stage 1 cams

[400exfan19]

if i were to put a stage 1 cam in my 400ex, does it give lots of gains? how much maintainance is there there to instal it?

[Kaleigh]

you will notice a good gain the in bottom end with the stage 1.. basically all you're doing is swaping cams so its not that hard since its a 400ex.. all I did was take the cam off the sprocket and left the sprocket on the change.. if you are doin it like that.. be carefull not to drop the bolts in the case.. and use loctite when puttin the bolts back on.. its fairly simple.. as for maintnaince just the regular valve adjustments and you're good to go.. I hope i didnt miss anything.. if I did im sure someone will help out and correct me..

[400exfan19]

how do i do this valve stuff? and do i have 2 rejet if i get a cam?

[Kaleigh]

i would rejet.. ill try to find a link for the valves.. and the link for jetting.. sorry if i dont get back to this tonight.. but i will try..

the thing is alot of people say rejet.. but i rejected and was going rich.. so i kept dropping down jet sizes til i found the right one.. low and behold.. it was the same jet I was using before the cam.. but maybe I was a little rich before the cam.. im not sure..

BTW the cam will complement your pipe real nice.. and also make sure you have a nice place to ride when breaking the cam in.. you will have to ride for about 30mins straight without putting stress on the cam..

[400exfan19]

thanx, that would be greatly appreciated

[Kaleigh]

for jetting.. i see you have a jet kit.. so i would imagine you would only need to change you main jet.. i would go 170 maybe 175.. then work my way down.. everytime you change you main jet take it for a ride.. ride it at WOP and if it stumble go down a jet.. repeat til you dont stumble at WOP at full speed.. this might not be absolute perfect jet.. but you arfe VERY VERY close.. for me this is the best and easiest way to get real close to the correct jet without a DYNO..


and Im having a hard time find the valve adjustment.. do you know how to find top dead center.. if you do then I can help you from there.. also you will need to remove the decompression spring when you put your stage 1 in.. dont forget the lil spring under the pin.. you can get this out with a lil philips screwdriver..

[vze2hnvz]

http://www.atvriders.com/articles/valveadjustment400ex.html

;)

[Kaleigh]

Originally posted by vze2hnvz
http://www.atvriders.com/articles/valveadjustment400ex.html

;) z


hey.. thanks alot.. i looked for awhile.. and forgot about the article section.. :macho

[Def-e-nition]

Morning chaps . My Stage 1 arrives On saturday . I am booking the Bike on tuesday for a routine , and also swingarm greasing .

Interesting to note that i will need to Re-jet . I completely left that out of my equation when i was ordering the darn cam .

Will a 170 Main Be sufficient to stop it from Being way too lean ? I have Never considered going over and above 170 , as I suppose this would be due to the fact that when one buys a dynojet kit , the box set goes to 170 and thats that .

So . I'm at the coast , meaning the biggest jets will apply . currently i am running a 160 , and she goes fine . i had gp racer help me with a single gear roll-on dyno , then real Dyno , and the guy set her up lean - 14:1 ( I wont go into why , but it works , I'm happy )

WOuld any of you suggest then , for me to go hunting for a 175 main just in case ? the reason Im asking , guys , Is because Its not going to be easy . Where I live i'd need to buy from a shop 800 miles From me .

I suppose then the only correct answer is to have the bike Dyno'ed again to check ?

is anyone aware of someone who is running a stage one that could point me in the right direction ?

strange that the hotcam site posts an increase accross the range , and yet most ex rider posts talk of an increase mostly In the Bottom end of the range . I wonder how trustworthy that hotcam image IS then ?

[Kaleigh]

Originally posted by Def-e-nition

Will a 170 Main Be sufficient to stop it from Being way too lean ? I have Never considered going over and above 170 , as I suppose this would be due to the fact that when one buys a dynojet kit , the box set goes to 170 and thats that .

