I am thinking about finally putting some money into my 2001 300EX but dont know where to start. I need a safe but competitive trail machine (if that makes any sense). So any help you can give will be greatly appreciated on how to start my "winter project".

 

I'm doing the same thing! this isnt the first quad i have put some money into so myself and alot of other ppl will prolly tell u to start out with a pipe and filter. they are just about the cheapest and most effective products to bolt onto your machine. HMF and Whit bros pro meg will prolly be your best choices but for a full system the price of the supertrapp IDS2 is hard to beat. as for a filter the "best" would prolly be the K&N, but if yr riding in really dusting conditions u might be better off with a foam filter like uni or twin air. also drilling a few 1" holes in yr air lid will help u out a lil too.

after a pipe and filter u will want tires (if not the first thing u do) for trail riding kenda knarly's are awesome. i had a pair of them on my old warrior and they hooked up amazing. despite the hype u will hear about razrs they're not that great. i have them on my blaster and im not to impressed. the razr IIs might be better but i dunno, my knarlys were pretty awesome.

If all this is mainly for trail riding then u can start lookin into more items like nerfs, bumpers, shockwears, stuff that wont really help out performance but really make it look better. i have race cut fenders i love how it looks, and i havent had a problem with mud or water at all...for the most part it just shoots right past me.

Good luck with yr build and besure to re-jet [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

seems it would be cheaper to move up to a 400 ex.

 

Here is what I do to any bike, in the order that I do it:

Nerf bars, full chassis and swingarm skid plates, and bumper.

Tires. Something like Holeshots. Those balooney stock tires make the bike tippy!

Header, muffler, UNI air filter, vented airbox lid, and of course a rejet. That stock header in particular is pathetic!

Aftermarket handlebars.

Aftermarket sprockets and chain.

Aftermarket suspension, if you have money to burn.

 

recon rangers got the right idea, and ill have to remember that 4 my project, but sandmans right, you can mod the 300ex, but the 400 will be faster and better trail machine, larger and with simply a pipe filter jet youll be runnin with the big dogs. and the 04's are goin cheap you may miss reverse though,

 

reconranger....yr method does not make sense to me??? first of all y would u place Nerf bars, full chassis and swingarm skid plates, and bumper over more performance based mods like a pipe, filter, vented air lid, ect... it seems yr goin more for looks than performance??? when building a quad u should try to achieve speed, agility, acceleration, traction, then worry about appearance. second of all i dont know y u would spend money on a swing arm guard if yr goin to replace the sprocket and chain??? y not ride it till it needs a sprocket and chain?? then put a swing arm skid on it to protect the new stuff. hes trail ridin he doesnt need sprockets and chains right off the bat.

 

Hmmm.........clearly hes going for protection so you can spend your money on other performance mods instead of things you've broken

 

Smoker-First priority, you protect the rider (nerf bars) then the bike (skids, etc.). What good is a modded engine, if you go out on your first ride and bend a frame tube or crack a case??? Those stock skids are pretty minimalist. Tires are kind of a safety item too, because those round stock tires make the bike tippy.

I do ride a stock chain until the sprockets are kind of worn, but have you compared the weight of an aftermarket alloy sprocket to that heavy steel stock one? That stock thing weights a ton!

Actually, a lot of people would say do the suspension, before any motor mods. Their point being that it doesn't make sense to go fast without the suspension to handle it. Makes complete sense in the desert, but for trail riding the stock suspension is passable.

I actually think the 300EX may be the best trail bike there is, provided you aren't a huge rider. Its medium size, makes it ideal for the tight stuff, and I can throw that thing around like a toy. Pure fun! You do have to ride agressively though, because it is underpowered.

 

ummmmm the 02 300ex i bought for my girlfriend has a +3 swingarm, 250r a arms, raptor shocks, fabbed upper shock mounts that bolt on, nerfs, msr bars, motion pro twist, jetted carb, fabbed complete exhaust, custom large volume oil cooler setup, took off the ugly plastic up by the bars, put a helmet sticker kit on the body plastic-looks good[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] 8 paddle 20" skat trak haulers and 13-36 gearing. super sweet little quad for cruisin the dunes, check out the pics n see what can be, also ditched the ugly stock headlight n put some just under the nose plastic (in pics) next i guess will be a high comp piston, i dunno. lates josh.......................[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

oh all the suspension cost me $150 for the swingarm lengthening, $75 for a arms, $45 for shocks, total for all those mods was like $500 for everything with the suspension included. lates.................. josh..