Hey,

i think i've decided to get a 4wheeler for this summer. a buddy of mine has a '96(?) 400 Sport that he's going to sell. i could probably get it for $1500, which is about all i have to spend ne ways.

the problem: i'm roughly 5'10" and 135 lbs. i've ridden this 4wheeler a few times in the woods. it rides like a caddy, autotranny is nice in the tight sections and climbing, and it has great power. i just don't like all the weight. to me i always feel a bit top-heavy on it and more like it's driving me. i'd be happier one something the size of a 400ex, but i'm just not likely to find something like that in this price range. so i guess my question is, for you guys that are around my size, is the weight/size of the 400 sport something you get accostomed to, or is it just one of those things you learn to work around?

happy trails,
bigmac

 

I am 5'11 and weigh less than 150. I ride a 99' scrambler and love it. Sure is is a little big at times, but nothing that a little learning of the bike will not fix. If that is your only hang up...buy it.

 

How much experience have you had on 4 wheelers or that quad in particular??? When I rode my friends trailblazer for the first time, I was coming off a dirtbike. It felt really weird to me. To be honest, I was a little scared of it because I didnt know where its limits were. But, I liked it. So, I went out and bought a 500 Scrambler. That was a totally different beast than the trailblazer. Like you said, it felt kinda top heavy and like it was riding me. Well, after I pushed it HARD and found out what its limits were and what it was capable of as well as got more ride time on it, I got used to it and now I LOVE it. My friends DS 650 fells uncomfortable to me compared to my scrammy. I still havent found out all what it is capable off. I think once you get a lot more time on it and just get used to it you will feel a lot more comfortable. Later

 

Hey,

well i've only ridden that quad once for a couple of hours one night through the woods. and i've ridden another friends new Scrambler 500 a couple of times. and that basically sums up my riding experience. oddly enough, going fast through the rough stuff didn't bother me. the only times it made me nervous was when i was going really slow in an off-camber section (top-heavy feeling). but maybe more riding time with it would allow me to get a better feel for it.

my only other hang-ups are the bike itself. i know this quad has been ragged on, lol. but the guy is a close buddy of mine and wouldn't do me wrong. if something broke he'd help me fix it.

later,
bigmac

 

The off camber stuff can be kinda nerve racking. But, it will be on any quad. You will only get better at that after you practice it more and improve you skills. Most bad situations can be avaioded with good rider skill. I think that you can get better if you practice it. Now, about the quad, being that it is a 400 2-stroke, if need be you can easily rebuid the engine for a relatively cheap price, compared to the 4 strokes. Plus, there is A LOT of mods for that moter. If you want, you can make it a 75hp rocket ship for a round $1500. Or you can get a trail mod kit done for around $800. For mods check out RCR or HPD. Both of these places specialize in building high performance Polaris quads. Rick Ritter at RCR has the best costumer servic around and almost always answeres the phone himself. He can hook you up with any engine parts you need or mod that you want done. If you can get it for $1500, I would say GO FOR IT!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Later

 

ok I will admit I am only 130 lbs, but like BigBadScrambler said you can rebuild those motors quick and cheap. He had great advice for ya.... I love the 400 2-stroke

 

Hey,

well i know this motor has been rebuilt once, cause it's bored 40 over. and it used to have a pipe, jets, and clutch kit in it, but those parts were removed.

later,
bigmac

PS: how much is a clutch kit?

 

In that case, contact RCR and get the stage 1 kit. It is $325 W/ free shipping. Kit includes your choice of RCR pipe and silencer, clutching, carburetor jets, Hi-flow airbox mod kit with air filter. This is a package that works together, and is built for your riding style and conditions. It is the best begginer mods that you can do and will make a noticable difference, from what I hear. A clutch kit alone (HPD agressisve clutch kit) is $155. It will make a differnece, BUT you will notice a bigger differnce with the Satge 1 kit. It was bored over?? If it doesnt have a Wiesco in it I would HIGHLY recommend kepping one. Later

 

Hey,

i think it has a +.040 wiesco piston in it. and the RCR kit is probably what was on it before, because my friend was telling me i could get all the parts he had for around $300. so that sounds like a worth-while kit.

it will also need some new tires. any suggestions for woods riding?

thanks,
bigmac

 

I have Titan 489 XT's. I love them for my riding. They have an aggressive tread that does great in mud, sand,dirt and hard packed. They are 6 ply so they do ride ginda ruff. I also was cosidering the ITP spider tracs. They look really trick and are suppose to work great. If you dont ride in alot of mud, you can check out the ITP holeshots or Maxxis Razors. Check out Rocky Mt. ATV