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bradley300
03-01-2005, 07:38 AM
ATVRIDERS.COM BLASTER BUILD UP: TURNING A BONE STOCK BLASTER INTO A COMPETITIVE GNCC SPORT CLASS RACER- by
Bradley300 picture courtesy www.yamaha-motor.com

In this next series of articles, atvriders.com will show you how to take your Yamaha Blaster from a mild stocker to a wild GNCC race quad. The quad we started with was a bone stock 2003 Yamaha Blaster, straight from the showroom. I will also be competing on this quad in the sport class, number 812, so say high on the line if you see me. I have built this quad already and have at least 100 hours on it, so not only can I give some helpful tips, but I’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and how long it last. Honest opinions are given on all products. Thanks for reading and here we go with the first stage.

hers what we are starting off with, a bone stocker, mine was an 03 model, this pic is actually of a 2005 model

bradley300
03-01-2005, 07:39 AM
STAGE 1: TIRES, WHEELS AND OTHER MISCELANEOUS PARTS

First and foremost, to make any kind of race quad, the first thing you need is a kill switch. Not only are they a really nice safety feature for you, your quad, and the fans watching, they are also required by most
racing associations. I like the Pro Design model, it’s cheap, easy to hook up, and most shops will always have at least one on the shelf. They come in an assortment of colors so choose what ever you think will look best. I’ve had the same kill switch for a year now with only one problem (see note). They’re very easy to wire also. Here’s how-
1.Mount the kill switch somewhere on the handlebars and find the wires coming out of the quad’s key switch.
2.A small area off each of the key wires need stripped down to expose the copper. Next strip the ends of both wires on the kill switch.
3. take one kill switch wire and one key wire and twist them so the copper on both wires is in contact with the other. Do this with the other wires as well. Start your quad and pull the cord to make sure it works correctly.
If the quad dies when the pull cord is pulled, add some die electric grease to the new connections and tape them up well with electrical tape.
Note: I have seen on some PD kill switches (mine included) the round piece of metal on the switch itself carries a small charge and can shock you if you touch it. (Not fun, and I’m sure it’s not safe.) I wrapped my whole kill switch with electrical tape to make sure I didn’t shock myself. Just make sure the pull cord is still easy to put back into the slot.

Next are the tires.
Stock, the Blaster comes with a balloon type rear tire. For some slow recreational riding, it has a nice smooth ride and soaks up a lot of small bumps. However, they really don’t handle well at all. They are too tall, combined with the round profile and 8 inch rear wheel have way too much sidewall flex. What this does is basically cause the tire to roll over in the turns instead of slide. The biggest problem with the stock rear wheels is the 8inch size. Nine inch wheels will have less sidewall than the same tire on an 8 inch wheel, so sliding is much easier.

I chose a Douglas 9 inch wheel with a 3x6 offset. Also, it’s a .190 thickness, a must for GNCC. A plus is that the new offset makes the rear end 2 inches wider (an inch on each side). Nine inch wheels are much easier to find good tires for. As for tires, I chose a 20 inch tire for general conditions. Since it’s a shorter tire than the stocker, two wheeling was greatly reduced and cornering became much easier. These tires alone will make a huge difference in the way your entire quad feels.
As for which tire, I have been testing two-the ITP Holeshot XC and the Maxxis Razr. The Holeshot is a great tire in almost every condition and really shines in the slick stuff. The Razr seems to do a tad better on loamy soil thanks to its big tread lugs, but those same big lugs hurt its hard pack and slick surface traction. When the Razr’s wear out, I will be going back to a Holeshot rear. As for front tires, the stock fronts actually steer pretty well. There downfall is the puncture resistance. I chose a set of ITP’s Holeshot XC front tires in a 22 inch size. These tires are an inch taller than the stockers so the added ground clearance is nice.

For front wheels, I chose a set of Douglas rolled edge front wheels with a 4x1 offset. The stock Blaster actually steers really well with very minimal twitchiness in the steering. The new offset is narrower and helps get rid of the small amount of twitchiness that is there. You may want to wait on buying the narrow wheels though. The stock ones are steel and very strong, and the new offset will make it very narrow.Wth the 4+1 front wheels and the 3+5 rears, your front will be 38 inches and your rear will be 42. Not such a how set up. I waited to get new wheels until I got a set of extended a-arms. There will be more on that later.
For comfort and strength, there is nothing better than a good set of handlebars. I chose the TAG T2 fat bars, along with a set of adapters to bolt the big bars to the stock steering stem. They are chrome, come with a nice handlebar pad and are available in many different bends. Most people get the CR high bend, but the adapters I have raise the bars an extra three quarters of an inch, so I chose the CR low bend to make up the difference.

Last in this article is a good set of grips.
The stockers are rather firm and uncomfortable. I chose a set if Spider ATV grips. They are very comfortable now, but I will say the first time I used them I got horrible blisters. Since then I would say they are the best grip I have ever used. They come in a wide variety of colors to match your quad, as well as a few different compounds

Well, we are through the first part and for a few hundred bucks we’ve already got the Blaster performing better already. Keep watching for updates as we continue the build!

hardkoratvmxr
03-01-2005, 08:09 PM
nice post i like it gotta show my friend now who has a 2004 blaster