Took the kids out for a day trip last Thursday. Beverly dunes, WA. Not much, but it is sandy terrain. Test and tune some tires, and check the bikes out. My first time on the DS. Stock, plus K&N, RW cdi, 15t, 22" Dune Runners. I weigh in @ 230.

-Very stable, sucks up the rough/whoops. No chassis complaints at this time. I'll deal with those issues later.
-Powerwise, bottom is soggy, mid could be better, upper is OK, but not that impressive. Feels fuel starved, and plugs confirm this. Are these that lean in stock form? The K&N might make a bit of difference, but not that much. This was at about 1k' or so (guess) of elevation. Would be worse @ the beach. Looks like time to fatten it up.
-Even with 15t, pinned second gear starts cannot be done without bogging, hopefully some tuning will remedy this. Maybe 43t also, but I'd really like to cure it with power, as I ride in the desert as well.
-Neutral indicator light does not work, oil/temp does. At least in key on position.
-Oil change was simple. Did use a tip found here, and got oil thru hose before connecting to inlet elbow. Thanks. Seems filter is dealer only?
-My son tried to manhandle the bike, and got the worse of it. No injuries, but he did manage to snap off the throttle lever with his thigh, barely preventing a trip over the bars. Throttle lever is cheesy. Anyone using an aftermarket thumb throttle? Or one from a different manufacturer? I don't want a twist.
-My manual says, in ALL CAPS, "do not lubricate the control cables". Anyone have a clue as to why this would be? Sounds like BS to me. I've never heard that.
-I've purchased a couple of things from TVI. They seem good to deal with, and are not too far from me. Looks like clutch spring upgrade soon.
-Would like to do pipe this year, also. I like bottom and mid. Will sacrifice a little top, but not too much, as I like to drag race. Quiet is also a consideration, as I don't want to go lookin' for trouble over noise issues. Any thoughts?

This bike will be ridden primarily by me, in the dunes and desert. I am not extreme, but do like to play. It's just that getting off hurts at my age, and takes too long to heal. Any thoughts with respect to mods or upgrades, or maintenance tips would be welcomed. We are long time motorsports enthusiasts, but somewhat new to the ATV scene.

Thanks

 

A carb and the MBRP pipe will fill out the the power band. The stock carb needs fine tuneing the wat it come from the factory. http://alba.buyol.com/Item/M78%2DXX.htm has a thumb throttle may have work getting the cable for it. on the oil filter I like Stainless Steel Micronic Oil Filters you will only need one. Hope this helps

 

Where exactly in WA are you from? I'll be in Moses Lake for the summer.
I like the stock throttle, but you could probably change it to just about any kind of other throttle with a little creativity. I don't know how easily other thumb throttles would swap.
You're almost certainly fuel starved if you're running a K&N and stock jets. I rode a couple weeks ago with a guy that had burned up his
400ex because he put on a K&N without rejetting...
My guess on not lubricating the cables is because they're not totall sealed. Lubricant would just attract dirt and make them stick.
I think if I were buying a new pipe, I'd get the MBRP, like BillDS650 suggests.