Honda400ex
May 17, 2006 | 12:49 AM
#21
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Trailblazer
Joined: May 2006
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Honda400ex
Thanks guys, these are helping me alot. I am so stoked! today i mastered the toughest hill in the atv pit! ive been looking at it for a couple weeks and today i nailed it! about 7ft before the top there is a lip and it kicks u at least 6ft in the air all the way to the top. i have only seen 4 people climb it and 2 of which are me and my cousin. (he rides a polaris predator) Thanks again and i will update u guys later on how the mods are going!
May 18, 2006 | 12:12 AM
#22
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Honda400ex
Originally posted by: SG1
440ex026 I agree. Before all the 450's came out it was hard not to upgrade the 400 class machines to make them faster. And even now as long as you are not trying to compete against the 450's with a 400 class machine you should be ok. Really it's all about how bike your pocket book is and how fast you want to go.
440ex026 I agree. Before all the 450's came out it was hard not to upgrade the 400 class machines to make them faster. And even now as long as you are not trying to compete against the 450's with a 400 class machine you should be ok. Really it's all about how bike your pocket book is and how fast you want to go.
I was looking thru some old dirt wheels and atv sport mags that were pretty much pushing the 400ex like it was it was the best thing ever, and then a couple more dissin it and saying almost the same thing about the z400, but look at how they dont even consider them to be performance anymore.
And for an even better one I will never forget how the guy who I bought an old warrior from thought it was "so fast" [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
Still I am sort of stuck with this one since there is just way tooooo much time and $$$ put into it to let it go for what people are paying for them today, and its going to make one damn sweet "extra ride" one day when I finally get to picking up a new one.
Weird thing is that even as much as the 450's have improved in performance and even handling I still prefer my set up over a stock one, and know its going to be another several thousand dollars before I am as happy or more with the 450.
Plus you never know if they will be "old news" by the time I actually push myself to do it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
May 18, 2006 | 12:16 AM
#23
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Honda400ex
Originally posted by: i8amm
I just picked up a used 2005 400ex and have started some mods. It came with a Yoshimura mid pipe and muffler. I leave the spark arrestor in for slow trail riding and hill climbing and take it out for faster trails and drag/flat track riding. ITP aluminum mag rims with Holeshot XCR tires and a K&N Air filter were also installed when I bought it. Since I've had it I've done some changes. Added 5 inches to rear width and 3 inches to front width with Dura Blue spacers. Changed front sprocket to a 15 tooth from a 14 tooth and rear sprocket to a 38 tooth from a 39 tooth. Gained top speed but lost some power. Added Stage one Hot cam and Uni airbox vents and gained power back. Added nerf bars, case saver(front sprocket), handlebars, new o-ring chain, handlebar hand savers, and 1/4 thick rear swingarm skid plate. Dynojet jet kit (stage 1 and 2) is on it's way along with new grips and twist throttle. As I bought it(with the spark arrestor removed from the muffler) I could take a 2006 yamaha YFZ 450 (with everything GYTR except cams and hotbox) off the line in a drag and due to dust it couldn't catch up (five consecutive races swapping bikes the 3rd and 5th race). The 450 is too light to get traction off the line and once it gets traction it's either too far behind or has to downshift to get back up in the RPM's. Since I've added my modifications we haven't dragged but have done a lot of tight trail riding together. We're pretty equal with the exception of slow tight corners and areas that require a lot of torque and lugging. No contest. The YFZ stalls out or has to spin the tires to get through it and most often gets stuck. I've made it a point not to follow him through the trails since he holds me up having to constantly restart his motor or my having to find away around him to pull him out. So far I have about $5200 total invested into my 400ex. $4200 being the initial cost.
