I just joined this site and need some advise.
I just bought an 06 kodiak 450 and i'm not satisfied with the power and the lean or roll feeling when i corner. I had a 2000 honda foreman 450 and it was time to get some new features. the honda was very stiff and almost harsh to ride on rough terain. i added(to the honda) the high lifter performance kit (jet kit, supertrap exhaust, kn air filter etc) and kenda bear claws and an unlocker. the bike was unstoppable but rough on the bumps. Now I have an automatic transmition and irs and can't get use to it. Just wondering if shock adjustments helped anyone, different tires and rims to increase the footprint, jet kit and exhaust for power. any sugestions?

 

Factory tires always make for a softer ride but it also makes the quad more unstable. The best thing you can do is get a good set of aftermarket tires. The tires make a huge difference on how the quad handles. Next would be the exhaust. The 450 has a very restrictive exhaust. Exhaust, filter and jetting will help alot. You can also adjust the shocks for a more stable ride but until you change the tires it will always feel tippy.

 

hey thanks for the reply! im thinking about 25" or 26" and mud lites or kenda bear claws. I had the bear claws on the honda and they were stiff but i think the entire machine was stiff. I'm worried if i put the 26" on will i loose alot of power? they do look great on any of the bikes that I've seen.

 

I love the kenda bearclaws on my old Yamaha.
You might look at wheel spacers or aftermarket wheels that would make your kodiak a little wider, that would definetly help with the roll feeling going into a corner.
I ordered a gytr pipe for my Wolverine which should get here soon. I have already replace air filter with a K&N and saw a little raise in MPH.
You could also thing about a clutch kit(yours is an auto right?) It really helped with the low end torque on mine but I did lose a couple of MPH on top end.

 

I'd go with the 26"... You won't lose much power. If you don't mind the extra noise... an aftermarket pipe will definately help that engine breath. If you're still not liking the body roll after the tires, you can adjust the shocks then...

 

If you're looking for a little heighth to go with the extra tread look at the Interco swamplites. They are truer to their size than the mudlites which are smaller than stated. Aftermarket rims will give you a wider stance. Look at the ITP ss106 (12ss12bx) which are made just for these Kodiaks. Once you get the tires, a clutch kit is a must to bring back a little low end power.
Good luck and good riding!
Buck

 

Just put 26 GBC Dirt tamers on my 06 450 with 1 and a half spacers all around. Thing handles great and is so much better in the corners. Also put in jet kit and twin air filter. Runs like a beast now. I am usually running around 6000 ft + so I jetted it for 6+. So far so good. Will be running it in moab, utah this weekend for our yearly trip down there. its about 4000 ft there. Any ?'s let me know.

 

Thanks for all the input guys.
Does anyone have any up to date pics with the aftermarket rims and swamp lites on an 05/06 IRS Kodiak450? I am leanin towards the ITP 12" C series Type 6 polished with swamp lites on them. still not sure if i want to jump to 26". really worried about too much of a drop in power. does anyone make an aftermarket muffler for the 06 kodiak yet. and whats this twin filter air filter. i am accustom to K&N air filters and haven't heard of these.

 

I think the Kodiak is a really nice machine. I had zero troubles out of mine ( 2300 miles on it when I traded) before I traded on the new Grizz 700. I just wanted the bigger atv to pull my fat butt around. I had the 26" Mudlites XL and ITP type 5's on mine and didn't notice any power loss on mine, maybe a mile an hour on the top end is all. The Swamplites seem like a well liked tire on the forums. I had a aftrmarket FMF Powercore IV on mine and really perked up the little 421 cc Kodiak. The Twin Air filter is a aftermarket 2 stage foam air filter. I ran one on my Kodiak and it helped some I think. I personally would not recommend a K&N for a Utility especially without a Outerwares Pre-Filter. The openings on the filter are too large and let in the dirt and sand. One other recommendation is whatever tire you decide on get the 9" front tires. I bought the 10"s and really changed my handling characteristics, and made it much harder to turn. I did stiffen up my shocks one click and it did help with stabilty. The new rims will give a 4" wider stance which really improved the stabilty. Good luck with your new ride.

 

okay! First off... thanks to everyone for all the great first hand feed back!!! Its great to talk with others who have "been there, done that" before you buy yourself.

I think i got it narrowed down. I am gonna step up in size to the 26" swamplites mounted on ITP Type 5 wheels. I asked for the 26-9-12 for the fronts (as you suggested to reduce heavy steering) and i am not sure which for the rear. (26-10-12 or 26-12-12) I am leaning towards the 26-10-12 for less drag, weight and loss of power. The guy at Trax Motorsports said that if you're not in huge mud holes everyday then the 26-10-12's would be great. I do mostly woods and trail riding some river/creek crossing when they arise and some mud holeS if they're in the way. but i dont go out looking for mudding. I have seen some of the larger bikes that have the same size front and rear. not sure what the characteristics will be if i have 1" difference between front and rear as opposed to a 2" split. I think it will be ok.
Also someone said they got an endcap off ebay for their kodiak exhaut. what's the name of that and how much was it?

Hey Captainskodiak, What size did you use on the rear?