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Jarrod
McClure's WORCS Racing Honda TRX 450R ATV Project
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Honda
TRX 450R ATV Project |
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Jarrod
McClure's 2009 WORCS Honda TRX 450R ATV |
Baltimore, MD (2/10/2009) - With
the arrival of the New Year, every racer knows that
time is running out on getting their new race quads
finished. All of a sudden it is the week before
your first race and you are nowhere near ready.
It seems like it happens to me every year, and I
especially this year. For 2009, I plan on racing
the GNCC series and the WORCS series. This means
I have to build two full race bikes, and also that
I needed one done by the middle of January because
that is when WORCS starts!
After the Ironman GNCC I decided I would be racing
a Yamaha for the 2009 season, so I began parting
out my Honda. I also knew I would be racing a
few rounds of the WORCS series. My plan was to
race a Motoworks Can-Am DS450, but because I wasn’t
a factory Can-Am rider there were some issues
that prevented it from happening. After hearing
the Can-Am was not going to workout, I decided
I would put my Honda back together and use that
for the WORCS series since the contingency is
so good. I sold just about everything, but still
had the frame and engine, so I had a good base
to start with.
My Honda was at the shop where I work “Bowers
Motorcycle Supplies”, so I had my mechanic/boss
tear the engine down and freshen it up. With that
done I began bolting everything back to the frame.
Once I had the engine, carb, and wiring in, it
was time to make some phone calls.
My first call was to ARS-FX. I am running all
of their suspension components in 2009. I also
am running their EXIT shocks designed and built
by Mike Hallock. I ordered a plus 2” long
travel motocross style setup, for up front, and
in the rear I went with their new stock replacement
linkage. The linkage allows you to run a longer
shock while still using your stock swing-arm.
This allows you to save a lot of weight…
and money! ARS-FX is great to deal with and I
had all of my suspension in no time! Also they
shipped me a ton of springs and crossovers to
get it dialed in. Everything bolted up great,
and I couldn’t wait to try it out.
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ARS-FX Pro
Max MX A-Arm's along ARS-FX Gold Series
Rear Linkage, which mounts up to the stock
swing-arm. Also, EXIT Shocks for the front
& rear
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3.9 Gallon quick fill gas tank
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This year WORCS changed the duration of their
races from 90 minutes to 120 minutes. Now they
are the same length as the GNCC so I would need
an oversized tank. I gave an old sponsor from
last year a call Clarke mfg. They were happy to
hear from me and got me a tank right away. I ordered
a 3.9-gallon tank with the dry break for quick
pit stops. Also for the longer race I needed to
get a steering stabilizer so my arms wouldn’t
feel like rubber. I talked with Precision-Concepts,
and they got me one of their new pro series stabilizers.
They hold a lot more fluid then the older ones
so they stay cooler and work smoother. What really
impressed me about the new stabilizer was how
quick and easy it was to bolt up.
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Tireballs
have forever changed cross country racing
in just a few years as spare tires &
wheels are no longer needed because theese
little balls prevent flat tires, which
can make the difference from a Podium
finish & a DNF in racing
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When I raced the WORCS round in Washington last
year I saw a lot of pros with racks of tires in
their pits. I thought, “Wow I guess these
guys don’t know about Tireballs”.
I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to
drive to Arizona for the first round and get a
flat tire. I had Brock from Tire-Balls send me
a set for the Honda so I knew flat tires would
not be an issue. I mounted them inside a set of
GBC X-Rex tires and paired them to a set of Douglas
wheels. I ran Douglas wheels last year, and I
know they are super strong, and look awesome with
the colored rings. GBC tires are a new sponsor
for me this year, and I really like them, they
offer great traction, and the company is very
supportive of the ATV side of racing.
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New for 2009,
DWT will be releasing several new wheels
including the Alumilite
G2, which are focused on high performance
ATV racing wheels. The new wheels are
lighter & stronger than ever as racers
are looking to shave weight whenever possible.
They will also come with a new mud cap,
which pushes into the wheel to keep the
mud out, and this mud-plug isn't like
other mud plugs that pop-up during the
race either
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