trx400 front shcoks - upgrading

[jakestrx400]

right, thikning of upgrading my front shocks, and porbably a arms...im running stock atm. stock motor and some visual mods.

i was looking at the alba kit with elkas. but then i saw the peps, and i really have no clue. . should i go long travel?
just looking for annyy kits?
possibly the i schock kit (hydrodynmics)?
and i really dont wanna spend over 2000?

thoughts, facts or opinions?!

cheers, jake ;) :macho

[northwest Texas]

I bought Works G Series with no rezzies several years ago for a little over $400. They've been great and I haven't had to make any adjustments to them. My b-i-l is going from his Elka's to the same as I have now.

I can add reservoirs and the adjustments later if I want. So far I haven't found the need to yet but I don't MX frequently so.......

You can spend the $$$'s on the nicest stuff but unless you're really savvy, having too much can be worse. Sure I could get a better ride if I had more adjustments but my ride is pretty darn good and I'm not always tinkering trying to fine tune. I just gas and go.

I thought about long travel but talking to guys have told me it's not necessary unless I MX.

Back to my b-i-l, he's bought Houser arms for about $600 and front and rear Works G's for less than $1,300. I forget exactly.

[DOHC]

It all depends on what ur doing, theres not sense of buying shocks u dont need.

[jakestrx400]

just mx, all mx . .fast ahrd mx :devil:
i like the look of these peps. . ?
and maybe dc4 a arms?!

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by jakestrx400
just mx, all mx . .fast ahrd mx :devil:
i like the look of these peps. . ?
and maybe dc4 a arms?!

Do you really need to spend that kind of cash? Do you think you have the ability to fine tune a long travel shock? All it really offers is more adjustability than standard travel. Do you think you can out adjust a standard travel? If not your wasting money IMHO. PEPs are awesome but how long do you want to wait for your shocks?

If I had a 400ex, I would get Houser standard travel arms, 450R stock fronts and send them to GT Thunder to be shortened/revalve/resprung to work on the 400ex with those arms, and then send the stock 400ex rear along and get that rebuilt with the new linkage and you will have one kick arse setup, and still money left over to get an axle and still be well under the $2000 mark.;)

[jakestrx400]

i was previously thinking of getting a 440 kit with pipe filter and aLL THAT, but then i thought a suspension kit would make me faster...and its not as easy as just send them over to gt thunder..i live in the uk. :(
soo...peps and houser slicast?!
ot stick with the idea of modding the engine up. . .because the thing is, i can ride and keep with the 450s..but you hit the striaght and they fllyy past :ermm:

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by jakestrx400
i was previously thinking of getting a 440 kit with pipe filter and aLL THAT, but then i thought a suspension kit would make me faster...and its not as easy as just send them over to gt thunder..i live in the uk. :(
soo...peps and houser slicast?!
ot stick with the idea of modding the engine up. . .because the thing is, i can ride and keep with the 450s..but you hit the striaght and they fllyy past :ermm:

Neither of those options I like. Suspension first, and do the front and the rear, you cant run a ZPS setup on the front and stock rear

You live in the UK, so... is there a law that says you cant send them to the states? Its still worth the extra coin and you'll still be under $2000

[jakestrx400]

:rolleyes: i dont want 450 shocks, ive ridden them and yes there better but i think these pep zps rock!
so, how much is a full all round zps. . ?
and then ill probably just get soem cheaper eyeball engineering +3 or sumthanngg?! :confused:

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by jakestrx400
:rolleyes: i dont want 450 shocks, ive ridden them and yes there better but i think these pep zps rock!
so, how much is a full all round zps. . ?
and then ill probably just get soem cheaper eyeball engineering +3 or sumthanngg?! :confused:

Have you ridden 450 shocks that were reworked for the 400? GT Thunder shortens the shaft and builds them to match the 400ex geometry... ask someone who has them, they will probably tell you they like them better than aftermarket shocks.

Sure PEP's rock, but usually people wait something like 7 months for them. Just a front set of PEP's in long travel are around $1600, so there is no way you can afford arms/front/rear shocks.

So your going to get PEP suspension and put them on eyeball engineering arms!?:rolleyes:

Im telling you rebuilds are the way to go now. Take it for what its worth.

[<DRS>GPF]

Originally posted by northwest Texas
I bought Works G Series with no rezzies several years ago for a little over $400. They've been great and I haven't had to make any adjustments to them. My b-i-l is going from his Elka's to the same as I have now.

I can add reservoirs and the adjustments later if I want. So far I haven't found the need to yet but I don't MX frequently so.......

You can spend the $$$'s on the nicest stuff but unless you're really savvy, having too much can be worse. Sure I could get a better ride if I had more adjustments but my ride is pretty darn good and I'm not always tinkering trying to fine tune. I just gas and go.

I thought about long travel but talking to guys have told me it's not necessary unless I MX.

Back to my b-i-l, he's bought Houser arms for about $600 and front and rear Works G's for less than $1,300. I forget exactly.

ditto..

my Works feel great.. i dont race, but i do play hard and these things were best money spent on my EX so far.. its a plush ride which will make a difference after 3 to 4hrs..
IMO the best production recreation shocks for the money spent..

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by <DRS>GPF
ditto..

my Works feel great.. i dont race, but i do play hard and these things were best money spent on my EX so far.. its a plush ride which will make a difference after 3 to 4hrs..
IMO the best production recreation shocks for the money spent..


"The best you have ridden is the best you know" Paul Thede- RaceTech

What else have you ridden on that was set up for you and your bike?

[DOHC]

Man if i was you i would just buy an i shock kit for up front and possibly a works shock for the rear(maybe somthing better). That set up would work great.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by DOHC
Man if i was you i would just buy an i shock kit for up front and possibly a works shock for the rear(maybe somthing better). That set up would work great.

Why? Why not something else? If you get an I-shock front, why not have the rear rebuilt by I shock to match?

[<DRS>GPF]

Originally posted by 400exrider707
"The best you have ridden is the best you know" Paul Thede- RaceTech

What else have you ridden on that was set up for you and your bike?

tried 2 sets of elka's, 1 set on a KFX400 and 1 set for a 400EX.. each with quite a few hours of riding over a couple of weeks each.. each set were for the quad(even though i believe there was no difference in construction whatsoever), with rider weight and style taken into account..

ive ridden on other peoples quads with elka's as well(only a couple though..), but i dont consider that a fair trial, since theyre not set up for me.... they understand what im saying after spending an hour or so on mine.. "plush"..
ive also tried the 05 KFX400 stockers and although they felt smoother than the elka's, they didnt seem as smooth as my works..

ive also tried 450 stockers... they were better than elka's, not as good as the KFX stockers and certanainly not as plush as the Works i bought when i first got my quad..(4yrs ago..)

the works shocks are the most plush ride for the money, and i wasnt waiting for the elka's to "break in" over a year or so..

so. yes.. "the best Ive ridden is the best I know.."

i take it from your comment, you believe there's a better "off the shelf" rec shock for $400..

edit: btw, its not to say that i dont agree with your comment of getting a set of "take offs" and having someone rebuild them. had i not already purchased these, i wouldve done just that.
im just glad that these have done well for me and i see that theyve done well for others too.

[JW450R1]

I do agree with 400exrider.Suspension first.Then motor.The stock motor is just fine stock,or maybe a pipe and jet kit.