I own a '97 300ex, on which I do mainly trail riding. I try not to ride it very hard most of the time, I want it to last for awhile. I typically stay in what would be mid rpms I guess. On wide open straights I open it up until it starts to vibrate a little on the footrests, I thought this was where it started to get to the point of "running it too hard", which I guess is only 1/4 or almost 1/2 of the throttle. On the way home today though, while passing someone on a gravel road, I really opened it up, I had no idea the thing would go that fast! At about 3/4 throttle in 5th it started sounding different, like it had a completely different pipe on it. So I kept going a little further, man I was flying! I was halfway afraid something was going to come apart or blow up or something, but it didn't sound bad, it just sounded alot different in those upper upper rpms. I finally slowed back down, but now that different pipe sound comes on much earlier. So have I really screwed something up?? What happened? Is this bad for it? I never actually had it the throttle all the way in. But like I said I was flying, and it sounded so much different once I started going that fast, like something broke loose or something. So was I killing the thing, or have I just never really rode it anywhere near its fullest potential before today? Because I've never had it sound like that, or had it up that fast.

Thanks ahead of time for any replys,
Bryan

 

You probably just blew the cob webs out of it!!
Actually you are probably doing more harm by lugging it around than if you opened it up on a regular basis. 4 strokes don't like being lugged so open it up & enjoy it!!

 

it's nutz finally descended out of the sack.

 

4 stokes take to lugging better than a 2 stroke, but your mid-rpm range is up there. You know, there is a reason they call it half throttle. I plan on quarter to half throttle if I am just puttering on flat ground. Shoot I keep my 4x4 at quarter throttle when I am hunting. You should be able to tell if you rev it out too much, the bike will "speak" to you. Get with some people that know 4 wheelers and ride with them a little. That is your best bet, and they will let you know how it should be ridden!

 

HEY Bryan im Bryan lol 4 real but i go by james any way my 250x/300ex is just like a raptor it dose not like to be driven slow at all you probaly did more damage babying it u have to drive a little hard everynow and then There is a differnce between driveing it hard and doging it just floor it maybe do some fishtails and wheelies and then go head and cruise

 

I have noticed that my 300ex hates lower RPM's and when you open it up, the exhaust tone really does change. I usually ride at about at medium to high rpm, and sometimes run it max, across ice and long roads. It really goes.

 

It's possible that you had a bit of carbon that built up in the engine. Running full throttle may have cleared some of it out. This is a good thing to do occasionally.

 

i think you might have finnaly broke your motor in [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]