just bought my 1st quad and need some help/pointers

[H400DAN2004]

hello all. my name is dan and i just bought my 1st quad. its a 2004 honda 400EX in yellow. i bought it with the following mods

full skid plates
itp hole shot f/r tires
itp front rims
shock wear shock boots


when i bought it the quad looked very well taken care of and IMO was in better then great shape. so i would like to keep it that way. granted my 1st time out i had the thing on top of me but other then that i am learning and having a blast.

to some of my questions i need help on.

i was in the trails and i had to cross a road but i had to ride on the street for about 1/2 mile to get to the trail again. as i did this i had the quad in 5th gear for the 1st time. now to me it was fast. i dont know how fast but it felt like fast. haha. ''remember 1st timer here'' i noticed all my wheels shaking like there off balance so i was wondering do they need to be balanced or is this something normal.

next is i plan to do an oil change. the local quad shop has an oil they recommend to me called spectro 20/50 full syn..... is this ok to use. he said it is a 4 stroke oil. and how often should i change the oil? i would say i ride about 2 times a week at around 4 hours a session.

lastly tire psi. how much psi should be in the front tires and rear tires. i ride on some big rock trails and bumps. then the here and there open smooth parts. i guess your common woods trails

and also what else can i do to keep my new toy running in good shape. thanks alot and i hope to maybe meet some of you on the trails some day.

p.s. i live in sussex county nj. i ride the abandon tracks that go through the ice tunnels tord p.a., devils foot print trails, and the tracks through the landing train station towards clifts ice cream and where ever else they go. haah. a newbie clearly knows nothing on where he is going. heehh

[adawg89]

Make sure all your tire bolts are tighten I am also a new rider I have 03 400ex just bought it in November. Oil changing if you ride hard check oil after every if you ride for like 8 hours of hard riding I would shange the oil ands some users say to use mobil 1 15w50 the red label one

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Images/Products/M1_15w50_top.gif

[H400DAN2004]

Originally posted by adawg89
Make sure all your tire bolts are tighten I am also a new rider I have 03 400ex just bought it in November. Oil changing if you ride hard check oil after every if you ride for like 8 hours of hard riding I would shange the oil ands some users say to use mobil 1 15w50 the red label one

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Images/Products/M1_15w50_top.gif


yep there all tight. any chance you or some know the proper tire pressure ''PSI'' to put in these things. haha. the tire said max 36psi but i know thats not right. i think i have 5 psi in all 4.

[smelly$cat]

I'm interested to hear what others have to say about PSI as well, but I run mine about 4.5 to 5 all around.

Hopefully you still have your low pressure gauge in the tool kit.

I figure they give you one that only goes up to 5PSI since you should be running that or lower. :)

[adawg89]

Originally posted by H400DAN2004
yep there all tight. any chance you or some know the proper tire pressure ''PSI'' to put in these things. haha. the tire said max 36psi but i know thats not right. i think i have 5 psi in all 4.

36 sounds right to me I mean 50 psi in car tires well for mine anyways.

[jason_31]

i run 4 all around like the book says...no problems

[Stoke88]

I run about 5 PSI in my tires too. Any 10W40 will work for all round riding just fine. Sounds like your wheels could be bent a little. If the bolts are good and tight thats really the only other thing that I can think of.

[Grimzella]

Originally posted by adawg89
36 sounds right to me I mean 50 psi in car tires well for mine anyways.

36 way too much, quad will be bouncy... 4 is good.. i go 3.5 or down to 3 if rocks are bad. but no way should you run 35 psi in quad tires. i wouldnt anyways.

[adawg89]

Originally posted by Grimzella
36 way too much, quad will be bouncy... 4 is good.. i go 3.5 or down to 3 if rocks are bad. but no way should you run 35 psi in quad tires. i wouldnt anyways.

woops I never check the pressure in mine yet they are pretty light when I took them off though. so I guess 4 psi is what its suppose to be.

[H400DAN2004]

thanks guys for the help. my rims are actually not bent up at all. there perfect. anything else that could be bent??

[H400DAN2004]

Originally posted by smelly$cat
I'm interested to hear what others have to say about PSI as well, but I run mine about 4.5 to 5 all around.

Hopefully you still have your low pressure gauge in the tool kit.

I figure they give you one that only goes up to 5PSI since you should be running that or lower. :)

no i did not get the kit with the quad. but im sure i can find a 10psi or less gauge somewhere. thanks

[Mellow Yellow]

4.5 to 5 psi for me too. I don't think you have a problem. I had a similar experience riding on the road. At about 50mph started vibrating and getting a little squirlly. I just backed off the throttle and let my buddy riding his raptor win that one. Never been an issue riding that fast in the dirt.

[smelly$cat]

Tire pressure might be too high, preventing the sidewall from soaking up the bumps in the road, making them bounce all over the place.

There are also the main nuts that hold the hubs on (with the cotter pin through them) right in the center of your wheel. Make sure all of that is tight as well. Not just your lug nuts.

