I just got an '02 250 ES tonight.

1)Do they have a manual shifter back-up? I thought someone told me there's a shifter you can hook on in case the ES doesn't work. If so, where does it hook on, and how does it work ( i assume it's all shift up to 5th gear).

2)How do you find 1st gear for slowing you on downgrade? when i drove off my steep truck ramp in first gear, it was like a rocket. Like it didn't have any resistance at all, or hold me back at all. Almost like i was in neutral, but i was clearly in 1st gear.

3)How is cold running? Mine wants to stall when cold, but once warm, runs great, good idle. Any idea how to fix this? Air filter is clean. if i choke it, it stalls right away.

4) What is the Honda suggested setting for the air/fuel mixture screw (how many turns out) ? I may try to clean carb and see where i am after that.

5) What plug and gap do guys find best for this quad? we'll be mostly trail riding at 1/2 throttle or less. I don't expect a lot of high speed driving.

Anything else a guy should know about these? i never got an Owner's Manual or tool kit or gear shift lever. Aaargh!!

Thanks a lot for any help.

 

1) yes you should have gotten an gear shift lever. You could probably order one online. It connects to the side of the engine right by your left heel if you were sitting on the ATV. It is difficult to shift with the manual shifter while you are riding. It is really just meant to get it into gear so you can ride back home to get serviced. Not meant for normal use.

2) 1st slows you down some, but on any steep hill you will needs lot of brakes. I have found this true on all of my ATV's.

3) Honda's don't run well cold. I have two Honda dirt bikes and one ATV and they are all this way. Don't change a thing - that is normal. Just be patient and let it warm up a minute. Like you said it runs great after it is warmed up and that is what you want right?

4) I have taken my carb apart and cleaned it and never messed with the air/fuel mixture screw. I have no idea what the right setting is. But taking the carb off and taking it apart is a pain in the *** and I would not recommend it if it is running OK. Just make sure the little rubber drain hose that exits from the bottom of the float bowl is curved up and tie wrapped under the seat somewhere where it will stay sort of dry. There is slight vaccuum on this hose and if it is hanging in down in the mud it will suck mud into the carb and then it will not run at all. I drained mud out of my carb twice before I figured this one out.

5) don't know about the plug gap either. A new plug is probably a waste of money if it is running good after it warms up.

Owner's manual and tool kit are kind of worthless. You do need a gear shift lever for emergencies and get a clymer service manual and that will contain way more good info than the owners manual.

 

Confusedbuyer.....

1) The unit did origionaly have the back-up shifter in the rear storage box. When a unit comes for me to work on with electric shift problems I normally have a 12 mm wrench in my pocket to shift it into gear, as many consumers loose the wrench. If you shift the unit manualy, the ignition switch must be turned off after reset in neutral in order for the electric shift to work.

2) the slowing problem on a downgrade could be as simple as clutch adjustment. But after finding that does not cure the problem, you may have to replace the one-way bearing in the centrifical clutch. Many people term it as a 'sprag' bearing, which should employ engine braking during a decelsituation.

3) As you know the Recon still has a butterfly choke. Not a choke plunger ( Starter Valve ) like its bigger brothers. With the choke on, there is a significant low atmospheric pressure caused in the venturi of the carb, sucking a lot of fuel from the pilot jet and causing puddling of fuel within the spark plug. The choke plunger in other Hondas allows better vaporization of fuel into the carb as the atmospheric pressure is higher in the vebturi and will not cause excessive fuel to siphon from the pilot jet. This puddling will short the plug until the insulator around the positive electrode is warm enough to burn it off. Normal combustion will not burn out all the fuel way up in the plug's end, until the plug is fully warmed. Continuous start ups and short drives will kill the spark plug for this reason, as it will not have time to clean out, and stays 'wet' so to speak. Once a NGK os fuel shorted, throw it away and replace it.
How to fix this cold starting problem could be helped out by installing the next step NGK hotter spark plug plus the carb setting I am about to explain in step 4. If you go with the DPR7EA-9 Spark plug, monitor it for color and the wash on your piston so you do not burn it down under prolonged WFO throttle rides.

4) I am old school when setting the carbs on Recons. I will run the unit until warm, slowly turn the fuel mix screw in until the engine begins to stammer, then slowly open it counting the turns until it does the same. If you turn the screw, half the counted turns, back in, that should be its 'sweet spot', a very noticable smoothness in the idle. That is where it should be set.

5) Spark plug gap should be pre-set at 28 thousanths, significant of the -9 at the end of the NGK spark plug number. Short trips at low throttle, I prolly suggest the DPR7EA-9 NGK spark plug.

Other) keep your valves adjusted and your rear diffy full of clean hypoid lube

As far as the owners manual being worthless, I have a different view. When I send a new unit out to a consumer I highly recomend they read the owners manual and keep it handy, especially for info such as maintanance schedules/knowledge of the unit.