So . I'm at the coast , meaning the biggest jets will apply . currently i am running a 160 , and she goes fine . i had gp racer help me with a single gear roll-on dyno , then real Dyno , and the guy set her up lean - 14:1 ( I wont go into why , but it works , I'm happy )


is anyone aware of someone who is running a stage one that could point me in the right direction ?

strange that the hotcam site posts an increase accross the range , and yet most ex rider posts talk of an increase mostly In the Bottom end of the range . I wonder how trustworthy that hotcam image IS then ?

there is a gain all through out the power band from stock.. but the most gain over a stage 2 is the bottom end.. i have a stage 1 and I love it.. im running a 165 main.. but it depends where you're at.. but if you can get bigger jets that would be good.. its better to start rich and work your way down..

if i remember anything else ill be back.. but i just woke up about 20 mins ago.. :D

[lpmaster]

dynojet numbers are different, than your stock kehin jet nubmer, not sure if their bigger or smaller, cant remember, but i think a dynojet 148 is bigger than a kehin 148. if all your changing now is the cam 1 main jet size should be fine.

this is hotcams description of gains as described through an email reply to me

stage 1: a mid and top range cam, slightly biased to the mid-range

stage 2: a mid range and top-end cam slightly biased to the top-end

note: both of those gains are in relationship to the stock camshaft

realy, as far as i can tell, you need atleast 11:1 compression to run a stage 2 and other aggressive cams, i was running 10:1 (static) in all mine stock - 440(and in-between) and never really felt i was pulling a stage 2 to its potential, im now at 11.5:1 static with a stage 2 and love it...

[Def-e-nition]

Originally posted by lpmaster
dynojet numbers are different, than your stock kehin jet nubmer, not sure if their bigger or smaller, cant remember, but i think a dynojet 148 is bigger than a kehin 148. if all your changing now is the cam 1 main jet size should be fine.

this is hotcams description of gains as described through an email reply to me

stage 1: a mid and top range cam, slightly biased to the mid-range

stage 2: a mid range and top-end cam slightly biased to the top-end

note: both of those gains are in relationship to the stock camshaft

realy, as far as i can tell, you need atleast 11:1 compression to run a stage 2 and other aggressive cams, i was running 10:1 (static) in all mine stock - 440(and in-between) and never really felt i was pulling a stage 2 to its potential, im now at 11.5:1 static with a stage 2 and love it...

Good Grief - 11.5:1 , hmmmm Nice .
I spoke to michael Cory from dynojet . 148 equals 1.48mm , a 165 main would be 1.65mm . The other jets are not labelled on the same principle .

Currently Im Being a bit silly , and running a 160 main at the coast when i should be running a 170 , or a 165 at the least , prob;lem is the damn thing runs so wel l on the 160 i see no reason to go bigger?I also have to watch my fuel man , as in enduro its the guy who stops the Least that wins (although i must admit that at the last enduro a fuelling stop was barely 45 seconds-that over a 3 or 4 hour enduro is NOTHING )

. I just dont like running the bike TOO rich , but I get what you're saying .
I reckon Im going to run the 165 Main , and Keep a steady eye on the plug . its Not Accurate , but Close enough .

I agree with you 100% about the compression , and not Pulling a stage 2 to its full potential with a stock Engine . I needed to Know this and have my theory supported , because the guy Continously wanted me to take a stage 2 , and on a stock bike I think It would be a waste . i also wanted to keep my sanity and stick to a milder modification . I reckon that theory of mine will go out the window once i ride a stage 2 11.5:1 bike , but down here people don't really care too much for tweaking a 400 , they all simply Give in to pressure and buy the 450 .

I've had 2 mates of mine Lose motors in the first MONTH of owning a 450 . It IS high maintenance , and the user-friendliness of the 400 makes it a better Weekend toy for me than the 450 , which i feel is an all out John-natalie type of guys bike . Pricing here is also leaning more toward the 400 , but the LTZ 400's popularity makes a lot of people go for the water-cooled units .

