Fox Podium X - install

The Tarantula Performance Racing project YFZ450R build continues this week with the addition of our Fox Podium X rear shock.

The install begins with the removal of the stock rear shock on our 2009 Yamaha YFZ450R project quad. The rear shock on the YFZR can be easily removed by removing the lower linkage arm bolted to the frame, unbolting the shock and dropping it out through the swingarm. The first step is to loosen the top shock mount bolt.

Here, we loosen the top shock bolt. Yamaha's engineers put some thought into this quad, as many of its parts can be removed easily without un-bolting a ton of other parts, including the rear shock.

Next, we unbolted the lower linkage and removed the lower shock mount bolt.

The link knuckle, shown to the left, simply rotates back and out of the way so the stock shock can drop out through the swingarm. You have to remove the link arm, shown at right.

After removing the linkage arm that connects to the frame, you can remove the top shock bolt and drop it down through the swingarm. We had to wrestle a little bit with our Motoworks SR4 exhaust system by pulling on it slightly to wiggle the shock out of its upper mount. For the most part, the rear shock un-bolted very easily.




With the stock rear shock removed, the Fox Podium X slides easily up through the swingarm. Again, there's a bit of finagling required to get the shock lined up and in the upper mount. But again, our new Fox shock installed just as easily as the stocker was removed.




We did have some clearance concerns with the Fox shock. The reservoir on the stock shock has about 1/4-inch clearance to the exhaust. And Fox attached the reservoir for our Podium X to the shock body in the same location as the stock reservoir with the compression adjusters on the bottom. Fortunately, the reservoir on the Podium X actually has more clearance than the stock reservoir.

The camera angle is deceiving, but the reservoir on our new Podium X rear shock (at right) actually has more clearance for the Motoworks SR4 exhaust than the stock shock reservoir (left).

After sliding the upper shock bolt in place, we re-installed and connected the lower shock links before tightening the upper shock bolt.

Lining up the lower shock link (top) after installing our Fox Podium X rear and torquing the bolts to spec (bottom).

We used Loctite throughout the TPR project YFZ450R build for peace of mind knowing everything will stay intact while racing.

We expect the addition of the Fox Podium X rear shock will greatly improve the handling of the TPR project YFZ450R. We also added an RPM Dominator II axle to hold up to the bigger and faster hits the quad will now be capable of withstanding thanks to the new Fox suspension.


The build will continue with the addition of ATV Four Play's MGC MX long-travel a-arms and a set of Fox Float X Evol front shocks. Keep the TPR project YFZ450R blog bookmarked to stay up-to-date as we get closer to testing the build with ATVOnDemand.com.

Now that's a pro-level rear end set-up! Thanks to RPM, Fox and Galfer.

Stopping power - Galfer

I've said it before and I'll say it again ... Sometimes you have to slow down to go fast!

Galfer is handling the stopping duties on the TPR project YFZ450R by providing front and rear stainless steel brake lines for the quad. We'll start by explaining the rear line installation with a short how-to installation. We'll tackle the front lines when we get our shocks from Fox and bolt those on with our ATV Four Play a-arms.

Galfer sponsored the TPR project YFZ450R with a set of front and rear stainless brake lines.

The rear line installation started by disconnecting the parking brake cable from the caliper. The cable disconnects in the same manner as a throttle or clutch cable. Disengage the parking brake, take in the slack and pop the cable out of its actuator arm on the left side of the caliper. Do this before you loosen the arm itself.

Remove the parking brake cable from the caliper before you do anything else.

Next, simply loosen the two bolts and remove the parking brake lever from the clutch perch. Then carefully snake the cable through the frame and out the front. It helps to have all the plastic removed. Once the cable is out, you can remove all the small brackets on the engine and frame that held the parking brake cable in place.

Now, you can remove the actuator arm from the caliper. You'll need to have purchased a parking brake block off plate to install in place of the arm.

The next step is removing the stock brake line. First, remove the two brackets holding the stock line to the swingarm. Then remove the bolts attaching the line to the master cylinder and caliper. You're going to have some brake fluid spillage, so be sure to have a rag handy and work quickly to install the new line.

The Galfer rear line installed easily and pumped back up to full pressure quickly.

The Galfer brake lines come with the brake line bolts and washers to seal the hydraulic system. When installing the Galfer line, slide the bolt through the line fixture at each end, but be sure you have one of the supplied spacers located on the bolt on each side of the fixture. Thread the lines in and you're practically done!

