300ex with 450r swingarm part 2

[TarheelRedRider]

Here is some updated pictures. Im still waiting on parts to put my motor back together but here is some new pictures so you can get the idea of what it looks like. Only thing I dont like is how high the rear sets up so I now have a 250r atc shock on the way. It is about 2 inches shorter then the 250r atv shock which is what is in it now. This should put the rear about where it should be. You could use a 350x shock also it is same leanth as a 250r atc shock.

[TarheelRedRider]

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[ZeroLogic]

God thats one nice 300ex. Is that the 450r axle too?

[TarheelRedRider]

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[TarheelRedRider]

Yes it is all 450r rear.Im still waiting on a 450r brake stay. The one on it now is a 400ex but it wont work for the 450r rear brake calibar.

[zeppelin]

how much more travel does it get with the 250 shock

[TarheelRedRider]

I am not using a 450 shock. It has a 250r shock and I have not measured the travel yet but it is much more then the 300ex.

[TarheelRedRider]

Originally posted by TarheelRedRider
Here is some updated pictures. Im still waiting on parts to put my motor back together but here is some new pictures so you can get the idea of what it looks like. Only thing I dont like is how high the rear sets up so I now have a 250r atc shock on the way. It is about 2 inches shorter then the 250r atv shock which is what is in it now. This should put the rear about where it should be. You could use a 350x shock also it is same leanth as a 250r atc shock.

Maybe I ought to put this at the top and bottom of these pictures so I dont get asked questions that are answered in the first post.

[drifterx]

I see you got the motor and stuff back. Sweet! Looks awesome! Let us know how the first ride goes, when you get all your parts and stuff. :macho

[TarheelRedRider]

I will bud, im so ready to ride. I will have all my parts back from the machine shop this week.

[TarheelRedRider]

Little update, I got to test the new swinger out today. So far it feels good. I still have to do some adjusting to it but I think it will work out great. I think trying to see which shock and linkage combo works best is going to take a few weeks of testing. I think a aftermarket shock will be the best but Im going to try all the different stock shocks to keep the price down on this mod. I will update you guys as this progresses.

[old honda dealr]

Hey J the atc250r shock doesn't work as well as expected? What are the problems with it? Too soft? Too stiff, loose what? I have most of the parts for my soon to be conversion. Will get those arms from you next weekend.

[TarheelRedRider]

Give me a call. I will be at home all night.

[2muchquad]

hey tarheel,i just finished(well..almost) my 450r swinger conversion today.well the first thing i noticed is the 450r axle is about 1 1/2in or so shorter than the 350x axle.Then i discovered that the 350x hubs WILL NOT fit the 450r axle.the wheel pattern are the same but the 350x splines are bigger.i have a set of 400ex hubs on the way.Finally just from feeling it out,the 350x shock that im using with the swingarm kinkage is stiff.i know stock the 350x shock is stiff but im wondering if the linkage compounded the problem.once i get the hubs i will do some testing and possibly try to play with comp and rebound.maybe play with the preload or maybe another spring.if not i think a atc 250 shock will be in order.again thanx for the whole 450 tip,i like it already.;)

[Jake250ex]

hey can we get pics of your 2much? sounds pretty crazy :cool:

[zeppelin]

can you of you (tarheel or 2much) measure how much more travel you have with this set up when you get the chance. if it is significant i may be trying it aswell.

[TarheelRedRider]

Ok a full day of testing and tried a few different setups. The best way so far is to go with the 250r trx atv shock. Adjust the ride height all the way down. Also use the 450r shock linkage because it will lower the rear about inch and a half more then the 400ex linkage and it gives you more travel. Now heres the trick to get the rear down around the stock height. When you install the 450r linkage insall it reversed form how it would be installed from the factory. The ride feels great. Only thing I still want the rear to set lower so Im going to install an adjustable linkage.


Dont go with the atc 250r shock is to short and stiff.

