Making a 400ex XC race ready

[ilikedirt]

I am going to start racing XC on my 400ex and I was wanting to find out what mods are required for XC and what is good for it?? Thanks!

[powermadd400ex]

suspension suspension suspension

[ilikedirt]

Originally posted by powermadd400ex
suspension suspension suspension

Would a revalve of the stocks shocks work or would 450 shocks work fine?

[BEAVER.989]

The stock rear can be made ok with a revalve, but the fronts gotta go. Revalved/resprungs 450 fronts should work ok. I'm saving my pennies for HLS Elite fronts and revalved/resprund rear with a GT Thunder XC link.

[BEAVER.989]

I guess after suspension I'd focus on skids and a bumper, then wheels and tires, then creature comforts(bars, grips, handguards, etc.)

After that, dive in to performance mods... a good foam filter, exhaust system, Stage 1 Hotcam, higher compression piston kit, jets, etc.

I've never built a race quad, but this would be my aproach if I were to do it.

[powermadd400ex]

Originally posted by ilikedirt
Would a revalve of the stocks shocks work or would 450 shocks work fine?

revalved and resprung 450r shocks and a stock rear revalve would be great. then a steering stabilizer. those are the main things you need.

remeber its not how fast you are in XC, its how long you can last.

you dont need anything besides a helmet and a kill switch. but seriously you can race on whatever you want

[powermadd400ex]

Originally posted by FlewByU352
you dont need anything besides a helmet and a kill switch. but seriously you can race on whatever you want
as far as i know, kill switchs are only required at GNCC races.

[lilyamaharacer4]

Your required to have a tether to race anywhere and nerf bars.

[powermadd400ex]

Originally posted by lilyamaharacer4
Your required to have a tether to race anywhere and nerf bars.
tethers arent required here.
nerf bars in xc?

[Flynbryan19]

Originally posted by lilyamaharacer4
Your required to have a tether to race anywhere and nerf bars.

Negative. You are not required to run nerfs in XC racing. Mx yes.

Bare bones minimum to run XC I would recommend quality skid plates, 6ply tires, and of course a tether.

If you have the money I would next recommend the suspension mods others have already stated on here. Suspension is THE biggest improvement you can do to any quad for xc racing. Again as others have said, stabilizers are very nice.

Motor work is the LAST thing you want to do. Get a well protected chassis, puncture resistant tires, and suspensioin first. Motor is nice, but is the least helpful mod in xc racing.

[MyKe2g3]

Basically you need suspension mods to get low. Get some 450r revalved shocks up front with plus 2's a arms or get a front lowering kit. For the back get a lowering link and your stock rear shock revalved or if you got some change get a new rear shock. and just get some practice. Id get a kill switch and skids just be on the safe side cause a low quad can hit alot of stuff.

[BEAVER.989]

Originally posted by MyKe2g3
Basically you need suspension mods to get low. Get some 450r revalved shocks up front with plus 2's a arms or get a front lowering kit. For the back get a lowering link and your stock rear shock revalved or if you got some change get a new rear shock. and just get some practice. Id get a kill switch and skids just be on the safe side cause a low quad can hit alot of stuff.

+2's for XC? A lowering kit? I think not.

[MyKe2g3]

I like to have a little bit of travel up front for a lowerer center of gravity esp when you trying to get thru the trail on the tight courses climbing and getting stuck would suck. Not mention it makes it more comfortable. You dont need a long travel setup up front but a lil more never hurts.

[BEAVER.989]

I'm all for lowering to match a linked rear, but would choose to do it with better shocks that allow for the ride height adjustment needed rather than a lowering kit.

The +2 a arms is what really threw me for a loop. The last thing you would want on a tight course is to get hung up between tress. Stock width or +1's tops would be a better choice for most.

[ilikedirt]

Yeah lowering and extended arms and axles are totally senseless for XC. I know that much...

I kinda wanted to get a HMF first cause i hate the stock exhaust..

oh yeah and I just did the reverse wire mod and its awesome!

[ilikedirt]

I was just reading for trails, the stock shocks would be better because the 450 shocks would just make the ride rougher...

does that make sense?

[BEAVER.989]

450r shocks are stiff stock. That's why you get them revalved and resprung.

[ilikedirt]

Originally posted by BEAVER.989
450r shocks are stiff stock. That's why you get them revalved and resprung.

Well whats the difference of the revalved and resrung stockers vs the revalved and resprung 450 shocks?

[BEAVER.989]

The stockers are pretty much useless with no adjustability. The 450R's offer adjustability and remote rezzies.

[ep250ex]

the stock front shocks are non rebuildable so you cannot get them revalved or resprung I believe.

[ilikedirt]

I was thinking, won't the stock shocks just be fine for XC racing? Since its not much MX? i'm about 155lbs

[Ryan'07400ex]

Originally posted by ilikedirt
I was thinking, won't the stock shocks just be fine for XC racing? Since its not much MX? i'm about 155lbs

Stock shocks will make a man out of you haha idk. just hold on haha

[ilikedirt]

Is it just the quality of the stockers that suck?

oh yeah, Fasst bars, what do you guys think about them?

[supraloud84]

Oh no! ILD made it over here now. lol. Just like fsc, speak little, read alot and you will learn alot from these guys. If you can ditch the stock fronts and get some 450r or yfz fronts. You'll understand why after you ride em.