Strangely though , due to everyone riding standard bikes around here , it was the sheer toughness of the T-rex that got me to win the Last enduro . Everyone agreesaround the camp fire the T-rex engine is long in the tooth , but when I pull out a win everyone goes into silence ... so , I figure with the stage 1 Ill still have that reliability I am counting on , with a bit more Zing in its *** .

I will let you know what jet size i settled on Kaleigh , but i reckon in all instances that it will end up being the 165 . I keep my eye glued to this site , as in the states I know there are plenty more guys like yourselves BLingin and Modding these Bikes to eat the other 400 Models out there .
I wonder Why honda Never installed a more aggressive Cam profile for a bike off the floor ? ? ? ? If a stage 1 does so well in it with little to No Negatives ?????



I'm expecting the couriers to drop it off any minute .
Thanks chaps

[sixer3]

they actually did, but for reasons unknown to me they discontinued it, it was part of the hrc kit for the xr400 (same motor) i've heard very good things about those cams, but just cant find one on ebay or anywhere else, they were also kind of pricey i belive.

[Def-e-nition]

mmm , Interesting .

So it was a modification they did then ?It makes sense to have done so .


My cam arrives today . I can hardly Wait .
Do you Think the cam they installed was a special Cut ? I doubt it would have an identical Profile to the hotcam set-up .

reliability is probably Why they Never bothered to carry on with the Mod . That same question has popped into my head about my engine , but i've been told to stop worrying .

Only thing Now , is for me to find stronger springs ( Im outside the U.S - FAR outside the U.s ) for the clutch BAsket , as I see my Clutch Is not releasing Cmpletely . GOing tohave to sort that Out now Too .

Anyone Know more or less what hp Increase I can expect ? Not much i would assume ?

[Kaleigh]

Originally posted by Def-e-nition
mmm , Interesting .

So it was a modification they did then ?It makes sense to have done so .


My cam arrives today . I can hardly Wait .
Do you Think the cam they installed was a special Cut ? I doubt it would have an identical Profile to the hotcam set-up .

reliability is probably Why they Never bothered to carry on with the Mod . That same question has popped into my head about my engine , but i've been told to stop worrying .

Only thing Now , is for me to find stronger springs ( Im outside the U.S - FAR outside the U.s ) for the clutch BAsket , as I see my Clutch Is not releasing Cmpletely . GOing tohave to sort that Out now Too .

Anyone Know more or less what hp Increase I can expect ? Not much i would assume ?

Im not sure about the HP increase.. but you will really notice it.. when i first put my cam on and broke it in.. then i starting hittting the gas hard.. WOW.. such a nice feeling.. power on command.. it was hard for me to learn how to get a good wholeshot because i wasnt used to the power.. i would wheelie all the time.. so now you can come out of the corners with power...

keep up intouch.. I want to know how you like it.. oh and i got a 10:1 wiseco in mine.. if you change to a JE piston.. it will let you rev faster cause the lighter piston..

[Def-e-nition]

Hey Kaleigh , In Three hours time I'll have more Power . They started this morning , I gave them a few other things To look at as Well , and I told him to check check And Re-check the Tappet Gaps .

i have a race on on the 16th , I can hardly Wait to Line up and see the difference . Saturday I'm going to break the Cam in , and then I'll give you some feedback . Im pretty excited about this whole Cam thing , as I did this often with my old Mk II Gti golf , and once I sold it I promised myself not to tinker with engines again , but i mean- Who can ride a standard engine ? lol .

I'll keep scrolling down looking for this post , and Give you the answer . Its 9 a.m Now Ill fetch the Bike at 2.30 pm .

More power out of corners you say . GOOD .

[lpmaster]

yah, dud the cam is really going to wake your quad up, im sure after the first race you'll want a big bore though, theres just never enough power honestly ;), any pics of where you ride? i'd love to see some

[Def-e-nition]

nO sweat , Let me Use Photobucket Quickly , and ill post a few .
I am having another Fight with Honda Yet again , as , as Usual , they have five miliion and one excuses as to whty the bike is not finished yet .

