I went riding sunday with 7 other 400EX's. Out of 8 quads, 3 of them, including mine, have paint flaking off around the weld at the upper front shock mounts.

Just one more thing to keep an eye on...

I bottom my front shocks constantly, I am fairly certain that is a factor.

 

Philzie,

Sounds like its time to get some aftermarket shocks my friend. The 400ex frame is made of mild steel and can't take all punishment a cromemolly after market frame can. If you keep bottoming the front end out that top shock mount will finally break and i think the frame for the 400 runs like $700 dollars. You can get a good set of works dual rate shocks for about half of that.

Mr_400eX

 

Mine has done the same thing but not only the shock mounts its flaking at pretty much all the welds. I personally think the welds should be alittle thicker around the high stressed areas like the shock mounts. Ive heard of alot of people actually braking the welds loose on the frames.

 

Mr400EX,

Could you tell my wife I need new shocks or my quad will break?... :-)

 

philzie,

Sorry you are having trouble. I hope the OL' LADY will see that you are tring to spend a little money now to avoid spending twice as much later.

Now, for whichever one of you that argued with me on this point a week or so ago...

I HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO...

I like the 400EX, I think it's great that Honda offers it and I think it's a "hottie" when it comes to looks. Honda did a great job of building a good looking sport quad.

But as I said before, the 400EX could use a little more refinement. As you (who ever you are) can see now, I was only stating a fact. I was not trying to bash it or say it was a bad quad. I just tried to state a fact without pissing anyone off. So, all of you who attacked my earlier replies should feel pretty stupid now.

 

About the only way to stop the stress cracks would be for honda to make the 400ex out of cromemolly. Almost all the aftermarket frames (all i've seen except for the roll design lobo chassie) have a very similar shock mount design. Its not that the 400 needs refinement, it just a lot of use are using it past its capiblities with its stock components. It would be really cool if Honda would make it out of cromemolly but it would cost much more than it does. As for welding it better, you can only weld that thin wall mild steel so much or you'll just blow a hole right though it. The only real refinement it could use would be slightly higher tech set of front shocks to match the rear. That would solve a lot of the stress crack problems...but it would cost us.

Mr_400eX

 

Apparently you have no idea how these bikes are ridden, Duster.

When one of your Polaris's, Warriors, Mojave's can stand up to the same punishment (on many occasions getting 75'+ of air, etc..) without
1.) scattering twisted, mangled parts around, just before
2.) sending the pilot to the hospital,
I may consider that you have half a clue what you are talking about.

If this is what you call refinement, Polaris needs to scrap all current designs and start over, as they don't make a model that would even stand up to a day of the kind of riding I am talking about, yet alone the 7 months my 400EX has (without breaking anything might I add.)

The fact is that there is no other bike out there that will take the punishment as well. Yes, there will be stress marks in the frame after several bottomings, yes there will be bent wheels, but I can assure you that the results would be more catastrophic on a different machine.

You can't expect Honda to produce a full race, indestructible machine and charge the going rate of $5,500 for it as well. What they have done is provide a very good platform with the usual Honda reliability that can easily be upgraded and modified to an individuals needs.

 

86atc250r,

I guess you knew who I was talking about huh???

You sure get on the defensive real quick. Humm...I wonder why?? Like I said, I'm not trying to insult anyone or their quad.

The 400EX is $6,399 FIRM at the local dealer here. If I could get one for $5,500 new I'd ride RED too. I'm not saying they aren't a good ride.

Yes I do know about hellrazzer riding and serious air. I've been riding since before you could get a quad. And yes, I've had my trips to the hospital too. You get some flight manners after you trash your quad and get half killed a few times.

I also have to agree with you about Polaris not being able to stand up to a lot. They just simply weigh too much and obiously were never intended for that kind of riding like the EX. As for the Mojave and Warrior I have to disagree. Although they are out-dated compared to the EX, I've never seen either of them with chassis or blue smoke problems in the 1st few years. At least none short of ran off a cliff or wrapped around a tree. As a matter of fact, I have a friend who has a '91 Warrior that's been ran so hard you can't hardly tell what it is. It's never had an engine rebuild, and is just now getting the 1st set of new bearings/tie rods/ect...still has a good frame and don't smoke.

Anyways, some better front shocks will get you by for a long time if your not too abusive. If you don't care to abuse it then you shouldn't care to replace the frame when it breaks either. You should be able to get a bare chromoly frame for $1,500-$2,500 (depending on brand) to replace the old one.

 

"I've been riding since before you could get a quad."

Not that it matters, but just for the record, I have already stated to you directly that I have over 20 years riding under my belt, and yes, I have owned and ridden everything from dirtbikes to 3-wheelers (personal favorite, note the alias) to quads since age 6. So don't even go there.

Not really getting defensive, but trying to pound some reality into your apparently misguided ways.
FWIW, all you have to do is look around a little, 400EX's can redily be found in the low $5,000's. If your dealer won't come below $6,300, you need to locate a new dealer, they are not your friend.

You have got to expect a little ridicule and judgment when making statements like a Warrior is faster than a 400EX, in the Honda forum no less (along with all the other BS). It shows that either A). You're a clueless newby, or B). You're out to stir some ****.

 

philzie,

flip the quad up on it's tail end and check the bottom of the a-arms, every 400ex at the track has stress cracks there