[2muchquad]

well once my hubs get here i will do some more testing.i was hoping to get a lower ride height than stock once i get everything done.i think a lower quad looks mean for mx:D so the atc shock is too short huh?i would imagine its almost the same as my 350x shock then?if i dont like it im sure i will come up with something,i always do..:)

[TarheelRedRider]

the 250r atc shock is about 14 inches eye to eye. Yeah it gave my quad a nice stance but it was a very stiff ride. But it made my quad very stable. It would be great for drag racing though. My bike hooked up really well in the gravel with the atc shock.

[old honda dealr]

Hey J dont forget to get me those pics and thanks buddy. Also you were right about the intake tube. Thanks,

[TarheelRedRider]

Your welcome my friend.

[2muchquad]

the atc 250r shock is too stiff?i thought my 350x shock was stiff,i wouldnt think a shock could be any more stiffer.the 250r was a lot lighter than the 350x.Once i get some riding in i will know for sure what my next move will be.i may have to find a softer spring if i have to.i mainly ride mx/fast trails so i want a firm ride but not too harsh.

[TarheelRedRider]

Ok here is the pictures of the best setup. I measured the travel and comes out to 9inches. The stock 300ex is 7.9 so yes you do get more travel with this setup.

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I need to put my shock cover back on that blue spring is fugly.

[TarheelRedRider]

bump.

[2muchquad]

looks good tarheel,im afraid to post mine,i dont have any power coating..hehe:D

[drifterx]

Sweet! Nice 300, and great work on that swinger! I might look into this for my 300, well done!:cool:

[TarheelRedRider]

Well had a full day of testing. I went for a ride Saturday and had some trouble. I hit a pretty big jump and ripped the linkage bracket right off the frame. Problem was the way I was running the linkage. DONT REVERSE THE LINKAGE!!!!. Problem with this is when the shock rebounds hard it will pull against the mounting bracket on the frame. Very bad. Well after making a beefer bracket and extending it out from the frame about 1/4 of an inch and puting the linkage the right way I had great results. The futher you extend the mounting bracket the lower the rear will set. So I now have the desired ride height and a great travel. Rode all day and hit all the jumps on my track and climb many hills today and everything woks great. Im really pleased with this setup. Im ready for Hatfeild Mocoy (trails system in WV) to put it to a real test. :D

[TarheelRedRider]

bump

[Tri-valleyracin]

dude thats a sick set up im doing a 350x rearend on my 300 but i still have to paint my frame and motor and get more parts before i can do it. im under the gun sadly cuse my first race is april 30th.ya thats more that a month but i still have to buy parts and paint and put together and test my rear and front shocks cuse its differnt than last year. but nice rear end it looks good. looks you like a full 400ex but with a 300ex frame. :cool:

[TarheelRedRider]

Thanks man. I have put alot of time into this and am very happy with the results. This is the way honda should have built the 300ex. I have owned bout every sport atv honda has ever put out and this set up on this frame and the torqy 300 motor has to be one of the best trail and woods quad I have ever ridden. It just soaks up all the ruff trails and rock filled path with ease and I really like the performance that this machine turns out. And always nice to own a one of a kind to.:D

[Ryanwolfe911]

I'm glad you figured this out. The guys down at my local bike shop are practicly giving stock 450R swingarms away, in favor of something aftermarket. I told them that you could put one one a 300 and they laughed and said i was full of it.

[2muchquad]

yeah you can put just about any swingarm from a honda sport quad on,i had a 300ex with a 89 250r swinger set up a while back,i still have my 350x setup that ran up until a few weeks ago when i did the 450 swinger.:)

[TarheelRedRider]

Originally posted by Ryanwolfe911
I'm glad you figured this out. The guys down at my local bike shop are practicly giving stock 450R swingarms away, in favor of something aftermarket. I told them that you could put one one a 300 and they laughed and said i was full of it.