I made a booking , so im fairly Full of crap when it comes to things Like that , and once again , as usual , they have Let me down .

Hold on , let me load some images , and ill stick em up .

[Def-e-nition]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/stuart101/PicturesoffRicoh015-1.jpg

Thats on the Farm .

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/stuart101/DSCF0222-1.jpg

This was an Old forestry road .

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/stuart101/DSCN0628.jpg
The Local Track . Not big , but we get by on it .

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/stuart101/DSCN1919.jpg
This Was the Last enduro we did . Very tough..

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/stuart101/CompleteOCAOverview.jpg
And this is a place Im visiting In December . trails for Africa ...

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/stuart101/PicturesoffRicoh002.jpg
One of the nicer spots to go Riding - a nice 18 Mile loop . This hill cost me a bottle of johnnie Walker Red label , because I was bet i would make it up , and i said "no way " .
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/stuart101/DSCF0219.jpg back Out in the woods again . This i love the most .

[vze2hnvz]

Any Great Whites down your way Def-e-nition? Not too far from the Cape are you? Couldn't pay me to go diving there....... :eek:

[Kaleigh]

just make sure you break it in properly.. I took my cam out cause I do road stuntin.. it was WAY TO MUCH.. i get on hitting my grab bar and bending it.. with just a little hit of the gas..

if you're not sure about breaking it in.. check out the hotcam website.. they will give you detailed instructions.. also dont use synthetic when you're breaking it in.. do you have an aftermarket revbox/cdi... this will help get more out of the cam..

[Def-e-nition]

Good GRIEF - Holy CRAP !!!!

got the bike back at 5 . They managed , somehow , to remove my rear brake , and couldnt get it to fit again with the shoes in , I suspect ssomething to do with the handbrake .

I took it for a spin in front of the shop and " WOW " !!

One can never understand what guys mean when they tell you - " yeah , this thing'll go Nicely with a cam in ..." Bloody Hell !!
from a standard motor - im impressed . Certainly one of the quickest 400's now in the area , next stop is Shocks shocks shocks . I have the 450 ones on , front , now rear after tonight , but they still not as forgiving as i'd like em to be , got em wound all the way down , still a bit hard on the body doing enduros on them .

Man , Kaleigh , **** . I'm Helluva impressed . Which Leads me to my next contemplation : Are there NO Honda Techs RIDING 400's? before they release that twenty pound weakling to the Public , WHY they Dont look at Releasing a 400 with a slightly modified cam , for this amount of performance , I DO NOT KNOW .

They dont have to go all hotcam stage 1 on us , for pete's sakes , but Crikey - just something to gived it a kick in the Butt . Stage 1 SURE wakes up the sleeping demon allright . I know that for some , a stage one is just a spring-board for More , but honestly , if someone was looking at doing something to their "Rex , I can think of NO other mod , not 450 carb , not choke removal , nothing , that would unleash the power within , as the box says .... Its not going to haul *** much harder in fifth , no surprises there , but the Bottom end has practically DOUBLED !!
MOther !!

So yes , I guess you could say i'm pleased ...

Vze , Actually the Cape does have PLenty Of Whites , Much Like off the coast of california - your species just carries More weight , and they get a bit Longer than ours -19 feet is pretty big by Anyones standards , and this is due to the fact that our Whites eat smaller sizes of prey - over there you guys have those huge seals , ours are a lot smaller .
WHere I live - south coast , Mossel bay , This place has the Same Climate as hawaii (truthfully) , and The Third highest concentration of Sharks in the world . by that I dont mean just whites , I'm talking about the Place with the most amount of different breeds in a single place . We are also the only place in the World where the sharks stand still in the water , 300m off the coast , in shallow water . Naturally , anyone who has attempted to swim to the island and back , has never made it - one would need to have rocks for brains to do somethintg like that .

now you all know why I spend my time on land getting my face full of dirt . At least the wild boar run away from us , not towards us to have a slice of FOX pants !! lol .

