andrew360
04-10-2004, 09:02 AM
I apologize up front, this is long-winded.....
Yesterday, my buddy (modded Raptor) and I went to Fox Valley Offroad. Around lunchtime, we're bs'ing at the tailgates, and up pulls a GMC duallie pulling an unmarked 20 foot enclosed trailer. We're thinking "nice toybox." Ten minutes later, the guy rolls what looks like two 400EX's out of the trailer, both with stock, uncut yellow Honda plastic. I'm looking at them, and I see these huge chrome fat 2 stroke pipes and radiators. Well, time to walk over and check it out. One of them was a stock 400EX frame and a-arms, and had a stock CR250 powervalve motor tucked into the frame. The swingarm (stock 400EX) had been machined to accept the narrower CR motor. This bike is thrashed from the appearance standpoint. I start talking to the guy and he tells me that this bike is Service Honda's first conversion prototype, it's two years old, and the whole point of it was to beat it to the point that the weak or failure areas are dicovered. The second bike is obviously the showpiece. CR250 powervalve motor, Lonestar 400EX frame powdercoated candy red, Roll Lobo II chrome a-arms, LSR swingarm (modified for the CR motor), huge FMF pipe, aluminum airbox, and on and on. Said this bike weighed 318 pounds wet with 50.2 dynoed HP. The guy who had them ran the ratted-out bike, and you could tell it was a SERIOUS runner. I can only imagine what the showpiece would run like. He then told us that Service Honda just sent an identical showpiece one to Dirt Wheels to evaluate. I asked what a basic conversion runs and he broke it down like this:
For $4900, Service Honda will sell you a stock 400EX frame, powdercoated and modified for the CR250 motor, which is included. You also get the carb, radiator, modified stock swingarm, throttle cable, and that's all I can remember. Actually doesn't sound too bad. I mean, if you've got a torn-up 400, you could buy this setup and swap your useable parts to the new frame and motor setup, and have a pretty custom quad for not too much more than the price of a good used one. From what I could see, the work was top-notch and looked really nice. Anyhow, I just figured I'd pass this along. My impression was that these quads are sweet.
Peace,
Andrew
Yesterday, my buddy (modded Raptor) and I went to Fox Valley Offroad. Around lunchtime, we're bs'ing at the tailgates, and up pulls a GMC duallie pulling an unmarked 20 foot enclosed trailer. We're thinking "nice toybox." Ten minutes later, the guy rolls what looks like two 400EX's out of the trailer, both with stock, uncut yellow Honda plastic. I'm looking at them, and I see these huge chrome fat 2 stroke pipes and radiators. Well, time to walk over and check it out. One of them was a stock 400EX frame and a-arms, and had a stock CR250 powervalve motor tucked into the frame. The swingarm (stock 400EX) had been machined to accept the narrower CR motor. This bike is thrashed from the appearance standpoint. I start talking to the guy and he tells me that this bike is Service Honda's first conversion prototype, it's two years old, and the whole point of it was to beat it to the point that the weak or failure areas are dicovered. The second bike is obviously the showpiece. CR250 powervalve motor, Lonestar 400EX frame powdercoated candy red, Roll Lobo II chrome a-arms, LSR swingarm (modified for the CR motor), huge FMF pipe, aluminum airbox, and on and on. Said this bike weighed 318 pounds wet with 50.2 dynoed HP. The guy who had them ran the ratted-out bike, and you could tell it was a SERIOUS runner. I can only imagine what the showpiece would run like. He then told us that Service Honda just sent an identical showpiece one to Dirt Wheels to evaluate. I asked what a basic conversion runs and he broke it down like this:
For $4900, Service Honda will sell you a stock 400EX frame, powdercoated and modified for the CR250 motor, which is included. You also get the carb, radiator, modified stock swingarm, throttle cable, and that's all I can remember. Actually doesn't sound too bad. I mean, if you've got a torn-up 400, you could buy this setup and swap your useable parts to the new frame and motor setup, and have a pretty custom quad for not too much more than the price of a good used one. From what I could see, the work was top-notch and looked really nice. Anyhow, I just figured I'd pass this along. My impression was that these quads are sweet.
Peace,
Andrew