I got a 02 black kodiak this spring. Now it is fall and I not impressed with it. It is hard on fuel, compared to the sp that I ride with have to take fuel. It over heats, the sp rides thru the same stuff and doesn't heat up. The front brakes are wore out. The front intake for the clutch fell off filled with mud, so it filled the housing full of mud and clutch would not shift out, what a mess inside the housing. It does't like water, splutters when driving through water, yes I put grease on the plug. No factroy rev limiter switch which should be there, yes I am the one that figured out how to bypass it. The water pump is just waiting to leak I bet. No diff lock, which so be standard on every quad. I should have know better, my Yamaha sled was the same way. Did just get a lemon or are they all like this. Later

 

LOL 400k! If I had that many problems with any atv I would have taken it back to the dealer it came from and told him where to shove it!! C'mon now...it's no harder on gas than any other 400cc quad and I've ran mine in 90+ degree heat for hours without any overheating. Right now I can't think of any 400 class atv that comes with a factory front diff locker but maybe I'm wrong. By the way-it's the rear brake that wears out fast, and the water pump problems were mainly on the new 2000 models.

Sorry but I don't understand this statement of yours"
"No factroy rev limiter switch which should be there, yes I am the one that figured to ground the rev switch gets ride of it." ??? Huh?

Trade the Kodiak and buy yorself a nice fat Polaris. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

 

I will send the brake pads if you like.

 

No probs here at over 1000 hard miles. I did have a front shock break after a year but was a fluke and they replaced it free of charge. Temp light has never come on (kow) and rides as tight as the day I bought it. I did have to tighten that air intake a couple of times. I could see how it would come loose and cause major probs for your belt. Other than waiting on your water pump to go your main prob seems to be one that could have been prevented with a check on the air intake. My pump has been fine (kow) but the air intake for tranny needs to be designed a little better but is a minor flaw and just needs tightened once a year or so.

 

I only have about 270 miles on mine, an 01. I do Like it, I have had no problems so far. I have a few minor complaints, it seems a little sluggish off the bottom, but it seems like the pilot may be a bit rich, so I may just need to turn the air screw out, or go down one on the pilot, or maybe just go K&N.. Who knows. The Brakes are spongy. I HATE the reverse gear ratio, it is geared to high for deep mud or heavy hauling in reverse. I dont know how those guys do it with 26 and 27 inch tires on this bike, How do you even get it to turn over the tires in reverse?
Once moving along it feels very strong, it doesnt have the get up and go off the bottom like my 300 XPlorer did, but it also had much smaller tires and lower gearing, so I have to take that into account. I like the fact that after riding the rocks at Hatfield/McCoy, it is still tight. I Like a tight bike, and I Could NEVER get my Polaris tight, the front end was always loose even with all new parts, used to drive me nuts!.. I Hate the limited slip front end, and I want a locker, as long as it doesnt affect the steering that much.
Happy Trails!

 

400k, in my 1 yr,8 months of owning my Kodiak you are the first person I have seen that is not happy with their Kodiak. I couldnt ask for a better atv. Sure I had the water pump problem. Since I got the updated pump I havent had any problems with that. I replaced the sorry OEM pads with EBC Sintered Metal pads and havent had any problems with those. I think "my" Kodiak gets excellent gas milage. As far as the front air intake for the tranny goes that is just a basic maintenance check that should be performed. I look at mine all the time. As far as the rev limiter goes, yeah I dont like it and I think reverse is geared to high but I dont have any trouble turning my mudbugs in the mud. If its very deep like over the floor boards then it may have trouble depending on how thick the mud is. All in all Im very happy with my Kodiak. When the newer Kodiaks come out with the front differential like the Grizzly then I will be trading mine in for a new one.

*NOTE* I dont know if the new Kodiaks will have the locker but it doesnt make sence for Yamaha not to include it.

 

My Kodiak has only ever overheated once...when I finally got home after having to stop every 10 min too cool down, I found out it was my fault. I failed to take special care to get the mud washed off of my radiator. It was clogged solid with old dry mud, no wonder my poor girl overheated on me. You might want to have a look at your rad and make sure it's mud free so the air can get through it. Is your fan working?

I love my Kodiak but this past weekend I've ridden my friends new Kinfquad 300 4X4. I have to admit that my Kodiak rides like a piece of crap campared to the Kingquad. My next quad WILL have IRS. Places I have to drive slow through because it's so rough... he flies through. Yes, I am jealous of him. The only downfall of his quad is the ground clearence and power.

 

Why should the intake ducting be maintance, I have tighten the clamps before every ride, and rad is clean. Is this quad really a 02 when on the front left post it says built Dec 2000, just wondering. I think that it should get more than 55 kms to the tank. I am going to sell it and get back into snowmoblies. I think that I must have got a friday afternoon one because buddy got at the same time and no problems, drives it harder. Later

 

Man I am really surprised at this post.I guess if you sell enough of something there can be a bad one.I have had the front air tube come loose but since re-tightening it that has not happened again and of course the brake complaint.As far as the fuel usage I ride with everything from 300 prairies,to rubicons to 500 sportsmans and it seems I am almost always the last one on reserve.If I had to guess I bet I could get at least 80 miles out of a tank???
I must be living right because I have an early 2000 model and I am still on the orig pump[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]A buddy with us did have his start leaking and it is the old style like mine.
Kiss........do you still have that part# for the new style or do you knwo if you order one now that is what you get anyway? He told me today that he called the dealer where he bought it(same as mine) and of course they have not heard of any problems.....go figure.They talked him into the seals for a repair.I told him that would not get it but this all happened before I talked to him.I think he should call another dealer.It is out of warranty by the way.
2000 Kodiak
1998 Wolverine
1988 big bear.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

55kms to the tank??!!! Holly crap man!! You have something SERIOUSLY wrong with your quad!!! Take it to the dealer to find out what's wrong!!! I get over 100km per tank on mine...well over 100km. You have something very wrong with your engine if it's that hard on fuel and over heating!!!

As for the stamp saying made in 2000... Something amiss there I would say. Do you have another dealer in your area you can see about your Kodiak?