Im going to go look at a nice used 400ex tomorrow, and would like to know things i should look for/inspect. dont wanna end up with a lemon because i dont know what im looking for =Dalso, i plan on giving it a little test run, but have never actually driven a manual bike. any suggestions for a nervous first time buying noob? i have driven alot of bikes before, but never a manual. Thanks!

 

Have a Honda mechanic look over the machine. Don't buy the bike until the seller accepts those conditions.

Keep us posted! And good luck!

Jeff

 

id love to have that as a plausable option, but the nearest honda mechanics are a loooong ways away from where the bike is..

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] start by checking the oil make sure not to start the bike check the oil cold if u check it hot you wont see any particals because the oil is circulating threw the motor if the oil looks like pea soup walk away! also inspect the wireing harness alot of people think they can splice the wireing to install brighter lights so they endup thrashing the stator and all the wiring also put the bike in nuetral and push it while the bike is off if the chain jumps or locks up you got bad gears also while the bike is off put it in gear 1-5 one at a time and try to push it should sound like it wants to start it should not lock up. if the chain starts jumping from the drive sprocket it has bad gears. if every thing i just told u passes then test the top end take some one with u who knows how to ride a manuel quad then when it is on with a white terry cloth have him rev the bike while in nuetral and hold the terry cloth behind the exhaust if you see alot of oil shoot out the the top end seals are bad not worth the money (walk away) this might sound like alot of work to do when buying a quad but if you are not a mortocycle mechanic and dont have the tools or the knowledge. you will end up having a quad that you cant ride or a badass! $4,000 paper weight. oh ya dont buy that chinese junk you will hutr your self on them really bad they are not worth the money. just looking out for fellow riding brothers

 

Wow, what a great read dirtfeener!

Thanks for the education session!

 

wow thanks my other friend also told me to.. "I'd say check the compression, but it's an electric start, so that's tough. Hold onto the axle and try to move front and back, shouldn't be any play. Get on it and rock side to side, again, shouldn't be any play. Clutch is tough cuz it's not like a car, so you can't really tell if it's toast or the cable just isn't right. Check the front tires for bearing issues just like a car, push em back n forth, see how they feel. Most of all, if he says there is engine work or anything else, ask for paperwork. Suspension, with the bike sittin' there, just lifet up the back end by the grab bar, see how much it moves from where it started to the top of the cycle."

 

Now i am COMPLETELY new to quads but with the quad in gear shouldnt it lock up? Isnt that the whole point of putting it in gear when you shut it off so it wont roll? Or when you catch it in gear if you are not rolling quick enough it locks up? Again i am probably totally wrong, not second guessing you but would like a further explanation[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

its kinda like push starting. it should not "lock up" but also it shouldnt be a ton and a half easy to roll..

 

I am now the proud owner of a 2003 honda 400ex.

 

Let's see pictures!