I've just bought a used 99 400ex. It is in really good shape, and I would like to keep it that way. Do you have any tips of what I should do after each ride to keep everything in good shape. For example, oiling chain, what kind of oil. Greasing any bushings, how and what type of grease? Cleaning air filter, how? Any tips would be great, thank you.....

 

Wash your quad after every ride. I ride evey day, and sometimes will go a week wihtout washing it, then there is built up grease and gunk everywhere, so wash it on a regular basis. Clean your air filter every time you ride it. I use soapy water. If you have a K&N use a garden hose, get it wet and get some dish soap on it, then spray it from the inside out with the hose. Oil your chain often, I don't remeber what I was using, I think PJ1 chain wax or something like that. If you ride alot, change your oil weekly.Changing it every ride is overkill if you ask me, but some people swear by doing it. hope that helps, good luck.

 

Whats the best motor oil to use, and how much does it take? I've heard that you have to use anti-seize on the drain plug when you change the oil. Is this true? Will wd-40 work on the chain? Can I grease the bushings? I did not see any grease fittings.

Thanks .....

 

If you use wd40, you'll have to do it every day and the chain will get dirty fast. I liked the chain wax stuff though. I ran out and my chain needed lubed bad and I used K&N Filter oil, it workes pretty good also. I honestly don't lube my chain very often, I've only used the chain wax a couple times. Usually I soak my chain in motor oil for a day or two when I know I'm not riding. You need a manual, that way you can get all the info like what oil/how much/maitenecec, etc... from it instead of having to wait on other people to answer something for you. I just got a Clymer manual for $25.00

 

if you want to do it the <u>right</u> way buy the shop manual from your dealer...it may be on the expensive side but itll be worth it , instead of messing something up.....if you ride in the sand or mud .....get a pressure washer!!!.....sand tears up everything it gets crapped up all around the oil dipstick and on the chain... mud gets in the brakes and it makes it hard to stop...if you clean the discs it will help clean the pads and youll get your stopping power back. besides....if you have 3 inches of mud on your fenders it takes a LONG time to get it off safely w/out scratching the plastic......yeah...sorry i kinda got off topic there but hey, it might have helped.

GET THE FACTORY SHOP MANUAL

 

If you ride in any bog as we do here, you will want to was all that crap off as it will eventually eat out the frame...it takes a long while to do that, but it will eventually...i speak from experience here.

 

nopulse

Here is what I do when I get home from a weekend ride:

1. Wash the atv. I generally just use a soap product such as Wisk laundry detergent or Simple Green and a garden hose. A pressure washer works good too, but be careful around the chain and any bearing seals. The pressure washer can force water and mud into the seal and cause premature wear.

2. Once the machine is cleaned and dried, I generally will scrub the chain with kerosene and a soft brush. Kerosene will not damage the o ring seals in the chain. Let the chain dry. After it is dry, run the machine until the chain is warm. Then spray on a chain lube or wax. I use Maxium chain wax. There is a number of good products available, just make sure they are safe for o ring chains. Liberally spray the chain and let dry for 15 minutes.


3. I ride in muddy conditions, so I disassemble the brakes and clean everything up. I then inspect the brake pads and reassemble. Where I ride, I generally only get 3 - 5 rides out a set of rear pads. Keeping them as clean as possible helps prolong the life. If you ride in normal conditions, use your own judjement as to how often this need to be performed.

4. Check the oil level. I generally change mine after 2 to 3 weekend rides. I use Mobil 1 15W50 and have not had any problems with it. The machine was using oil from the factory with the 10W40 oil in it. The oil was breaking down fast and slipping past the rings. Since switching to Mobil 1, no more oil usage. Some will say that Mobil 1 will cause the clutch to slip, but no one has ever shown me any evidence of this from using Mobil 1 15W50. In fact, Mickey Dunlap actually has recommended it over at ex riders . com .

5. Check the machine over for general items. Such as worn bearings or loose bolts. Also check the tire pressure.

6. After about 30 hours, the valve clearance should be adjusted. This is an easy task, but should be started to a trip to your dealer to buy a Honda service manual. About the best $40 you can spend.

The above maintenace should keep you running good. Hope this helps.