FORK UPGRADE CRF150R forks on a CRF230F
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- Complete install of Honda CRF150R forks and triple clamps on an already highly modified CRF230F. Step by step including tips and pitfalls, problems, solutions. Includes sneek peek of testing, racing at World Vet MX Championships 2022 at Glen Helen Raceway San Bernardino California with forks installed.
I use a Rackum racing Holeshot device and love it.
rackumracing.com/products/for...
Discount code: "Lowbuck10"
00:00 Introduction
00:54 intro info
02:54 weighing the parts
05:30 Triple troubles
09:45 springs, oil
14:00 handlebars
18:15 brake caliper
23:22 front fender
24:12 conclusion
25:53 testing, racing - Авто та транспорт
You and torture test magazine are the pioneers of what is possible on a crf230
Thanks! And yes Gabe at Torture Test magazine apparently ran one in the Glen Helen 24 hour endurance recently with podium finish I believe.
Oops!!! my bad, the movie reference I made for " THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN” with Anthony Hopkins, I mistakenly labeled it the "Last Indian" my mistake, apologies!
- Low Buck Garage
Oh this is where the magic happens
The cleaner the garage, the sicker the mind!
Glad your back..and still working on the project...looking forward to next race update video
Thanks for watchin
i have a highly modified 230 woods/ enduro bike. I did the 150R conversion several years ago, I used the Reger conversion kit, I later upgraded the triple clamp to a Scott’s Triple clamp with integrated Damper mount. I did a race tech revalve with recommended springs. For the naysayers that they are not strong enough, I had a high speed conflict with a tree, ( trails were dry, came around a corner that was muddy because of a spring) I destroyed the front wheel, bent the axle, the forks were still perfect, checked with a dial indicator inner and outer tubes.
An Engines only pipe will REALLY bring the 230 to life, the engines only high comp piston and cam made the 230 a force to be taken seriously.
Good to hear about the durability of the 150R forks! I’ve had no problems with mine so far. Just installed stiffer springs, already better than the stock forks in every way!
I’ve heard good things about the Engines-Only pipe, but are they still available? I’m using the BBR exhaust presently. Now In process of installing an air/fuel gauge with Bosch sensor/bung in the pipe to tune in some precise carb jetting to coax the available max power.
Thanks for watching.
I think you would have messed with their heads more if you'd left the 230f stickers on. I own both bikes and the little 150R (big wheel) would be my choice to race for sure.
For my 230f I put in the Gold Valve emulators, and one BBR spring. 2 BBR springs gave me arm pump and 1 BBR and one stock spring gave me the perfect balance. You have me looking at 150R forks on ebay, lol. Weight loss is a big deal with these low hp bikes.
Thanks! Is the rider cockpit on the 150R much smaller than the 230? I had to move my bars 1” up and forward, pegs 1” back. The 150R motor is fast and can be made much faster.
Thanks for sharing this!
Great job. The vid really puts to light everything I have been reading on the forums. Thank you!
What have you been reading about in the forums Gabe? The incredible track? or the cherry-picking sandbaggers?
@@lowbuckgarage1 😂 The mod!
Nice job Tom!
Thanks glad you enjoyed it. Subscribed to you just now, thought I had already.
More good stuff !
cool project. I bought my son a klx125 and did a KX85 front end and rear shock . that bike is awesome now. wish i would have done a video on it. way easier than people think it is.
I like the way you jump , full control and smooth , Looks effortless . At the 28:35 video mark , nice control on the hill climb too . 🇦🇺
It a cool. I love the air cooled dirt bikes. 🇺🇸😀👍
I love this. I'm 5'7 so I love small framed bikes. I don't race. I rode a 250F around for a day and loved it. Love what you did here. If it made your racing experience better then I say it was well worth it.
Thanks! Thinking of acquiring a 250F myself then modding/lightening it. With it’s SOHC-4 valve head the 250 has more potential for major power increases.
Hi Tom, Ken #52 from Canada here. Great shoot of us going across the finish line (at just pass the 27min mark). Gotta comment on the fellow who asked why you brought a knife to a gun fight. The way I see it, you did awesome, "good job". Watching the 3rd race, you passed me at the top of mount saint Helen. We were both in +55 but in different heats. I made the main but ended up in 31st (but still a great time of racing). 30hour drive for me to Glen Helen. Lord willing maybe we'll dice it out at the next "World Vet Championship ". God Bless and ride safe..!!
Hey Ken!