Shout this advice from the top of a hill - " Stage 1 is a Brilliant Mod . "

[lpmaster]

thats awesome news glad to hear you liked it, HAVE FUN!!!!

[Def-e-nition]

I plan to , this saturday I'm going to ride it in ...

Next week in the race im going to have to take a fall on purpose to let the guys catch up ! ha Ha ha ha !!

Just kidding . Its not THAT fast , but I'm Damn pleased with the final result .

[400exfan19]

hey definition wat other mods do u have done 2 ur bike?

[Kaleigh]

Def-e-nition.. glad to see you like it.. :macho thats the same thing i said when i got mine.. oh.. do you have your choke removed.. if not.. give that a try after you break it in.. i took mine out and noticed even better throttle response.. all i did was take the FLAP off.. i left the rod that it was attached to,, all i did was keep my choke lever in the off position just to keep the rod in a more areodymanic affect.. kinda like a airplane wing.. but anyways.. give it a try.. if you dont like it.. you can always put the flap back on.. thats another reason why i didnt the rod out...


GLAD TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU LIKE IT..

oh and i think they didnt want to put a better cam in stock is because of rideability.. keep it tame and you can sell it to more people.. lots of new people to the sport get scared easy when the machine has to much bottom end..

[Def-e-nition]

Done .... thats why I told everyone - one can do many mods to a 400 . But nothing beats the stage 1 , i shudder to think what a stage 2 would be with a high Compresion Piston .... Oh my .............

The choke removal was a good move . Also found it on ex riders . so too the 450 front shocks . Im still stuck with the Bust Rear stock shock -got a race next week . I slipped in a 165 Main Last night , so today , even though its raining , Im off to the track to go practice for Next weekends' enduro. i cant wait . I am already getting used to the extra power , ..but Dont even go there ......:devil: .

Kaleigh , are you running high Compression Piston ?

[Def-e-nition]

Well . We took her for a spin , Stuffed rear shock and all.
2 yfz 450's , an Ltr , and the Rex . Always feels a bit out of tune when you go riding with the Big boys ..

the Standard yfz only Juuusst Manages to stick his neck 2 lenghts ahead . So - Kaleigh , this has been a good mod . I do think that the bike is running maybe a little Rich - the guy behind me told me he could smell it , but I'm leaving it Like this , as there is no sputtering or jerking . i did notice a little hesitation at first - could that be from it Being so rich ?

Anyhow , the Rex is a torque Monster .

WOuld 22 " tyres be too big for her now ? I am running 14 -38 .

I am so badly After the alltrax , and the giuys want me to go for the 21' KEnda knarly ..

Im at a loss which tyre to take . My decision Changes as many times as I see another Picture of one or the other tyre .

22- too big ?

[Kaleigh]

if you're doing enduro.. 22's would be ok.. you might be rich.. you might want to go down back down to 160.. if it backfires.. just raise your mix screw a quarter turn at a time til it goes away.. im running a 10:1 piston..

[400exfan19]

Originally posted by Def-e-nition
Well . We took her for a spin , Stuffed rear shock and all.
2 yfz 450's , an Ltr , and the Rex . Always feels a bit out of tune when you go riding with the Big boys ..

the Standard yfz only Juuusst Manages to stick his neck 2 lenghts ahead . So - Kaleigh , this has been a good mod . I do think that the bike is running maybe a little Rich - the guy behind me told me he could smell it , but I'm leaving it Like this , as there is no sputtering or jerking . i did notice a little hesitation at first - could that be from it Being so rich ?

Anyhow , the Rex is a torque Monster .

WOuld 22 " tyres be too big for her now ? I am running 14 -38 .

I am so badly After the alltrax , and the giuys want me to go for the 21' KEnda knarly ..

Im at a loss which tyre to take . My decision Changes as many times as I see another Picture of one or the other tyre .

22- too big ?
how did you like the stage 1 cam and the 14/38 gearing combo?