i8amm
I just picked up a used 2005 400ex and have started some mods. It came with a Yoshimura mid pipe and muffler. I leave the spark arrestor in for slow trail riding and hill climbing and take it out for faster trails and drag/flat track riding. ITP aluminum mag rims with Holeshot XCR tires and a K&N Air filter were also installed when I bought it. Since I've had it I've done some changes. Added 5 inches to rear width and 3 inches to front width with Dura Blue spacers. Changed front sprocket to a 15 tooth from a 14 tooth and rear sprocket to a 38 tooth from a 39 tooth. Gained top speed but lost some power. Added Stage one Hot cam and Uni airbox vents and gained power back. Added nerf bars, case saver(front sprocket), handlebars, new o-ring chain, handlebar hand savers, and 1/4 thick rear swingarm skid plate. Dynojet jet kit (stage 1 and 2) is on it's way along with new grips and twist throttle. As I bought it(with the spark arrestor removed from the muffler) I could take a 2006 yamaha YFZ 450 (with everything GYTR except cams and hotbox) off the line in a drag and due to dust it couldn't catch up (five consecutive races swapping bikes the 3rd and 5th race). The 450 is too light to get traction off the line and once it gets traction it's either too far behind or has to downshift to get back up in the RPM's. Since I've added my modifications we haven't dragged but have done a lot of tight trail riding together. We're pretty equal with the exception of slow tight corners and areas that require a lot of torque and lugging. No contest. The YFZ stalls out or has to spin the tires to get through it and most often gets stuck. I've made it a point not to follow him through the trails since he holds me up having to constantly restart his motor or my having to find away around him to pull him out. So far I have about $5200 total invested into my 400ex. $4200 being the initial cost.
i8amm
Not that I dont think your getting the jump on a yfz is not possible, but somehow I just think there may be something not 100% right with that 450 as the ones I have ridden jump out pretty quick and rev like a ****. Now only one of them was totally stock, and that was a long time ago too, but still.
Also dont forget the 400ex is very torqey for what it is, and they were always good at the start. That is also why I dont advise everyone to get a totally free flowing silencer for a stock one because it will really hurt that bottom end torque that is so much a fun part of the machine.
May 18, 2006 | 01:06 AM
#24
Trailblazer
Joined: Feb 2006
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Honda400ex
The problem, as I see it, with the yfz450 I went against was that it had too much power for the tires (stock). No matter how he/I tried it just spun the tires through the gears until it got some speed and then you had to downshift to counteract the traction it gained. He's running the stock tires and I'm running the ITP holeshot XCR's. If you sit back on the 450 the front end raises, if you sit forward the tires just spin. My 400ex just wants to raise the front end up even if you are leaning forward. I'm going to try a set of Carlisle turf tamers on the rear to see if they make a difference. I have problems pitching the rear around corners without the front end eventually lifting off the ground or pushing me straight out of the corner. The XCR's seem to be good for holeshots, drag racing and straight ahead trail riding but they're too grabby for tight corners where I need them to let go. I know I shouldn't be beating him but I am. If we went on a longer drag and it wasn't so dusty I'm sure he'd get me. We're racing in DE where it's mostly sandy soil and very dry at the moment. I know what you're talking about with the free flowing exhaust. I see a big difference when I take the spark arrestor out. It seems to lift the front wheels off the ground a little less but I'm losing the power I need to go through the tight turns and obstacles in the trails.
i8amm
i8amm
May 18, 2006 | 07:03 AM
#25
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Honda400ex
Are you running the 22" rear xcr or 20"?
If its the 22" just a change to the smaller 20" will help some, but if you want deff experiment with different tires to find the result your looking for.
I dont know what brand you favor etc, but the kenda klaw should produce the result your looking for, and at a good price too.
Another thing to keep in mind is the width of your machine, and how that could be effecting it as well.
Then it could just be that all you need to do is work on redistributing your weight thru the turn until its more straightened out etc.
Either way you should figure out something that works.
If its the 22" just a change to the smaller 20" will help some, but if you want deff experiment with different tires to find the result your looking for.
I dont know what brand you favor etc, but the kenda klaw should produce the result your looking for, and at a good price too.
Another thing to keep in mind is the width of your machine, and how that could be effecting it as well.
Then it could just be that all you need to do is work on redistributing your weight thru the turn until its more straightened out etc.
Either way you should figure out something that works.
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