Couldn’t help using that same great shot again at the very end of my newest vid of the 230s engine mods. Enjoy.
ua-cam.com/video/mPTRi--a0xk/v-deo.html
Thanks for posting your video's. Always enjoy watching them..👍 Canada Ken...😎(20 below here..😬)
I had a 2017, I rejeted, pulled the intake baffle, drilled out the spark arrester/ baffle, replaced the stock rear with a Works Performance adjustable gas shock, and installed Race Tech Carthage emulators on the forks. It finally became a competent single track trail bike. Drilling hole in the cylinder cooling fins would reduce some oz’s.
This little bike is pretty amazing with just a few simple inexpensive mods. A good pipe and carb takes it to the next level.
My CR85 forks tuned for woods riding have been working very well for about 5 years on my 230!
I usually don't keep the same bike for long, but this 230 has no comparison yet when it comes to single track riding in the woods and mountains.
I just wish it was as light as my XR200😂
One of the most versatile bikes Honda ever made. Superior to the xr200 in many ways.
I’ve managed, with a LOT of work, to shave 25 pounds off the bike. With the engine/suspension mods it now rips. Thanks for watchin
For footpegs I'd get a set of the ins pro series. About 115 dollars but very good pegs for not being titanium. Good width and plenty sharp. Over the years my frame mounts have bent slightly on my xr100 but the pegs will not and I have them on a cr250 as well.
Agreed, pricey, but good.
Terrific video I enjoyed my friend
Thanks!
You have a lot of effort and money in improving this bike. Do you ever wish you had started with a 250CRFR instead? In any case I enjoy your videos very much. Keep it up!!!
I could have bought an older CRF250R for the $ I’ve spent, but that’s pretty boring don’t you think?
@@lowbuckgarage1 I'm 75 and have been working on low buck bike projects over fifty years. They have been both entertaining and interesting. I just wondered if you would have been faster sooner if you did it the other way, that's all. I must say you have me hot for a CRF.
@@trimaranchuck No doubt I would get better results at a track like Glen Helen with a new 450 or even 250 hands down. But in woods, hare and hounds, endurance events, the modded 230 is a very sharp weapon. (See Torture Test Magazine on YT) The power robbing sand and super steep hills at GH make it difficult to keep up with the newer, lighter, faster bikes. I’m going to add even more power and attempt a top ten finish one more time at GH world vet championships in ‘23. (finished 11th) After that, God willing, I’m thinking of going back to an older 2-stroke 250 (300?) to see what I can modify and compete with there. Should be interesting.
Thanks for watching.
What is that caliper spacer part and who did you get it from?
If you mean the adapter plate, I got lucky, it was from another rider who had an extra one from a company no longer in business. Your best bet is inquiring on “Thumpertalk.com it’s a wealth of info and resources.
any possibility of taking your 150r > 230f front brake bracket conversion part (regar style or other) to a machine shop and build a few to sell on ebay ? cannot finish my copycat project due to no conversions available. ( using the stock 230f wheel hub and 240mm disk )
I know what you mean. They are difficult to obtain now. I had to contact Rick Ramsey at www.rickramsey.net/CRF230Fmods.htm
I got lucky, he sold me his last one.
Thumpertalk.com is also an excellent resource to find somebody who knows who may have one. I did look into having a machine shop make a batch, but it was cost prohibitive because the niche, the volume, is too small for me to recoup my from my investment, so it’s no-can-do for me sorry.
Good luck and do let me know if you find someone.
ok!!! rick ramsey the crf 230f information champion has gone out of his way and had his source make up more brake conversion bracket kits.(on his web page) I am happy now (crf150r fork swap on crf230f using 230f wheel)
Hey that’s awesome news. Had a lot of people asking me about that!
and thank you as well for the great video to motivate me to do the conversion@@lowbuckgarage1
so how is that rev box under the tank working out?
I was concerned about heat in that location but No problems so far.
Would a 150r be a better bike overall compared to the 230?
Depends on your size, weight, abilities, skill and needs. The 150R and 230F are completely different engines. Thanks for watchin
In "triple troubles episode", what are the dimensions of the aluminium limiter that you made? Thanks!
The width was one inch. The vertical length just needs to reach BOTH bolt holes and be 1/8 inch from bottom of lower triple clamp. You can make a template out of paper.
