Today I was riding like I normally do. I have never jumped the foreman 450 because I knew that something would break. I looked behind me and the tire was laying on the ground,but the quad stayed level until I ran into a field. When I came home I was in big trouble and I am probably going to have buy the axle myself so does anyone out there have any idea where I can get a cheap axle? And also I would like to know if this has happened to anyone else? The only mod to it is 26" vampires and this maybe the cause of it. thanx in advance.

 

If you never jump it or anythoing like that i would say there was some kind of defect in it if it still under warrenty take it back to the dealer to you it. i don't know any cheap alxes but since i'm gonna start racing i was looking at one that had a lifetime gearunte which i think was priced at 400$ i'll check and get back to you with a sit and the real price

 

Did you land square, or at an angle? Did it come down on anything like a log or rock?

 

I thought about taking it back to the dealer because it is under warranty i think, but someone on another forum said that adding bigger tires voids the warranty.Oh yeah honda_450es, I said that I hadnt jumped it.

 

Is this a common problem or a fluke? I have seen plenty of other ATV's with 26" tires, with no broken axles. Glad lyou weren't hurt.

John

 

Sling...
Do you have a lift kit on it?... If not.. and the machine still looks somewhat "stock"..(no snorkels, busted shocks, severely bent racks from flipping it..etc..) then it SHOULD be covered under warranty..
If you have a lift kit on it... TAKE IT OFF BEFORE TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP... Even if it means borrowing a friends stock tires and wheels off his machine for a week or so..
Unless you landed on the back wheels with the machine almost vertical.. then the axle really shouldn't have broke...
Now that mine is out of warranty, I can say that I broke the rear axle on my 99 Magnum 500.. It was CLEARLY my fault.. (although I didn't tell them that) TRUST me when I say CLEARLY!!.. It was replaced under warranty and the machine runs 27" tires on it... Honda really should replace it for you.
As for an aftermarket axle... They really aren't produced for utility machines. Just sport quads.
If it comes to it.. and you have to buy the axle yourself, just buy it and install it yourself.

 

It does not have a lift kit and it is stock except for the vamps. Sorry, I didnt say what I was doing when it happened. All I did is go over some small bumps that Ive been over at least 1000 times and it simply broke off. I had a 93' big bear and i put it through H*** over the same exact terrain. The same Big Bear got stolen and when we got it back the front drive shaft had been torn out from rough riding and the poor thing's odometer turned over about 4 timesand then I flipped it but it never stopped until bearings went out on the front so bad that the tires wouldnt turn. I was surprised because the 1 year old honda broke an axle before the 7 year old yamaha. By the way that axle on the honda was VERY thin compared to the big bear.

 

Sling... Verify that your warranty is still in effect and if so.. load it up and take it in for replacement.. 26" tires do NOT void your warranty... a lift kit can sometimes void your warranty (THAT depends on the dealership) If you have wheel spacers on the machine... take them off first... But if the machine is still under warranty, then it should be covered.. No questions asked...

 

Sing Nasty your axle breaking I would say is very rare. Thats got to be a defect. I have a 98 Foreman 450 ES and let me tell you what happened to it. Well me and a friend went for a drive to the sand pits in my area. There are hills there that are over 100feet high. Ofcourse I have to go up them or try most of the time so this time it was Dec 28 98 the sand was frozen. I was at the foot of the hill stopped in second gear because I put it over backwards so I pushed the machine over and in 2nd idled up the hill 45-55 degree angle approx 110feet high. When I reached the top which I was surprised to do so there was a washout there and only 15feet further was over all together. Well my tire fell in a big hole turning my machine to the left and it rolled back a bit and it went over side ways over me! Now it continued to roll down the hill slow but it gets steeper for about 100feet. When it went down that she was fast and the quad rolled aprox 30 times! I was perfectly alright but the sand was so hard my quad didn't even leave a mark in it. When I went down to investigate my quad this was what was broke or what not. The handle bar one side was bent down on the left side of my gas tank, the rear axle housing center was cracked my windshield was in peices, the front rack had a little bend in it, the rims were the worst they were bent right in to the muffler on the left the right was bent bad and the front were bent a bit. Insurance covered everything right down to the scratched stuff. They replaced the rear axle housing both sides and left center, replaced handle bars, rims etc. But most important the axle itself. This is the funny one I retained all the parts that were taken off with the insurance companies permission and that axle and housing I can't find one bend in it anywhere. These were all the things the dealer said to replace. Did I rip off the insurance company? No, but I think my dealer did. Anyways the biggest point is after the abuse it took that night you would have to see it to beleive it I would say you have a fualty axle. Take it back and don't take no for an anwser tell Honda to fix it they probably will anyway. I even drove my quad home 8kms full throttle 5 gear and beleive me I say Honda is tough because I have never been left stranded. And by the way if anyone wondering the electric shift worked to.

Proud Owner: 98 Honda Foreman 450ES
99 Honda 400EX

 

Good news and bad news. first,it wasnt a defect, the rear axle bearing was in very bad cond. the bad knews is that my dad has already ordered the parts so there is no reason really to take it back to the dealer. thanx