Tires might have a bunch of rocks/junk in them. You'd be amazed what can get past the bead on a stock wheel/tire. When I take mine off, I can hear all sorts of little pebbles banging around in there. I doubt this is the problem though.

Quad tires/rims aren't balanced like a car wheel/tire, so, at high speed, on hard surface, they might wobble a bit. Dirt would probably soak it up so you don't noticed. The sticker on your quad says to not ride it on pavement :) lol

[H400DAN2004]

Originally posted by smelly$cat
Tire pressure might be too high, preventing the sidewall from soaking up the bumps in the road, making them bounce all over the place.

There are also the main nuts that hold the hubs on (with the cotter pin through them) right in the center of your wheel. Make sure all of that is tight as well. Not just your lug nuts.

Tires might have a bunch of rocks/junk in them. You'd be amazed what can get past the bead on a stock wheel/tire. When I take mine off, I can hear all sorts of little pebbles banging around in there. I doubt this is the problem though.

Quad tires/rims aren't balanced like a car wheel/tire, so, at high speed, on hard surface, they might wobble a bit. Dirt would probably soak it up so you don't noticed. The sticker on your quad says to not ride it on pavement :) lol

thanks man. yea it happens in 5th ear only when im about half way through it. i havent pinned it yet.

thanks for the reply.

[hondaking52]

jack the front end off the ground and check the bearings, just shake the tire back and forth see if its tight, if they are tight, all is normal...

[tri5ron]

you might also want to jack the quad up, let the tires hang not touching the ground. (put it up on a milk crate if you dont have a ATV stand/jack).

check to see if everything is tight.
check your swinger, and carrier bearings, drive chain tension in the rear. (also check the condition of your sprockets)
check your a-arms, spindles, wheel bearings, tie-rod ends in the front.
After you verify all is tight and well, if you want to stabilize it more, your should consider upgrading your front shocks, and get a steering stabilizer. (lots of threads here for both of those).

when changing your oil, remember that there is a drain plug in the oil tank, AND another in the engine.
BTW- search the forums for proper oil/filter changing and refilling procedure. (Remember this is a dry sump system) It's not just drain, and refill to the line on the dipstick.

Go onto ebay, and buy a factory maintaince/repair manual. i(It's your new toy's best friend)
Dont bother with a Clymer, Bates, or Haynes manual.

Once you've gotten comfortable with it, and start looking for more power, get a better breather(exhaust), intake filter, Sparks key.
after that you can go with cams, carb, and more...

Welcome to the forum, welcome to the disease, (it's called A.A.D.S.), and it IS terminal, with no known cure, (and if someone DOES come up with a cure, there are plenty of us here who will gladly kick his butt !

ride hard, ride safe, and keep the rubber side down.

Originally posted by adawg89
woops I never check the pressure in mine yet they are pretty light when I took them off though. so I guess 4 psi is what its suppose to be.

Air doesn't add weight lol.


Dan,
I ride those same train tracks. It's such a beautiful ride. The ones that go over the one bridge above RT 80 and the river? With the big arches?

I love it.

[midwest honda]

The shaking is probably the tires on the pavement. Knobbies will "shake" or vibrate on the highway and you might not notice it until it gets up to a certain speed like u said halfway through 5th. That might be the sweet spot where it vibrates a lot. If you dont notice the same thing in the dirt then it is probably just the knobs on the tires.

[H400DAN2004]

Originally posted by tri5ron
you might also want to jack the quad up, let the tires hang not touching the ground. (put it up on a milk crate if you dont have a ATV stand/jack).

check to see if everything is tight.
check your swinger, and carrier bearings, drive chain tension in the rear. (also check the condition of your sprockets)
check your a-arms, spindles, wheel bearings, tie-rod ends in the front.
After you verify all is tight and well, if you want to stabilize it more, your should consider upgrading your front shocks, and get a steering stabilizer. (lots of threads here for both of those).

when changing your oil, remember that there is a drain plug in the oil tank, AND another in the engine.
BTW- search the forums for proper oil/filter changing and refilling procedure. (Remember this is a dry sump system) It's not just drain, and refill to the line on the dipstick.

Go onto ebay, and buy a factory maintaince/repair manual. i(It's your new toy's best friend)
Dont bother with a Clymer, Bates, or Haynes manual.

Once you've gotten comfortable with it, and start looking for more power, get a better breather(exhaust), intake filter, Sparks key.
after that you can go with cams, carb, and more...

Welcome to the forum, welcome to the disease, (it's called A.A.D.S.), and it IS terminal, with no known cure, (and if someone DOES come up with a cure, there are plenty of us here who will gladly kick his butt !

ride hard, ride safe, and keep the rubber side down.


thank you very much for your info. im going to follow it. as for the bug yes i got it. i also have it in the import world where i have a 2003 evo 8. as for power on that bad boy spring time it should touch mid 700s. hehe.

[H400DAN2004]

Originally posted by DMC-4OOEX
Air doesn't add weight lol.


