Stance Dialed In

The pace on this build has been slower than I originally planned, but this stage finally feels like a turning point. Getting the wheels on changes everything. It is the moment where the bike stops feeling like a pile of parts and starts looking like a machine again.

Choosing the wheel setup took more thinking than I expected. I did not want to repeat the exact setup from the Rally bike, but I also did not want to lose the balance and capability that made it work so well. In the end I went with a 19” front and a 17” rear. The 19” is more versatile than a 17” supermoto front, keeps better geometry for the CRF forks, and still holds a tight stance. The 17” rear with a lower profile tire gives the bike a planted look and keeps the proportions aggressive without going full moto.

The wheels themselves are brand new: Excel rims with black hubs and stainless spokes. I paired them with Mitas Enduro Trial+ tires, partly for the look and partly because they fit the attitude of this build. I am staying away from my usual all-black theme this time. Silver rims with black hubs feels like a good middle ground, clean and classic but still modern. It gives contrast without stealing attention from the rest of the bike.

Seeing the 19/17 combo together with the CRF450 front end and that wide rear tire confirms it. The stance is dialed in. Everything lines up exactly how I pictured it in my head months ago.

This build is taking longer than I expected, but every time I slow down and obsess over a detail, the end result turns out better than what I first imagined. The extra time is paying off.