Hey guys, I have a few questions about the proper maintenance to keep my ATV in good shape. Here is what I plan to do with it:

Trail riding
Towing (dirt or small rocks maybe)
Don’t plan on riding through deep mud

Here is what I would like to know:

About how often should I take it in to be serviced?

How much attention should I pay to the drive shaft?

When I go through cold water and it splashes on the motor will the steam that comes off the motor cause damage to the engine or covering in any way?



That’s about all I can think of for now, I had a 95 Yamaha Kodiak 400 and I didn’t take good care of it and ended up selling it the other day so I want this one to last me for quite a while.

PS any other info you guys think I should know that would help me out will be very helpful.

Thanks!

 

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I'll see what I can do to help, probably won't be your best resource, but maybe your first.

Trail Riding- The 450R is likely to require more maintenance/preventive maintenance than say a 400ex. I am going to run the GN4 oil on the engine side and the red HP stuff on the clutch side of the engine. Also, I had to gear my front sprocket down to a 13 tooth to make it lug better on the trails.

Towing- I really don't recommend this for a sport bike, I guess you could but I would think it could cause a real issue with tipping backwards.

Service- I think it's like 100 miles/20 hours for the first service, then 600 miles/ 20 hours for the second service.

Can't really tell you on the cold water thing, I do it and haven't had to many problems. I guess it depends on the water temp, depth, etc.

Other advice: You may want to look at the z400 or kfx400 as well if you plan to do a lot of trail riding. The 450R is a sweet machine, but it is really built to go fast and may not be the best choice for you. Nothing negative implied, just want you to consider all your options and get the best machine for your needs.

I hope this helps....

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Haha you guys i think he is talking about the trx450 foreman not the race quad...honda recommends every 00 miles..i would say get it serviced before each riding season unless you ride it 600 miels a month or so then more regularly. As for teh shaft change that oil once a year or if you do alot of water crossing just check it to make sure it isnt goopy once a week.

 

Yeah, you are right.... I am a tard.... but a misguided helping tard at that...... Sorry for the mis-information.... I just spaced for a minute and forgot all about the UTEs. Dooooope.... hmmmm..... they have the internet on computers now....................

back to my shock treatment I guess......

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Yes I am talking about the foreman 450; sorry I should have cleared that up. I asked a buddy of mine tonight about the water deal, he said he hasn’t heard of it at any time but says it is possible. I just wanna take care of this one ya know? I got some Pro-Honda GN4 10W40 oil last night (1 gal) it should be getting here in a few days; I was told by the dealer that I should make the first oil change after the first 30 hours of riding. It was only like 13 bucks and it’s pro-Honda so I know it’s made for it. I plan on getting it serviced about once every 2 years or if I feel something may be wrong with it. Thanks for all the advice guys, great place for info I found here! One more thing, my manual says the maximum towing limit is a little over 800lbs but I am hearing guys talk about pulling stumps out of the ground with this thing, which has to be more than 800lbs of force???

PS: anyone live within the eastern KY area? If so where are some good places to ride, im running out of road :