hello all, I just bought my first atv yesterday, a 2013 z400. I was hopeing you guys could give me some advice on brands/types engine oil, air filter cleaning kit and any other little things i'll need for general matanince. nothing over fancy but good bang for the buck brands, any little tips or tricks I should know for preventive matanince as they say. what oct fuel to use, is 93oct worth getting or does it matter? ect. this will be the only quad I will have for a long while so I want/need to take super good care of it. Also is there much of an after market for this atv? performance mods, dress up stuff ect? were is a good online site to buy such things from? I live way out in the sticks and its a long drive to any atv dealer so I hope to use online vendors for some things.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Just use regular gas.. Especially if it is fuel injected. When i bought my 2014 the other day the dealer told me to stay away from the premium grad fuel as it will actually run worse.. I always stick with manufacturer oils. You may pay a few $ but honestly it takes the guess work out of things making sure you ave the right oil. If its a import machine i will run yamalube in it. My import machines run like a top its due for a oil change and the oil still looks good in it.
Keep your machine clean after a rip through the mud or dusty trail ride. Dirt is the biggest killer of parts.. Ride in your skill level don't try to be pulling stunts that you are not comfortable with.. You are out their to have fun not spend weeks in a hospital

 

For oil, I have had good results with Shell Rotella T. Never use an oil that has energy conserving in the little seal on the label. That will shorten your clutch life. Use a good, sticky air filter oil. I like be ray. Clean your chain and use a little chain wax after every ride, also keep it properly adjusted or else they wear out quickly. For fuel, running more octane than required only hurts performance.

Tons of aftermarket for this machine. Thumb through a quad magazine to get some good online stores.

 

rgr that guys and thank you.
Zrock, I hear you on not trying to ride it beyond my non-skills lol. guy unloaded the atv for me and then I tried to take off easy and stalled a couple times, third time I gave just a bit to much throttle and the thing gave a hard jump, nearly hit a tree in my front yard lol. im sure for a lot of riders here a z400 is prob tame but I was surprised at the feeling of TQ it had even with a bit of throttle, def got to take my time. sooner I can save up for a helmet the better! might get a full suite of armor made lol. hmmmm might be a market for carbon fiber armor lol.

Can any one recommend the best way to clean the chain? just water hose? soap and a brush? the guy who droped it off said they make chain lube in a spray can, is that ok to use? didn't know they made chain wax.

Also I seen that I will need to get the valves checked after about 5 gas tank full's of use "what they told me at the dealership" can any one giove me a rough idea on what that's going to cost? whats a good price and whats over charging.

any way thanks both of you for the advice. hopefully one day I can do the same for a new rider .... as long as I survive the learning curve my self lol.

 

"sooner I can save up for a helmet the better!"

*gasp*
Who else cringed after reading that part???
Sir with all do respect...No helmet=no ride. You seen why! Chit happens in a heart beat.

 

rgr that, I plan on getting one asap and until then im just sorta putting around the yard at lower speed, I know its still better to have a helm anytime I ride but im out in the open on relatively soft plowed dirt. just cant afford a helm yet.

 

Here is a good tip.. If you let someone else work on your ride Double check their work yourself.. its your life.. We just had a incident up in my area where a kid lost his front tire and just about lost his arm when he went down. Its hanging on my a thread... I guess his buddy torqued the wheels but had the torque wrench set for loosen? well you know what happened next..
Its a easy thing to do is miss something. I have almost done it. Get talking and forget if you finished something or not.. I even go back and double check all my work just to be safe

Ouch i just read you are not wearing a helmet... Um even running around your front yard slowly you can still seriously get hurt. All it takes is one bad bump, bad burp of the throttle, fall off and hit your head on something hard. Then you may spend the rest of your life looking out the window at the quad you could have been riding if you had bought a helmet. You can find cheep ones for around $50 and upgrade when you have the funds.. Thats what im doing. Iv bee running a cheap Canadian tire job but now that i have a faster machine its time to go get a better one. Possibly one with a built in visor so i don't need the goggles

 

If you bought it from a dealer, they should have thrown it a helmet. I always get them to give me a new helmet

 

Please, even if you have to put a bike helmet on for a couple of rides, cover that melon!! Wouldn't hurt to ask the dealership if they can give you one or sell you one at cost or something.

No pressured water should ever hit the chain. I use a grunge brush, but you need to save for that helmet, so just wipe the crud off with a rag or old dish brush. Even an old tooth brush works pretty well. You can use soapy water if you want. Some take the chain off and soak it in kero instead. Chain wax also comes in a spray can. Once dry it doesn't fling off like some lubes, and isn't sticky like the lubes that don't fling off. Bottom line, it is less messy to apply and clean off.

Valve check figure about $100 or so. You can buy all the tools and a service manual to do it yourself for less. Maybe try to find a buddy to help the first time if you go this route.