So it seems like half of you are bending axles just unloading your quads from the truck and the other half are launching off 30 foot kickers with nary a problem. I've come up with a possible scenario of why this is. Suzuki started manufacturing z400's with the design they had. They built a bunch, got them crated and ready to go. Then they realized that the axles were bad. But instead of fixing the ones they had already built, they just shipped them out. Why? Because the factory is not filled with trained mechanics, its filled with assembly line workers. Uncrating a lot of quads and getting them to a facility where they could be replaced, not to mention finding enough qualified workers, would have been a nightmare in terms of cost and would've delayed shipment even longer. Instead, they shipped them and accepted the fact that they would have to replace them under warranty. Changing an axle isn't too hard, especially with the right tools which service shops mechanics would have. So Suzuki would just end up paying about 2 hours (just a guess) of labor for each quad in addition to shipping out new axles (which it would have done anyway). Of course any quad made after the mistake was found was built with the stronger axle and would not have the problem. Suzuki didn't tell the dealers cause they didn't want official word getting out that they built quads with weak axles.

So thats my theory on the axles. Any comments or critcism is welcome. I want to put it to the test though. I want to collect info on bent axles and date of manufacture.

I ask all z400 owners to give me the following info:
1.) Is your axle bent?
2.) What is the date of manufacture? it should be on the frame somewhere.
3.) How much and how have you ridden your quad? This is to make sure that you have actually ridden it and not just left it in your garage.
4.) If it is bent, has your dealer agreed to replace it under warranty?
5.) Anything else you want to add.

If you haven't really ridden your machine, don't respond because it might still happen (hope it doesn't) and would then throw off the results.

My email is: ehsan@mit.edu. Please put z400 in the subject line.
I'll post my results after the weekend. I'll start a new post so you don't have to keep checking this one.

Ehsan
1988 Suzuki Quadsport 230
"The original Quadsport"

 

Whats your e-mail addy? I went to your website and used DrEze1@hotmail.com

I really hope this is how it went down, this would restore alot of faith. I wonder if this was what happened if they would come clean and tell us what happened.

Anyway, I hope your theory is right.

 

If possible, use my ehsan@mit.edu email address. My website is old and i don't check that address very often (cause hotmail sucks and I get about 40 spam messages a day). If you already sent it there, don't worry about resending it, I'll check it.

Again:
ehsan@mit.edu

I wanna see those emails start rolling in

Ehsan

 

Here, hyperlink form : null

On another note, If i stop being lazy, I hope to resurrect my quadsport site on a new server. If you have any pics, that includes new Quadsports, since they are the younger sibling of my quad, send them to me.

Ehsan

 

Stupid, damn, *$&#$.....

ehsan@mit.edu

 

I resent the e-mail. Plus this will bump the thread to the top.

 

My z400 was one out of the second batch of z's that my dealer got. Out of the first 4 all bent axles and the last 4 he got wich one is mine all have bent axles. I'll need to pick up a aftermarket axle. Dont want to have to worry about it happening again.