There are many service manuals available aftermarket, I suggest Honda manuals for Honda ATV's

Enjoy your ATV !!

----- Gimp -----

 

thanks gnash. i called honda today. $30 for the owner's manual, $110 for the factory repair manual (US prices).

where did you find a Clymer for an '02, ES model?? I'll defintely go the way of a Clymer or Haynes manual.

ya, i've got an XR70, and an XR80 (both 4-strokes). the XR70 i adjusted the valves, cleaned air filter, new plug, cleaned carb, cleaned spark arrestor, and it's a cold pig. it sputters when you gas it, almost stalls, no power, then when it's warm, it's perfect. but it wasn't always like that, which makes me wonder why i can't get it back that way.

1st gear should have a lot of hold back and start to scream as you push downhill. i read a spec on these today, and it says it's got a neutral sensor lock that won't allow it to slip into neutral if it's going 2mph or faster. I wondered if maybe my sensor didn't work, but it still doesn't make sense, cuz i was in first gear and the indicator showed first gear. I'll have to do more riding before i jump to a lot of conclusions.

 

confusedbuyer ....

Check the neddle jet set for the carb throttle slide on the XR's. They are prolly worn causing the problems as you have suggested in your last post.

----- Gimp -----

 

Oh great confucious one! When are you gonna just teach em all to use a freakin clutch. save allotta sleepless nights. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] I gots a buddy with a Recon ES and his only shifts up then he has the break out the fancy manual shift contraption and shift down to an acceptable gear. then when he needs more he shuts it off. and uses the electric. heck sometimes it works both ways but not often

 

WOW Gimpster, thanks! I guess I like to know the factory carb spec so I know if i'm close. Generally, the fine tuning should be within a 1/4 -1/2 turn of the factory spec (i've found).

"WFO".. does that mean wide open? most of our riding will be an hour, then break, then another hour. very little, if ever, will it be wide open. it'll be more putt-putt riding on trails.

I've seen plugs with the DPR8EA, or 7EA, but i've never noticed the last digit "-9" . This is important to make sure i have that?

so like the closed end of a 12mm wrench will do the same thing as the manual shifter??

thanks very much for the insight. I really appreciate it. I'll take it for a ride and see how we do on 1st gear holdback. this unit was used for atv tours by mostly inexperienced riders, so i wouldn't be surprised if it saw a lot of 1st gear activity. maybe that might make the "sprag bearing" wear??

i hear ya on factory manuals... but to give you an example, my Suzuki Factory manuals do a decent job of explaining things and don't assume you're a master mechanic. I find the Haynes and Clymers similar ("atv mechanics for dummies"), BUT my Yamaha manual isn't as detailed and makes you think more. AND, $110 price tag from Honda for a repair manual is like prison-rape.

I'd like to have owner's manual, but same deal. usually they recommend routine maintenance/intervals in the after-market manuals too.

you seem very well informed about Hondas. Where can i get the best pricing on parts, thru the internet (without getting ripped off or jerked around)?

 

Confused one[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] I thought you were getting rid of the LT 80 and LT 160, so that you didn't have to work on quads anymore[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] Well, at least you went from 2 quads to one quad[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img] that will need wrenching[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I see your getting really good info[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] So, I'll leave your thread[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Happy Riding and see you on the 7.3 side[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] MD

 

can the needle be adjusted, or would it make any diff?(on my 2-stroke LT80, you can adjust the needle to 5 different settings). How do you tell if it is worn? would it be the needle only, not the throttle body?

the XR70 is a 2000 model. i just replaced what i think is original chain, to give you an idea of the amount of wear.both sprockets seemed fine. rear tire is cheng shin, so I'm not sure if it's original or not (again, to give you idea of amount of wear/use).

 

hey rescue, what'd i tell ya? when i sell, it needs nothing, runs great. when i buy, I'm fussy and nothing ever runs the way I think it should. once again, i paid too much due to a lack of good used selection. but the 250 ES is exactly what i wanted. shaft drive, electric shift. newer, so hopefully i won't be constantly wrenching it.

onefly, if they knew how to ride with shifters, I'd be keeping the 160 over the Breeze. 7 y/o is doing okay shifting on 3 speed Raptor 80 (but still doesn't fully understand the principles and needs reminding all the time of what gear to be in). 9 y/o is very good with shifter principles, but sometimes can't get 160 to shift easily enough for him. 16 y/o daughter is way behind with so much less seat time, and the Breeze is way easier for her. and wife can shift no problem. i thot the 250 might be easier for 16 y/o too, plus the others.

hey rescue, onefly, stay away!! gimpster is a nice guy and is really helpful, unlike you guys over on the FBK that just dogpile on the poor lil 'ol Canadian. i've got more help here in a couple of posts than you guys have given me in 2600+ posts on the FBK thread. and i don't need you filling gimpsters head with lies and bad thoughts about me, let him learn that on his own like everyone else has!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]