Hot Cams

[quadrider11]

I'm am also interested in Stage 2 Hot Cams for my 400ex. Is there any risk? What other stuff do you have to do to your bike if you get Hot Cams?

[pit/wood]

what mods have you performed so far? a stage 2 needs a few existing engine mods to give the performance increase it is designed for.

[quadrider11]

I just have an exhaust slip-on. thats all

[2004exrider]

If your planning on putting in a bigger piston later on then yes the stage 2 would be fine. But you will loose bottom end power, its too much cam for that engine. Your better off getting a stage 1 if thats all yor wanting to do.

Jimmy

[honda460ex]

Totally agree... Had a stage 2 when I only had a 406ex. Way to much cam. Ran 11 to 1 compression, pro-meg exhaust, msd ignition, and it was still entirely to much. The cam is made for nothing smaller than a 426 with a decent to good amount of compression.

[Jayson_406]

I just got a stage 2 hot cam and all i have done is Curtis Sparks key slip on K&N and its a 406 and i lost some bottom end if i go to a 426 will i get that back ? thanx

[honda460ex]

If you go to a 426, then yes, you will get some of that back. My advice if you don't want to get to serious or run race gas, stick to a compresseion between 10.5 to 11.0 to 1 on it. I gave a friend my stage 2 hotcam when I got my stroker cam. He has a 426 with 10.8 to 1 compression and HMF exhaust. That thing runs great! Very smooth power all the way across. And very strong.

[DAVE14]

a higher comp. piston would be needed to really feel the gains of that cam, otherwise youll just tear into it again later down the road 11;1 would only need pump gas & go great with that cam

[400exstud]

It really depends if it is the new or old stage II. Many of the people on here still think of the old stage II as the new stage II when is really is a stage III.

The new stage II is a lot more milder cam than the old stage II.

I cannot say whether it will work in your bike as I only have experience with a stage I.

[DAVE14]

matter of fact I run a stage 3 or old stage 2 from what I hear & its performed ggreat with a higher comp. piston

[honda460ex]

My stage 2 cam was the old stage 2 cam. And it still is a stage 2 cam, just the old one. There is no such thing as a stage 3 cam. The old stage 2 cam was simply done away with a modified stage 2. There is the stage 1, old stage 2, new stage 2, and the stroker. The specs on the old stage 2 are as follows, I might be just a pinch of a mm off, 8.9 lift on intake with duration of 254 degrees, 8.8 lift on exhaust with 254 duration. The new stage 2 cam has more lift than the old stage 2 at 9.0 and 8.9. The duration on the intake stayed the same, however they shortened the duration on the exhaust to 248 degrees. I'm no Hotcam employee or smart guy, but my thoughts are that they did this to give the new stage 2 cam a more all around smooth power instead of the hardcore mid-top end hit with no lowend boost. Just my opinion on that though.... check out www.hotcamsinc.com for the specs of the new cams if you would like.

[DAVE14]

the stage 3 in queston you claim doesnt exist is prduct #13-9048 in the motovan catalogue (Canadian) &has 8.8 mmlift intake 8.6 exhaust & a duration of 254 I checked the hot cams site & didnt find a stage 3 but a stroker like you said but where i bought mine they list 2 other cams also for the ex & they called mine a stage 3

[GPracer2500]

Originally posted by DAVE14
the stage 3 in queston you claim doesnt exist is prduct #13-9048 in the motovan catalogue (Canadian) &has 8.8 mmlift intake 8.6 exhaust & a duration of 254 I checked the hot cams site & didnt find a stage 3 but a stroker like you said but where i bought mine they list 2 other cams also for the ex & they called mine a stage 3

Hmmm...I sorta question what that catalogue says. It doesn't exactly jive with what Hotcams listings on their own website. My guess is that catalogue was created when Hotcams was transitioning from the their original stg 1 and stg 2 offerings to the current stg 1, stg 2, and stroker offerings and the authors of the catalogue weren't quite sure how to list the products. That's my explanation.

Just a guess but I bet if you talked to Hotcams and asked them about a stg 3 they'd say, "Huh? We've got a stg 1, a stg 2, and a stroker. We don't make the old stg 2 anymore."

[400exstud]

What I failed to mention in my pervious post is that Hotcam's has since dropped the stage III (old stage II) from its line-up.

I left that out of my post because I thought it would cause too much confusion, however, I only created more by leaving it out.:p

[4everhonda]

You can run a stage 2 with a 406ex. The cc's dont really change that much between 406 and 426...... ask any good engine builder and they'll tell you. I have a 406, stage 1 and stage 2 on its way. I have p&p, full hmf, k&n, vortex cdi, je 10.8:1 piston, heavy duty valve springs, and a 39mm fcr carb. I guarentee the stage 2 will run great in my motor!!!

[honda460ex]

Yes, that book you were ordering from didn't know how to list the old stage 2 cam, that is why they titled it a stage 3. Honestly, not trying to be smart, but call hotcams and see, there has never been a stage 3. Just old stage 2 and new stage 2. And 4everhonda, yes I agree. Your quad will run great, I guarantee that too, but it would run better with a larger displacement and higher compression. Those are your two methods to gaining torque, the stage 2 cam is not designed to give you any low end torque. That's why they recommend it for big bore applications only. 10.8 to 1 compression though is pretty good, so it will run good. But I promise, step up the bore and it will run even better.