Dan,
I ride those same train tracks. It's such a beautiful ride. The ones that go over the one bridge above RT 80 and the river? With the big arches?

I love it.


yes sir. im all over them parts. hey maybe one day we can meet up. send me a pm if you want

[H400DAN2004]

Originally posted by midwest honda
The shaking is probably the tires on the pavement. Knobbies will "shake" or vibrate on the highway and you might not notice it until it gets up to a certain speed like u said halfway through 5th. That might be the sweet spot where it vibrates a lot. If you dont notice the same thing in the dirt then it is probably just the knobs on the tires.

i have not been in the dirt on a trail where i can get out of mid 4th. if im even make it there. its a rough ride for sure but i weigh less then a bread box so this machine reall gives me a ride. im sure with everything you guys told me to check '' witch i did'' all is normal for the vibrations.

monday im going out on hopatcong lake for some riding. i got some 8x1/2 hex screws for the tires. im only going to put a few in the rear tires as i dont want to trash them as there still 85% good.

on a sad note last night i bent my front rim. im a bit upset about it as im a freak on stuff looking good. my boy said its not the last time but i need to replace the rim. it is pissing me off. so im going to look for new tires and rims come spring time. im thinking of sticking with the same tires i have but going to a black rim. i think it will look bad ***.

thanks again guys for the warm and helpful welcome to the forum and to riding. i hope to see some of you out there. but go slow i cant keep up yet. haha

Originally posted by H400DAN2004
yes sir. im all over them parts. hey maybe one day we can meet up. send me a pm if you want

sure will.

[brains]

Hey Dan,
I live close to you guys, I'm in Oakland. Where are these tracks and trails you ride? Are they accessible from Rt. 23 anywhere?
I don't have too many decent places to ride down here anymore.
Thanks.

Originally posted by brains
Hey Dan,
I live close to you guys, I'm in Oakland. Where are these tracks and trails you ride? Are they accessible from Rt. 23 anywhere?
I don't have too many decent places to ride down here anymore.
Thanks.

Do you know where the TA truckstop is on 80? Well if you go in the back corner, their will be an old trail up to the tracks that was blocked off. If you ride up the little road in that same back corner, you will see a trail somewhere that goes up a hill directly to the top of the train tracks.

Sorry I don't have more detail, been a long time since I rode their.

[H400DAN2004]

thanks DMC.

yea im not to sure about RT 23. im a beginner so i havent gone to far yet.

on a side note i was out on the lake with a friend of mine ''hopatcong lake'' and holy crap what i ride. it was intense for sure. i also had my second turn over. i was in 3rd gear doing a big drift/slide as i was all day and i guess i hit one of them damn fisherman holes. well it was skid hole over for me. i bent up my stock bars so i just ordered up a pro taper SE high set with some nice new grips. everything else was fine. i was laughing so hard when it happen my friend thought i got knocked out when he came over. i couldent move i was laughing so hard. hey live and learn. im a bit heavy on the throttle to. anyways. im going back out when the new bars get in witch should be thurs or so.

if anyone knows cranberry lake me and a friend are going over to another friends house for some lake riding. they made a track. there gonna do some bbq and riding. should be fun .

Originally posted by H400DAN2004
thanks DMC.

yea im not to sure about RT 23. im a beginner so i havent gone to far yet.

on a side note i was out on the lake with a friend of mine ''hopatcong lake'' and holy crap what i ride. it was intense for sure. i also had my second turn over. i was in 3rd gear doing a big drift/slide as i was all day and i guess i hit one of them damn fisherman holes. well it was skid hole over for me. i bent up my stock bars so i just ordered up a pro taper SE high set with some nice new grips. everything else was fine. i was laughing so hard when it happen my friend thought i got knocked out when he came over. i couldent move i was laughing so hard. hey live and learn. im a bit heavy on the throttle to. anyways. im going back out when the new bars get in witch should be thurs or so.

if anyone knows cranberry lake me and a friend are going over to another friends house for some lake riding. they made a track. there gonna do some bbq and riding. should be fun .

ha, my grandma is like literally right next to the lake. Not quite a lake house but damn close.

Never knew you can ride on there and no get in trouble. I know I saw snowmobiles before, but i never knew.

[H400DAN2004]

Originally posted by DMC-4OOEX
ha, my grandma is like literally right next to the lake. Not quite a lake house but damn close.

Never knew you can ride on there and no get in trouble. I know I saw snowmobiles before, but i never knew.


o yea they dont bother you. as long as your being respectful to the fisherman ''not doing fly bys'' and when or if you need to get up on shore do it with common sense. other then that you can fly WOT all u want.

[H400DAN2004]

well since i bent my handle bars i bought a pro taper SE high black handle bar. some black OURY grips.

along my hours of reading and searching i found from most of you guys its good to do a block off plate for the e-brake. so i also ordered up a pro armor block off plate and a new turner Aof clutch lever.

i cant wait to install the new goodies. looks like the car is not getting the mod bug love anymore. well till spring time at least. haha