[lpmaster]

i would go with 21's personally... running rich is not a bad thing unless you have a problem with throttle tresponse and sounds like you dont, just a small hesitation, prbably before it was completely warmed up


and what year is your bike, i noticed everyone stating the 05's came with 14/38 gewaring but i gpt my 05 in december of 04 and it had 14/39

[Def-e-nition]

I thought It Was Fuel Starvation at first .

Ok . 05 Models have 14-39 Gearing . I changed mine specifically to 38 tooth for more top end . as the bikes first gear on ALL models Is very short . I even Pull off in second to clear the Holeshot .


I also Thought 21 inch is better , and that Means I have to buy the tyre i do Not want .... and the All trax are only avail. in 22 " .

As for the Riding , well - need I say More ?

Except for the Noisy Exhaust side Tappets . I think thay are set too wide , and the hotcam Manual does say to put em out at .15 , so i dunno about that one . Just sounds Not too cool , although the bike never let Go on saturday . The Bottom end torque is simply incredible compared to a bog standard Ex , and the standard 450 Yfz did NOT shake me . Obviously guys , the bike Is not more Powerful than a 450 , but what Im trying to get across is that these chaps got a bit of a fright . through the technical sections I More than held my Own against them , and if it wasn't for the fact that none of us had ridden the route before , or the fact that I hate getting roosted ( messes up the front Headlight -not cool ) , I would have made it past him .

This brings me to my next question concerngin the tyres , as I am also thinking that the 22's might Not be the right choice . that means i have to go for the 21' Knarly's .. I dont want to Play with sprockets . As it is ,1st and second are quickly Seen off on these bikes , and on uphills there is a definite Gap between 2nd and third , I was hoping to bridge that by leaving the gearing as it is - Or instead , run 15 -39 , and then the 22 or 21's .

Chaps , a Cam is a Great Mod .

the Only downside was Sunday when i cleaned the bike - Pulled the Dipstick to see if it Needed topping up - bone Dry . Not a DROP . the Sump sounded like you were tapping on an empty Biscuit Tin :confused: :confused: :grr: :grr: :grr:

I put 2 1/2 Quarts in before it read , and on the job spec I got from Honda it rread 2.3 Liters . I Fail to see how I got a full 2.3 Liters , when Im telling you that the Sump was Dry . I Licked the bloody Dipstick after inserting it guys , and Video'd the whole thing , so I can take honda On about it . I THOUGHT the Bloody Tappets were making a Little Too much Noise , especially Considering they were seen to on Tuesday ???? ...

I reckon that with 18's this bike would almost certainly Try and FLip itself in one spot !! Lol

[400exfan19]

when people rejet and go 2 a bigger or smaller main jet, do you buy a bigger 1 or adjust it? i really dont get it

[Def-e-nition]

no , the jet is a physical Jet with different size holes .
each one lets a larger or smaller amount if fuel through .

so , depending on jet size and type , you guide the setting to either Run richer or leaner .

that means you have to open the carb up and change the main jet that Im talking about .

the reason I had to change my jet , was because the Cam i put in allowed the bike to breathe better , i.e more air in , so , accordingly , one has to compensate and add more fuel .


You'll get it soon enough once the mod' bug bites .

[Kaleigh]

lol.. i like that term Mod'Bugs bite.. lol :macho im pretty sure alot of people have been bitten by those

[Def-e-nition]

I got these for Sundays race . Was going to go for the All tracks , but they didn't have stock , so with the stage 1 , it should be adeadly combination ! I've never had such MEAN tread on at the back .

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/stuart101/wingtiresmall.jpg


So what do you think my chances are of flipping the bike on the Starting line Kaleigh ??

Hmm ??


mod'bug = BKT wings ................

[Def-e-nition]

Yesterday , 3 hour enduro . The bike was unstoppable .

