aight well me and my dad are going to go look at a 400ex tonight or tammorow night. and i need to know what to look for like to tell if it has been abused or not. i only know of a couple things to check like to look in the air box, see if the grips are worn and to see if the rear axle bearings are loose by putting it up on a crate. is there any onther things to look for? please reply i really need help cuz i really dont wanna spend my fathers and my money on a lemon or somthing that is beat.

Thanks,
Chris

 

check the frame for any visible cracks, Look all over the plastic for any cracks and ask if the bike was ever flipped or rolled, if they tell you yes be aware that some frame damage could have occured and the frame could be bent. Also look over the chain and sprokets and see if they are excessively worn, on the rear sproket at the farthest point from the drive sproket pull on the chain and see how far you can get it to lift off the teeth, any more then a half tooth length away and the chain needs adjustment. Just look all over the little things and never be afraid to ask questions. Ask how often they greased the rear end or the A-Arms, if the answer is never depending on the age or the riding style of the owner you could be in for a few "surprises" later on and might end up replacing bearings. Ask how often the oil was changed and how many hours are on the machine. Also find out how often the air filter was cleaned.
Good luck, Dave

 

You can tell if it has been jumped hard (front end bottomed out a lot) by checking the cross bar where the front shocks mount to the frame. There is a square metal piece running cross-ways on the frame at the upper shock mount. Check closely to see if it is cracking loose from the frame there.

If it is piped, beware. I know of several people around here who have thrown a pipe on the bike and ridden it for a while without even checking the jetting. If its piped, ask the guy what size mainjet he is running. He SHOULD know without too much hesitation. Stock main is #148 depending on elevation above sea level. Almost always a bigger # if piped.

If the bars are stock, look closely at them. If they have been bent up and down several times, they will not be symmetrical. Possibly cracking paint on the bends. Or kinks around the bar clamp area.

Look at the swingarm skid. Look for signs of hard hits such as deep gouges or even a missing chain slider. It is about a foot long plastic chunk that the chain slides on. It is grommeted to the skid.

If you test ride it, a pull to one side is usually low tire pressure on that side. But, it could mean a tweaked a-arm or frame. Keep in mind quads are not usually super dialed in (except mine... ha ha ) There might be a LITTLE bit of pull one way or the other. If it is really noticeable, you need to do some inspecting.


Buying a used ATV is a gamble. Usually if it looks really great, it is in good shape. You can't easily hide abuse. There will be bent stuff and scratches that cannot be hidden with paint and polish. You have to look pretty close and try not to be too excited about it! If that is possible...

A couple years ago, I bought a MINT LOOKING ATC250R. It ran awesome when I test rode it. I snapped it up. A few months later, the piston puffed on me. I took the top end off and lo and behold the previous owner had blown a nice hole in the top of the piston. Instead of installing a new piston, he simply welded the hole shut. Well, the weld fell out...

Good luck!