YEAH JUST SHOW THEM A PICTURE OF MINE AND SEE IF THEY KEEP LAUGHING.:D ALWAYS REMEMBER ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE EVEN THE IMPOSSIBLE. ;)

[Lurch]

Can you post a pic of the linkage from the bottom side?

[honda965]

wat kinda mods did u have to do to the 450r swring arm & wat kind rear shock u runnin?

[Ryanwolfe911]

I was just wondering what you used for a spacer to fill in the gap on the swingarm pivot, where the 450R rear engine mount would go? Just some steel tubing? If so, what diameter and thickness./

I really can't tell from any of the pics.

[2muchquad]

i used some washers with my 450r setup.the swap is really straight forward if you have an idea whats going on.;)

[Ryanwolfe911]

That would be an awful lot of washers dude. I'm talking about the 4 inch or so gap inthe middle of the swingarm that the rear engine mount of the 450R motor goes into.

[TarheelRedRider]

You dont have to use any washers if you make the pivot mount close to the size of the pivot arm. This mod is pretty easy if you are willing to take the time to measure out the right location of the linkage mount to the frame. Look back at all that I had posted about this mod and you should not have too much trouble. But you will need to weld this into place to be safe and be sure to use at least 1/8 inch to 1/4 thick steal to make the bracket.

[Ryanwolfe911]

Wouldn't it be easier to just make some sort of spacer to fill the gap, rather than weld on your frame? I mean the stock 300ex pivot end is solid, so what would be the difference if you modified the 450R swingarm the same way?

[TarheelRedRider]

I dont have a clue of what your talking about. The swingarm fits right into place and you use the stock 300ex swingarm bolt. The 450r swingarm has end caps on it to keep dirt and water out of it.

[Ryanwolfe911]

I know that. I'm talking about the front pivot area of the swingarm. Doesn't it have a 3 or 4 inch gap in the middle of it, where the rear mount on the engine goes through? At least that's how my 400ex is and all of my dirtbikes. On my 400ex the swingarm bolt holds both the swingarm in place and the rear engine mount. Now do you see what I mean?

[TarheelRedRider]

You need to look at the 300ex because its not the same. Like I said read back thru all my old post on this and it will point you in the right direction.

[TarheelRedRider]

The linkage does not mount to the swingarm bolt nor to the motor mount but to a bracket that is welded to the bottom of the frame on the 450rs so you have to make a mount to weld to the bottom of the frame on the 300ex. Trust me I have tried to mount it many different ways. Just go back thru my old post and you cant go wrong. I have been thru all the trial and error.

[Ryanwolfe911]

I went throught the pic on the original thread. I am not talking about the linkage at all. On the the second pic of the original thread, I can see the big gap in the front of the swingarm, and I can see the middle of your swingarm bolt plain as day. You normally cant see it because on a 450R the rear engine mount sits in that area. That's why you have to remove the swingarm to get the engine out of a 450R. Maybe I will post some pics tomorrow to clarify what I'm talking about.

[TarheelRedRider]

I know what your talking about now. What I did was to take the old shaft that the swingarm bolt fits thru on the 300ex swingarm and cut it to the length that I needed to fill the gap between the 450r swinger. Sorry bud, I had forgot that I even did that. Yeah take your 300ex swing arm and pull out the bearings then beat out the shaft that the swinger bolt goes thru on the swinger. That is what I used.

[Ryanwolfe911]

That's a damn good idea. I wish I had thought of that. I just cut a piece of 1 3/4 inch round stock to fit and drilled out the center of it big enough to get the swingarm bolt through. Would have saved me about an hour on the drill press.

[TarheelRedRider]

Im sorry man, :ermm: I bet it did take a while. Thats alot of material to have to drill thru.

[Ryanwolfe911]

Mine's comin'along pretty good. I used a 400ex swingarm instead pf a 450R. Thery're almost the same. And if I can ever get ahold of a 400ex engine, I'll be able to mount it correctly.

