Hi guys,
just looked at a honda foreman 450trx 2004 model, and considering buying it.
The quad is in very good nick over all, starts first time , idles nicly, no smoke , no nasty noises. The suspension seems fine , no ware in any the ball joints , no worn bushes. It drives perfect with plenty of power, and every thing works ,
One concern was on the speedo it says it has done 17,000 miles and 2500 hours. Could this be correct for a 4 year old quad? . Is this a serious amount of milage.
The other concern was the colour of the oil, it seemed slightly creamy, as if there was some moisture present and there was some oil in the air box under the filter , maybe a few table spoons full.
Any ideas , suggestions??????? thanks

 

That does sound high for a 4 year old quad.While I personally aren't a fan of honda utilities they last incredibly long.With simple maintenance they can last forever.

 

That is a lot of miles/hours. I would not buy anything that had water in the oil unless I knew the source as it could be indicative of serious mechanical problems. I would have a good mechanic look it over before buying it.

 

Welcome to the forum snowman. Most people don't rack up that many miles in 20 years. The miles per hour is less than 7 so it was probably used for work all day every day, and not for trail riding. I would pass on it for both the high mileage and the slow speed it was run at constantly.

Frank

 

thanks guys for the replys. I think im still going to go for this one, as its very cheap, and it just seems to run so sweet, maybe the dash got messed up .

 

well I did buy the quad and its been running fine , I changed the oil and it has stayed clear, I think the milage on the clock is missing a full stop, and its only done 1700 miles.
However lately ive been using it a little bit heaver pulling a mower, and ive noticed its getting very smoky,
It seems to be burning oil, as the smoke is blueish white. its sound when you just start it but as it warms up it gets smokier and seems to be spitting a little bit of oil.
Any ideas, thanks guys for the info

 

This model has a pretty solid reputation! I don't doubt that the mileage and hours are the real deal! Several of my Hondas are 10 years old now (400EX, Rancher 350, and 250EX), and all have high mileage and all run just like the day they were new!

What kind of oil you running? Try a synthetic oil that has a very high film strength (I recommend Maxima Extra ester synthetic), and that will help seal your rings if that is the problem...but that will only be a temporary fix. You will most likely eventually have to rebuild the top end...