450r felling weak

[dirt286]

My honda hasn't felt right lately and I've had for about 1 year and a half. It doesn't sound as punchy as it used to be and its making a lot of unwanted noise. It sounds like most of the noise is coming from the motor and the exhaust sounds pretty good. It's not a dog but it does feel a little weak. I beat the piss out of it when I ride but I also take care of it, like oil and filters. Also it doesn't always want to shift very easily(when Im really on it). Just wondering if there is anything I could do to bring it back to life or is it just getting old.
thanks

[DieselBoy]

well sometimes when your powershifting it won't always be smooth shifting, but if it was shifting like crap when you throttle, let off, and shift then i would be worried

as far as the performance side of things there can be alor of things internally that could cause it to slug a bit. Rattles could be something like the headshield on the headers, or loose parts... or even something more serious.

it might be time to get in there and freshen things up. a worn clutch can cause alot of slip making it seem sluggy, and even low compression..

just some advice:)

[4TraxRider]

^^ I agree. As it's starting to get older, things will loosen up. Pick the quad up off the ground and move all the suspension components and see if anything is getting loose. A broken plastic mount can slo make a tight quad feel like poo when it rattles and smacks around. New plates and springs will breathe new life into your clutch. Might very well be time for a new piston and rings depending on how much you rode it.

[dirt286]

thanks....all sounds like great advice. One question about new piston though. I came from 2-stroke dirtbikes (so did everybody else probably) I dont have a problem with doing a new top end but I thought 4-strokes rarely ever had to have the top end rebuilt. Im sure the pros do it after every race but Im not racing. Like I said before I do ride it very hard for about 4-5 hours every sunday since Ive had it.

[4TraxRider]

^ That's true to an extent, but only to the older and/or less performance oriented thumpers. All EX's, Warrior's, utilities, etc. are all much easier on the wallet for rebuilds, only really needed them after a few years. The YFZ's, R's, LTR's all need much more work than yesteryears four-stokes.

[dirt286]

ok, thats makes sense, also (just remembered this) sometimes when Im slowing down, not sooo much when Im about to stall.....it stalls. Now I mean the revs are about 1/2 through 1st gear. Sometimes i can blip the throttle and it will stay running but otherwise it wil die. could this and my other issues be from a dirty air filter. i didn't check it after riding, but i ride in very sandy areas and that day it was raining and that is the time when the stalling started.