But later I found that width allowed the forks to swing a bit too wide. I changed it to one and 1/4 inch wide instead. Also, the bottom broke bolt in a big crash I had, so, I made yet another limiter bracket, this time with steel instead of aluminum, grade 10.5 bolts and tack welded to the frame for extra security. You can always start out wider, say one and 1/2” and grind width to your liking, depending on the type of riding you’re doing. I would not go less than one inch wide.
@@lowbuckgarage1 Thanks!!!
do you think the rear shock would fit i have a 2004 crf230 and i need a new shock so will a crf150r rear shock fit
@@Nswhippas230 I don’t think a 150R shock will fit on the 230 because of the piggyback reservoir will hit the airbox.
I’ve used an XR250/350 shock (see video) which works pretty good, but the Hagon, or better yet, the Vonkat shock is waaaay better than stock.
Hey, what do you think about adding some hsprs?) I have some experience in tuning crf230f engine, so I can guide you through everything!
hsprs?
@@lowbuckgarage1 yeah, Horsepowers. It’s not that expensive tune, but you will get like 24-26hp without that much effort.
@@Bohdan-kz9gm I started with just an after-market exhaust and opened up air box, but have since added a 30mm pumper carb, Wiseco higher compression 67.5mm piston (237cc), larger intake valve, larger Web cam, mild head porting, thinner head gasket, 4 degree advance keyway. I’m thinking of adding an inexpensive air/fuel ratio sensor gauge to precisely tune. I’ll be posting those videos soon.
Still need more horsepower.
@@lowbuckgarage1 You can also get wossner crankshaft and a 5 gear gearbox, which is much lighter. New camshaft (can find one on aliexpress). CDI box without any rev limiter (12k+ rpm).
As for me, with wossner piston, crank, 32mm Keihin PWK (You should also get one), 0-resistance air filter and all the other mods I have 29hp/34nm torque
Huge respect!
@@lowbuckgarage1 Also, a little trick, our engines can and have to rev high, and by analyzing your races - you do not do so. I am not teaching you how to ride of course (huge respect for doing this staff and filming such a great videos), but just try to keep it on 2nd/3rd gear on 6500-8000 rpm, it will be sweet.
I do not know whether you have something like this in US, but here in Ukraine we have Chana-made bike wihch has 1:1 copy of crf230f engine (166fmm) called "Geon Terra-X, and it is sweet! It weights about 90kg and is short and low, that gives it incredible steering! You can probably find something like that for a couple $ and throw your engine, fork and everything there.
How much would you sell a set of forks and tripple claps all set up. Or would you not want to go through all the trouble again?
Not me. Any other takers out there?
There’s a lot of options depending on your needs. eBay is a treasure trove if you’re patient.
Crf150 and 230 fork inter change?
With the proper triple clamps. It’s a project.
Wife's just dont understand!
Once had a KX 500 and a KX 250.
Kept one at home and one at my storage container. Both green so she didnt know I had two. Made the mistake of stopping to get something out of storage when she was with me one day. Oops!!!
Nice! Now THAT is a funny story.
How much do you weigh?
Bout 175
scamazon and evil bay
I use evilbay with real people, as much as possible, scamazon only when I have to.
@@lowbuckgarage1 hahah
Been looking everywhere for that brake adapter. Could I just order the 150r brake kit?
The 150R brake caliper is inferior because it’s only a single piston. I would not use it unless I had to. I had a hard time finding an adapter too.
This thread has some good info and contacts:
www.thumpertalk.com/forums/topic/1238096-brake-calipers-the-good-the-bad-the-lovely/
@@lowbuckgarage1 I appreciate your quick response. I’m just running out of options. Do you think I just need the brake caliper kit for a 150r and I could get my wheel and tire on?
@@lowbuckgarage1 so I found this on eBay and they sell a stock size dual piston brake caliper adapter for a 150r and they sell and Over size dial piston brake caliper adapter for the 150r.
The oversize one says this “You need a 250mm front brake rotor in order to use this bracket. For stock size brake rotor”. I really appreciate your guidance!
@@RickRigs Is it this one?
www.ebay.com/itm/275516062800?hash=item4026097c50:g:K5EAAOSwJg9jWY29&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAABAFQYh66PEUiebKFCTxjqx1vuXTA1R34X1XeQwwy2PXLrYj0%2B%2B6EBUDjPSBK%2BqOVlmEANtS%2BGfez7f1arWq2N57WnuQAKdQMPlQiZ0BTosWs3ztSoesbu%2BTuyHDhVProMmCGZX87bU006ktqj3%2FkJ3kyRnKhUBTluGhiTvfF1IFWEm2uvA7LruqBE33CMPvjUezbocvxciuRDUexgcQ0xPKp43sO9KJ1hl4ChN3z3AQGLS%2Fvdbcwq0ZHPV444LkJtM0OfcDlvmjKCla9oVvlVcpJR4ATSCFh9c4PxG4d8y7fIQgwcV9KUorE%2BCFK76Pu5oXnjCFs%2FCEM%2BLxRtexYokDs%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7zm7-zDYg
Won’t work - unless you buy or find used a CRF250R or CRF450R caliper to match as stated in their description. part#45150-MEN-006.