[ilikedirt]

Originally posted by supraloud84
Oh no! ILD made it over here now. lol. Just like fsc, speak little, read alot and you will learn alot from these guys. If you can ditch the stock fronts and get some 450r or yfz fronts. You'll understand why after you ride em.

HAAH who the hell is this lol?

i'm still on the fence about the front shocks...buying them AND getting them revalved and resprung would be a pretty penny...

[supraloud84]

Im a regular on fsc. Anyhow, if you dont wanna go the route of the 450s and getting the revalved you can get elkas on ebay set up for your weight and riding style for $400. A couple of my buddies have gone that route and seem to be pretty happy with them

[moshachusetts]

ilike,
i see in you signature "clipped reverse wire" what does this do? just curious.


i run +2 arms on my 400ex and never had a problem, the ex is narrower then the 450's stock to begin with. and i like the stabiltiy the +2 adds. i also run +2.25 on my yfz and since its a bit wider to begin with, for the most part dont have a problem but have ran into a tree or two. in fact a lot of guys around here run +2 and i would say the tracks are pretty narrow. i think is all personal preferance.

shocks i had the cheapest works shocks and they made a huge difference over stock ones. then i bought fox floats (not the evol kind) and that made a huge difference over the works.

motor wise, pipe,jet and air filter.

i run nothing but hiper beadlocks, expensive but worth it. theres a guy on ebay that sells them new for$650 for all 4.

tires i use kenda klaws seem to be the cheapest out there and last forever.

and i have flexx bars on both bikes and also think they're worth every penny.

steering stabilizer is what i want next but i gotta get the $500 first.

and get plenty of cardio, xc races are brutal!

[lilyamaharacer4]

Not sure about the 450r shocks on stock a arms but theres times on the trails where i can bottom them out. To me they really arent all that stiff.

[ilikedirt]

Originally posted by moshachusetts
ilike,
i see in you signature "clipped reverse wire" what does this do? just curious.!

It eliminates the reverse limiter and allows you to start the bike in reverse...

[400man]

ive only done a few xc races so far, my first race ever was the ironman GNCC in 08, raced my 250r. and done 2 or 3 more races this year too.

I think the XC series that you plan on racing in should help you decide on how to setup your 400. the gncc series are not as "tight" as say some of the harescramble series like the midwest or midsouth xc series. the gncc uses wider trails with alot of fast sections and often the lap times are about 20-40mins long on average. I did the last race of the midsouth winter series at gamaliel, ky, and that was by far the tightest trails ive ever rode on. I raced a banshee and placed about the middle of my class. in the gncc you can get away with +2 a-arms and a wider axle. but the tighter races in the harescramble series I would go no wider that +1 a-arms and stock axle width. and i'd even throw in the idea of running 22inch rear tires for a hair extra ground clearance cause it gets rough when the ruts start getting deeper toward the middle and end of the race.

[Snipe]

400's are narrower than the 450 by about a 1/4 inch not much at all. Keep the stock width you will love it better.

Do the shocks the front stockers are just POS and you will be beat to death. You cannot adjust enough out of the spring to make them soft. Ride a bike or just set on a bike with better shocks and you will instantly know what im talking about.

Would cost just as much to get the 450's and revalved and sprung I think its something around $400 for the work alone.

Would be 10X better just to buy a used set of elka or works or something along that line.

Comparing the stock front to the 450 is like comparing early morning to lunch time and comparing either of them to a good set of aftermarket shocks is like comparing night and day. There just that much better you will never look back after getting them.

[trailrider894]

the 450r's have remote rezzies??? and lowering and widening is good for XC?? I just laughed when i read this thing... by far contains the least amount of useful information in any thread on this site.

:rolleyes:

[400excracer]

Originally posted by Flynbryan19
Negative. You are not required to run nerfs in XC racing. Mx yes.

Bare bones minimum to run XC I would recommend quality skid plates, 6ply tires, and of course a tether.

If you have the money I would next recommend the suspension mods others have already stated on here. Suspension is THE biggest improvement you can do to any quad for xc racing. Again as others have said, stabilizers are very nice.

Motor work is the LAST thing you want to do. Get a well protected chassis, puncture resistant tires, and suspensioin first. Motor is nice, but is the least helpful mod in xc racing. I have raced XC with a 400EX and 450R for over 15 years and I agree with everything said above. Good Luck!

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by 400excracer
I have raced XC with a 400EX and 450R for over 15 years and I agree with everything said above. Good Luck!

you must be aware, this thread is nearly 2yrs old... I brought it back to life just for giggles.

[finsteratv]

i have 4ply rears and those have always been fine for me. is 6ply really needed?

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by finsteratv
i have 4ply rears and those have always been fine for me. is 6ply really needed?

Depends on the terrain... In missouri, 6ply isn;t needed... We don't have enough rocks to need them. All they do is act as weights and sick you in the mud.

[Scro]

The difference in weight between the 4-ply Razr rear, and the 6-ply Razr rear is 1.2 pounds. The average rider won't even feel the weight difference, much less make sink in the mud more. If you don't have tireballs, 6-ply is the way to go for XC.

[CJM]

I always go 6 ply, rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. Never punctured a tire either.