MXA TEAM TESTED: WORKS CONNECTION 2017-2018 CRF450 EZ OIL DRAIN

WHAT IS IT? Changing engine oil is a hassle. Some bikes have hard-to-reach drain plugs, often covered by skid plates, that require you to lie in the dirt to get to them. When the oil comes out, it is often hot and messy. The oil splashes down into the drain pan, and with it comes the drain-plug bolt, which has to be fished out by hand. Works Connection decided to do something about this, albeit only for the 2017–2018 Honda CRF450. The Works Connection EZ oil drain is designed to take the mess and fuss out of changing CRF450 engine transmission oil.

WHAT’S IT COST? $37.95.

CONTACT? www.worksconnection.com or your friendly local dealer.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the Works Connection CRF450 EZ oil drain.

(1) CRF450 particulars. The 2017–2018 Honda CRF450 has a very large drain plug hidden under the stock skid plate. To get the drain plug out, you have to remove the skid plate and use a 10mm Allen wrench to turn the plug. Works Connection doesn’t eliminate these steps, but if you run a Works Connection skid plate, you don’t have to remove it to access the CRF drain plug.

(2) How to use. Step one—remove the stock skid plate. Step two—lay the bike over on its right side (with the throttle resting on top of a bike stand). Leaning the CRF to the right stops oil from running out when you remove the drain plug. Step three—remove the stock Honda drain plug and thread the Works Connection EZ oil drain fitting into the CRF engine. The large, CNC-machined, T-6 6061 aluminum fitting is knurled and only has to be hand-tightened because it has an O-ring to keep the oil from leaking. Step four—close the pinch clamp. Step five—stand the CRF up with an oil pan underneath the hose. Release the pinch clip to allow the oil to drain out through the high-temp silicone hose. Step six—unthread the Works Connection fitting. Put the stock drain plug back in the engine and add new oil.

(3) Tips. You cannot leave the Works Connection EZ oil drain on the bike when you ride it, or even start it. Don’t misplace the two rubber caps that come with the EZ oil drain system. The small one keeps oil from dripping out, while the large one protects the aluminum threads when not in use. Wiggle the bike while the oil is draining out to get the excess from any cavities in the engine cases. MXA didn’t use a drain pan, but instead inserted the hose into a sports-drink bottle so that we could put the cap on it for later disposal.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? It doesn’t speed up oil changes, but it does make them neater.

MXA RATING: If you’ve ever fished an oil drain plug out of a pan of hot engine oil, you are a candidate for the EZ oil drain.

You might also like

Comments are closed.