@@lowbuckgarage1 i thought the 230f is the same caliper. I’ll just buy the caliper worst case. Thank you!
Hey mate can you please send me the link for the forks 😅
I researched, shopped and patiently waited on eBay.
Cutting and replace part of the spring does NOT change the rate.....
Stock spring has same rate thru stroke
Just sayin
Not doubting you, because I have heard this endless argument for a long time. Here’s an interesting thread on this topic with some very smart, and not so smart, people:
www.thumpertalk.com/forums/topic/889824-shorteningcutting-front-fork-springs/
@@lowbuckgarage1 ok, didnt know just trying to help.
Haven't read the link yet but be careful with forum, ALOTA so called experts that just repeat MYTHS from others that didn't know for start.(like dry piston install, on TT thats the way to do it according to "experts")
So do good research
Thanks for the videos.
Cheers from Sweden
@@Motoinc 👍🇸🇪
it would have been cheaper to just buy the whole crf150 brake caliper than put a conversion kit on it.
But how it adapts to OEM CRF230F hub and disc? Or 150R disc fit 230 hub? Real doubt, not critics. Thanks!
Fun fact, 150r racers upgrade to the 230 rotor and caliper for better braking
Exactly. 150R is 1 piston caliper, 230F is 2. 👍
Why not just buy a real bike and give that one to the wife like honda intended
Define real bike. And don’t say Triumph.
lol thats funny "wife bike " I'm a 5"3 female ride a RMZ250 and brother rides the 230 . We call it the tractor. Its a fantastic bike for anyone and great job on the mods
@@debraj5011 thanks! People, especially of smaller stature, are beginning to realize how versatile this bike really is.
I would’ve just got a crf150r and swapped the motor and maybe reinforce the frame a little but that way you get the disc brakes front and rear the better suspension and decent ergos. 🤔 might try it one day
Isn't the 150 an overall smaller bike? The seat height in stock form is almost 2 inches lower.
Too small ergos for my 5’9” 180 pounds
gotta be honest seems a bit foolish to spend all that money on a CRF 230 to race when you most likely would have been able to buy a used CRF250 for what you will have into that play bike.
Paid $500 for the bike. I’ve put in about $3000 into the bike. So, you’re right, I could probably find a decent CRF250 for that price, but then, anybody can do that right? Would it still be an interesting build or race to watch? It’s been an interesting build for me and a fun race too.
Thanks for watching.
I hear where you come from …it’s not so much the money , it’s the hobbie and experience of the project and it makes a very cool documentary for us all .
Wally you don't get it. These bikes have a huge cult following. Making them compete and beat 450 and 250's is what's it's all about. They run on hater tears.
@Newps ya naw. Just buy a xr 400. They were pretty much top of the heap for conventional 4 strokes. Before mx 4 stroke came to the market
@@dormantmenace Fat, heavy, slow - the XR400 of course, not you.
Also, a not so secret way to align your forks, you simply leave the nut and pinch bolts loose and then compress forks a few times before tightening things up.
You are correct sir. I should have mentioned that in the vid.
Too bad you'll never get it set up correctly since the 150 forks are way too small for a 230. Should have gotten forks from a 250x or r
They’re working great so far. True, the 250R setup would have been sweet too, but it also has it’s own issues. Heavier too.
I have been running them for years! With a racetech revalve and spring change they are awesome.
Did the Race Tech valving make a big difference? Was it worth the price?$ They seem to work pretty well as is with the stiffer springs.
I have a 2006 crf230 the forks and triple clamp I think is bent due to a bad crash. Can I just get a hold of like a 2006 crf250 forks and triple clamp and will it be a simple plug and play situation ?
Start here with Rick Ramsey he’s the crf230f guru. He has lots and lots of detailed fork/triple clamp info. I know people have installed the crf250 fork.
www.rickramsey.net/CRF230Fmods.htm
crf230fmods.wordpress.com/crcrf125250450-inverted-fork-swap/