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If no one objects, I thought it would be fun (for me anyway) to show the rejuvenation progress of my (new to me and Troys battered and tattered) 2007 EXC.

This is what it looked like new. Never again though!




The first couple pictures are shortly after Troy delivered it to my place (he must of really wanted it out of his garage! ).







The first order of business is to replace the CS seal and o-ring.

I'm IN to watch this transformation!

I have the manuals, stock exhaust, and spare air filter whenever you can come get them.

Kit for the countershaft seal replacement.



Didn't think to take pictures of the actual work. Will do better next time.


All reassembled and this area cleaned up.




Oops, looks like I took a little paint off the left cover when cleaning.

Holy cow Troy washed that thing before he sold?! That thing looks amazing for only $1500! j/k
But seriously, I think it looks great how it is. But I'm all for customizing.
I'm going to guess about 130 hours based off the shifter.
Congrats on the new ride.

Savage wrote:Holy cow Troy washed that thing before he sold?! That thing looks amazing for only $1500! j/k
But seriously, I think it looks great how it is. But I'm all for customizing.
I'm going to guess about 130 hours based off the shifter.
Congrats on the new ride.

130 hour is probably a good guess, but I love doing this stuff!

Some silliness here.
Troy mentioned front tire was low. I decided to get out the gauge............... hmmm where is it?
Oh I remember now.

Anyway........yep fronts a little low.



What the heck, I will check the back as a matter of course.


I thought this thing was kind of hard to push around the garage!

OK where is that blasted tire pump. I know I saw it last summer sometime.
I do have an air compressor but don't want to wake the girlfriend and use electricity. On a budget you know.





40 pounds each on the pump gauge ought to do it. After all my bicycles take 100#. Maybe I should add some more?

I was going to get out the tire irons and start at a fun afternoon of changing tubes but thought, maybe they have been sitting a while since both are flat.

Ok I will wait a couple of days and check them again to get an accurate idea of what's going on.

Two days later...................






Viola! 35# on the nose for each. I am going to chalk (not rockchalk) it up to natural rubber tubes that gradually lose air as the nature of the beast. Found out the pencil gauge reads 5# lower than the gauge mounted on the pump.

35 or 40 lbs is great for testing if they hold air, but for rocky single-track, you want closer to 15 lbs in those tires. Some guys run even lower--especially if they are running trials tires. I usually run 20 in the front and 18 in the rear on the trail. Some of the guys I run with think that's too much, but I think it decreases my chance of a pinch flat.

Nice work on the counter-shaft seal! I'm glad to have sold it to a guy who is taking joy in getting her back in shape. I sent my 500 EXC suspension off to be rebuilt today. Was super easy to remove the forks and shock.

With the $6,000 you paid me for my 450, I have plenty of cash to rebuild the suspension on this 500. Plus I'll have plenty left over to buy hats.

Looks nice and clean!

Savage wrote:Looks nice and clean!

I seriously beat the hell out of that bike, and Carl knows it. I gave him a pretty good deal, but he's got a lot of work ahead of him to get it back into good shape. That bike is a great bike, and I hope he gets a lot of great miles out of it. It was hard for me to let that one go.

Looks to me like my grandmother only rode it to church on Sundays.

troy wrote:35 or 40 lbs is great for testing if they hold air, but for rocky single-track, you want closer to 15 lbs in those tires. Some guys run even lower--especially if they are running trials tires. I usually run 20 in the front and 18 in the rear on the trail. Some of the guys I run with think that's too much, but I think it decreases my chance of a pinch flat.

Nice work on the counter-shaft seal! I'm glad to have sold it to a guy who is taking joy in getting her back in shape. I sent my 500 EXC suspension off to be rebuilt today. Was super easy to remove the forks and shock.

With the $6,000 you paid me for my 450, I have plenty of cash to rebuild the suspension on this 500. Plus I'll have plenty left over to buy hats.

$6K was a small price to pay for this much orange!

Thanks for the pressure setup tips I likely would not have gone that low without input, but I feel it necessary to say I was kidding to suggest riding at 40# pressures.

And BTW I am happy with the deal, elated maybe!

As I go through it please don't take ANYTHING directed at you. I am having fun with it and haven't even started it. It does run, right?

Speaking of suspension it seems the 450 has considerable "stiction".
I loosened the front axle thinking things might be in bind but didn't make a difference. I hope I remembered to tighten in back up!

Is this something typical with the WP stuff or should I plan on looking into it further?

carlrf wrote:I am having fun with it and haven't even started it. It does run, right?

Do you remember riding it up and down my street when you bought it?

carlrf wrote:Speaking of suspension it seems the 450 has considerable "stiction".

My guess is that you simply are not used to how stiff the suspension should be on a bike you plan to slam over trees at 25 MPH or land off of 6' rock cliffs. This ain't no KLR! I never noticed anything with the suspension I thought was wrong on that bike. It's not made for cushy comfort--no doubt about that!

Besides, my grandma only rode it to church on Sundays and never in the rain. Grandma lived way out in the sticks, though, so it was a rough path to the church.

Ouray, CO 2012


Chadwick 2011


After rolling end over end down a rock climb at Chadwick 2011 (Grandma was crazy. God rest her soul.)


Mark Twain Forest at the Freeman Off-Road Resort 2010



Grandma sure loved that bike...even though she hardly rode it.

OK OK I get it!

troy wrote:

carlrf wrote:I am having fun with it and haven't even started it. It does run, right?

Do you remember riding it up and down my street when you bought it?


Yea just messing with you.

carlrf wrote: 40 pounds each on the pump gauge ought to do it. After all my bicycles take 100#. Maybe I should add some more?

I see Troy mentioned it above, but imho, 20psi is to much. I like to run my front at 14psi and my rear at 12psi. Congrats on the bike, looks like a keeper and a nice little project for the garage. Maybe a little more for down here and all the rock.

troy wrote:I sent my 500 EXC suspension off to be rebuilt today. Was super easy to remove the forks and shock.

Not to hijack a thread (Troy please don't ban me again, something about being referred to as a previous member..) but can I ask where sent your suspension off to and some detail on what exactly you are having done?

carlrf wrote:

Did you put the case saver back on? I trashed a kx way back in the day over some such foolishness when a chain let go.