[TarheelRedRider]

Yeah the 400ex and 450r swingers are the same. Same axles too but just different brake setups.

[Ryanwolfe911]

That's preciseley why I used a 400ex swinger. 450R brake parts are hard and expensive to come by. At my shop, alot of my customers are damn near throwing their stock 400ex rear ends away, in favor of something better. Alot of the guys that race 450R's are using the stock swingarms though, from an '06, because they are 40mm longer. Seems like they are holding up pretty well on the MX tracks as long as you have a good skidplate.

[TarheelRedRider]

If you want a 450r brake caliber you can buy a brand new one from motosports.com for 70 bucks. Thats what I did, hell you cant even find a used one on ebay for that. The good thing about the 450r brake rotor it is smaller so you have more ground clearance and with the a larger caliber I have much better braking. If you decide to do this I have a brand new brake stay for the 450 brake cali that I will sell you.

[zell250x]

i was just wondering if anyone has tried to use a atc200x shock i think it is just a little shorte rthen the 350x shock but not real sure. just thought i would put that out there. and if anyone has a 350x swingarm, im looking for one. thanks

[honda965]

i think im actually ready to convert from the 300ex rear end and do the 450r setup. im lookin into gettin the 450r swinger and 350X shock. would you say that is the best set up? wat about the shock, does it bolt right in place or what? thanks

[2muchquad]

i used a 250r shock with the 450r linkage,i had to weld some tabs on the frame though for the linkage but thats bout'it.You will have to trim the eyes on the top shock mount of the 250r shock to fit the 300ex frame as well.;)

[honda965]

just a stock 250r shock?

[2muchquad]

yeah,the quad,the 3 wheeler shock has a different diameter bottom mount.;)

[TarheelRedRider]

Yeah the 250r atv shock works great. If anyone needs one Im going to be parting out my quad and the 250r shock is in great shape. It was just revalved 4 months ago about 15 hours ride time on it for a 175 pound woods rider. Its setup just right for the 300ex / 450r setup. 125.00 is what I want for it. If you need the swingarm and all the 450r parts they are going too.

[ikes05400ex]

why would you part out your quad is this setup no good

[Dave223]

Tarheel,
I have a few questions about the 450 swinger in a 300.

Is the 450 swinger any longer or shorter than stock?

does it directly bolt between the frame or is their other mods that have to be done to the frame or swinger?

The welding you mentioned, its on the frame itself, to bolt the shock linkage to the swing arm, correct?

would it be possible to post a few pics of the additional welding/ modifications?

What other swingers fit besides the 350x and 450r?

Im picking up a second 300 tomorrow for my daughter and figured if Im replacing pretty much everything in the back anyhow, I may just go this route.Thanks, dave

[2muchquad]

heres another look

[2muchquad]

you can see the linkage in this pic

[TarheelRedRider]

Originally posted by ikes05400ex
why would you part out your quad is this setup no good

No it works great but I am starting some new projects and just bought a new 450r. So my project money is getting low and also some of the parts on my 300 will work on the 450r so i plan on using a few of them to save a little money. I plan on building a sandrail after I get my 450r like I want it. I hope to start listing parts soon and after I git it all stripped down I will post pictures of the frame where I welded the bracket.
If any you guys are looking for a good carb I have an elderbrock carb with new motion pro adjustable cable. The carb is for a 400ex but it works fine for the 300. It is very easy to adjust. No changing jets just a single thumb screw. It really woke up my engine.

[honda965]

how much for all your custom rear

[TarheelRedRider]

Ill take 350.00 shipped. all these parts were new or close to new at the time I started this thread.

[honda965]

does that include everything i need?

[TarheelRedRider]

yes, shock, axle ,caliber, linkage,rotor. Everything. You will just have to weld the tabs on for the linkage to mount to your frame. Turn key.

[honda965]

ok im very interested in it, so PM me i geuss and we'll take care of it