Ok so I just bought this used 06 honda 450r and it is a pain in the A$$ to get it started. I almost run the battery down everytime i start it I even on a battery charger its still hard to start. The guy i bought it off of said its got a high compression piston in it and a bigger cam I do not know what size jet is in it and the lid is not on it and the baffling is cut out of the muffler. I am not positive about this so I have to pretty much take his word for it. The only time I can really get it to fire right up is when its piping hot and it still takes a few seconds to fire up. I have tried starting it with the choke on and off and using the trottle little by little then just pumping it and nothing is seeming to work. If you jump start it it starts fine i do believe. So other then that I have absolutly no other complaints with this quad!!! it ROCKS!!! it will flat out get it!!!

 

Hey my man. Long time.

Your problem could be tuning related due to the mods if it was never properly tuned to start with, but I would check the valve clearances before proceeding because any changes you make to fix the starting issue now will likely need to be changed again anyway if your valves have indeed gotten on the tight side.
The 450 Honda is more prone than any of the other 450's when it comes to hard starting when the valves are tight. Doesnt take much.

 

+1 sounds like it is time to do the valve adjustment. was quoted $225 for my friends 450R to get it done.

 

Is this something I can do myself or should i just go ahead and get it looked at? gave me the tool to adjust the valves that he bought from honda.

 

I was looking at my friends manual and it says that you have to essentually pull everything out of the head (IE cam and lifters and stuff) just short of taking the whole head off. while i am sure it is not difficult to do, it was scary doing the valve adjustment on my 420 and i didnt even have to take the head apart. . .so if you have mechanical exp. i say go for it. . .but get the book on your quad asap.

 

Dont you just take the valve screws out and adjust them like that???

 

not on the 450. . .it has shims not adjustment screws like the rest.

 

Well that bites! Sounds like to me I would reather have someone knowin what they are doin do it... but the thing with the valves bein off though why does it start so easy when its piping hot???

 

well more bad news lol.... damn battery fried yesterday when i was chargin it... so now to start it i have to pull it or use the battery charger... I think im just goin to take it up to honda and let them look at it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

my 2007 acts up some times with the starting. your not suposed to give it gas while trying to start it, also it could be your starter not fully engaging, when mine is a pain the starter seems to be louder and spinning faster than usally than it slows dont makes a weird noise and it starts right up. that could be your problem considering it starts right up when u pop start it.