i recently bought an 05 z400 and like it a lot. i havent been on a bike in years and now being in AZ i have lots of room to play. Although at the moment it is kicking hard enough for me, i am always up for making it quicker. what are some of the best "bang for your buck" mods that i can do and where should i be looking for these. I know what a new pipe is, but what does "jetting" it mean, or open lid air box, if that is even right!! i know for a car, the dealership is the most expensive, is that the same for quads? how are online markets? i hate to sound stupid, but i am trying real hard to learn about this and get into it, it is monday and i am counting down til the wkend. Thanks for any info.

 

OK, since you live in AZ and it is dry, bolt on a Uni airfilter directly to the back of your carb(elimiate airbox completely), buy either a slip on(cheap) or full($$$) exhaust kit. Now you need to rejet. The pipe should come with a new jet kit, and instructions. If not, read this forum and if you think you can do it, have fun, otherwise take it to a reputable shop, or buddy. Have fun with your new ride!

 

The engine is simply an air pump.If you remove a restriction on the exhaust side to let more air out you may need to do something on the intake side to let more air in(better air filter,remove air box lid etc.)You have to keep in mind the air fuel mixture must remain constant.If you get a better flowing intake system,now you are getting more air into the engine so you will need a larger jet to increase fuel to keep the mixture the same with the increased air that you are now getting.Pumping in more air and fuel won't help if you can't get rid of the burnt fuel and this is where the better flowing exhaust comes in.How much power you will gain by changing just the exhaust or intake will depend alot on how restrictive that part was from the factory.Some bikes will see a huge improvement by adding a pipe because the factory one was very restrictive while others will see hardly any improvement at all because they had a well designed exhaust.Installing a new pipe or air filter is pretty simple,the tricky part is getting the jetting correct.Without correct jetting you may see less power than stock or may even damage your engine.Do some research before you buy and go with a company that will help you out with info on what to do.Also people running the same equipment will be a big help but unless you have a pretty good understanding of how to jet you might be better off taking it to a shop to get it dialed in.

 

yoshimura 450 kit. lol.

 

full skid plates then pipe and jet it. then a new cdi box

 

Well said!! Get a new exhaust, to get more acceleration, a Uni or K&N filter to let your engine breath more, and re-jet it to get the right amount of gas needed since you are now going to have more airflowing. You coud also make it to a 450 that will be very fast, you will smoke the 450's.

 

I forgot, rockymountainatv.com is a good place to buy your parts at, there trustworthy, good shipping, and a good variaty* to choose from. Also cheap.

 

You want to take your example from desert racing. I always suggest that you protect yourself and the bike (especially bashing around in the desert), before you even think about engine mods. Here is my list, in the order that I do it:

Nerf Bars.
Full chassis and swingarm skid plates.
Bumper.
Holeshot XC tires (excellent desert tires.....those stockers won't last long!) on ITP Baja rims.
IMS Desert Fuel Tank.
Handlebars.

After that is done, you can move on to the engine:
Vented airbox lid (http://www.ehsracing.com/), UNI foam air filter (I avoid K&N), FMF Factory 4 complete exhaust (with quiet core and spark arrestor), and a rejet of course.
Sprockets and chain.

Suspension.

 

MAGICRACING.COM is another good one

 

sorry if this sounds stupid, but what is a cdi box and what does it do???
Notice the name rookie!!!