clutch components. DRC hoses deliver coolant to the right places and give the mid section a little bling for good measure. You can also see the start of the Yoshimura exhaust with the header pip slinging long and low, presumably for a good bottom end boost. Motul also lubricate the engine which has been flawless all season.
Which end up back here with the RS-9 twin mufflers with carbon end caps. Lighter than stock, they allow the engine to breath more which helps with peak horsepower and over-rev. They also look cool too so there is that aspect that should not be over looked.
Excel rims, Talon hubs, Dunlop Geomax MX33 tyres with Renthal drive metal. The rear brake is stock, as is the swing arm, rear disc and disc guard. The linkage is also stock meaning Cody likes the way the chassis handles right out of the box.
The same on the front with the Excel/Talon/Dunlop set up, plus more Works Connection gadgets with the start hook to help with getting the holeshot.
Un4seen Decals took over for 2019 and have made the Honda look slick in the mostly red livery. The #121 still takes some getting used to but after next week (March 10th) we might be back to the #1 if Cody has anything to do with it.
Now this is something that we found most interesting about Cody’s bike. He runs the Stock Honda foot pegs. If you are a Honda fan, you will know how terrible the foot pegs used to be. Small and narrow. In recent years, Honda have moved to this newer style which is much wider and Cody is obviously pretty happy with how they perform out of the box.
A shout out to all Cody’s sponsors who either stayed with the Mt Maunganui resident, or who have come on board for 2019.
One round to go and we will see if this NZ Factory Honda has what it takes to assist Cody with his war for reclaiming the title from across the ditch. We will be there at Taupo…will you?
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