Just got the June ATV Sport magazine, they have a cannondale fx400 run down, Quote:
"We magazine editors like to look at access to parts like the spark-plug and air-filter. To remove the spark-plug you need to remove the seat, much of the plastic, subframe cross braces, the fuel tank, and another frame brace. You're not going to be doing this between motos. To access the air-filter for cleaning or oiling, you need to remove the seat, then unscrew the and remove the front plastic." that stinks.

 

Takes about 15min. to change the plug. Kinda high teck the way the parts come off with duze fasteners and quick connects. Its not that big of a deal to change. It dosen't say how offen to change, but with the new type fuel and spark system you might get longer life out of them, just like newer cars do.

RACERJIM

 

I'm wondering why you would need to change the spark plug on a 4 stroke between moto's???

Also don't know of many moto's that are < 15min apart..

Seems it has become fashionable to bust on Cannondale... I prefer to take a "wait and see" approach & not put so much faith in the rags.

 

This machine is an important step for the future of our sport. If it is half as good as C-dale says, then the other manufacturers will have to "step up to the pump" in order to compete. I also am developing a wait and see attitude, but really do not plan on a Cannondale. I am more interested in what will happen as a response to it. If it is a grenade motorwise and the frame breaks apart, I will be suprised. So far, the motocross bike hasn't had any major motor problems, just working the bugs out of the EFI.
I really don't think Cannondale would have gone this far if they really didn't think it would end up with a good product. I am sure that their engineers are smarter than me.

 

Im not saying that it wont be the next best thing since sliced bread, but you'd think with all the time put into designing it with the drop out subframe for the motor, etc.. you'd think they would have made the regular mainenance stuff like cleaning the air-filter etc.. a little easier? I for one will change/check my spark plug a heck of alot more than I will drop the engine out of it.. Anyways, diddnt mean to start a war, was just stating what I read..

 

RidzHard,

I agree with you when you say that the fx400 is an important step for the future of our sport. I believe that this machine deserves a chance to prove itself to everyone before people start saying bad stuff about it. That is just my opinion. Also, I do own a Cannondale mountain bike in which I love.

IronBear

 

I find it mildly amusing that a person who owns a Banshee (which is the king of mickey mouse airbox/filter designs) would attack the user-friendliness of the new C'dale air filter setup.

 

I was not attacking anything, in case you skipped over my post above I have posted it below. And I do not own a banshee, sorry, had one. If you take the time to read my comment above or below you should understand what I was saying, the editors and writers at ATV SPORT are the ones you want to be complaining to, not me.

Quote from above
"Im not saying that it wont be the next best thing since sliced bread, but you'd think with all the time put into designing it with the drop out subframe for the motor, etc.. you'd think they would have made the regular mainenance stuff like cleaning the air-filter etc.. a little easier? I for one will change/check my spark plug a heck of alot more than I will drop the engine out of it.. Anyways, diddnt mean to start a war, was just stating what I READ in ATV SPORT's cannondale run-down.. "

 

It's cool that someone else is making a new bike but if you pay around 8000.00 for a quad from a company that makes mountian bikes thats crazy. At lease the ds650 came from a company that had built an engine before. Everyone starts somewhere but its more than anything out there.

 

The motorcross bike did and still does have major problems the motors (which they are using in the quad ) are lasting for about 100 hrs. The only good thing is the machine goes to the dealer they ship it back to cannondale and everything that even looks warn at all is replaced