The tyres worked a treat as well .Enormous amounts of traction . Although , I did Get stuck in some serious seat depth mud.Got off and pushed once , back on my way .
Gearing was out,(14-38) and 5th was almost like an overdrive , but the track suited the faster bikes . The hotcam is simply Amazing . torque low-down pulls you through the rough stuff woith ease .
If I could hold onto the bike long enough and kept the throttle open , the bike rewards you with Gobs and Gobs of torque .In the end my ability to NOT hold on long enough was the limiting factor , as my hands were covered in blisters .

I wont go on anymore about the cam , I think I've said enough . best mod i've done .period . Tappets become a bit npoisy , which would be my only criticism , but I suppose the extra clearance is necessay .

Only mod that didn't work so well yesterday , was the 450 shock modification . With no-one to Re-valve , I found the shocks binding terribly on the 3rd Lap , to the point where i was letting go of the bars because the bike was being shaken about so badly . This led to Major fatigue on my side , and probably stole a good 10 minutes per lap on my riding time . So , 450 shocks work , but one would need to revalve the buggers to get em to work on a Ex . Stiff as a board ... they were stiff as a board ...

[vze2hnvz]

Looks like you went for the 22's in the rear. A little more clearance for enduro's never hurt anyone. Sounds like you may have to re-gear a bit for that elusive "perfect" balance of acceleration/top end. When you find it, give me a ring...... ;)
I've been on a bike geared so low, seems like it would rev out at 40mph. That same bike on a steep hill though, you felt like Wyle E. Coyote with an Acme rocket pack on your back.


BTW - How'd you do in the race?

[Kaleigh]

nice tires.. looks mean.. as for tipping off the line.. i bet you can tip in first and second.. i know mine likes too.. those tires look like they will grip til the days gets dark..

[Def-e-nition]

Originally posted by vze2hnvz
Looks like you went for the 22's in the rear. A little more clearance for enduro's never hurt anyone. Sounds like you may have to re-gear a bit for that elusive "perfect" balance of acceleration/top end. When you find it, give me a ring...... ;)
I've been on a bike geared so low, seems like it would rev out at 40mph. That same bike on a steep hill though, you felt like Wyle E. Coyote with an Acme rocket pack on your back.


BTW - How'd you do in the race?

Ha Ha !! Thats Funny !!

mmm I reckon the Gearing will have to be sorted out though , I just won't go so low ...

Man , I won the Pro production class . The bike was a torque Monster , so I woulda been angry if I didn't get a Place Finish ..

The gearing was too low to pull off in second , so i had to use first , and I let go of the Clutch and YEEHAA !-Up came the Nose for ten Meters ...Back off the throttle and nose down .
The Dust was Terrible - nobody could see a Damn Thing at the start . i got annoyed and Decided to Overtake like Crazy on the First lap . Pushed myself way too hard but it was necessary to be Able to see the darn track ...

Think Im going to go with 13 38 set up if i run the 22's , would have prefferred 15 39 , but the 5th was simply too long . I must just remember that anything i do Is reversable .

[flauge]

Lol, sounds like you got it set up about right if you won your class:) . I cant wait to put my stg 1 in next week..:devil:
Just wondering tho, how do yall think a 05 450r carb would do with the stg1 on the 400?? Im gonna put both of those on along with a e series pipe(thanks awsomeaussies:D ).
I think ill be pretty happy with the results:macho

[Def-e-nition]

mmm.. not too sure about the carb mod , although the guys swear it works .
Personally I haven't the time for it , I reckon its still fairly easy though .

I have read elsewhere that the Rex is nowhere Near under-carbed , but i pretty much steal as much as possible from the Trx450 Myself , so the Carb should be a cinch , as well as work .

Ask Gp racer 2500 , he's my brains most of the time .

15 -36 gearing - how does that run on the 03 model ? Damn - i reckon mine would not run at all with that gearing . She struggled as it was with the stock engine stock jet to reach something close to top speed in fifth with just a Single tooth down from standard ....

