WARNING: Very long thread!

So a few of you may have seen my thread about 5 days ago and of course I was excited to finally take my 400ex out there. Well my trip didn't end up like I wanted it to. It actually sucked. I had a number of problems. On arriving at my destination I took out the quad ready to ride. So I turned it on (electric start) and had it idling for about a minute. I then decide to turn it off for a few minutes to go grab something. When I push the starter button it does that buzz sound when the battery is dead. I was thinking how is this possible. So I pull out my battery charger (good thing I brought it) and I hooked it up. After about 30 min. it said it was charged and I was thinking that it can't be charged that quick. But I was like what the hell and put it back in the quad. Again it made the buzzing sound and I was like uh oh. Asked a mechanic and a motorcycle store employee what could be wrong with the battery. They both said it is broken and I need a replacement. So the only way I could get the quad started was getting some jumper cables and hooking them up to my battery (still installed) and a car battery (installed). The quad fired up. I was happy and thought ok well the quad is running, my battery will be charged in no time. After riding for a while, I turned it off to test it. Nothing, still dead. So I have been turning on my quad through jumper cables. So basically, my battery died at the worst place possible. My second problem was, i found a nail in my left rear tire. So that is bad. But yea...luckily the cops didn't give me any problems. If you do all of the stop signs then you won't have a problem with them. Well that is that!

 

at least you got to ride! so you need a new battery...not that bad. keep in good spirits, man. could be worse...

 

Try a pop start. Have a friend give you a push in first gear and let the clutch out immediatly after you start rolling, also make sure the key is in the "on" position. I tell you that so while your diagnosing the problem you can still ride

 

Ya, the batteries in these things suck. If it ever goes dead you can count on buying a new one soon. These gel cell batteries don't handle an empty charge at all. Battery tendors are the way to go if you ever plan on having it sit any lengthy period at all.

 

The trip could have been a lot worse. Your quad could have been taken from you at gun point.(know a guy that it happened to) you could have been injured, you could have went to Mexican jail, could have been kidnapped and beheaded by the drug cartels.

See your trip could have been a lot worse. All of those are possible down in Baja. That's why my annual trip ended 2 years ago.

 

got any pics?

 

I hear the Tijuana drug cartel leaders have been captured so I am hoping that slowly they will fall apart.

 

I truly hope so. We use to drive 26 hours nonstop from Colorado to make our trip. It was originally a group of people from the Lake Havasu, AZ area that use to go and everyone moved away but the trip stayed.

We have not done it for about 2 years. I miss riding Baja.

 

From the sound of it, I'd pull the cables and make sure both contact areas are bright sparkling clean...

The nail is a bummer, but hopefully you carry a patch kit and air source of some kind...