The Galfer rear brake line adds to the sea of silver on the TPR project YFZ450R rear end. Galfer also labeled their line, so we knew which end attached to the master cylinder.

After installing the line, bleed the rear brake to adequate pressure and you're ready to ride.

As you can see, we've still got some work to do. So the TPR project YFZ450R will be in the garage for at least a few more days...

Get hosed

The next addition to the TPR project YFZ450R includes a set of CV4 coolant hoses and a Hinson Racing billet clutch cover. We started the build with a set of Cycra handguards and Spider SLT grips on our stock Pro Taper handlebars.

For the hoses, we started by removing the stock pinch clamps with a set of pliers.

The stock hoses weren't difficult to remove, but they weren't easy either. The silicone hoses should remove much easier for maintenance and other work.

We used a special type of hose clamp for the pure silicone hoses from CV4. Because the hoses are pure silicone, the material can actually be squeezed through the slots found in typical hose clamps. Our clamps feature a liner that covers the slots to keep our hoses from being damaged.





The silicone CV4 hoses slid right on to the radiator and engine ports. The blue hoses definitely look cool, but they also improve flow and can withstand hotter temperatures than the stock rubber hoses.

CV4 sponsored the TPR project YFZ450R with a set of their coolant hoses, which installed in minutes and add performance and style.

Both hoses are visible from each side of the engine. The pure silicone hoses greatly improve the looks of our project quad.

Our last step in installing the hoses was to re-fill the radiator with coolant. Our stock coolant had been through a top-end rebuild and dyno runs at ATP Racing Engines, so we opted to replace it with Honda's pre-mixed coolant solution. We have run HP coolant in the past with great success compared to some of the costly coolant options out there that claim to reduce operating temperatures.




We also added Hinson's billet clutch cover to improve the looks of the TPR project YFZ450R and increase the protection for our clutch components. Hinson also sponsored the build with a clutch pack and heavy duty springs, which we'll install after we run through the stock clutch.

In addition to the hoses, Hinson's billet clutch cover really makes the engine in our project quad stand out and look stylin'.

The Hinson and CV4 products improve both the looks of our project motocross quad and its performance. We'll continue the build with a complete Fox Shox suspension set up, a set of Galfer brake lines front and rear, an RPM Dominator II axle, a set of TPR nerf bars and a TPR front bumper. Stay tuned.

Heaven for your hands - grips and guards

The wrenches are spinning on the TPR project YFZ450R.


We've started replacing the stock parts on the Tarantula Performance Racing project Yamaha 2009 YFZ450R motocross build with performance products from our sponsors. In this post, we'll show you how we upgraded our hand protection and comfort with some parts from Cycra and Spider Grips.




The YFZR comes stock with a decent set of aluminum Pro Taper handlebars, which are much stronger and have a lower, race-oriented profile compared to the stock bars most quads once rolled out of the factory with. We're sticking with the stock bars until we have to replace them out of necessity. But we wanted to improve our grip and add some protection for our mits.

First, we stripped the stock grips and removed all the controls and switches to add our Spider SLT grips. We sprayed the inside of our grips with brake cleaner to install them. The brake cleaner helps the grips slide on, but it also corrodes the rubber grip and helps it adhere like glue to the bars.



Next, we added a thin layer of eletrical tape where all the controls and lever mounts attach to the bars. The tape keeps the bars from getting scratched through metal to metal contact.




We also left all the levers "loose" on the bars, so they remain tight enough for riding but will rotate rather than break during a crash. The electrical tape helps here by allowing the controls to spin rather than snap.

Our Cycra Stealth handguards offer adjustable mounting options for optimal protection by mounting either over or under the levers. We mounted our guards over our levers. The guards bolted on easily and provide a wide coverage area without cluttering up our handlebars.

The Cycra guards add some style and protection to the TPR project YFZ450R handlebars.

The Spider hand grips are a much more comfortable option than the stock grips and help reduce vibration. And the Cycra handguards fit the looks of the YFZR well while helping protect our hands from roost. Both products will help us ride harder, longer.

We'll be cleaning up our quad even more throughout the week with the addition of front and rear Galfer brake lines, a parking brake block off, RPM Dominator II axle, CV4 silicone coolant hoses and a Hinson clutch cover. Check back for updates as we continue building the TPR project YFZ450R.