[lpmaster]

the 05+ have a different internal ratio the 450r carb is very easy and a very very good mod once jetted properly, you'll really see what that stage 1 can do once you get the 450 carb i use one myself ;)

[flauge]

Thats good, iwas hoping it would work good with the stg 1, i was kinda scarred that it might be too much. But hey, its been sitting around for like 3 mths so i might as well do something with it right??
On that 15-36 gearing Def-- Its perfect for dirt roads and fast trails and what-not, its not as extreme as a 16-38 so i dont loose too much bottom. Gotta remember though 99-04 has 15-38 from the factory over here in the US.. ;)

[Def-e-nition]

Originally posted by flauge
On that 15-36 gearing Def-- Its perfect for dirt roads and fast trails and what-not, its not as extreme as a 16-38 so i dont loose too much bottom. Gotta remember though 99-04 has 15-38 from the factory over here in the US.. ;)


damn .... then that thing was quick .

so Where'd the change come about ?

[lpmaster]

the sprockets changed in the 05 and up models

99-04 15-38
05-07 14-39

but the transmission ratios are different so they top out close to the same speed

[Def-e-nition]

mmmm , i suspect the 04 and down models to be stronger .
i dont know what gives me that impression , but i just have that Overall feeling about them .

That 39 is a ***** .I love its Low down Power .


Man , the more i hot up this bike the more I understand why Its such a popular Bike in the states .

Ltz's are famous here in South Africa , they make em so strong they run with Ltr's . Trex's are not thought of as being Competition , which is why I rub it in so much when it's a 1- 2 Honda , and I finsh a full Lap ahead of the next guy .....:rolleyes: ;)

[lpmaster]

the amount of aftermarket parts for the 400ex is rediculou7s, the z400's are a good choice too with the water cooling. the 400ex is more of a historical power maker, air cooled and such which makes it that much better when it wins!

[flauge]

Well Def, I finally found out what youre talking about with the cam. I just put mine in today. I could'nt really mash on it like I wanted to b/c my clutch was slipping a lil (its even worse now with the cam btw), but just going up to like 3/4 throttle it feels like it pulls a lot better. I cant wait til the weekend when i put my new clutch in, we'll see what its really got then!:devil:

[Def-e-nition]

Good.. I'm Glad some of what i said made it worthwhile to do the mod .

Wait til the clutch is fixed . You'll be Amazed at how much Power there is in the Mid range . Some days I regret not having bought the trx 450 , but judging by the way how well it ran on the day last week , against bikes 10 hp stronger , i couldnt be more happier . which is why I keep saying are there No honda Japs that actually RIDE these bikes after they design them ? the stock puppy is a WUSS man ! :p Just a cam Mod , and they only have to replace a SINGLE cam the design is so old , and they'd have a nice strong Bike for us to work from .

Clutch - hmmm .. dont bring up any bad luck . I'm not too thrilled with the standard Clutch as it is , so dont go there .

[Kaleigh]

Originally posted by Def-e-nition
Good.. I'm Glad some of what i said made it worthwhile to do the mod .

Wait til the clutch is fixed . You'll be Amazed at how much Power there is in the Mid range . Some days I regret not having bought the trx 450 , but judging by the way how well it ran on the day last week , against bikes 10 hp stronger , i couldnt be more happier . which is why I keep saying are there No honda Japs that actually RIDE these bikes after they design them ? the stock puppy is a WUSS man ! :p Just a cam Mod , and they only have to replace a SINGLE cam the design is so old , and they'd have a nice strong Bike for us to work from .

Clutch - hmmm .. dont bring up any bad luck . I'm not too thrilled with the standard Clutch as it is , so dont go there .

for some reason I think honda love to make their machines(cars,bikes and quads) so the people tune it to what they like.. hondas of any kind are a great base to work on and the power you get out of them can range from mild to wild depending on what you do to them..

I also think the stock 400ex was meant for a wide range of peolpe so they didnt leave anyone out.. they would be able to sell alot more.. dont forget the japanese are small people about 100lbs soaking wet :D .. so I think that power was good for them.. hehehe:devil: