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By Tiffany Rowland
I bought an 07 honda trx400ex for my daughter 11th birthday. I've been having alot of fun fixing it up but after reading some of the posts about safety I think I may have gotten a little carried away. I put an exhaust on that added 10hp, a k&n performance filter, new carb, a stage 3 rev box and coil, and I wrapped the exhaust. The top speed started out at 92mph and we're well above that now. My main concern, though, is low end throttle. Is there any way I can do something thate will decrease the rate of acceleration without taking off the modifications I've done? She's super cautious and won't go over 10mph but I'm worried that she may have a hard time controlling it after these last few upgrades.
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By Ajmboy
I saw this article on Motosport and thought it was pretty good. Anyone add anything?
You might think hopping on-board an ATV and going for a spin is just as easy as taking your regular 4-wheel car for a ride around the block. After all, both have four wheels. How hard could it be?
In many respects, you're right. Some adventure riders choose quads over their two-wheeled counterparts of the dirt because there's less chance of crashing and it's easier to learn. ATVs also offer more manageability for younger riders to get acquainted with outdoor riding than a dirt bike.
However, beginner riders on ATVs tend to make the same mistakes that result in crashes, roll overs and injury that could be avoided with some instruction and know-how. If you're looking at a fun family outing by renting ATVs or want to get into the sport take advantage of the following points and avoid the same mistakes so many other first time ATV riders make that end their day early or before they barely get started.
1. Nerf Bars
Get Nerf bars. These are not soft cushy add-ons that are cousins to the football you use during backyard football games. In many respects, Nerf bars are gigantic foot pegs. Don't bother with traditional foot pegs because you'll constantly slip off and because of the "I feel safe factor" that comes with riding a quad you'll also have a tendency to let your feet drag when riding. That's a recipe for getting one or both of your feet caught in the back tire resulting in serious injury. Nerf bars allow you to stabilize your feet and get maximum control over the ATV
Rest your feet easy on Nerf bars
2. Rolling Over
Believe it or not, it's fairly easy to roll an ATV over. And you don't want to be on the bottom of that sandwich.
The most common way of ending underneath a quad is looping out. That's done by hitting the gas and having little to no experience with the power of an ATV. The front spikes up like an out of control stallion, throws you onto your back like a bucking bronco and then pins you like a UFC Champ.
The second way is when you're having a bit too much fun sliding around in mud or other slick conditions, the tires finally do what they're designed to do and grip the ground but the rest of the bike, with you on it, keeps going.
Finally, those who think they've found their bearings take aim for a steep slope and try to conquer it only to end up upside down or in their attempt to arch alongside said steep hill, tumble over the side.
3. False Sense of Security
This goes somewhat hand-in-hand with the roll over capability that many riders fail to appreciate therefore they also neglect wearing proper protective equipment. Don't think wearing jeans, t-shirt and sneakers is adequate protection when riding a 4-wheeled machine powered by a gas engine that doesn't have seatbelts. You need a helmet, goggles, gloves and riding boots at a minimum. Once you start ripping it on the track or trails add a chest protector, neck brace, knee brace, etc.
4. Throttle Control
Everybody wants to skip the kiddie stage and get right into hair-raising speed when it comes to riding ATVs. OK, most everybody. But for those who do so many put on the cloak of invincibility and think a quad is merely a mini car that finally enables them to release all sorts of pent up childhood inhibitions.
So they jab their thumb into the throttle with the expectation of a controlled roller coaster ride. Instead, they loop out and end up underneath the quad or manage to stay seated only to careen off course and introduce their 4x4 to a large tree. ATVs normally have a thumb throttle and most have an automatic clutch so the clutch is one less thing to worry about. So go slow and figure out how much "thumb" is too much and get used to the speed and power an ATV delivers before really going for a ride. Oh, one more thing, learn to take your thumb off the throttle!
It's not to hard to loop out on an ATV
5. Loading the ATV
Never, ever ride an ATV up a ramp into the back of a pick-up. If you want to know why just go to YouTube. If you want to know how to load an ATV check out this fine piece of quality information on How to Load a Motorcycle, Dirt Bike or ATV into a Truck.
The bottom line to riding an ATV the first time is treat it like you would anything that comes with a modicum of danger. Careless behavior endangers you and others but with common sense and a willingness to learn you'll enjoy of lifetime of riding quads.
For additional information on riding and/or maintaining ATVs see:
10 Quick Safety Tips for ATV Trail Riding Tips for New ATV Owners Choosing the Best ATV for Beginners 10 Things That Alter Your ATV Performance Written By: AndrewT
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By fox300exchic
Let's hear all there is to know about you ladies! Where your from and where you've lived. Kids or no kids. What you do for a living. Why you ride and how you got started.
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By Shook
Hi I have a 2000 big bear 400 and i just put a new carburetor on it and it idles fine but when you try to accelerate it sounds like it is going to die, so when it sounds like it is going to die I will give it more throttle then it will go just fine.
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By stinky
I have an Outlaw 110 that will struggle to turn the engine over. Jump starting doesn't help other than the battery will drain LONG before the bike eventually starts, so is required. If you keep messing with it long enough it will eventually magically begin to crank fine and sometimes finally start. Once we finally get the bike to start and warm it up thoroughly, it will turn over and start just fine the rest of the day like nothing ever happened... next day it won't turn over again. Internet research has found lots of people saying they replaced starters, starter clutch, wiring, etc. but with only about 50/50 success rate for their particular problems... and I never found anybody describing a problem like mine, so I'm looking for advice/experience. Would rather not just start blindly throwing parts at it. Does anybody have any thoughts/ideas?
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By LMI
Was using the quad the other day to shuttle wood from my pickup to my wood pile. When the job was done I turned off the Quad and heard a bit of a racket from the front end. When I got down underneath the sound seemed to be coming from the fan housing. fan was moving in spurts and not quickly... much like a computer case fan that's had it's day. What I know.
Temp sensor is ok, as the fan tries to activate fan is getting some voltage as it is attempting to spin. When I first bought it used I tested the fan direct to battery and it was fine. The fan was working ok even not direct wired as I went on a couple of rides and when stopped and idling the fan did run Seems to be free spinning with my finger read up in the manual and they require me to drop the rad. now I'm not opposed to that as the rad has some damaged areas I want to try and straighten out. But if I can get the fan working without, I can leave the rad as it is until next year.
Fan assembly is about 300 bills, any work arounds or alternatives? I even thought large computer case brushless fan. smaller ones are about $7 larger ones better quality probably far below the 300. They run standard 12v DC.
Anything I should be doing before dropping the rad... other than check for obstructions even though it seems to spin, and trying to hardwire it to the battery again for a test to see if it acts the same?
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By Guest Fox300exchic
The Hop-Up: You may be saying to yourself, “that’s a chick bike,” and you’re right. But honestly, it’s so much more than that. It’s one badass bike. http://www.quadmagazine.com/quad/features/article/0,24942,1587044,00.html
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By Suzuki24
I have an 04 ltz and it started sputtering a little bit while going down the road and I was low on gas so I just figured that's what it was. But now I can't get it to start I completely cleaned the carberator put a new spark plug and coil pack in it and all it does is turn over. It has compression it's getting fuel and it is sparking but all it does is turn over any idea what it is??
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